Is My Betta Dying?

Question

i got a red betta about 2-4 months ago and he was a brilliant red. he was very still in his tink bowl so we bought him a tank about 3 fourths of a foot tall and a foot wide. he was so happy! it has bubbles (not a filter) in a 1inch the way around tube that go to the top. it also has a silightly dim light. he had a few blue scales, but now after moving, he has lost those and his red has gotten slightly pale. also his fins have changed from full and wide, to where he keeps the low and thin. he is still perkier, but not as perky as he was when he moved. what is wrong?


(his name is Scooby, he is afraid of EVERYTHING!! even a fake fish! AND YOU FINGER!!!)

i am NOT using tap water i am using distilled water

i am feeding scooby wardley essentials betta food. it is too big for him so i give him about 5 pellets which cut would be like, 10 bites and he eats it all. i feed him it every other day example:

feed! no. feed! no. feed! no.

Answer 1

One thing you don't mention having for him is a heater. Bettas are tropical fish and need to have water temperatures between 76-86o. I keep mine at 76-80o unless I'm breeding them. You might find that having a heater will make a difference in how he acts.

Answer 2

The lost of color, and clamped fins are a sign of stress. The most common causes of stress are:

0)Bad water quality. Under 2 gallon containers you should change the water every 3-4 days. 3-5 gallon should be changed every week. A filtered tank is better as you'll only need to change 10-30% a week with a 2.5 gallon tank.

1)Over feeding. A betta should be fed once a day about as much food as his eye ball 6 day a week. Feeding every other day isn't a horrible thing, but be sure to keep the amount under x2 the size of his eye ball.

2)Temp. Betta are tropical fish, and prefer warmer water than most fish. The idea range is 75-85F. Below 70F he will not live as long. Below 65F he will just sicken and die.

Notes:

1)Distilled water is bad for fish. It lacks minerals, and is way too soft/acidic. You don't need chemical treatments for your tap water. Put it in an open container for 24-48 hours. This aging will remove any chlorine in the water.

2)The bubbler isn't doing him any good. He gets his oxygen from the surface of the water. Bettas tend to prefer still water.

3)He could also be sick. Read the following link, and reexamine him.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bettadiseases.htm
http://majesticbettas.com/diseases.htm

Answer 3

Like Copperhead stated you need a heater for the tank. Betta's thrive in a filtered heated tank. The temp in the tank should be between 76-82 F. The better environment the better your Betta will thrive.

Answer 4

Check to water temp, its the most common problem. But i dont think he is dying. Also make sure you are feeding him the betta food.

Answer 5

I had a betta that was 5 and before he died his fins shrived up, and he turned pale. Since your fish is young then mabye it's becuse you don't have enough oxygen in the tank.

A$H!

Answer 6

distilled water is just as bad as untreated tap water. That's whats wrong. I'd rather use drinking water or treated tap water.

Answer 7

The color of these fish tend to change some as they get older- it sounds like your fish is building a bubble nest and may be ready for a mate.

Answer 8

Bettas color becomes paler as they get older theres nothing to worry about

Answer 9

have you coniditioned his water? If you're using tap, it could lead to further problems.

Answer 10

he might have worms or something. Parasites live in the intestines and you can't usually see them.... bettatalk.com has really good info