Is My Betta Dying...?

[J_Byrd]

My eldest betta, Ivan, has been with me for almost three years. My dad got him from one of his employers. You see he does lawn service and the little old lady was getting too old to take care of him. She named him Ivan after the hurricane that hit the southeast coast of GA. So there is no telling how long she had him before she gave him to us. Anywhoo, for the past couple of days, I'd say possibly close to two weeks he has been floating on his side at the top of the water. Usually for long periods of time. To get him to move (so I can make sure he is still alive...) I tap the tank gently or submerge my finger slowly. After I do that, most of the time he swims around a bit then slowly stops, his body floating back to the top...He use to live with my parents (who did not take proper care of him in my disappointment) until yesterday when I brought him home with me where I could make sure he was being fed properly and having his water changed every week. When I did live with my parents he was taken care of and happy, swimming, and twirling. But now his color has gotten duller, and he just floats at the top...Maybe it is his time to go...But I just want to make sure. When I was reading another topic I read that they can get ill from cold, so I dipped my finger in and it was a bit chilly, so I have put a lamp (120V/60Hz) near his tank (5 gal) to put heat on him. He is not eating like he use too. Just wondering if it is just his time to go or if it could be a infection or something??


Also...My youngest fish, Ghost, is doing perfectly fine. Just got him a couple of days ago at PetSmart. He was just the oddest color...White. Very beautiful, with a great personality. Seems to just want your attention. Now I have noticed he is getting blue on his tail, and every so often he seems to be turning pinkish orange. Is that normal for them to change colors?? I really hope he stays the color he is because then I would have to change his name lol...Also he seems to not want anything to do with his flakes.. I got HBH Betta ColorBright flakes and Omega One Natural Protien Formula Betta Buffet Flakes. But he puts them in his mouth and then spits it right back out. He will only eat his Hikari Multi-Vitamin Enriched Freeze Dried Blood Worms...Is that healthy?? Should I try pellets? If I crush the flakes up into tiny pieces he only eats maybe one or two then leaves the rest alone...Need help! Anything will help thank you soooooo much!!

 

[stang1]

What temperature are you keeping the tank at ? Mine are kept at about 26-27C and that seems fine.
If he is floating on his side then it could be a sign of swim bladder. Try feeding him a cooked pea and see if that helps at all.
As for Ghost, it's not unusual for the colours to change. One of my males has brighter colours since I got him a few months ago.

 

[J_Byrd]

What temperature are you keeping the tank at ? Mine are kept at about 26-27C and that seems fine.
If he is floating on his side then it could be a sign of swim bladder. Try feeding him a cooked pea and see if that helps at all.
As for Ghost, it's not unusual for the colours to change. One of my males has brighter colours since I got him a few months ago.

I'm not sure what the temperature is? Can you check that with a regular thermometer? If not then I will have to go tomorrow to PetSmart and get one. And when you say a cooked pea do you mean the sweet peas or any kind of pea? And with Ghost also, with his feeding habits. Should I just continue in giving him the blood worms as a daily diet or try getting pellets seeing as how he does not fancy the flakes? Thank you!

 

[stang1]

You are best buying a thermometer that sits inside the tank. Try to avoid the ones that stick to the front of the tank as they don't sem to be that accurate.
Only give bloodworms to your fish once a week as a treat as they are high in protein and will cause themto become bloated. Feed pellets/flakes once a day and then have one day a week when you don't feed them at all. I do this with all my fish and they are fine.
As for the pea, you are best using a frozen one, cook it as normal, remove the shell and mush it between your fingers.

 

[J_Byrd]

You are best buying a thermometer that sits inside the tank. Try to avoid the ones that stick to the front of the tank as they don't sem to be that accurate.
Only give bloodworms to your fish once a week as a treat as they are high in protein and will cause themto become bloated. Feed pellets/flakes once a day and then have one day a week when you don't feed them at all. I do this with all my fish and they are fine.
As for the pea, you are best using a frozen one, cook it as normal, remove the shell and mush it between your fingers.

Alright thank you! I will buy a termometer and try and find pellets that Ghost likes. Should I just leave the flakes in there if does not want them? And I will buy a bag frozen peas too. Do you think it could possibly just be old age? Or do they sink to the bottom when that happens? He, Ivan, seems to be close to the spot where the lamp is shining the most.

 

[stang1]

It could be that he's getting old, the water is too cold or he's ill. It really is hard to say but it does sound like swim bladder. What are the water stats as this could also be a problem? Knowing these will help rule out whether the water quality is fine or not.
The fact that he is swimming nearer the lamp could be that it is warmer in that area. If you think that the water is far too cold then either move his bowl to a warmer area in the house or try wrapping a towel around the bowl just for tonight. It is definitely worth investing in a heater for the tank as this will help maintain a steady temperature.
It's still worth buying the peas and trying him with one as it is good for constipation. It won't hurt to feed your fish these once a week instead of the flake/pellets.
Any uneaten food should be removed from the tank as this will end up pollluting the water.

 

[J_Byrd]

It could be that he's getting old, the water is too cold or he's ill. It really is hard to say but it does sound like swim bladder. What are the water stats as this could also be a problem? Knowing these will help rule out whether the water quality is fine or not.
The fact that he is swimming nearer the lamp could be that it is warmer in that area. If you think that the water is far too cold then either move his bowl to a warmer area in the house or try wrapping a towel around the bowl just for tonight. It is definitely worth investing in a heater for the tank as this will help maintain a steady temperature.
It's still worth buying the peas and trying him with one as it is good for constipation. It won't hurt to feed your fish these once a week instead of the flake/pellets.
Any uneaten food should be removed from the tank as this will end up pollluting the water.

I really am new at taking care of fish. So I, obvisouly, do not have the right type of equipment to make sure the fish is in proper living enviroment. I always thought that you can put the fish in a tank, and change it every week. Didn't know you had to make sure the temperature is right and check water stats. If I did I would have gotten it all when I got them. Thanks for letting me know . I do not have anything to check the water stats. What would you reccomend? His tank was just changed yesterday because the water he was in at my parents was pretty bad...His tank has a light in the lid but it went out some months ago...Should I get a small heater anyway? Or get a new bulb? What pellets do you recommend? Since Ghost is rather picky...Thank you so much!!

 

[stang1]

Please don't worry about being new to it all, we've all been there. The important thing is that you are doing your best to take care of the fish you have.
Some people keep their Bettas in unfiltered tanks and do regular water changes of about 30% every 2-3 days and a 100% water change weekly. I prefer to keep a filter with mine and change the water every 1-2 weeks.
A heater is pretty much essential just so you can keep your fish at a steady temperature. With weather changes the temperature can fluctuate quite a bit and Bettas prefer more stable conditions.
A liquid test kit is better than test strips, mainly because they are more accurate. Your lfs should be able to recommend one but most people use the API master test kit. These are always handy to have around and will give you piece of mind.
It's worth getting a replacement light for the tank and when you do, leave the light on for about 8-10 hours a day.
I use TetraBetta flakes for my boys and they all enjoy these, I also use Improvit pellets which go down quite well with them too!

 

[J_Byrd]

Please don't worry about being new to it all, we've all been there. The important thing is that you are doing your best to take care of the fish you have.
Some people keep their Bettas in unfiltered tanks and do regular water changes of about 30% every 2-3 days and a 100% water change weekly. I prefer to keep a filter with mine and change the water every 1-2 weeks.
A heater is pretty much essential just so you can keep your fish at a steady temperature. With weather changes the temperature can fluctuate quite a bit and Bettas prefer more stable conditions.
A liquid test kit is better than test strips, mainly because they are more accurate. Your lfs should be able to recommend one but most people use the API master test kit. These are always handy to have around and will give you piece of mind.
It's worth getting a replacement light for the tank and when you do, leave the light on for about 8-10 hours a day.
I use TetraBetta flakes for my boys and they all enjoy these, I also use Improvit pellets which go down quite well with them too!

Thanks! I really am trying to ensure that they live a happy, healthy life! I love 'em! They are so beautiful!! Is it bad to do 100% water changes once every week? I do not have tanks with filters, sadly. Only the normal plastic 5 gal tank with nothing but a lid... Would take a picture but I do not have my picture phone. I will look at heaters when we go to PetSmart tomorrow to get the thermometer, food and test kit I will get the food you reccomended and see if Ghost likes them. Thank you for letting me know about the Blood Worms, otherwise I would have just kept feeding them to him on a daily basis since it says on the back an Excellent daily diet.

 

[stang1]

No problem!
I've never kept mine in an unfiltered tank so I am not entirely sure about the 100% water changes. It seems that after talking to many people and forum members that this is perfectly fine.
You can pick up a filter and they aren't very expensive but that is down to personal prefernce. If you do buy a filter, then you need to make sure that it creates very little water movement as Bettas don't like fast flowing water. My filter is set so that it barely creates any movement at all and they love it!
Never be afraid to ask, members are more than happy to answer any questions you have. Before you know it, you will be the one helping others out!

 

[J_Byrd]

Thank you for all your advice!! I am sure I will be helping others out as I continue to learn. And I will keep you updated on poor Ivan's condition! Hopefully it is just a swim bladder problem and with a tiny pea everything will be alright. Say, how does a pea help that sort of thing??