I have a betta fish and there is a plant on top. I'm not exactly sure what kind of plant it is, but I bought it at a pet store, and one of the employees helped me get it, so I know its okay for the fish. I just got the fish and plant tonight, and the plant was healthy when I got it. It started to look dried out over an hour or so of having it, and now it is very ugly, shriveled (if thats a word) up. I'm using bottoled water in the vase, and the bottom of the plant is in the water. Is there anything I'm doing wrong? If I did something wrong to the plant, and its dying, could it affect the fish and kill it?
Please help!
Thanks in advance =D
2007-02-24 14:16:50 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
Well, first of all having the plant on top of the bowl or vase is a bad idea. They don't add oxygen to the water as some people will try to tell you, that's only if the plant is a water plant and is completely below the surface.
Second, if it is dieing that fast, it's probably not a water plant. Any store that will tell you it's good for the fish obviously doesn't have a clue in the first place and didn't know enough about the plant either.
Third, just use dechlorinated tap water for your betta. Bottled water is so similar (in fish-keeping terms) it's a waste of money to buy it and distilled water is actually a no-no for fish keeping.
Do yourself a favor, find another place to buy fish from now on. It sounds like you got a load of bad advice. It would also be a good idea to plan on getting something a bit larger for your betta. A bowl of about 1 gallon size would be great. You will need to clean the bowl out every 4-5 days to keep your fish healthy!
MM
2007-02-24 14:28:08 · answer #1 · answered by magicman116 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
MagicMan said it best. Just to reiterate. No plant. No vase. Forget about whether the plant died. Get rid of it. Toss it out now. Worry about the fish dying. Put the poor betta in at least a 1 gallon container but preferably, 2.5 gallons or larger. Get it a heater. Get it a filter. If you want to use bottled water, it should be spring water only. Regular drinking water is the same as your tap water and distilled water isn't good for fish. If you want plants, get proper underwater plants. Learn about proper water changes and tank maintenance. Good luck to you and your fish!
2007-02-24 22:53:25 · answer #2 · answered by Venice Girl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
to be honest with you i had the same thing, i think the plant is called a peace plant or something like that. I had a betta in it and the plant started rotting, i didn't think anything of it i just took off the dead stuff and left it. well after about a year of having it the plant was dying more and more no matter what i did and my betta eventually got really sick looking, almost like an allergic reaction to something, it had big lumps by its eyes and its skin looked like it was just falling off. and of course not long after that he died. but all i can say is throw that plant out if you want to keep your fish alive, it'll do just fine without it. hope that helps. peace.
2007-02-24 22:29:02 · answer #3 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I hate to say it but your average pet store employee won't know jack about fish, reptiles or any other pet unless they are keepers of that pet. Yes the dying plant can kill your fish. Remove the dying plant, invest in some nice betta friendly java moss, or java ferns.
2007-02-24 22:22:56 · answer #4 · answered by Palor 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The planet will still be here...the round rock we live on......mankind won't ! oops...lack of EEE's
2007-02-24 22:22:04 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋