# My betta doesn't like bigger tank?



## mattdocs12345 (Oct 13, 2014)

Few days ago I went to petco. I saw a bunch of dead/dying betta fish so I felt bad about it and decided to get one creature to rescue it from probably certain death in a tiny plastic container. Granted I didn't have anything at home... I purchased 0.4 gallon bowl at petco as a temporary solution. My betta fish seemed to be quite content. Two days ago I transfered him to a 2.7 gallon tank with a heater (filter coming tomorrow). Ever since my betta has been acting up. 1) He moves up and down the tank like he wants to get out 2) he keeps hitting the walls of the tank and swimming against them 3) he now refuses to eat pallets and only eats blood worms 4) he attacked and chewed out and spit out roots of plant that I introduced into his aquarium.
I checked his ammonium and it's 0.5 ppm so it is within safe level. Just in case I changed 10% of his water. And he is getting a filter tomorrow and probably another ammonium test strip. 
Any suggestions how to make him more happy and content apart from putting him back into tiny bowl?


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Some fish can take a while to settle into a new tank, and swimming alongside the glass or 'glass surfing' as it is often called, is a pretty normal behaviour for fish going into a new tank. 

2.7 gallons is not a big tank by any stretch of the imagination. Some betta fish are uncomfortable in tanks that have a lot of open space. Do you have any plants/decorations in there? 

Also 0.5ppm ammonia is not safe. The only safe level of ammonia is 0ppm. You need to do a bigger water change now.


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## mattdocs12345 (Oct 13, 2014)

LittleBettaFish said:


> Some fish can take a while to settle into a new tank, and swimming alongside the glass or 'glass surfing' as it is often called, is a pretty normal behaviour for fish going into a new tank.
> 
> 2.7 gallons is not a big tank by any stretch of the imagination. Some betta fish are uncomfortable in tanks that have a lot of open space. Do you have any plants/decorations in there?
> 
> Also 0.5ppm ammonia is not safe. The only safe level of ammonia is 0ppm. You need to do a bigger water change now.


Alright will change 30% water. 
No, the tank is bare. Im getting some aquatic plants in mail in 1 week or so. And a drift wood as a decoration this week.


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## mattdocs12345 (Oct 13, 2014)

Alright I don't get it. I know changed 70% of water. It still reads 0.5 ppm of Amonia.
I checked clean water treated with with water condition and it also reads 0.5 ppm...


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Yes if the tank is bare it may be making your betta feel less secure. Some bettas don't mind, but for more sensitive fish it can be a problem.

I see you are using test strips. They can have issues with accuracy. Here we usually recommend liquid test kits. 

I believe some water conditioners can leave ammonia behind when they deal with the chloramine in tap water. Have you tested your tap water without any water conditioner? It is not uncommon for tap water to have some ammonia present.


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## aselvarial (Feb 21, 2014)

I have one fish in a 2.5 gallon. He didn't really settle down until I fully planted his tank and found a ship he likes to hide in. The other 4 didn't really seem to care. Some fish are just more finicky so lots of hiding places are needed.


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## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

his tank is bare so that will stress him out a lot, once you get plants he will settle down.


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## Rosewynn (Apr 9, 2013)

While I have had fish who do better in smaller tanks, I think it's too soon to jump the gun on this. 1) Most bettas aren't going to like having no décor. 2) It just hasn't been long enough to say he likes or doesn't like it. Give it some more time.


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## TerriGtoo (Jul 2, 2013)

mattdocs12345 said:


> Alright I don't get it. I know changed 70% of water. It still reads 0.5 ppm of Amonia.
> I checked clean water treated with with water condition and it also reads 0.5 ppm...


What conditioner are you using? If Prime, it can give false positives on ammonia readings.


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## TerriGtoo (Jul 2, 2013)

VivianKJean said:


> his tank is bare so that will stress him out a lot, once you get plants he will settle down.


+1 Viv. I suspect he's desperately looking for a place to hide.


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

Floating plants are the most important thing of all. Bettas like to hang out at the surface and having a bunch of plants up there makes them feel secure.

Make a floating tube out craft mesh. I just added a few of these and I can't keep my fish out of them. Add hideaways like terra cotta pots. Some bettas are ambivalent towards them but it's worth a shot. A bigger tank gives you way more decorating options. For me, that's one of the fun parts of the hobby.

Some people are just fine with dropping a sponge bob in the middle of their tank, calling it a day and going out for drinks.

The key is finding a balance of what your fish needs and what you find aesthetically pleasing.

In other words make your bigger tank smaller.


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## jhc (Sep 10, 2014)

I love to decorate my small tank 

I rearrange everything whenever i do 100% water change, giving my betta a new experience


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## mattdocs12345 (Oct 13, 2014)

Okay I read that some decorations chip paint off which can be harmful.. Is heavily planted tank enough?
I will test pure water today and let you guys know.


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## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

yes, heavily planted is fine. If you even wanted to buy decor, theres a thread on this site somewhere called Dangerous Ornaments Thread or something similar. You can see which ones people have tried and have found dangerous.


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

When dealing with that level of ammonia, it's important to use a water conditioner that detoxifies ammonia. Prime by Seachem is most often used around here. It's safe, reliable, inexpensive and easy to use.

Prime does not effect ammonia readings unless taken within an hour or so of dosing. The API test reads all ammonia/ammonium whether it's locked-up by Prime or not.


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## mattdocs12345 (Oct 13, 2014)

Okay so I retested my water.
Aquarium - 0.5 ppm - 1ppm hard to determine
Tap water - initially 0ppm then 0.5ppm to 1ppm.....
I think the strips i got just are hard to read. I changed 70% of my 2.7 gallon water yesterday and 10% today. i dont see how I could still be reading 0.5 ppm or even higher 1ppm in 24 hours with just one fish and no spare food around.


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## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

.5-1ppm is dangerous. anything above 0 is dangerous. 

I would get a liquid test kit, they are more accurate and easier to read.


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