Can betta fish die if its too cold for them?

Question

Reason I ask 2 of my 4 female betta's died that were in the same tank. I'm sure they didn't kill each other cause they had 1.25 gallons each and plenty of places to hide. Beside they got along.
The temperature out side dropped really fast and the heater was at 65 and didn't help much inside. I'm thinking it got to cold for them to fast. I took them out and put them in a much warmer part of the house. I feel so bad :( But at least 2 of my babies are alive :)

Answer 1

Good question Tont, lets conduct an experiement...

Take your betta and put it in an icecream jug in the freezer, wait 6 hours and go back to see if it is swimming through the ice block!!

Give me a break >_<

Everything, Everything in the WORLD that is ALIVE is subjected to the harsh environment, some can handle it better than others, but its pretty well known not much can live in a block of ice. If something lives in a block of ice, it is likely viral.

As water freezes, it crystalizes, as the water which composes the VAST majority of a fish freezes, the crystaline structures will impale and assail their inniards, right down to the cellular level. Simply you'll turn it into jello if you freeze it.

As water cools down, oxygen saturation increases... Fact despite what people think, the colder the water the more oxygen it holds. This is due to simple particle physics, if you have an element in a bucket and cool the bucket, the element will sink to the bottom, as you heat it, the element will expand and rise based on how much energy is added. Simple. As the molecules and atoms all into lower energy levels, the molecules sit closer together, therefore more molecules can occupy the same space, therefore more oxygen in your water. With the aid of an air pump, even more oxygen.

Earthlings known as humans thrive in a 21% saturation of atmosphereic oxygen. Any more, we'd be insane freaky people living the "high life" quite litterally as the abundance in oxygen would litterally cause cascade events in the synapsis of our brains, hindering our thought processes, thusly making us stupid as as post.

This applies for fish equally as it applies to humans.

I dont believe you when you say that 4 female bettas have "Plenty of places to hide" hell I doubt I could adequately have space for 1 fish in that box, but its your perogative...

Lets approach the math of it shall we?

First we'll convert this to metric system because imperial measurements are silly...

You have a box with 4.73176475 liters.

Each fish as 1.175 (odd) liters to live in. Comparing the mathematical volume of 1 liters, you've condemed your fish to having less than twice their body length in living space.

I cannot support your statements that they have plenty of places to hide in. Where do they hide? outside of the tank? I think I know why they died....

If you cant understand why they're dying, you should return to high school and subscribe to some biology and chemistry courses. Search the internet for online resources.

But still you cant dump 80 bucks into your "Babies" new home that would have likely saved the other 2 fishes lives. More fish, More waste, more uneaten food, more waste, more waste, more death, more death, more space, Coincidence? I think not...

But for the love of life itself, stop buying fish ...

Answer 2

first of all, don't beat yourself up. Something like this happens to all fish keepers, and there are so many schools of thought out there that it's hard to say who's right and wrong about some things. This is just my opinion. I manage a pet store with 125 tanks and 3890 gallons of water. I can also tell you a bit about our experience with female bettas.

yes, temperature is a factor. However, when we receive our female bettas, they are shipped from the farms in asia to florida, then to Columbus Ohio, and then to us in the north east. The water temperature often reaches 60-65 degrees, and the bettas are just fine. No, I don't reccommend it. Bettas should be at or around 76 degrees, but I don't think temperature alone killed them. Not to mention, five gallons of water, which is what I'm guessing you have, will not suddenly change temperature. Water will hold heat longer than air, gradually cooling. This allows the fish to become accostomed to the temperature change. Bettas are hearty fish. But still, they need to be warmer.

it is possible that the water temperature caused the two that died to become lethargic. Female bettas are territorial, and they will pick on an kill other bettas that appear sick. It's acctually very comon in non-schooling fish. Stress from the temperatre drop coupled with territorial fish can spell doom for a little tired fishy.

There are two types of limits on the tank, the bio load, which is how much water the fish need, and the behavioral load, which is how much space they need. Sometimes, it doesn't take much to set a territorial fish off and have them claim another spot as their own.

I would purchase a 25 watt submersable heater to keep the tank at a constant temp. Only replace one betta, and be prepared to move things around in the tank to make your fish reclaim territory, it's easier on the new girl.

We had an issue with mysteriosly dissapearing bettas. the females were killing eachother. Once we dropped the nember down in the tank, all the fish loss stopped. It was all a territory thing.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Many fish can stand fairly low temperatures as long as it's temporary and done slowly. A sudden drop to 65 or lower is too cold, too fast. The larger the tank, the longer it takes for the water to get cold- you also have room for a heater.

I'd say that it might be worth investing in a 10 gallon tank and a heater at least for the winter. A 10 gallon is usually only about $11 and a heater is about $15-25 (Canadian).

If you know that the bettas won't need the tank next winter, you could always later convert the tank into a tropical tank or something, if that makes it worth the money.

Answer 4

I started my fish hobby with bettas and kept them in a glass bowls. During winter they would sometimes die because the temperature drop would be to quick for them to adjust. So then I bought a tank with a heater and never had that problem again. If you dont want to buy a tank w/heater, you can also put them in a bigger bowl, the more water in the bowl, the less harsh the temperature drop will be. Ideally you should get a tank and put in some dividers so each betta has their own space.

Answer 5

It sounds as though your question has been pretty much answered, but I wanted to encourage you to get that tank heater for an additional reason: The colder the bettas get, the more prone they are to diseases, especially ich. But I also wouldn't set the thermostat up TOO far. If the water gets too warm (say, above 82 or so) you'll build up algae more easily and your bettas will be more susceptible to fungal infections etc.

All in all the best idea is to set one temperature, around 78, and make sure the tank stats there without fluctuations.

Sorry about your losses. :(

Answer 6

That could be very good possibility of what happend. Bettas are tropical fish who prefer warmer water. You should probably think of getting a heater for your babies. Also don't listen to the first post, female bettas can be kept together, males can't.

Answer 7

65? as in degrees
wow I'm pretty sure if mine were in a controlled tank
I'd keep temp @ 78-80

"Bettas thrive on heat, and will become increasingly listless when the water temperature falls below 75 degrees F. Water temperature is perhaps the biggest argument against keeping a betta in a tiny bowl (which cannot readily be heat controlled)."

Answer 8

yes, they can. and don't listen to the person above me, I keep my females together too. however since you only have 2 together now you might want to get more because it's not recommended that you keep less than three together. but since they know eachother they'll probably be fine. keep an eye on them for a bit. the tank should be large enough for a heater, so look into purchasing one to keep the two that are still let alive. if you get one thought slowly bring the temp back up, because if you make it warm right away they'll die also. good luck.

Answer 9

Yes, especially if the temperature drop is quick--it can put them into shock. Bettas are originally tropical fish and they favor warmer tempuratures. I would even say 65 degrees is too cold for them, actually.

Answer 10

Quick Facts

Scientific Name: Betta Splendens
Other Names: Betta Family: Belontiidae
Origin: Cambodia, Thailand
Adult Size: 3 inches (7 cm)
Social: Males cannot be kept together
Lifespan: 2-3 years
Tank Level: Top dweller
Minimum Tank Size: 3 gallon
Diet: Live foods preferable, will eat flakes and frozen foods
Breeding: Egglayer - bubblenest
Care: Easy to Intermediate
pH: 6.8 - 7.4
Hardenss: up to 20 dGH
Temperature: 75-86 F (24-30 C)