Dealing with Betta during Winter?

Question

I have noticed that my beta is just sitting on the bottom of the tank and not swimming around like he normaly does but it has also started to get colder (IL)which made the weather a little bit more colder, could the reasons for his "sitting around" be because of the water being cold and if so how can I keep the right water temperature? so my betta can return to its normal self. Help please!! :(

Answer 1

while bettas shouldn't be kept in tanks smaller than a gallon, most people don't realize it because stores offer tiny tanks right by the bettas and often even suggest them. this may not seem important but how to deal with the col depends on your tank size. if you have anything smaller than a 5 gallon heaters are very very risky. so if you have a tank that is 1 gallon or smaller I suggest moving the tank to a spot where it gets heat, like by a vent or radiator. getting a thermometer would be a good idea to make sure the temp never goes bellow 68, 75 is ideal, 70 is okay and most bettas can handle it just fine but once you get to 68ish your betta's health starts to suffer. if the water temp is good you betta may be bored, his symptoms sound almost like betta depression. try putting a mirror in front of him for 10 or 15 mins a day to give him something to do, or put in a plant. hope this helps, I have 9 bettas, so I'm fairly experienced when it comes to bettas. I'd be glad to help if you have any other questions!

Answer 2

Yes, they are tropical fish so they will really need heated water during the winter. I am assuming you have him in a small bowl/tank. It would be best to get him a larger tank, like a 5 gallon or 10 gallon and then heating the water won't be problematic for you.

I personally have a 12 gallon Eclipse system that i used a tank divider in (gives the betta about 1/3 of the tank to swim in) the other space did have another betta, but after a very unfortunate accident (!) now houses some platyfish. Plenty of space, plus it has great filtration and you don't have to do water changes as frequently as smaller bowls/jars. It is also simple to find a heater for this size tank too.

You should keep him at about 78 degrees, preferably. Make sure you get a good thermometer. I use the kind that floats/suctions to the inside of the tank.

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Answer 3

As i said in another post, bettas become very listless and still during winter months, and wont eat very much, this is their way of fighting the cold. You can higher the temps, but most smaller tanks cant support a heater. I have never had a problem in winter with the heat, and it gets to like 60 degrees in my room at night. The room temperature usually doesnt drop below 70 in most houses, so you should be fine. email me if you need more help.

Answer 4

I have had this exact issue (and I am still dealing with it since winter is not over yet).
I got a thermometer that goes in the water.
My bettas' bowls are each one gallon so they are too small for a heater. So I got a space heater and set it on a stand, turned it to face their bowls and turned it on. It heats the water very well but you have to check it every few minutes (at most 5 minutes between checks) until you know how long it will take for it to heat the water to the desired temp. (75-82 F)

Answer 5

I don't know what you have it in.
I found these temps listed on a web search. One said room temp.
75-86degrees F 77-82degrees and 76 degrees. I don't know how cold it is. They do make heaters for tanks. You could put some slightly warm water in a zip lock bag and put in his tank. Don't make him too warm.
One thing to think about that would make a little difference is to set him up on a higher table or shelf since it is warmer higher.
Hope this helps a little.

Answer 6

Assuming your betta is in a proper-sized tank (5 gallons) then just use an under-water thermometer and heater, keep the temp. at around 75 degrees.

Answer 7

My betta does this too, and i think it is the water getting colder. make sure the bowl is not in a drafty place, like by a window. maybe move it closer to where a vent is so it can get warmer from the heater. They are used to the tropics, remember, so they don't like cold at all !

Answer 8

Bettas can not be saved with: different labrynth fish fish extra effective than them fish with long fins nippy fish as long as he's the comparable length as or extra effective than the fish in the community tank, it is going to likely be nice, yet you ought to attempt it out for a pair days till now you leave in case something happens

Answer 9

I have the same problem, but what I thought of doing is putting it close to a lamp that I use to light my turtle aquarium. In a way, it has heat. Or you can try putting it in your room, afterall, you will most likely go turn up the heat when your room is too cold. That should do it for the fish.