I got a new VT petshop betta on Saturday.
I spent quite while acclimatising him to his new home (about 2 hours)
At first he seemed very active and the next day I woke up to a HUGE bubble-nest,
On the third day he seemed a lot less active than before
On the fourth day he was still quite lethargic so I tested the water results as below:
ammonia 0.25
nitrite 0
pH 7.6
nitrate : didn't test but I have tap water of ~15
I did a 100% water change, matching temperature and pH and put him back him
The water change doesn't seem to have perked him up any. He's still lethargic, spending most of the time (when I see him) resting on a leaf of a silk plant near the surface
When he does swim he is fast, and fluid, no worrying jerky movements or rubbing.
He eats well (betta flake food, brine shrimp, another flake food so far)
He flares when given a mirror.
When I come over and look into his bowl he does generally swim around. He doesn't seem to like me (he flares at me) but when I am the other side of the room he is mostly lying on the leaf.
He seems a bit skittish. Doesn't like sound/sudden movement near his bowl
On two occasions I have seen him "yawn". I've heard this can be indicative of a gill problem?
No other symptoms of disease or anything.
His home is:
a glass bowl which holds 10 litres of water
heated to 79-80F (too warm? my previous betta didn't like it lower)
Filtered with Penn Plax Small World filter (set to low - very low current) but not cycled.
Fine gravel, three silk plants
Treated only with Prime dechlorinator.
Other things to note: My former betta Archimedes died a couple of weeks back. He was about 2 years old. I disinfected the tank with a bleach solution after he died and then rinse it really well. Left it dry for over a week, rinsed again, then set it up again.
I've only had one betta before so it is hard for me to judge what behaviour is "normal". I can only compare my new betta to Archimedes.
Is this normal behaviour? Something to worry about? Anything I can change to make my little guy happier?
edit: added pic of galileo:
(sorry for long post, wanted to include any info that may be important)
I spent quite while acclimatising him to his new home (about 2 hours)
At first he seemed very active and the next day I woke up to a HUGE bubble-nest,
On the third day he seemed a lot less active than before
On the fourth day he was still quite lethargic so I tested the water results as below:
ammonia 0.25
nitrite 0
pH 7.6
nitrate : didn't test but I have tap water of ~15
I did a 100% water change, matching temperature and pH and put him back him
The water change doesn't seem to have perked him up any. He's still lethargic, spending most of the time (when I see him) resting on a leaf of a silk plant near the surface
When he does swim he is fast, and fluid, no worrying jerky movements or rubbing.
He eats well (betta flake food, brine shrimp, another flake food so far)
He flares when given a mirror.
When I come over and look into his bowl he does generally swim around. He doesn't seem to like me (he flares at me) but when I am the other side of the room he is mostly lying on the leaf.
He seems a bit skittish. Doesn't like sound/sudden movement near his bowl
On two occasions I have seen him "yawn". I've heard this can be indicative of a gill problem?
No other symptoms of disease or anything.
His home is:
a glass bowl which holds 10 litres of water
heated to 79-80F (too warm? my previous betta didn't like it lower)
Filtered with Penn Plax Small World filter (set to low - very low current) but not cycled.
Fine gravel, three silk plants
Treated only with Prime dechlorinator.
Other things to note: My former betta Archimedes died a couple of weeks back. He was about 2 years old. I disinfected the tank with a bleach solution after he died and then rinse it really well. Left it dry for over a week, rinsed again, then set it up again.
I've only had one betta before so it is hard for me to judge what behaviour is "normal". I can only compare my new betta to Archimedes.
Is this normal behaviour? Something to worry about? Anything I can change to make my little guy happier?
edit: added pic of galileo:
(sorry for long post, wanted to include any info that may be important)
