Post by concernedbettalover on Nov 19, 2017 23:45:46 GMT -5
Hi guys! I'm new to taking care of aquariums and I got my betta fish, Pancakes, about a week ago. She was doing okay originally but has gotten progressively worse. She won't eat-- she swims away from the top of the bowl and hides when she sees me, which makes it really difficult to get food in front of her! Even when food does manage to float in front of her, she won't touch it, and doesn't even swim near it now 
Additionally, she seems pretty sluggish-- I know she was definitely more active when I first got her, which is weird, because I didn't even have a water heater in her bowl.
She's in a one-gallon tank, which I know is too small (I'm looking into a new one that will fit in my living space right now). I was worried that the problem may be with the water, because I don't have a filter, and I've only changed her water once this week, which I know is not frequent enough. However, I thought that if it was a water problem, it would get better after I changed the water, but I did a 50% change today (and, as always, treated the water with a water treatment specifically for bettas) and in about 7 hours there has been no improvement
Could it have anything to do with the food buildup at the bottom of her bowl? She didn't really understand the feeding process when I first got her, so there's definitely a lot of food at the bottom, and I've received mixed advice about cleaning it up.
I also don't THINK that my thermometer is faulty- I got a tetra 50 watt heater from amazon which is supposed to turn on and off to maintain a 78 degree tank. I felt the water on the first night I installed it and it felt pretty cold, but every time since then that I've checked it, it seems warm. I would like to investigate further but don't have enough money to afford an accurate water thermometer
Is 3 pellets three times a day too much?? That's how much I've been trying to feed her-- and if so, could that be why she's not eating?
The change in attitude seems to coincide with when I installed the heater, which is also when I moved the tank to another part of my room, away from my window. Could she be stressed from just not being used to the new place or the presence of the heater in her tank?
I'm really worried-- I love my betta and I want her to be happy and healthy, I'm terrified of doing something wrong that would make her sick! Any help would be so so appreciated!
Additionally, she seems pretty sluggish-- I know she was definitely more active when I first got her, which is weird, because I didn't even have a water heater in her bowl.She's in a one-gallon tank, which I know is too small (I'm looking into a new one that will fit in my living space right now). I was worried that the problem may be with the water, because I don't have a filter, and I've only changed her water once this week, which I know is not frequent enough. However, I thought that if it was a water problem, it would get better after I changed the water, but I did a 50% change today (and, as always, treated the water with a water treatment specifically for bettas) and in about 7 hours there has been no improvement
Could it have anything to do with the food buildup at the bottom of her bowl? She didn't really understand the feeding process when I first got her, so there's definitely a lot of food at the bottom, and I've received mixed advice about cleaning it up.
I also don't THINK that my thermometer is faulty- I got a tetra 50 watt heater from amazon which is supposed to turn on and off to maintain a 78 degree tank. I felt the water on the first night I installed it and it felt pretty cold, but every time since then that I've checked it, it seems warm. I would like to investigate further but don't have enough money to afford an accurate water thermometer
Is 3 pellets three times a day too much?? That's how much I've been trying to feed her-- and if so, could that be why she's not eating?
The change in attitude seems to coincide with when I installed the heater, which is also when I moved the tank to another part of my room, away from my window. Could she be stressed from just not being used to the new place or the presence of the heater in her tank?
I'm really worried-- I love my betta and I want her to be happy and healthy, I'm terrified of doing something wrong that would make her sick! Any help would be so so appreciated!
