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hi

i got a new male betta 2day he has a tank to him self
(3 gallons) but his lying on the gravel all the time could it b his just been put in the tank an his not used to it or is he ill???

is there anythink i ca do to make him more active???

thanx

Is there a filter on the tank? What is the temperature of the water?

I'm going to ask some really basic questions, as you haven't given me much info to go off of.

Have you dechlorinated the water? Make sure you use a dechlor that states it is for both chlorine and chloramine if you're not sure what is in your water.

The temperature is another good point. My bettas were never very active until I heated their water. I found that winters and bettas don't mix, especially when the room gets as cold as mine does. Upper seventies are pretty ideal for bettas.

It IS quite possible that he's just shy and unused to his new home. It took a while for my newest betta to get over his timidity.

How is the tank decorated? Plants and a place to hide are good for bettas... if he's just hanging around the substrate, it could be he's just doing his best to hide out while he gets used to his new home. *shrugs*

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

the temps 32c

it has a filter but has been turned off

has a plant pot, bridge, plants as decorations

his hiding round the dark side of the filter

he isnt eating

ive notived thet it looks like his started blowing a small bubble nest on the floating plants is this normal??

thanx

*goes to translate the temp into something she can understand* I have such a horrid time with that.

Hmm... okay, that's a bit TOO warm for the betta, I'd think. If you can get it down a bit, that might help. Maybe umm... *calculates* 25-27 degrees?

On the other hand, it's a good thing that he's blowing a bubble nest... very good! Bubble nests usually indicate happy bettas. Of course, I have a betta that was nesting in the tiny cup of water he was in at the LFS. *rolls eyes*

Hmm. What type of food are you feeding? He could just be one of those really picky fish. The Hikari Bio-Gold or HBH Betta Bites are always a good recommendation and what I feed to my bettas. Also, my bettas won't TOUCH flake food. Well, the females gobble it down (they'll eat anything), but the males despise it.

Keep in mind that he IS new to his home and may take a while to settle in. One of my bettas took almost a week before he stopped spooking at everything and almost that long to eagerly take food. He did eat before then, but very timidly and only when the food began to sink and he didn't have to get too close to the surface.

It's a bit rare (in my experience) for a betta to eat on the first day, or even to swim around during that time. I'd say if he doesn't perk up in a few days or eat anything (give him a good variety of choices to see what he likes), then I'd worry. Right now, I think what you're seeing is pretty much expected. Good luck!

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

How' the Betta doing?. 32c is quite high for Bettas, i think you should lower the temperature to 25c & try to feed him some live/frozen food.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydoras/
Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com

I agree that that temp is too high. mid - high 20's is better for Betta's Mine went through a few days in the middle of summer where they were at 30+ temps & they didn't really appreciate it either.