FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Hello!! I have my really pretty crowntail male in a 2g. tank. Its not filtered or heated, it just has a light. And I have noticed that he has been sitting on the bottom A LOT, and thats all he does ALL day. He doesnt even come up to eat, maybe he does when i leave, but i dont know. hes not sick, cause he looks just fine. I am going to change his water today, maybe that will cheer him up. is there anything else?? thanks
-kristin

~!!I lOve LiFe!!~

Maybe you would like to think about puttin him in a larger tank...perhaps a 10 gal? Maybe get him some buddies to play with...I'm not sure about what fish are compatable with bettas....perhaps a medium sized tetra? It would give him something to do...chase around other fish. I always thought small betta tanks are pretty cruel, I mean, a 2 gal is a lot better than a small bowl, but a small display tank is just plain mean. I'd check your water parameters to make sure you don't have too much ammonia or nitrates in your water...

I've got a fever... and the only prescription... is more cowbell!

no this happens alot to me, unfort. he might be an old male, or he is scik internaly. just keep the water clean, and make him comforable.

small tanks are not cruel for one thing, i know that. a 2g. tank is just right for a betta. and my other male is in a 2g. tank and he is VERY active, he never quits swimming around i love him. I will keep the water clean and maybe i should add some bubbles for him to play in. cause my other tank has a filter, and he swims against the current alot. I hope hes not old, cause I just got him not even a month ago. i sure hope this makes him active, cause when i first got him he was pretty active, but not as active as my other one. so maybe a current would help. thanks!!
-kristin

~!!I lOve LiFe!!~

Well I am sorry but I would say it is cruel. Sorry to say it but to me a fishes nature is to swim and in such a small confined space like that it just cant go far. It don't matter if you have one fish or twenty the size of the tank should still be adequate enough for the fish to be able to swim about and explore. Sorry about that just my opinion.

http://www.greenspersonalprinting.com/

ok i can see where this is going, please stay with the topic. keep water clean, well fed.

oookk... well apparently you are new to keeping fish, if you ask almost all the people on here who have kept bettas they will tell you that a 2g. tank is plenty for a betta. I have been a member on this site for 3 years and i know lots of people who keep there bettas in that size tank. and i have also read about people keeping their betta in like a 10g. tank, and the betta was unhappy cause it was too big. like i had one betta who i kept in a 5.5g. tank, and he became very unactive, and i moved him to a vase- cause i thought maybe there was something wrong with him, the next day he was VERY active, so i figured out that, that betta liked smaller tanks.

~!!I lOve LiFe!!~

and dont tell me that its cruel... i know whats cruel and whats not. i get very offened when people tell me how i am keeping my fish is cruel. i have been keeping bettas for, i cant even count how many years, and i know for a fact that how i am keeping my bettas is not cruel... and i didnt post this question for it to turn out like this. I was just asking for some advice, and you guys are totally off topic... ]

~!!I lOve LiFe!!~

the way people keep there fish is there own business. also did u try getting another male betta and let him flare with it, this may keep him active, but if he stays toward the bottom and looks scared, then stop! b4 he gets worest. maybe he needs exercise.

Well as owner of a 6 male Bettas, all of which are in 2.5 gallon AGA's, I feel compelled to respond to this thread. First, let me say I agree that how a person cares for their fish is their business, but when you post on a public forum you are open to all opinions. In case i'm not being clear, I think it's obvious I feel a 2 gallon tank is more than suitable for a single Betta, and not one I have doesn't produce a bubble nest on a regular basis. With that said, this thread started with a problem with your Betta. I noticed there were no ammonia readings posted, that could be a problem because ammonia could be present even if Nitrite (0ppm) and Nitrates (20-50ppm) are at normal levels. Let's test that first, and post the results. Also, how often are you doing WC's? In a tank that size, a 100% WC weekly would be cutting it close, it should be more like 3-4 days. Let's start there and stay concentrated on the Betta that needs some help


*****get's off soapbox*****

Well we all have our own options and we have to respect each others options. Just because some one else options are different doesn't make that person right or wrong but we can all learn from each others options. My option was that it was cruel but since I do not know to much about bettas maybe your options have taught me something and that is that maybe after all its not cruel. Just because my option was different from yours it was not meant to offended you in any way and I am very sorry if it did that was not my intention at all I was just merely letting my option be know but you see if I did not do that I would not have learnt what I have learnt through it if you see what I mean. I did have a betta once who was in a 10 gallon tank but I learnt with him that they don't seem to like allot of water flow. They seem to like the service to be fairly still. I would like to try another betta but from what you are all saying i don't think it would be at all happy in a 400 litre tank so maybe i should pass on that one. I do hope you sort the problem out with yours its not nice when some thing is wrong with your fish i know.

http://www.greenspersonalprinting.com/

Maybe he is just lazy??? With all seriousness the betta is most likely suffering from his age rather than the surrounding s you have provided him with. I am not discouraging you to check the water parameters but as aforementioned some fish are just plain old (or lazy).

the hotter a temperature the more active the betta or so i thought

Alex

---

''All the clown fish and yellow tangs in the world cant save you now!''

I would also suggest the addition of a heater. Bettas do come from Thailand, which is a tropical environment, with water temperatures averaging 78F.
An air stone may also help.


Come Play Yahtzee With Me!
http://games.atari.com
Http://www.myleague.com/yahtgames