Betta Acting Ill

[Kieren_1992]

I got giving this tank, I washed it all out and cleaned it. Put some gravel in it and some silk plants and he also has a filter and heater, these have all been washed also. He was healthy at the shop and when I first put him into the tank, but the tank had developed a horrid film over the top... it was think and horrible. I skimmed it all off with the net and it keeps coming back, so I have put him into a jar till I can sort out the new other tank (one of my old ones)But he has started acting a little funny... just floating on the surface of the water of this jar and not really moving much, still breathing but isn't lively a tall... What could be wrong and is he ill, I have never seen this before. (He was active in the horrid tank before it got the film on it.

Kieren

 

[VaegaVic]

He is most likely dying from being in a jar.
Do a search for setting up a new tank on this site.
Others will most likely be of more help.

 

[Kieren_1992]

he isnt dying of being in a jar, because he was acting like this a day before putting him in there and he has only been in there a matter of half an hour, i do know how to set up a tank thank you, i have 3 successful betta tanks a a lovely big community tank too up and running fine... he is acting this way because of the film on the old tank...

 

[VaegaVic]

Maybe you should give us this information before hand then?
Was the tank cycled before he went in?
What are the water stats?
How long has the tank been set up for?
Why is he in a jar? That's the worst place for any fish, regardless.

 

[angelfishguy]

our betta is in a 25ltr tank for himself and that gets the oily slime on the surface and that doesnt bother him..
i think its for the lack of water movment in the tank.. we just clean it when it gets unsightly looking

 

[Kieren_1992]

the tank was giving to me but all cleaned and everything, i used water and filter media from my community tank which has been set up for a year without any problems. he is in a jar so he has a better chance then swimming in the icky water ! what would you rather he is currently slightly swimming in a breeding trap (a large one) in my community tank. i dont know the water stats. i have a filter in the tank so here shouldnt be a film ontop

 

[angelfishguy]

i have a filter in mine aswell,, google it alot of tanks get the film and its has no negitive effects on fish

 

[Kieren_1992]

oh right fair enough, so what has caused him to become ill ?
I have put him into a breeding trap into my community tank with the lights off, and its touch and go now

 

[loraxchick]

what did you use to wash out hte tank? if you used soap, could be residue. also, what sort of gravel/decorations do you have in the tank? how did you prepare them for the tank?
oily film is very commmon. usually from the oil on our hands or the fish food. have you used any chemical sprays near the tank? how did you acclimate the fish?
good luck with him.
cheers

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

i have a filter in mine aswell,, google it alot of tanks get the film and its has no negitive effects on fish

Mine has it too. Doesn't seem to bother my fish.

I guess he wasn't acclimitised properly, or that he was sick when you bought him (or water stats are all wrong).

 

[Kieren_1992]

i cleaned the tank and everything else in the tank in boiling water, and a good scrubbing. No soap or sprays was use to clean the tank or been used around the tank. I have coloured gravel as substrate, dried natural ferns and some plastic ones (no hard enough to cut his fins) i got some fish bags from local shop bag him up and left him floating for 10-15 mins and then started changing the tank water over to the bag and vise a versa like i would any other fish.

Since putting him into the community tank breeding trap he has gained colour and is swimming alot more, he wont eat bloodworm though (wait a see) thanks for help giving, he is looking better, still touch and go really though

 

[Assaye]

Are you keeping him heated in the jar? What were the ammonia and nitrite readings for the main tank? And the jar? What sort of water changes have you been doing? You don't say anything about cycling the tank before you put him in.

Could well be ammonia poisoning and him being cold will just make him feel worse. The film on the tanks is just oils and dust from hands and such forming on the surface. If you have high surface movement you won't notice it. A photo would help.

Glad he's doing better in the community tank. If he is sick, though, it's a bit silly to put him there as he could infect the other fish.

 

[BethK]

So that we can help you further, can you please give us some further information on your water tests;

pH:
Temp:
Ammonia:
Nitrate:
Nitrite:

Just out of curiosity, what decholrinator are you using?

 

[Kieren_1992]

he isnt sick though as i first though, everything fine now

 

[Mauricia]

All my tanks have a film it's nothing to worry about as long as you're sure it's not from soap or some other chemical. If you want to eliminate it then just make sure the filter output is disturbing the water surface, then it won't be noticeable.
If you put filter media in from your mature tank then it should be fine, just make sure your new filter is running properly and everything, then I don't think you need to worry much about the cycling. A water test kit would be helpful as you might get a mini cycle, and that way you could make sure the parameters are good. If you don't have a test kit I would do a daily water change of 50%, or every other day, for a couple weeks and you should be safe. As long as your water is warm enough and the fish has lots of hiding spaces, I would guess he is acting sick because he just had the stress of transport. Sometimes it takes fish a couple weeks to recover. Keep him in the dark and don't try to feed him for another day at least. Don't worry if he doesn't eat for a couple days. Try not to bother him too much or obsess about it either, he's most likely to die from stress right now, assuming your tank is the proper habitat.