Hi everyone,
I'm still pretty new to all this Betta care stuff, so bear with me. I've had Sashimi for just a couple of days now (got him on the 18th of July, 2022), and he's been sleeping for over 20 hours straight, only waking up randomly. I've done a ton of research, but I'm still stumped. From what I've read, I'm thinking he might just be getting used to the tank - I've heard they do that, right? Or maybe it's the pH levels, but honestly, I'm not entirely sure.
I'd really appreciate any advice or help you can offer.
Is my betta sleeping too much
Re: Is my betta sleeping too much
Hi and welcome to the forum, brisk.
I'm going to take a guess here, assuming your water quality is good - no ammonia or nitrite, and nitrates are under 20ppm - and your fish isn't sick, it's possible Sashimi is experiencing something similar to jet lag.
If your Betta was recently imported and traveled a long way, it could be adjusting to a new time zone, which might explain the irregular sleep pattern. If that's the case, it should settle down in about a week or two.
Posting some pictures and maybe a short video of Sashimi could give us a better idea of what's going on. It would also be helpful to see a picture of the whole aquarium, so we can check if there's anything that needs adjusting.
I'm going to take a guess here, assuming your water quality is good - no ammonia or nitrite, and nitrates are under 20ppm - and your fish isn't sick, it's possible Sashimi is experiencing something similar to jet lag.
If your Betta was recently imported and traveled a long way, it could be adjusting to a new time zone, which might explain the irregular sleep pattern. If that's the case, it should settle down in about a week or two.
Posting some pictures and maybe a short video of Sashimi could give us a better idea of what's going on. It would also be helpful to see a picture of the whole aquarium, so we can check if there's anything that needs adjusting.
Re: Is my betta sleeping too much
Thanks for the reply, I really appreciate it. I'll try to post some videos and photos as soon as possible. I'm a bit worried the tank might need some work - it's only 3.5 gallons and I've just got plastic plants in there at the moment.coltin wrote: ↑Fri Dec 20, 2024 8:38 am Hi and welcome to the forum, brisk.
I'm going to take a guess here, assuming your water quality is good - no ammonia or nitrite, and nitrates are under 20ppm - and your fish isn't sick, it's possible Sashimi is experiencing something similar to jet lag.
If your Betta was recently imported and traveled a long way, it could be adjusting to a new time zone, which might explain the irregular sleep pattern. If that's the case, it should settle down in about a week or two.
Posting some pictures and maybe a short video of Sashimi could give us a better idea of what's going on. It would also be helpful to see a picture of the whole aquarium, so we can check if there's anything that needs adjusting.
To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "ppm" - could you explain that to me? I'm also not sure how to check the ammonia and nitrite levels in the tank. I've done a lot of research, but I'm still learning.
Re: Is my betta sleeping too much
ppm means "parts per million" - basically, it's a unit of measurement for water quality. To check your tank's levels, you'll need a water test kit or you can take a sample to a local pet store like Petco - I think they offer free tests. Ammonia is the one you really need to watch out for, as it's super toxic to fish.brisk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 20, 2024 7:03 am Hi everyone,
I'm still pretty new to all this Betta care stuff, so bear with me. I've had Sashimi for just a couple of days now (got him on the 18th of July, 2022), and he's been sleeping for over 20 hours straight, only waking up randomly. I've done a ton of research, but I'm still stumped. From what I've read, I'm thinking he might just be getting used to the tank - I've heard they do that, right? Or maybe it's the pH levels, but honestly, I'm not entirely sure.
I'd really appreciate any advice or help you can offer.
Re: Is my betta sleeping too much
When you keep fish in a tank, their waste and leftover food can break down in the water and release ammonia. A good filter can turn this ammonia into nitrite and then nitrate. That's why it's essential to test for these things in the water, and when you do, you'll see the results in parts per million.
What kind of filter does your tank have, by the way? Did the people at the pet store tell you how to clean it?
Also, be careful with those plastic plants - they can have sharp edges that might hurt Sashimi's fins. Silk plants are a better choice, and if you can, live plants are even better. If you want to keep the plastic plants, you can use some sandpaper to smooth out the rough bits. Or you could replace them with live plants like Water Sprite - it's a great choice for Betta tanks. It's a floating plant with lots of branches where Sashimi can sleep.
What kind of filter does your tank have, by the way? Did the people at the pet store tell you how to clean it?
Also, be careful with those plastic plants - they can have sharp edges that might hurt Sashimi's fins. Silk plants are a better choice, and if you can, live plants are even better. If you want to keep the plastic plants, you can use some sandpaper to smooth out the rough bits. Or you could replace them with live plants like Water Sprite - it's a great choice for Betta tanks. It's a floating plant with lots of branches where Sashimi can sleep.
Re: Is my betta sleeping too much
I've got the softer type of plastic plants with really soft leaves, so I'm hoping those won't be a problem for Sashimi. The filter was already installed when I got the tank, and it was set to a slow mode, so I didn't have to do anything to adjust it. I know I said I'd post some photos and videos, but my phone's dead right now, so that's not possible at the moment. I can try to describe the tank though - it's pretty similar to the ones you'd find if you Google "3.5 gallon betta tank" - you can check out the images on Google to get an idea of what it looks like.
Re: Is my betta sleeping too much
I also have a Golden Mystery Snail, his name is Escargot, so that helps with eating some of the waste in the tank.
Re: Is my betta sleeping too much
Hey there,
I'm glad you're here. I think I can help you out a bit with your betta's situation. I've been doing some research and I found this really helpful thread on Fish-In Cycling - it's a must-read for beginners like us. Check it out: https://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycl ... rs.475055/
To be honest, I think you'll need to get a good quality test kit - I've heard the API Freshwater Master Test Kit is a good one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000255NCI/?tag=ff0d01-20. You'll also want a good water conditioner, either Seachem Prime or API Tap Water Conditioner would work.
In a small tank like yours (3.5G is a bit tiny for bettas, if I'm being honest), I'm worried your betta might be dealing with ammonia poisoning from an uncycled tank.
I'm glad you're here. I think I can help you out a bit with your betta's situation. I've been doing some research and I found this really helpful thread on Fish-In Cycling - it's a must-read for beginners like us. Check it out: https://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycl ... rs.475055/
To be honest, I think you'll need to get a good quality test kit - I've heard the API Freshwater Master Test Kit is a good one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000255NCI/?tag=ff0d01-20. You'll also want a good water conditioner, either Seachem Prime or API Tap Water Conditioner would work.
In a small tank like yours (3.5G is a bit tiny for bettas, if I'm being honest), I'm worried your betta might be dealing with ammonia poisoning from an uncycled tank.
Re: Is my betta sleeping too much
I picked up a Nutrafin water conditioner - thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it. I'm still waiting on the water test kit, but I'll get that soon. I'm gonna follow the guide you sent me, happyone, and I'll make sure to get everything sorted out for Sashimi and Escargot.
Re: Is my betta sleeping too much
For now, I'd say stick with the Nutrafin water conditioner you've got. When it runs out, consider switching to either Seachem Prime or API Tap Water Conditioner - they're both good options.brisk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 20, 2024 7:03 am Hi everyone,
I'm still pretty new to all this Betta care stuff, so bear with me. I've had Sashimi for just a couple of days now (got him on the 18th of July, 2022), and he's been sleeping for over 20 hours straight, only waking up randomly. I've done a ton of research, but I'm still stumped. From what I've read, I'm thinking he might just be getting used to the tank - I've heard they do that, right? Or maybe it's the pH levels, but honestly, I'm not entirely sure.
I'd really appreciate any advice or help you can offer.
Do a big water change, and make sure to follow the instructions on the conditioner. One thing to keep in mind - don't touch the filter or clean anything in the tank right now.
Most importantly, take some time to read through that fish-in cycling guide I linked earlier. It's got some really helpful info on how to keep your tank healthy and your betta happy.