Possibly Lethargic New Betta

[argoma]

Hi everybody,
 
so today i went to the pet store with the intention of getting info about heater and filter prices but, as we all know, walking by the betta section without taking a look at them and wanting them all is nearly impossible. They had so many girls!
They had only 4 boys and i got one just because.
He is a beautiful blue veiltail, actually his fins are huge compared to Casper's ones.
So he looked very vivid there, in the same tank as plecos. I brought him home and put him in a 1 gallon tank while i got his 2 gallon bowl ready for him. He was checking most things out but very slowly.
When i put him in his bowl, he moved slowly aroung but not much.
Now he's just there, on top of the water, not moving at all, not his fins, barely moving his gils to breathe. His body is a bit curled and he just looks like he's a stone floating there.
He moves sometimes and then stops again.
Other times he "falls" very slowly down, like he's sinking.
Tried to give him food, he didnt even get close to it.
He's got white spots in his body which are probably ich so i put in some ich treatment in the water.
He's just there and i'm worried with the new unnamed buddy...
What can i do?

 

[Ninjouzata]

How did you acclimate him?

 

[argoma]

How did you acclimate him?

 
Put the plastic bag fleating in the tank for 10 mins, then opened some wholes in the plastic bag for the water to get mixed, then got him out of the bag and into the tank.

 

[ech0o]

That is not how you acclimate a fish at all.   You should be putting him into a container with all the water in the bag, and slowly adding a little bit of tankwater to that container for at least an hour.  
 
Also, are you using any water conditioners, dechlorinator?   You for sure will need to dechlorinate the water or the fish die. 
 
What temperature is the water?  Too cold of water can do this to a fish as well.

 

[argoma]

That is not how you acclimate a fish at all.   You should be putting him into a container with all the water in the bag, and slowly adding a little bit of tankwater to that container for at least an hour.  
 
Also, are you using any water conditioners, dechlorinator?   You for sure will need to dechlorinate the water or the fish die. 
 
What temperature is the water?  Too cold of water can do this to a fish as well.

 
I have water conditioner, the water is room temperature which is around 20 degrees celsius.
I did the same with my other betta and he did fine, he didnt get like this at all. He was pretty active and have always been.

 

[Meeresstille]

 

How did you acclimate him?

 
Put the plastic bag fleating in the tank for 10 mins, then opened some wholes in the plastic bag for the water to get mixed, then got him out of the bag and into the tank.
 

That may have been a little too quick, or like ech0o mentioned, it may be the temperature.
 
When you acclimate a fish to a new tank you can do the bag acclimation, but instead of poking holes into the bag take some of the bag-water out and replace it with your tank-water, after 10-15 minutes repeat that, to take some of the bag-water out and replace it with tank water, do this 4 to 5 times in total and then you want to net the fish, so you don't get any of the bag-water in the tank (or in your case the bowl). To net the fish I just gently pour the bag water with the fish into the net that I placed over a container to catch the water.
 
A better way is the bucket method that ech0o mentioned. You can put the fish in a bucket, run an airline tubing from your tank into the bucket and let the water gently drip into the bucket (you need to start a suction in the airline tubing, and I place a knot into the tubing before I hang it on, with the tightness of the knot you can control the amount of drips falling into the bucket). You can darken the bucket by placing something over it to calm the fish and an hour later your fish is well acclimated. Again net the fish, so you don't get the nasty bag-water in your tank.
 
Your other Betta may have been fine either because the water conditions were similar, and this time they weren't or because he was healthier and it was easier for him to handle it.

 

[Lillefishy]

20c is too cold for a betta, that's probably why he's so lethargic on top of not being acclimatised properly.
You need a heater to get it up to around 25/26c

 

[argoma]

20c is too cold for a betta, that's probably why he's so lethargic on top of not being acclimatised properly.
You need a heater to get it up to around 25/26c

 
Well i have no way to get a heater now. I know that betta are tropical fish and that they need a heater and i do have that in my plans, dont get me wrong, just not this month.

 

[Ninjouzata]

 

20c is too cold for a betta, that's probably why he's so lethargic on top of not being acclimatised properly.
You need a heater to get it up to around 25/26c

 
Well i have no way to get a heater now. I know that betta are tropical fish and that they need a heater and i do have that in my plans, dont get me wrong, just not this month.
 

For future reference, don't buy fish that you are not ready to take proper care of. 
For now I suppose just try to keep the room he's in warm?

 

[argoma]

 

 


20c is too cold for a betta, that's probably why he's so lethargic on top of not being acclimatised properly.
You need a heater to get it up to around 25/26c

 
Well i have no way to get a heater now. I know that betta are tropical fish and that they need a heater and i do have that in my plans, dont get me wrong, just not this month.
 

For future reference, don't buy fish that you are not ready to take proper care of. 
For now I suppose just try to keep the room he's in warm?
 


 
Okay okay, i'm not a 10 year old boy, it was an impulse, dont think i dont regret as well. Feel bad enough already.

 

[Wildbetta]

Hi everybody,
 
so today i went to the pet store with the intention of getting info about heater and filter prices but, as we all know, walking by the betta section without taking a look at them and wanting them all is nearly impossible. They had so many girls!
They had only 4 boys and i got one just because.
He is a beautiful blue veiltail, actually his fins are huge compared to Casper's ones.
So he looked very vivid there, in the same tank as plecos. I brought him home and put him in a 1 gallon tank while i got his 2 gallon bowl ready for him. He was checking most things out but very slowly.
When i put him in his bowl, he moved slowly aroung but not much.
Now he's just there, on top of the water, not moving at all, not his fins, barely moving his gils to breathe. His body is a bit curled and he just looks like he's a stone floating there.
He moves sometimes and then stops again.
Other times he "falls" very slowly down, like he's sinking.
Tried to give him food, he didnt even get close to it.
He's got white spots in his body which are probably ich so i put in some ich treatment in the water.
He's just there and i'm worried with the new unnamed buddy...
What can i do?

 

 

That is not how you acclimate a fish at all.   You should be putting him into a container with all the water in the bag, and slowly adding a little bit of tankwater to that container for at least an hour.  
 
Also, are you using any water conditioners, dechlorinator?   You for sure will need to dechlorinate the water or the fish die. 
 
What temperature is the water?  Too cold of water can do this to a fish as well.

 
I have water conditioner, the water is room temperature which is around 20 degrees celsius.
I did the same with my other betta and he did fine, he didnt get like this at all. He was pretty active and have always been.
 

 

 

20c is too cold for a betta, that's probably why he's so lethargic on top of not being acclimatised properly.
You need a heater to get it up to around 25/26c

 
Well i have no way to get a heater now. I know that betta are tropical fish and that they need a heater and i do have that in my plans, dont get me wrong, just not this month.
 

What size is this bowl that the new betta is in?  
 
You need a heater.  The betta requires temps of no less than 78F.  Any lower and they get lethargic and start to get sick.  If you are already having to treat for ICH that is not a good sign since the fastest and easiest way to get rid of ICH is temps of 86F.

 

[argoma]

 

Hi everybody,
 
so today i went to the pet store with the intention of getting info about heater and filter prices but, as we all know, walking by the betta section without taking a look at them and wanting them all is nearly impossible. They had so many girls!
They had only 4 boys and i got one just because.
He is a beautiful blue veiltail, actually his fins are huge compared to Casper's ones.
So he looked very vivid there, in the same tank as plecos. I brought him home and put him in a 1 gallon tank while i got his 2 gallon bowl ready for him. He was checking most things out but very slowly.
When i put him in his bowl, he moved slowly aroung but not much.
Now he's just there, on top of the water, not moving at all, not his fins, barely moving his gils to breathe. His body is a bit curled and he just looks like he's a stone floating there.
He moves sometimes and then stops again.
Other times he "falls" very slowly down, like he's sinking.
Tried to give him food, he didnt even get close to it.
He's got white spots in his body which are probably ich so i put in some ich treatment in the water.
He's just there and i'm worried with the new unnamed buddy...
What can i do?

 

 


That is not how you acclimate a fish at all.   You should be putting him into a container with all the water in the bag, and slowly adding a little bit of tankwater to that container for at least an hour.  
 
Also, are you using any water conditioners, dechlorinator?   You for sure will need to dechlorinate the water or the fish die. 
 
What temperature is the water?  Too cold of water can do this to a fish as well.

 
I have water conditioner, the water is room temperature which is around 20 degrees celsius.
I did the same with my other betta and he did fine, he didnt get like this at all. He was pretty active and have always been.
 

 

 

20c is too cold for a betta, that's probably why he's so lethargic on top of not being acclimatised properly.
You need a heater to get it up to around 25/26c

 
Well i have no way to get a heater now. I know that betta are tropical fish and that they need a heater and i do have that in my plans, dont get me wrong, just not this month.
 

What size is this bowl that the new betta is in?  
 
You need a heater.  The betta requires temps of no less than 78F.  Any lower and they get lethargic and start to get sick.  If you are already having to treat for ICH that is not a good sign since the fastest and easiest way to get rid of ICH is temps of 86F.
 


 
I can try to get my parents to buy me a heater but it's very unlikely possible...
I dont know but i can try to find it a new home? I dont think they take fish back at the pet store ...

 

[Wildbetta]

Not to be rude, but your parents let you buy the betta on impulse so I would definitely ask them to get you a cheaper heater.  What size is the bowl you have him in because that will make a big difference in the heater you get.

 

[ech0o]

I am sure you can get an old used heater second hand locally (although I am unfamiliar with protocol in portugal), that sounds to me for sure like the culprit of the problem.  

 

[tunagirll]

Try it like this: give your fish a name. Then go up to your parents looking worried, and tell them that your fish is sick, and that you've done some research and it appears he has ich and that he is a tropical fish and needs to be warm. Emphasise that you want to be responsible for your fish and that you'll do what it takes to make sure he is healthy. Tell them that he needs a heater for his tank in order to have a chance of surviving. They are quite cheap, just a few dollars, and it needs to be one you can adjust the temperature - you're going to need it at around 28 degrees C during treatment.
 
I guarantee you if your parents think you have come to them because you need help to look after your fish, they are going to be far more interested in helping you out. Mainly because one of their jobs is to raise a self sufficent adult, and taking responsibility for your pets is one way to do that

 
If not, message me and I'll spring you funds for some supplies - I can pay your local by card.
 
In any case, see how you go. You'll need a heater, some salt and preferably some ich treatment (NOT Bettafix or anything fix, these medications are bad for Bettas ironically). We can walk you through what you need to do, but time is of the essence.