Fish Fight Help!!!!

[twinsmom]

I put the poor thing in a coffee pot I just got 2 days ago (It was never used). My kids are both still very sick My grandfather is doing very very bad, and my husband is still trying to get an earlier flight When it rains for me, it pours I am still unable to get to an lfs. I will keep you posted! The poor guy looks miserable

 

[BettaMomma]

He may look miserable, but honestly he's much happier than he was in the big tank.

It sounds like you're having an avalanche of rough problems.
Hopefully everything will work out for you.

 

[twinsmom]

Thanks BettaMomma, I do feel alot better now Unfortunately, things are just getting worse for me. I am supposed to get to the lfs tomorrow, if I am feeling better. I had gotten really sick, and my husband finally came back, and he is really sick too My grandfather is doing teribbly, so I don't have anyone else to help me out right now. Sadly the poor fish is still in a coffee pot! I was just wondering, if I get a 1 gal tank, or bowl can I keep a female with him? What should I put in for him to make him happy and comfortable? You have a lot of bettas, and I can see you know what you are talking about

 

[Kiarra]

You can't keep a female in with him. He'll either kill her, or she'll kill him. They are a very territorial species, and don't take kindly to most kinds of tankmates, and especially not their own species.

However, if you do want a female, I recommend you get a 2.5 gallon or larger tank and divide it straight down the middle. Give the male one side, and the female the other side. Just make sure they cannot slip past the divider on either side, or jump over the divider, as Bettas are excellent jumpers, especially when motivated by the sight of a potential mate (or potential enemy, as the case may be).

To make the Betta happy, give him a soft, large-leafed plant, preferably silk or live, as plastic can easily tear their so-delicate fins. He would appreciate the plant to hide in, and to rest in when he chooses to sleep. If you go with live, Java Fern is excellent, and they love it. If you go with silk, just choose one that is soft and long-leafed. You may also add a cave to his tank, and I'm certain he would love it. Just with caves, be certain that any holes are either large enough for the Betta to pass entirely through, or small enough that the Betta cannot enter at all. If he were to get stuck, he would drown, as Bettas take their oxygen from the air much more than they take it from the water.

 

[twinsmom]

How do you breed bettas if you can't keep them together? I know this sounds stupid, but I am new at this, and I really want to have babies

 

[Kiarra]

Well, breeding Bettas is really all about timing. The female is released into the tank with the male when they're both ready to spawn.

I wouldn't recommend breeding unless you have lots of time, money, and space. Because it WILL take an enormous amount of all three.

 

[twinsmom]

Thank you Kiarra I definitely don't have all that right now. To much stuff going on for me right now with m`y family and all Maybe someday I will. Just one more question, are female's as bad as the males? Can you add them to a community tank, or will I have the same problem with her as the male?

 

[Kiarra]

It really depends on the female, same as it really depends on the male. Some males CAN be kept in community tanks...though it appears that yours can't.

Most females aren't really as bad as the males. In fact, some aren't bad at all. Looking at your tankmates, I really wouldn't add any to that particular tank. Bettas and Guppies make poor tankmates, and that includes female Bettas combined with Guppies (I know, I tried it, and my male Guppy had a tail-ectomy). Also, my Mollies (tried that, too) were extremely aggressive with one of my female Bettas, and I found the female Betta cowering in a corner with a female Molly pecking at her.

If you want a female community tank, it can be quite lovely to have about 6 female Bettas in a 10 gallon tank, with plenty of caves and plants for them to hide from each other if necessary. Female Bettas are aggressive within their own species. It is a bad idea to keep two of them together, because one will assume dominance and make life simply miserable for the other female. In the case of three females together, two will often gang up and pick on the other one. Four or more females tends to even out the aggression, and establish a working hierarchy so no one female gets picked on. I have noticed, however, that in groups of 5+, and especially 6+, no fin damage is ever noticed after the initial meet, greet, and find out who's the biggest, meanest girl. Once the hierarchy and dominance is established, life goes on its merry way, and the girls will butt up against each other during feeding time without taking offense. However, there can always be this one, super-aggressive mean female who must be housed alone.

 

[twinsmom]

I finally got to the lfs, and I bought him a 1 gallon aquarium. I put gravel and plants (not too many) and filled it half with water from the tank he was in, and filled the rest with filtered water. Unfortunately, he looks more miserable now than when he was in the coffee pot. This is the 3rd day in his new tank and he does not move. He floats at the top with his nose on the corner of the tank and does nothing else He swam around maybe twice since I put him in, he eats a little and thats it. He was so much more active in the other tank. I don't know what to do for him. Please help

 

[tttnjfttt]

Do you have a water test kit? If so, is your ammonia and nitrites? Looking at that picture you posted, I'm guessing you might need to change your water, since it looks a little cloudy, and all the bubbles on the top. When I had my betta in a very small bowl (he didn't like my 5 gal tank), one way i knew it was time for a water change was lots of bubbles on the top. I know males make bubble nests, but after water changes, he did seem alot happier.

 

[mm_simb]

What do you normally add to the water?

 

[twinsmom]

I did a complete water change. I don't know what to add to this water since it is a small 1 gal. tank, with no filter. The water I use is filtered already. He is still sitting in the corner, now he is on the opposite side of the tank. He is still not swimming, and only eating a little.

 

[mm_simb]

Well, I also have filtered water in my tank but I've always added dechlor. Some "filtered" water still contains chlorine in it. Or he could just be really stressed from the move. Do you have him in the same temp you had him before? Did you acclimate him to the tank? How's he doing now?

 

[twinsmom]

I acclimated him to his new tank. I don't have a dechlor yet, I am going to buy one tomorrow. The water in the tank, and the one in the coffee pot are the same temp. He swam a little today, not much. He is eating a little more, but he is still with his nose in the same spot, just like the pic from yesterday. When I looked at him a little closer, his fins looked a little shredded to me I am not sure what to do. I tried adding an air stone, but being he is in a small 1 gal tank, it shook everything up too much. I feel sooooo bad for him. What can I do?

 

[tttnjfttt]

Possibly fin rot? Look around the betta forum, they have lots of discussions on this. Sorry I can't give you specifics, i'm still new at this myself, and since I haven't dealt with it, i just made a mental note of where to find the answer. The chlorine in the water is toxic to the fish, so that could be part of why he is stressed.

Good luck

EDIT: One other suggestion, look in the pinned discussions, and they will give you some more info on diseases, and perhaps seeing the symptoms will help you see what is normal and what is wrong.