beta fish issues...?

Question

ive had my fish for about... 4 months and it usually eats a ton (4 pellets twice a day) but lately for the past week he wont eat anything. i wash she vase at least once a week and i cant understand why he isnt eating. i remember i accidently washed his vase and rocks with handsoap, could that have hurt him? i know i washed it all out...

Answer 1

was this recently? if so that is most likely the problem, try rising the tank out very very well again and putting him back in. if that doens't work he may just be depressed. if he's not in at least a gallon of water get him a new tank at least a gallon. then put a plant in for him, it gives him something to do. also try putting a mirror in front of him for 10-15mins a day. hope this helps, if not is may be something more serious and you should keep an eye out for symptoms and go to http://bettatalk.com/betta_diseases.htm at the first signs of anything. they describe in detail and have pictures of nearly every disease out there. then just follow the instructions that goes with the disease to treat him.

Answer 2

I know when I rinse off my hands after I wash them I can still smell the sweet smell of vanilla. Thus, the molecules are still on my hands. Thus, your rocks and and vase still have those same molecules. I would highly suggest you get a new vase and some rocks or marbles and put the fish in the new tank. He/She is ill from the soap and it could also be an allergic reaction. I know when I am sick I don't like to eat or drink anything.

Answer 3

He may be constipated. 4 pellets twice a day is a LOT of food considering a betta's stomach is about the size of one of his eyes (cut back on the amount of food you give him, 2 pellets is plenty). Feeding bettas a diet of just dry food can often make them constipated. If he is, try feeding him a pea (yea, like the kind mom fed you)--cook it without salt or other herbs, spices, oils, then squish the soft insides out and into the tank (toss out the round pea "shell"). Not all bettas will eat peas but most will. Live brine shrimp or daphnia are good digestive fiber and their swimming around will usually entice a betta to eat too (live brines though aren't high in nutrition so use just as a diet stimulator). A short bath in water+epson salt will sometimes help (I don't have the recipe--not too much salt, just a little).

An no more soap--don't clean fish tanks with soap because most soaps are made with finishing stuff so your glasses won't spot and your dishes will sparkle. Use boiling water if your bowl can handle that without melting. Otherwise, just wipe out the empty bowl with a clean paper towel to get rid of any algae that maybe have grown inside, swish out the bowl well, refill with clean water. To sterilize a bowl when necessary, use a little bleach in the bowl, fill with water, let stand for an hour or more, dump, fill bowl with dechlorinator chemical (same stuff you use to dechlorinate tap water) and water, let it stand for an hour or more, rinse and sniff the bowl. If it still smells of bleach, redo the dechlorinate thing again.

Answer 4

Soap leaves a film which can clog the gills. Try using peroxide next time to clean the bowl, then rinse, add the water, and let it set for a day or two before changing the fish back into the bowl. This allows the chlorine to evaporate. Try Tetramin for Bete Splendens instead of the pellets. It's a better food. Also, they are very temperature sensetive, so make sure he isnt too cold or hot in the bowl.

Answer 5

The film which is left behind from soaps not only will clog gills but drastically effect your pH from the amount of phosphates that are in soaps. Pooass has an excellent suggestion with Cycle. It promotes bacteria to strengthen your biological filter... I use this myself and swear by its success.

Another thing you may wish to investigate is another product manufactured by the same company as Cycle, Nutrafin called "Waste Control". Bettas although colourful produce large quantities of waste, and are equally as vulnerable to ammonia poisoning. This product will assist your biological filter by breaking down ammonia. However it is also to be noted that this used in abundance may also cripple your biological filter by starving aerobic bacteria of Ammonia.

The trend is a good one in this discussion, small water changes, dont ever use soap, scrub algae into the tank and leave it...

Bettas are also quite hardy it could and should recover from this incident with any luck so long as you did in fact wash that stuff good leaving only small amounts of soap residue. I would also suggest replacing the gravel/rocks in the vase to ensure you reduce the amount of soap left behind.

I will now take the time to suggest a more adequate home for your Betta. Vases are inadequate, your Betta deserves a heater and filter. Small plastic aquariums with a filter as a minimum can be purchased for 30 bucks at walmarts across western civilization.

If you keep it in a vase... Think of me now and then as a angel on your shoulder trying to pull you out of the darkness and back into the light.

Answer 6

Betas can last one month or they can last two years. They are very picky fish. If you didn't get all of the dish soap off the vase and rocks, it is probably what is wrong. You may want to purchase new rocks and clean the bowl again.

I use to have several of them, but they got to be such a pain that when the last one I had died (after a year and a half) I sold all my stuff.

Answer 7

i had a beta for over 1yr. the beta(s) we had after that died very quickly even though we did the same thing for it that we did for the old one.i noticed that you said that the fish was in a vase. i was told at petco that beta thrive if they have 2 gallons of water per fish and not to put them with any other fish because they are aggressive. they're not big swimmers but like to have some room. the change of environment may help. the soap would have killed him on the 1st day.

Answer 8

bettas are moody fishes, they r very unique compared to others....the problem he is not eating bcs he is depressed and angry...it will take him 7 days to recover...

Never wash your fish bowl or stones with soap, just never do tht....the smell remains inside the stone which becomes poison for them...u r lucky tht you have a betta fish, a strong fish, if it was another type of fish it would have surely died....

Regarding changing water, you must change every 3 days, plz remember tht bettas are used to 22-26 degrees celcius degree water temperature, they come from tropical countries....

Bettas are always extra happy if you put some plants inside, water plants, not the plastic fake plants....

Technically your betta is recovering, it will take atleast 7 days before he forgives you....if i were you i would buy him new stones, as for the bowl you shld wash it with soil-put some soil and wash it out with water. This process will allow the smell from the hand soap to disappear...

Betta fishes are unique, they get angry for a very long time before they can forgive...but once they are friendly again, the are playful and cute....my bettas are just like puppies, you can pet them on their head and play around with them....

Answer 9

Soap will make him sick, and it lasts a lot longer than you would think. You may think you have all the soap washed out, but he knows otherwise. Get him in another container temporarily and rinse his vase with lots and lots of water.

Answer 10

hand soap will kill you fish. sorry to put it so harshly. the residue is hard to get out. you never actually need to clean the whole tank out. beta fish like stagnant water. the naturally live in puddles in rice feilds. if you do feel the need to clean the tank you only need to remove and replace 10% of the water. if the glass is covered in algae just wipe it off into the water. if its stuck on get an algae scrubber. the algae will come back but it is healthier for your fish to not clean it compleatly. its kind of like putting a human on mars and expecting them to survive. fish need the bacteria in their water to break down waste. you might want to try adding something called CYCLE. it is that bacteria. you cannot overdose your fish with it so put quite a bit in the first time.

hope my rambling made sense.

PLEASE DO NOT FEED YOUR FISH PEAS THAT HAVE BEEN COOKED WITH ANYTHING!! raw ones are just fine or boiled on their own. you can also give hima bit of blanched romaine lettuce, cooked chicken(no spices) or cooked hotdog. maybe try some baby guppies or mollies. Mine looove to chase them down! make sure they are super tiny tho. just a few days old.