Hello all, I'm new to the forum so bear with me if I ask something silly.
I've often seen bettas in pet shops looking pretty lifeless at the bottom of their jars. Occasionally the pet shops will rehome them. I've taken in a few, and they seem to perk up for a bit before passing away suddenly.
My current betta is a different story - he's really active, a great colour, and swims fine, but as soon as he stops moving, he's back on the bottom, all bent over. I'm sure many of you will have seen bettas like this in pet stores.
What's your take on this? Is it an injury or illness that causes them to lie down like this? Any ideas would be great.
Also, is there anything I can do to help my betta recover from this? I'd really appreciate your input.
fish lying on the bottom of the tank
Re: fish lying on the bottom of the tank
Hi and welcome to the forum. I'm glad you're here and asking questions.
When fish are weak or tired, it's common to see them sinking to the bottom and having trouble swimming. I think this is often due to the stress of being transported and shipped long distances, combined with poor nutrition and water quality.
I came across a post that explains what happens to tropical aquarium fish that come from Asia. It's a bit of a long read, but it's worth your time. The post is on a different thread, but it's relevant to bettas as well. You can find it here: http://www.fishforums.net/threads/unhap ... ly.451451/. The post is number 11.
Bettas are a bit different since they're packed individually, but they still go through similar stress. If you can get your betta into clean water with a stable temperature and feed it nutritious food, it might recover. However, the extent of the damage already done to the fish will play a big role in its recovery.
For feeding, I recommend offering a variety of foods 3-5 times a day. Frozen foods are great, but make sure to defrost them first. Live foods are also excellent, and a bit of dry food can be added to the mix. One of the best foods for conditioning fish is raw or cooked prawn. Simply remove the head, shell, and gut, and cut the prawn tail into small pieces. Feed your betta 1 or 2 pieces at a time until it's full, then remove any uneaten food.
To keep the water clean, I suggest doing big water changes - about 75% daily. Also, make sure to gravel clean the substrate each day. When adding new water, ensure it's free of chlorine and chloramine.
When fish are weak or tired, it's common to see them sinking to the bottom and having trouble swimming. I think this is often due to the stress of being transported and shipped long distances, combined with poor nutrition and water quality.
I came across a post that explains what happens to tropical aquarium fish that come from Asia. It's a bit of a long read, but it's worth your time. The post is on a different thread, but it's relevant to bettas as well. You can find it here: http://www.fishforums.net/threads/unhap ... ly.451451/. The post is number 11.
Bettas are a bit different since they're packed individually, but they still go through similar stress. If you can get your betta into clean water with a stable temperature and feed it nutritious food, it might recover. However, the extent of the damage already done to the fish will play a big role in its recovery.
For feeding, I recommend offering a variety of foods 3-5 times a day. Frozen foods are great, but make sure to defrost them first. Live foods are also excellent, and a bit of dry food can be added to the mix. One of the best foods for conditioning fish is raw or cooked prawn. Simply remove the head, shell, and gut, and cut the prawn tail into small pieces. Feed your betta 1 or 2 pieces at a time until it's full, then remove any uneaten food.
To keep the water clean, I suggest doing big water changes - about 75% daily. Also, make sure to gravel clean the substrate each day. When adding new water, ensure it's free of chlorine and chloramine.
Re: fish lying on the bottom of the tank
Hi and welcome to the forum. I'm glad you asked about your betta's condition - it's great that you're taking the time to learn more about caring for your pet.
Before we dive into potential solutions, I'd love to know a bit more about your tank setup. What's the size of your tank, and are you familiar with the nitrogen cycle and how to cycle your tank? Do you have a test kit to check your water parameters?
I ask because if your tank isn't cycled, your fish might be swimming in water with high levels of ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates, which can be toxic to fish. In that case, following coltin's advice on daily water changes would be a great start. For dechlorinating your water, I recommend using Seachem Prime - it temporarily binds those toxic compounds, keeping your fish safer.
We do have a section on the nitrogen cycle here on the forum, and I think it'd be super helpful for you to read up on it. Feel free to ask any questions you might have, and we'll do our best to help you out. Good luck with your betta's recovery.
Before we dive into potential solutions, I'd love to know a bit more about your tank setup. What's the size of your tank, and are you familiar with the nitrogen cycle and how to cycle your tank? Do you have a test kit to check your water parameters?
I ask because if your tank isn't cycled, your fish might be swimming in water with high levels of ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates, which can be toxic to fish. In that case, following coltin's advice on daily water changes would be a great start. For dechlorinating your water, I recommend using Seachem Prime - it temporarily binds those toxic compounds, keeping your fish safer.
We do have a section on the nitrogen cycle here on the forum, and I think it'd be super helpful for you to read up on it. Feel free to ask any questions you might have, and we'll do our best to help you out. Good luck with your betta's recovery.
Re: fish lying on the bottom of the tank
Coltin, I really appreciate the detailed advice - it's made me realize I've been going about things the wrong way, especially with food. I've been restricting his intake, thinking that's what you're supposed to do when they're sick, but it seems I've been doing the opposite of what I should. I had two bettas before with similar symptoms, and they were doing okay on a tiny amount of food - just one mosquito larva twice a day. But when I increased the amount after a week, they both passed away soon after. My other healthy bettas were fine on the same food, so I didn't think I was doing anything wrong.
I've been giving my current sick betta just one pellet twice a day, which clearly isn't enough. I always thought bettas would just eat and eat until they're stuffed, given their stomach size is supposedly only as big as their eye - is that really true?
Deanasue, I'm afraid I've made a few more mistakes. Since my betta's struggling to swim and spends most of his time on the bottom, I've got him in a bucket with just three litres of water. I do a 75% water change daily, and I've started adding one litre of water that's been primed and has the recommended dose of salt, along with one litre of water from my healthiest betta tank - I figured it might have some beneficial bacteria in it. The healthy tank is 50 litres, well-planted with a filter, and only has one betta in it. When I started adding the water from the healthy tank, the sick betta did seem to pick up and become more active, so I hope that was the right thing to do.
I've also got a small piece of Indkento4 almond leaf and some elodea in the bucket for him to rest on. I can move him to a 30-litre tank today, but I'm not sure he'll cope with the deeper water - I think he'll only be able to handle about three to four inches, which would be around ten litres. I don't have a test kit, but I can take a sample to the aquarium shop to get it tested. I've got Stability, so should I add that to the water when I move him to the 30-litre tank?
I've been giving my current sick betta just one pellet twice a day, which clearly isn't enough. I always thought bettas would just eat and eat until they're stuffed, given their stomach size is supposedly only as big as their eye - is that really true?
Deanasue, I'm afraid I've made a few more mistakes. Since my betta's struggling to swim and spends most of his time on the bottom, I've got him in a bucket with just three litres of water. I do a 75% water change daily, and I've started adding one litre of water that's been primed and has the recommended dose of salt, along with one litre of water from my healthiest betta tank - I figured it might have some beneficial bacteria in it. The healthy tank is 50 litres, well-planted with a filter, and only has one betta in it. When I started adding the water from the healthy tank, the sick betta did seem to pick up and become more active, so I hope that was the right thing to do.
I've also got a small piece of Indkento4 almond leaf and some elodea in the bucket for him to rest on. I can move him to a 30-litre tank today, but I'm not sure he'll cope with the deeper water - I think he'll only be able to handle about three to four inches, which would be around ten litres. I don't have a test kit, but I can take a sample to the aquarium shop to get it tested. I've got Stability, so should I add that to the water when I move him to the 30-litre tank?
Re: fish lying on the bottom of the tank
When fish are unwell, it's essential to provide them with as much food as they can consume. This extra nutrition helps them build up their energy reserves, which in turn enables them to fight off any diseases and repair damaged cells in their body. Think of it like when you're feeling under the weather – you need a boost of energy and nutrients to get better. The same principle applies to fish, birds, plants, and animals alike. They require extra nutrients to aid in their recovery and support their immune system.
Feeding your fish more when they're unwell should help them recover faster. However, it's crucial to maintain clean water conditions by performing big daily water changes. This not only reduces the levels of ammonia in the water but also helps to dilute disease organisms, resulting in fewer pathogens that can affect your fish.
If you have an established tank, I recommend doing a 90-100% water change on the small tanks each day and refilling them with water from the established aquarium. Remove as much water from the container as possible, leaving just enough for the fish to sit in, then fill it up with water from the established tank. Avoid handling the fish during this process; simply drain most of the water out and leave the fish in a small puddle before refilling the container with aged water. You can repeat this process twice a day to keep the water exceptionally clean. Additionally, make it a point to wipe the inside of the container every few days if possible.
Regarding your experience with the Bettas dying after being fed more, I'm stumped – I've never encountered such an issue or heard of it happening to anyone else. My only assumption is that the fish were already on their way out and couldn't tolerate the mosquito larvae, or perhaps the larvae had some bacteria on them that the sick fish couldn't handle. It's possible that the healthier fish were able to cope with whatever was on the mosquito larvae, but it was too much for the sick Bettas.
Fish are opportunistic feeders, which means they'll eat as much food as they can whenever they find it. This is because they never know when their next meal will come along. While it's true that fish have small stomachs, most fish can actually eat more than you think. Their stomachs can stretch, and excess food can quickly pass into the intestine, where it's broken down and the nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream.
Feeding your fish more when they're unwell should help them recover faster. However, it's crucial to maintain clean water conditions by performing big daily water changes. This not only reduces the levels of ammonia in the water but also helps to dilute disease organisms, resulting in fewer pathogens that can affect your fish.
If you have an established tank, I recommend doing a 90-100% water change on the small tanks each day and refilling them with water from the established aquarium. Remove as much water from the container as possible, leaving just enough for the fish to sit in, then fill it up with water from the established tank. Avoid handling the fish during this process; simply drain most of the water out and leave the fish in a small puddle before refilling the container with aged water. You can repeat this process twice a day to keep the water exceptionally clean. Additionally, make it a point to wipe the inside of the container every few days if possible.
Regarding your experience with the Bettas dying after being fed more, I'm stumped – I've never encountered such an issue or heard of it happening to anyone else. My only assumption is that the fish were already on their way out and couldn't tolerate the mosquito larvae, or perhaps the larvae had some bacteria on them that the sick fish couldn't handle. It's possible that the healthier fish were able to cope with whatever was on the mosquito larvae, but it was too much for the sick Bettas.
Fish are opportunistic feeders, which means they'll eat as much food as they can whenever they find it. This is because they never know when their next meal will come along. While it's true that fish have small stomachs, most fish can actually eat more than you think. Their stomachs can stretch, and excess food can quickly pass into the intestine, where it's broken down and the nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream.
Re: fish lying on the bottom of the tank
Thanks so much for your advice, coltin. I've upped his food intake and he seems to be enjoying the extra grub. I'll grab some frozen food for him tomorrow and try to thaw it out properly, as per your instructions. Not too sure about the prawn idea, though - I'm not sure I can get the pieces small enough for him to eat comfortably. Still, I'll give it a go if you reckon it's worth a shot.
I'll be moving him into the 30-litre tank soon, and I'll keep up the daily water changes with aged water from my healthy betta tank. Fingers crossed, he seems bright and alert, and he's really keen to eat, which is a great sign. I'll definitely keep you posted on his progress.
I also read the post you mentioned about tropical aquarium fish transport from Asia - it was a real eye-opener for me. I had no idea what these poor fish go through before they end up in our tanks. Have you ever thought about publishing that information somewhere? I think it's really important that people know about the treatment of these fish, and I'm sure there are plenty of places that would be interested in sharing your knowledge.
I'll be moving him into the 30-litre tank soon, and I'll keep up the daily water changes with aged water from my healthy betta tank. Fingers crossed, he seems bright and alert, and he's really keen to eat, which is a great sign. I'll definitely keep you posted on his progress.
I also read the post you mentioned about tropical aquarium fish transport from Asia - it was a real eye-opener for me. I had no idea what these poor fish go through before they end up in our tanks. Have you ever thought about publishing that information somewhere? I think it's really important that people know about the treatment of these fish, and I'm sure there are plenty of places that would be interested in sharing your knowledge.
Re: fish lying on the bottom of the tank
If the fish is still struggling, I'd recommend keeping it in shallow water for the time being, around 4 inches deep, until it's strong enough to swim properly. Moving it to a bigger tank, like the 30 litres one, can be done once it's showing signs of recovery. At that point, you can reduce the frequency of water changes to a couple of times a week, but if there's a water quality issue, it's best to stick to daily changes. For smaller containers, like the 5-10 litres ones, daily water changes are a must.
As for the prawn, don't worry, it's easy to cut into tiny pieces. Just use a pair of medium-sized scissors and you'll be able to cut thin slivers that even neon tetras can eat. It might take a bit of practice, but it's definitely doable.
As for the prawn, don't worry, it's easy to cut into tiny pieces. Just use a pair of medium-sized scissors and you'll be able to cut thin slivers that even neon tetras can eat. It might take a bit of practice, but it's definitely doable.
Re: fish lying on the bottom of the tank
I just wanted to follow up on my little betta's progress. It's been about three weeks since I moved him to the bigger tank - 40 litres, but only filled to four inches, so roughly 12 litres of water. He's got plenty of elodea to lounge on, which he seems to enjoy.
His swimming has definitely improved, but he still tends to sink to the bottom. I'm not holding out much hope that he'll ever be able to handle deeper water - five inches might be his limit, as he still gets a bit bent over when he's not swimming.
On the plus side, his appetite is great, and he always gets excited when he sees me, swimming up to greet me in the hopes of scoring some food. I've been doing a 1/3 water change daily - fingers crossed that's the right thing to do.
I'm thinking of setting up a tiny sponge filter for him, with a very low air flow. Would it be possible to just cut a piece of filter medium to create this, and then attach an air hose somehow? Any other advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
His swimming has definitely improved, but he still tends to sink to the bottom. I'm not holding out much hope that he'll ever be able to handle deeper water - five inches might be his limit, as he still gets a bit bent over when he's not swimming.
On the plus side, his appetite is great, and he always gets excited when he sees me, swimming up to greet me in the hopes of scoring some food. I've been doing a 1/3 water change daily - fingers crossed that's the right thing to do.
I'm thinking of setting up a tiny sponge filter for him, with a very low air flow. Would it be possible to just cut a piece of filter medium to create this, and then attach an air hose somehow? Any other advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Re: fish lying on the bottom of the tank
I think it would be really helpful if you could post a picture and a short video of the fish so we can get a better idea of what's going on. If you could set the camera to its lowest resolution, that would be great, so the pictures aren't too big for the website. For the video, just make it a decent size and upload it to YouTube, then copy and paste the link here, so we can check it out.
When it comes to water changes, I'm a big believer in doing them regularly and doing them big. You see, fish live in a bit of a soup, with all sorts of microscopic organisms floating around, including bacteria, fungus, viruses, and all sorts of other things that can make them sick. By doing big water changes and cleaning the gravel, you're diluting all these organisms and making the water a safer, healthier place for the fish.
Think about it, if you only do a 25% water change each week, you're leaving 75% of the bad stuff behind. If you do a 50% change, you're still leaving 50% behind. But if you do a 75% change, you're only leaving 25% behind. It's just basic math, but it makes a big difference.
As for the filter, I'd recommend just getting a simple air-operated sponge filter. You can use a rubber band to attach a bit of established filter media to the sponge, and just leave it there for a few months to help the filter bacteria get established.
When it comes to water changes, I'm a big believer in doing them regularly and doing them big. You see, fish live in a bit of a soup, with all sorts of microscopic organisms floating around, including bacteria, fungus, viruses, and all sorts of other things that can make them sick. By doing big water changes and cleaning the gravel, you're diluting all these organisms and making the water a safer, healthier place for the fish.
Think about it, if you only do a 25% water change each week, you're leaving 75% of the bad stuff behind. If you do a 50% change, you're still leaving 50% behind. But if you do a 75% change, you're only leaving 25% behind. It's just basic math, but it makes a big difference.
As for the filter, I'd recommend just getting a simple air-operated sponge filter. You can use a rubber band to attach a bit of established filter media to the sponge, and just leave it there for a few months to help the filter bacteria get established.