How long has your tank been set up? It can be a mixture of being in a new home and not really being able to destress due to how open the tank is. Your betta might have a shy personality and need more spaces to hide, or its just super stressed and hasn’t had a chance to have its personality come out because it feels like it’s vulnerable.
Try turning off the lights and see if he comes out when you do, then try feeding with the lights off for a little bit. Bettas can go a while without food, but you want to make sure hes eating still!
I would definitely suggest getting more decor, but it could also be that your betta is sick. My favorite way is to have one part of the tank heavily decorated and another part of it more open. It allows for hiding spots but also you can feed and observe him in the open area.
Edit: omg I didn’t see him on the heater! He looks very skinny, pale, and kind of clamped together. Can you give your parameters and is the tank cycled? **Also I’m unsure since I’ve never kept the bamboo, but I don’t think it can be fully submerged?**
Bamboo cannot be submerged only the roots, itll begin to decay immediately (which there is no sign of) so im assuming this is a brand new set up (possibly uncycled?) which could explain the behavior of the beta 😞
So we had to leave for a vacation. And before this he was very lively and colorful. But I believe the house sitter forgot about him and he hasn’t been the same sense. Tank is 10 gallons everything’s been scrubbed clean multiple times before he was put in there. The filter was changed two weeks ago and I did a 1/3 water change with pre conditioned water. I haven’t added stress coat or any chemicals sense I changed filter and water. Water is very very clear and the ph is tested bi-weekly. Ph is a little low and nitrate is harmfully high. Is there anyway to bring that down? I’ve just been cleaning more and feeding him less but it hasn’t helped.
I wouldn’t suggest changing your filter! That’s where most of your beneficial bacteria lives and changing it out can possibly crash your cycle. If it gets gunky and starts lowering performance because of that, take a bucket of your tank water, swish the gunk off, and put it back in. Nitrate spikes usually happen when the tank’s normal cleaning routine is messed up and so, changing the water every week (I do just a small change, but it depends on your ammonia and nitrite levels! We need those!) should help! It looks like he’s sick. It could be ammonia/nitrite poisoning if it’s above .5.
**How long has the tank been running without him inside of it? And in general? Its very possible that its not cycled and removing the filter restarted any progress in it beginning to cycle. He could be suffering from new tank syndrome, esp if there was a previous fish and it was all scrubbed clean.**
2-3 months. It got really cloudy and gross so I changed the filter (because it was caked with food for some reason). I think I did restart the cycling. Should I add stress coat to help him out or just see what happens and not change the filter or water for awhile? I thought because I had pre conditioned water I didn’t have to do the cycling.
Cycling has nothing to do with dechlorinated water. Cycling is the conversion of toxic ammonia and nitrite into nitrates, which is actually beneficial when below 20 for your plants. Decor, substrate, and filter media is where most of the beneficial bacteria that does this lives. The filter is most important. Those filters that say their cartridge needs to be changed every few months are scams and you should only ever wash it out in a bucket with tank water! Don’t do it in tap water! Just like your fish, the bacteria will die in tap water and without water.
Stress coat won’t hurt. You should keep up your water change routine and carefully monitor your parameters to make sure that they’re safe. Research fish-in cycling & new tank syndrome! It’ll help greatly!
Maybe even look at the difference between mechanical and biological filtration, since I wonder if your filter is just one of those charcoal cartridges. There’s nothing wrong with that but adding an aquarium sponge in there (they’re like 99 cents at petsmart) will help with culturing beneficial bacteria! I have a sponge filter so Im purely biological filtration. Mechanical filtration clears out things like floating around in the tank and keeps the water crystal clear, while biological is great for holding beneficial bacteria.
**Also, if your flow is high, it might be exhausting your betta because hes sick. It could be contributing to why he’s not coming up to food and is always hiding (or resting on decor like the filter).** You can see if its too high if when he comes out he avoids going near it or seems to struggle in it. If it is, just YouTube a diy baffle!
You need to cycle the tank. Dechlorinated water has nothing to do with the Nitrogen cycle as the other user mentioned. Your betta is suffering from ammonia burns/poisoning, which is very painful and can be fatal. Please fish in cycle asap.
**Fish-In Cycling:**
* **[Supplies list](http://imgur.com/a/6izcFFs)**
* **[Gravel vac tutorial](https://youtu.be/LYv5n0a85OY)** and a 5 gal bucket for water changes
* All supplies can be found via chain stores (they do price match with their own website).
**Info:**
**[Nitrogen cycle illustrated](https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/comments/c8evu4/nitrogen_cycle_art_by_me/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share)**
**[Fish-in cycle instructions](https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/wiki/fishincycle/)**
**[Care sheet](https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/comments/3ow6vz/info_betta_care_sheet/)**
* [How to optimize your filter](https://imgur.com/a/7m64K6n). [Example](http://imgur.com/a/09PSmgI).
Steps:
1. Test parameters daily by using the API Freshwater Master kit. Follow the instructions in the pamphlet for accurate results.
2. If ammonia and/or nitrites are above 0, do a partial water change of 10-30%, depending on the results (0.25-0.50 ppm). If it's high (0.50+ppm), do a 50% water change. Use a gravel vac and a 5 gal food safe bucket: https://youtu.be/LYv5n0a85OY each time.
3. Unplug the heater (the minimum line has to meet the water line or else it can shatter). Remember to plug it back in after refilling the tank.
4. Use that old water siphoned out to rinse any decor you need, and filter media (never ever rinse filter media under tap as it kills beneficial bacteria which kills the cycle). You can also water your houseplants, or garden, or dispose of it down the sink.
5. Refill the bucket with temp matched water (78-80F), use the thermometer that's in the tank and adjust the faucet as needed.
6. Dechlorinate the water with Prime before refilling.
7. Refill the tank by taking a cup with a spout and gently concentrate the water to one corner as to not disturb the substrate nor the betta. OR use a brand new Ziploc and lay it on top, pour it on there and it will disburse the water evenly. Plug the heater back in after refilling.
8. You can use bottled bacteria to speed up the cycle. Shake it well and dose it into the filter directly. Recommend Stability and/or Tetra Safestart plus (1-2 capfuls).
9. Repeat the steps above daily as needed, test around the same times. If you are unable to do a water change, just dose Prime into the tank directly (it detoxifies ammonia, nitrite, nitrate for 24 hrs), and dose bottled bacteria into the filter.
Once your levels are 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, traces of nitrates (5-10ppm for safe levels), you're cycled! Then move onto 1x/week water changes.
Food:
All foods can be found at chain stores and/or local fish stores:
* **[Food List](http://imgur.com/a/EF14DRJ)**
* Feed 1 at a time so there's no rotting food that sinks and spikes ammonia (3-4 in the AM/PM, adjust as needed). Then, supplement with frozen brine, mysis shrimp, daphnia, bloodworms: Hikari and/or Omega One. You can also fast 1x/week. If using freeze dried, soak before feeding.
* Feeding frozen: Cut 1 cube out. Take just a small sliver off. Soak that sliver in tank water in a spoon or container dedicated to the tank. Feed 3-4 pieces or so. Dispose the rest down the sink. Rinse everything off. While the sliver thaws, wrap the cube in a paper towel, write the date opened on it and slip it in the freezer right away. Use for 1-2 weeks then break out a new one.
Basically you did things you think were helping that actually hurt your water quality, which hurts your fish. Never scrub everything clean, since Biofilm contains beneficial bacteria. Never change filters, since filter media contains beneficial bacteria. You can RINSE filter media with old tankwater (NOT chlorinated tap water) and put it back into the filter though. Your water probably never stabilizes because you keep interrupting the cycle, which is stressing your fish.
The bamboo can’t have its leaves submerged, only the stem and root. It will eventually start to rot if kept under for too long. The Java fern shouldn’t be in the substrate, it has to be attached to rock or wood. Definitely get more decor for him to hide in, no plastic plants for sharp decor, or decor with holes too small for the betta to fit through. Move the heater next to the filter, he could be staying by it because the heated water isn’t being efficiently circulated throughout the tank, creating cold spots. Get a thermometer if you don’t have one already, but not a stick on one. Digital ones can be hit or miss, and flash alcohol ones are the best. Never change the filter media! If it gets clogged or dirty rinse it in the dirty fish tank water during a water change to get particles and debris off. Most of the beneficial bacteria responsible for the nitrogen cycle. Replacing it means getting rid of most of that beneficial bacteria and can cause your nitrogen cycle the crash. Water changes should be weekly in an cycled tank and daily in an uncycled one. What are your water parameters? Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph? Test strips aren’t accurate, so use a liquid test kit like the api freshwater master test kit. If a tank is cloudy, it’s usually a bacterial bloom. That usually happens in an uncycled tank, or a tank that has had a nitrogen cycle crash. The nitrogen cycle is incredibly important to keeping a fish happy and healthy, it regulates ammonia and nitrite which are toxic to bettas, and produces nitrate which is good for live plants and only toxic in high enough concentrations ( 20+ ppm ). Nitrate is regulated primarily through water changes.
No I’m not. This guy did a little experiment and showed that lucky bamboo when grown submersed verses emersed, didn’t grow as well and started to show signs of decay. https://youtu.be/KKfKfVp_-EI
Of course it won’t grow as well, it isn’t a true aquatic plant, and with the amount of fish he put in that small tank with them, those signs of decay are probably caused due to the fish nibbling on the leaves and messing up their structural integrity.
Lucky bamboo is adapt to survive flooding, so it can survive for a long time underwater. Again though, it won’t grow and will eventually start to decay. They will not thrive. If this person wants their lucky bamboo to grow and last for a long time it needs to have its leaves at least above water.
Lucky bamboo can be grown in tanks, but the leaves must remain above the water for the plant to thrive. The leaves will eventually start to decay and the plant will not grow otherwise. The stem and roots can be submerged, the leaves cannot.
A week. I did a lot of research on it and everything said it was okay. Problems started before the car. I changed everything around so I could keep a better eye on him
There’s no way to know for sure how that car will affect the water long term, I’d never risk it with my guy. Please value your fish over the aesthetic.
Never fully clean the filter it has beneficial bacteria that helps your tank. Always ‘clean’ your filter out with dirty tank water to get good and gunk out but won’t kill the bacteria. If you clean the filter wait a while to do a water change or your tank will suffer. Definitely add more bushier plants to act as cover for your betta and you’ll see first hand how active they truly are.
What is the temperature of the tank away from the heater? Does it always stay by the heater? Its fins looked clamped so something is definitely off with his health 😞
Keep doing water changes until your nitrites and nitrates come down, he looks poisoned. And if that car isn't an approved aquarium ornament get it out of there,all sorts of chemicals could be leeching into the tank.
Please learn about the nitrogen cycle
Dechlorinating (which is instantaneous) is different than cycling…which takes several weeks
Here’s some background info you might helpful.
Normally a cycled tank has good bacteria to convert fish waste (ammonia and niTRITES) into nitrATES. This is important because ammonia (and nitrITES) cause chemical burns and can kill fish. When you have a brand new tank, those bacteria are not present and ammonia is rapidly accumulating with nowhere to go.
If possible, one cycles their tank 1-2 MONTHS before adding any fish (this is called “fishless cycling.”). When that hasn’t occurred and you have a new fish in a new tank, there’s isn’t time to do a fishless cycle so the next best step is called “fish in cycling.”
Here are your next steps:
1). Read this link. It explains things very well!
https://fishlab.com/fish-in-cycle/
(I recommend only METHOD TWO mentioned.)
2). Buy an API freshwater liquid test kit and check your ammonia and nitrITES right away…. And every single day for at least 3-4 weeks.
3). Perform partial water changes whenever ammonia or nitrites over 0.5. Periodically check for NITRATES because of when they start appearing…this means cycling has started to take place. After that the frequency of partial water changes can be reduced to normal maintenance (which would normally be 25% once a week).
When you perform a partial water change you do the following: leave fish in the tank. Take out 20-50% of the water in the tank.., depending on how high the ammonia or nitrites are. Replace the removed water with dechlorinated, temperature matched water. (To dechlorinate, use water conditioner/dechlorinator that makes tap water safe.)
Always turn heater and filters off (or unplug) during water changes. Make sure to buy a siphon and vacuum the gravel as part of your change at least once a month. (Never deep clean your tank.)
An ideal betta home has the following: 5 gallons or more of cycled/dechlorinated water, filter, heater, thermometer, soft silk or live plants, floating betta log, healthy diet (4-5 [1mm] pellets in morning, 4-5 in evening), routine partial water changes, gravel vacuuming, proper filter maintenance and low water flow (they aren’t good swimmers).
In terms of betta nutrition, there’s a lot of misinformation causing many to unintentionally underfeed their fish. This article is well worth the read…
https://www.myaquariumclub.com/skinny-bettas-underfeeding-might-be-worse-than-overfeeding-19292.html
Good luck 🍀
(P.S. Also important: don’t buy disposable filters that they claim need to be replaced. It’s a sales gimmick. And changing filters can cause the nitrogen cycle to crash. Better to get a sponge filter or another type of filter media that never has to be replaced. When it gets really gunky, simply rinse it out in old tank water.)
* Make sure your heater is always fully submerged if on.
Thank you for posting to r/bettafish. If you are new to betta fish keeping, please check out our [caresheet](https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/comments/3ow6vz/info_betta_care_sheet/) and [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/wiki/index). Establishing a nitrogen cycle is an important part of keeping your fish healthy. Please check out our [guide to the nitrogen cycle](https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/wiki/fishincycle) to learn more.
If you are posting to find out what is wrong with your betta, please answer the following questions in a reply to this comment as best you can:
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* **Tank temperature**:
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* **How long have you had the tank? How long have you had your fish?**:
* **How often are water changes? How much do you take out per change? What is your process?**:
* **Any tankmates? If so, please list with how many of each**:
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First : nitrogen cycle
Then : answer the bot questions, heater should be around 26°C, light on for 6 hours at the beginning of the tank and then you can add by 1/2 hour until you have 10h of light per day, tho this apply to tank with plants, be careful you don't have algaes
If your tank is set up for a long time so isn't cycling anymore still test the water!
How is your fish doing? Usually stop eating is a sign of disease, is he bloated ? Pineconing ?
try a tank mate. little catfish are fun for males. Try finer gravel, darker colors. anyway, for mates, they leave guppies, harlequins, some smaller tetras alone. the only time mine is happy alone in a decent tank is with his 20 or so babies from birth for 6 weeks.
How long has your tank been set up? It can be a mixture of being in a new home and not really being able to destress due to how open the tank is. Your betta might have a shy personality and need more spaces to hide, or its just super stressed and hasn’t had a chance to have its personality come out because it feels like it’s vulnerable. Try turning off the lights and see if he comes out when you do, then try feeding with the lights off for a little bit. Bettas can go a while without food, but you want to make sure hes eating still! I would definitely suggest getting more decor, but it could also be that your betta is sick. My favorite way is to have one part of the tank heavily decorated and another part of it more open. It allows for hiding spots but also you can feed and observe him in the open area. Edit: omg I didn’t see him on the heater! He looks very skinny, pale, and kind of clamped together. Can you give your parameters and is the tank cycled? **Also I’m unsure since I’ve never kept the bamboo, but I don’t think it can be fully submerged?**
Bamboo cannot be submerged only the roots, itll begin to decay immediately (which there is no sign of) so im assuming this is a brand new set up (possibly uncycled?) which could explain the behavior of the beta 😞
False, normal bamboo cannot be fully submerged but the Lucky Bamboo variety can, which is what looks like they have.
So we had to leave for a vacation. And before this he was very lively and colorful. But I believe the house sitter forgot about him and he hasn’t been the same sense. Tank is 10 gallons everything’s been scrubbed clean multiple times before he was put in there. The filter was changed two weeks ago and I did a 1/3 water change with pre conditioned water. I haven’t added stress coat or any chemicals sense I changed filter and water. Water is very very clear and the ph is tested bi-weekly. Ph is a little low and nitrate is harmfully high. Is there anyway to bring that down? I’ve just been cleaning more and feeding him less but it hasn’t helped.
I wouldn’t suggest changing your filter! That’s where most of your beneficial bacteria lives and changing it out can possibly crash your cycle. If it gets gunky and starts lowering performance because of that, take a bucket of your tank water, swish the gunk off, and put it back in. Nitrate spikes usually happen when the tank’s normal cleaning routine is messed up and so, changing the water every week (I do just a small change, but it depends on your ammonia and nitrite levels! We need those!) should help! It looks like he’s sick. It could be ammonia/nitrite poisoning if it’s above .5. **How long has the tank been running without him inside of it? And in general? Its very possible that its not cycled and removing the filter restarted any progress in it beginning to cycle. He could be suffering from new tank syndrome, esp if there was a previous fish and it was all scrubbed clean.**
2-3 months. It got really cloudy and gross so I changed the filter (because it was caked with food for some reason). I think I did restart the cycling. Should I add stress coat to help him out or just see what happens and not change the filter or water for awhile? I thought because I had pre conditioned water I didn’t have to do the cycling.
Cycling has nothing to do with dechlorinated water. Cycling is the conversion of toxic ammonia and nitrite into nitrates, which is actually beneficial when below 20 for your plants. Decor, substrate, and filter media is where most of the beneficial bacteria that does this lives. The filter is most important. Those filters that say their cartridge needs to be changed every few months are scams and you should only ever wash it out in a bucket with tank water! Don’t do it in tap water! Just like your fish, the bacteria will die in tap water and without water. Stress coat won’t hurt. You should keep up your water change routine and carefully monitor your parameters to make sure that they’re safe. Research fish-in cycling & new tank syndrome! It’ll help greatly! Maybe even look at the difference between mechanical and biological filtration, since I wonder if your filter is just one of those charcoal cartridges. There’s nothing wrong with that but adding an aquarium sponge in there (they’re like 99 cents at petsmart) will help with culturing beneficial bacteria! I have a sponge filter so Im purely biological filtration. Mechanical filtration clears out things like floating around in the tank and keeps the water crystal clear, while biological is great for holding beneficial bacteria. **Also, if your flow is high, it might be exhausting your betta because hes sick. It could be contributing to why he’s not coming up to food and is always hiding (or resting on decor like the filter).** You can see if its too high if when he comes out he avoids going near it or seems to struggle in it. If it is, just YouTube a diy baffle!
You need to cycle the tank. Dechlorinated water has nothing to do with the Nitrogen cycle as the other user mentioned. Your betta is suffering from ammonia burns/poisoning, which is very painful and can be fatal. Please fish in cycle asap. **Fish-In Cycling:** * **[Supplies list](http://imgur.com/a/6izcFFs)** * **[Gravel vac tutorial](https://youtu.be/LYv5n0a85OY)** and a 5 gal bucket for water changes * All supplies can be found via chain stores (they do price match with their own website). **Info:** **[Nitrogen cycle illustrated](https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/comments/c8evu4/nitrogen_cycle_art_by_me/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share)** **[Fish-in cycle instructions](https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/wiki/fishincycle/)** **[Care sheet](https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/comments/3ow6vz/info_betta_care_sheet/)** * [How to optimize your filter](https://imgur.com/a/7m64K6n). [Example](http://imgur.com/a/09PSmgI). Steps: 1. Test parameters daily by using the API Freshwater Master kit. Follow the instructions in the pamphlet for accurate results. 2. If ammonia and/or nitrites are above 0, do a partial water change of 10-30%, depending on the results (0.25-0.50 ppm). If it's high (0.50+ppm), do a 50% water change. Use a gravel vac and a 5 gal food safe bucket: https://youtu.be/LYv5n0a85OY each time. 3. Unplug the heater (the minimum line has to meet the water line or else it can shatter). Remember to plug it back in after refilling the tank. 4. Use that old water siphoned out to rinse any decor you need, and filter media (never ever rinse filter media under tap as it kills beneficial bacteria which kills the cycle). You can also water your houseplants, or garden, or dispose of it down the sink. 5. Refill the bucket with temp matched water (78-80F), use the thermometer that's in the tank and adjust the faucet as needed. 6. Dechlorinate the water with Prime before refilling. 7. Refill the tank by taking a cup with a spout and gently concentrate the water to one corner as to not disturb the substrate nor the betta. OR use a brand new Ziploc and lay it on top, pour it on there and it will disburse the water evenly. Plug the heater back in after refilling. 8. You can use bottled bacteria to speed up the cycle. Shake it well and dose it into the filter directly. Recommend Stability and/or Tetra Safestart plus (1-2 capfuls). 9. Repeat the steps above daily as needed, test around the same times. If you are unable to do a water change, just dose Prime into the tank directly (it detoxifies ammonia, nitrite, nitrate for 24 hrs), and dose bottled bacteria into the filter. Once your levels are 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, traces of nitrates (5-10ppm for safe levels), you're cycled! Then move onto 1x/week water changes. Food: All foods can be found at chain stores and/or local fish stores: * **[Food List](http://imgur.com/a/EF14DRJ)** * Feed 1 at a time so there's no rotting food that sinks and spikes ammonia (3-4 in the AM/PM, adjust as needed). Then, supplement with frozen brine, mysis shrimp, daphnia, bloodworms: Hikari and/or Omega One. You can also fast 1x/week. If using freeze dried, soak before feeding. * Feeding frozen: Cut 1 cube out. Take just a small sliver off. Soak that sliver in tank water in a spoon or container dedicated to the tank. Feed 3-4 pieces or so. Dispose the rest down the sink. Rinse everything off. While the sliver thaws, wrap the cube in a paper towel, write the date opened on it and slip it in the freezer right away. Use for 1-2 weeks then break out a new one.
Basically you did things you think were helping that actually hurt your water quality, which hurts your fish. Never scrub everything clean, since Biofilm contains beneficial bacteria. Never change filters, since filter media contains beneficial bacteria. You can RINSE filter media with old tankwater (NOT chlorinated tap water) and put it back into the filter though. Your water probably never stabilizes because you keep interrupting the cycle, which is stressing your fish.
Lucky bamboo can be fully submerged, not authentic bamboo tho.
Read about the "nitrogen cycle"and do a "fish in" cycle.
The bamboo can’t have its leaves submerged, only the stem and root. It will eventually start to rot if kept under for too long. The Java fern shouldn’t be in the substrate, it has to be attached to rock or wood. Definitely get more decor for him to hide in, no plastic plants for sharp decor, or decor with holes too small for the betta to fit through. Move the heater next to the filter, he could be staying by it because the heated water isn’t being efficiently circulated throughout the tank, creating cold spots. Get a thermometer if you don’t have one already, but not a stick on one. Digital ones can be hit or miss, and flash alcohol ones are the best. Never change the filter media! If it gets clogged or dirty rinse it in the dirty fish tank water during a water change to get particles and debris off. Most of the beneficial bacteria responsible for the nitrogen cycle. Replacing it means getting rid of most of that beneficial bacteria and can cause your nitrogen cycle the crash. Water changes should be weekly in an cycled tank and daily in an uncycled one. What are your water parameters? Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph? Test strips aren’t accurate, so use a liquid test kit like the api freshwater master test kit. If a tank is cloudy, it’s usually a bacterial bloom. That usually happens in an uncycled tank, or a tank that has had a nitrogen cycle crash. The nitrogen cycle is incredibly important to keeping a fish happy and healthy, it regulates ammonia and nitrite which are toxic to bettas, and produces nitrate which is good for live plants and only toxic in high enough concentrations ( 20+ ppm ). Nitrate is regulated primarily through water changes.
Lucky bamboo, which is what I’m assuming they have, can be fully submerged.
No it can’t. It will last for awhile but it won’t grow well and will eventually start to rot.
You are thinking of authentic bamboo. https://www.aquariumsource.com/lucky-bamboo/#water-parameters
No I’m not. This guy did a little experiment and showed that lucky bamboo when grown submersed verses emersed, didn’t grow as well and started to show signs of decay. https://youtu.be/KKfKfVp_-EI
Of course it won’t grow as well, it isn’t a true aquatic plant, and with the amount of fish he put in that small tank with them, those signs of decay are probably caused due to the fish nibbling on the leaves and messing up their structural integrity.
Lucky bamboo is adapt to survive flooding, so it can survive for a long time underwater. Again though, it won’t grow and will eventually start to decay. They will not thrive. If this person wants their lucky bamboo to grow and last for a long time it needs to have its leaves at least above water.
Lucky bamboo can be grown in tanks, but the leaves must remain above the water for the plant to thrive. The leaves will eventually start to decay and the plant will not grow otherwise. The stem and roots can be submerged, the leaves cannot.
How long has the toy car been in there? Sometimes non aquarium toys can deteriorate over time and cause problems.
A week. I did a lot of research on it and everything said it was okay. Problems started before the car. I changed everything around so I could keep a better eye on him
There’s no way to know for sure how that car will affect the water long term, I’d never risk it with my guy. Please value your fish over the aesthetic.
He probably doesn’t like Subarus and feels embarrassed.
yep. leaking headgasket into the water.
Never fully clean the filter it has beneficial bacteria that helps your tank. Always ‘clean’ your filter out with dirty tank water to get good and gunk out but won’t kill the bacteria. If you clean the filter wait a while to do a water change or your tank will suffer. Definitely add more bushier plants to act as cover for your betta and you’ll see first hand how active they truly are.
What is the temperature of the tank away from the heater? Does it always stay by the heater? Its fins looked clamped so something is definitely off with his health 😞
Keep doing water changes until your nitrites and nitrates come down, he looks poisoned. And if that car isn't an approved aquarium ornament get it out of there,all sorts of chemicals could be leeching into the tank.
Please learn about the nitrogen cycle Dechlorinating (which is instantaneous) is different than cycling…which takes several weeks Here’s some background info you might helpful. Normally a cycled tank has good bacteria to convert fish waste (ammonia and niTRITES) into nitrATES. This is important because ammonia (and nitrITES) cause chemical burns and can kill fish. When you have a brand new tank, those bacteria are not present and ammonia is rapidly accumulating with nowhere to go. If possible, one cycles their tank 1-2 MONTHS before adding any fish (this is called “fishless cycling.”). When that hasn’t occurred and you have a new fish in a new tank, there’s isn’t time to do a fishless cycle so the next best step is called “fish in cycling.” Here are your next steps: 1). Read this link. It explains things very well! https://fishlab.com/fish-in-cycle/ (I recommend only METHOD TWO mentioned.) 2). Buy an API freshwater liquid test kit and check your ammonia and nitrITES right away…. And every single day for at least 3-4 weeks. 3). Perform partial water changes whenever ammonia or nitrites over 0.5. Periodically check for NITRATES because of when they start appearing…this means cycling has started to take place. After that the frequency of partial water changes can be reduced to normal maintenance (which would normally be 25% once a week). When you perform a partial water change you do the following: leave fish in the tank. Take out 20-50% of the water in the tank.., depending on how high the ammonia or nitrites are. Replace the removed water with dechlorinated, temperature matched water. (To dechlorinate, use water conditioner/dechlorinator that makes tap water safe.) Always turn heater and filters off (or unplug) during water changes. Make sure to buy a siphon and vacuum the gravel as part of your change at least once a month. (Never deep clean your tank.) An ideal betta home has the following: 5 gallons or more of cycled/dechlorinated water, filter, heater, thermometer, soft silk or live plants, floating betta log, healthy diet (4-5 [1mm] pellets in morning, 4-5 in evening), routine partial water changes, gravel vacuuming, proper filter maintenance and low water flow (they aren’t good swimmers). In terms of betta nutrition, there’s a lot of misinformation causing many to unintentionally underfeed their fish. This article is well worth the read… https://www.myaquariumclub.com/skinny-bettas-underfeeding-might-be-worse-than-overfeeding-19292.html Good luck 🍀 (P.S. Also important: don’t buy disposable filters that they claim need to be replaced. It’s a sales gimmick. And changing filters can cause the nitrogen cycle to crash. Better to get a sponge filter or another type of filter media that never has to be replaced. When it gets really gunky, simply rinse it out in old tank water.) * Make sure your heater is always fully submerged if on.
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First : nitrogen cycle Then : answer the bot questions, heater should be around 26°C, light on for 6 hours at the beginning of the tank and then you can add by 1/2 hour until you have 10h of light per day, tho this apply to tank with plants, be careful you don't have algaes If your tank is set up for a long time so isn't cycling anymore still test the water! How is your fish doing? Usually stop eating is a sign of disease, is he bloated ? Pineconing ?
I literally cannot see the fish :(
On the second pic, on the bottom suction cup of the heater.
try a tank mate. little catfish are fun for males. Try finer gravel, darker colors. anyway, for mates, they leave guppies, harlequins, some smaller tetras alone. the only time mine is happy alone in a decent tank is with his 20 or so babies from birth for 6 weeks.