# betta laying on bottom



## jrmolitor (May 12, 2008)

I have my betta at work and the water temp is at 76. The tank is clean and large. I don't feed him on the weekends and when I come in on Monday's, he is really active, but hungry. Today, he just wants to lay on the bottom. He keeps looking for food, but I'm afraid to overfeed him. Is this a bad sign? I will come in on Saturdays and feed him if that's what I need to do. Help! Thanks!


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

It will not hurt your pet to go two days without food. I would much rather wonder what water tests are saying. An aquarium can appear very clean and yet water conditions can deteriorate quickly if proper maint. is not performed on regular basis.


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## jrmolitor (May 12, 2008)

Thanks for the reply. I do a partial water change with reverse osmosis water every week. No chemicals used. He LOOKS ok...am I just being paranoid that "Whiplash" will get sick?


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

If everyone took just fifteen minutes of each day to observe their fish then it is my belief that many problems could be detected before it got too bad. I do not believe you are paranoid but rather that you show concern . I would still recomend weekly water tests to alert you of any problems with water quality just to be safe. It only takes moments to test water. Sometimes we neglect testing and over time water deteriorates .This causes stress in fish and weakens their immune system which in turn makes them more easily prone to parasites ,bacteria;s etc. this all happens over a period of time. then when fish become sick we want to know what meds can we dump in to make them better and quickly. The meds also take time to work or NOT. It is always easier to test water than to treat disease. :wink:


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## jrmolitor (May 12, 2008)

15 minutes! Whiplash and I spend quality time together! I LOVE watching him all the time. He's right to the right of my computer and that is why I know every move he makes. I will take your advice on the water. We have aquariums at home and great tester kits. Thanks!


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## Blaxicanlatino (Jan 28, 2008)

I came home once and noticed my betta, "kronos" lying on the bottom of his tank- I bought a test kit and found out that the ammonia was incredibly high. How big is the tank? Is it cycled?


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## jrmolitor (May 12, 2008)

He's in about a 3 gallon vase...very tall and wide. The water is not cycled. I am panicking now...I usually use reverse osmosis water, but I'm about to run over to Walmart and get some type of water and do a partial water change. What kind of water should I buy? I can't get the RO water right now.


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## JMeenen (Apr 7, 2008)

do you have a filter and a heater in there?


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## Blaxicanlatino (Jan 28, 2008)

whats RO? Try to get some mineral water for its good for em. You really cant cycle a 3 gallon tank so are you doing partial water changes (50% once a week)? what the temp of the water? Do you have any water conditioner? If so then you can just use sink water. To test the water for then look for a petstore that does free water test, but sometimes they do it wrong so be careful. The vase could possibly have lead in it which is not only poisonous to humans but very much to animals. If the vase does have lead in it (like many vases) over time it will be released into the water.

Some Bettas "look" like their hungry all the time.
How much exactly are you feeding him?
Hope he gets better 8)


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## jrmolitor (May 12, 2008)

RO water is reverse osmosis water and probably the safest water you can use. It's recommended a lot to set up tanks. I can't use our water because it is well water and when I tested it (I have a really good quality tester kit), it tested traces of ammonia and I don't want to risk it. I did change out about 30 percent of his water this morning, cleaned the vase, and put him back in and other than the fact that he's pouting, he is doing better. Thanks for all the advice!


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## JMeenen (Apr 7, 2008)

Great News!


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## jrmolitor (May 12, 2008)

Yeah, I'm really happy about him doing better. I was probably just paranoid, but Whiplash is my buddy and I would really miss him. His water is really clean and fresh and he still lies on the bottom occasionally, but he gets up and swims around when I move and he wasn't doing that yesterday. He's still pouting a bit, but I'll wait until this afternoon to feed him. I feed him about 3 of the Betta Pellet Food in the morning and the afternoon. I'm starting to think I had an ammonia problem, or a problem from food he didn't eat. Now, I take it out if he doesn't eat it. I only feed him 1 pellet at a time. He's begging for a bite right now...


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