is my inherited betta's health declining

[craftyfox]

I recently took in my parents' beta, as I knew the conditions he was in weren't great. I've got him set up in a 10-gallon tank with a heater now. There are photos of him in the little bowl and then in the new tank.

It's been 4 days and honestly, I think he looks worse. He spends a lot of time sitting on top of the heater. I'm hesitant to raise the temperature too quickly, so it's at 70F for now - I plan on increasing it soon. His fins seem more frayed, but he's swimming around instead of just staying at the top or bottom. He does like to rest on the heater, though. I've added Prime, dechlorinated the water, and used Stress Zyme.

I'd really appreciate some advice - I know my parents didn't take great care of him, and I want to make sure he's comfortable and help him if he's sick. They're also insisting on keeping the tank next to an always-lit Christmas tree, which I'm sure stresses him out.

[EllieX]

It's heartbreaking to see him like that. Hopefully, some of the experts here can offer valuable advice to help him recover. He's such a beautiful creature.

[barnicle]

Hi there, well done for taking charge of this little guy's care.

First off, have you cycled the tank?

[craftyfox]

Hi there, well done for taking charge of this little guy's care.

First off, have you cycled the tank?

I've read about tank cycling, but I didn't do it properly... I was gonna wait, cycle with food, but people online were saying I was to blame for my parents' mistakes and I freaked out, put him in the 10 gallon. I'm using Prime daily to try and help it cycle while he's in there... it's been tough convincing my parents to do things differently.

Should I take him out? What can I do to fix this?

[nimbo]

I recently took in my parents' beta, as I knew the conditions he was in weren't great. I've got him set up in a 10-gallon tank with a heater now. There are photos of him in the little bowl and then in the new tank.

It's been 4 days and honestly, I think he looks worse. He spends a lot of time sitting on top of the heater. I'm hesitant to raise the temperature too quickly, so it's at 70F for now - I plan on increasing it soon. His fins seem more frayed, but he's swimming around instead of just staying at the top or bottom. He does like to rest on the heater, though. I've added Prime, dechlorinated the water, and used Stress Zyme.

I'd really appreciate some advice - I know my parents didn't take great care of him, and I want to make sure he's comfortable and help him if he's sick. They're also insisting on keeping the tank next to an always-lit Christmas tree, which I'm sure stresses him out.

To help your beta recover, I'd recommend daily large (50-75%) water changes - this will really help keep things clean in there. When you do the water changes, make sure to vacuum up any food and poop. Try to match the temp of the replacement water, it'll help reduce stress on your fish. Since it's a small tank, condition the water before adding it to the tank, and unplug the heater before the change. It's gonna take weeks to complete the cycle, so just be patient and do some reading on the subject - there's a great sticky on Cycling that's worth checking out.

Do you have a filter in your tank? And a water test kit? These are really important for keeping an eye on things and making sure your tank is healthy for your fish.

[Snout]

I think I'm being too cautious with the temperature, but I'm trying not to shock him. I've set it to 70F for now, but I know I need to raise it. I just don't want to rush it, you know?

[daisymay]

Adding lots of fast-growing live plants would be great for the tank. They'd help with the water quality and give him some places to hide and rest.

[rockyfox]

Adding some decor could really help him feel more at home. Maybe get a floating betta log, that'd give him a cozy spot to rest. And some tall plants would be great too, they'd help with the water quality and give him some places to hide. If you don't already have one, a simple sponge filter would be a good idea, it's easy to set up and would help keep the water clean.