# betta fish banging against bowl, chasing tail



## skincareaddicted (Mar 19, 2007)

I think I have another sick betta fish. After one heals, another gets sick  . 

My betta is new, i bought him a few days ago from Walmart and he was doing fine. I even got him a little buddy, a gold mystery snail (i wonder if it gave him anything?). he was pretty dull yesterday and didn't move around much. 

But today i noticed him moving quickly like lightning, banging against his bowl a few times like he was itching or something. I had added some water with aquarium salt and tea tree oil this morning to help. 

Today I get back from class and tried feeding him (he wouldn't eat) then he started moving quickly again and banged against the bowl and then sank head first onto the bottom and didn't move. I thought he was dead but saw him breathing so scooped him out and put him in his betta cup (and put in some water that had been sitting for a few days) and placed him in. 

It seemed like he couldn't surface to breath, so i kept helping him surface for air a few times. I put the cup close enough to a heater. He seems ok now and is surfacing for air by himself. 

Before he sank to the bottom of his bowl, he was also chasing his tail frantically. Anyone know what is happening to him? I just named him and now he might die  .


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## tkos (Oct 30, 2006)

How big is the bowl and is the water heated? I have never had any luck with bettas until I added a heater to my tank as the ambient temp just isn't hot enough here.

For now lots of daily water changes.


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## furballi (Feb 2, 2007)

The betta is in bad shape and may not survive.

Keep the water *clean*, between *72 and 80F*. You probably don't have a cycled tank. Best course of action now is to de-chlorinate tap water and put the betta in there (clean tank with no substrate or ornament). Add about one level teaspoon of salt per gal. Change 50% of the water everyday while maintaining the same salt concentration for about one week. DO NOT feed the fish during treatment.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

I agree with the heater thing. They do best in temps of 78 - 80, and the fact that yours perked up when he warmed up, is probably the key there.

I would just try the heater and clean water for a few days without adding anything else to the water (except dechlor) and see how he improves with that.

The other thing is that it's best to try a variety of foods, so I would give him some things like frozen bloodworms to try to strengthen him up, if he'll accept it. Any excess that he doesn't eat will need to be vacuumed up with your water changes.

Hope he improves for you.


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## benjavan (Dec 10, 2006)

I would question the source of the fish in the first place. The big box stores are not known for the extensive aquatic knowledge. Hopefully, you manage to pull this one through. If not, try a local aquarium shop or, better yet, see if their is an aquarium club in your area. Maybe they have a local breeder. 

Good luck with your fish, I hope it survives.


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## yoko (Apr 11, 2007)

*skincareaddicted *, I have something that may easy your betta, but I'm not sure it will reach you in time :0(


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## skincareaddicted (Mar 19, 2007)

He passed away last night  

Thank you for all the input and comments. I just would really like to know what causes bettas to bang against their tanks/bowls hard enough to hurt themselves. I could find nothing externally wrong with him......

Kristen


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## benjavan (Dec 10, 2006)

Sorry about your fish Kristen. He probably had some parasite that was too small to see. He probably banged against the bowl to try and itch it.


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## furballi (Feb 2, 2007)

The fish could be sick at the store. Petsmart offers a 14 days exchange for fish. It's difficult for a novice to spot high quality fish at the store. A decent fish should be active, with excellent color and good appetite. Always keep the bag warm (75 to 80F) and away from light when transporting the fish home. 

DO NOT OVERFEED. A betta should consume about four HBH betta pellets per day. Use a heater to prevent temperature drop below 72F. Change 50% of the water each week. Do not add other animal to a small tank (under 2 gal)...more critters, more water change to maintain cleanliness.


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## skincareaddicted (Mar 19, 2007)

benjavan--it did seem like he was either itching a lot or in pain or both. I would like to find out what parasite to spot. thank you for the condolences. 

furballi, thanks for your input. the betta was healthy for the first few days which surprised me when he fell ill but he probably did have something incubating in him before i bought him. 

thanks for the replies, 

Kristen~


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## furballi (Feb 2, 2007)

skincareaddicted said:


> benjavan--it did seem like he was either itching a lot or in pain or both. I would like to find out what parasite to spot. thank you for the condolences.
> 
> furballi, thanks for your input. the betta was healthy for the first few days which surprised me when he fell ill but he probably did have something incubating in him before i bought him.
> 
> ...


I also think the fish was okay at the store. Most are shipped with blue disinfectant water. I suspect there was a large fluctution in temperature at home or polluted water that caused the fish to get sick.


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## benjavan (Dec 10, 2006)

Bettas are very hardy fish, they can take temprature fluctuations and changes in water quality without much ill effect. They are a type of Labarynth fish which means they have a 'labarynth like' chamber in their head that they use as sort of 'reverse scuba' tank. They need this to survive in the almost stagnant water they are native to. 

The methylin blue they are often shipped in acts as a symptom supressant. It is great as a medication when used over an extended period of time. When it is used for shipping it does not kill th parasites. Much like when a person does not take the full course of antibiotic prescribed by a doctor. 

The only way to ensure quality fish is to purchase fish from a reputable supply. This may be a local fish store that has a knowledgable and caring staff or it may be from a local breeder that pours his or her heart and soul into thier fish. 

It is rare to find knowledgable caring staff at a big box store that specializes in everything from tires to shampoo. 

Kristen, I do not think your fish dies of something that you did.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Sorry you lost him Kristen.
I agree, it's iffy at best when you buy them from chains in the little cups. You should just see how they're imported. I'm surprised that any of them make it.
I'll attach a photo of a bag of them, so you can see what I mean.

If you can, it's best to buy a little nano (2 gallons at least) for them with the full set-up using filtration, heating and lights, rather than a bowl. I think you can pick something like that up for around $20, without the heater.

As stated, I'm sure the fish was already on it's way out when you bought him, but if you get another one, I bet you'd have much better luck using the above set-up and buying from a reputable store or breeder.


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

I'm sorry you lost your betta Kristen. It probably was something he had before you even got him. 

Jan, that's mind-blowing. I had no idea that's how tight fish are packed, they don't really even have enough room to turn around. 

I'm lucky so far, my 3 females and one male from Petsmart are all looking good. There are no LFS in Salem, just the big box stores so I was just very picky on the fish I chose. One of the females had a nearly white body with red fins at the store. After about an hour in my 20 gallon heavily planted tank she was a beautiful deep red and she's stayed that way since. The other 2 females have deepened their coloring as well, but the white to red just really got me.  Guess it just goes to show how it makes a big difference when the fish are comfortable and feel secure in their surroundings.


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## benjavan (Dec 10, 2006)

That's too bad that you dont have an LFS in your area, I dont know what I would do without mine. Do you have a local aquarium club?


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## skincareaddicted (Mar 19, 2007)

benjavan, i notice that at petsmart, all the fishes are in the blue water. it makes it hard to see the colors but if that's better for them then that's good. unfortunately, all the LFS I have been to keep their bettas in even worst condition and in smaller cups than at the chain stores. I did pick up 6 bettas at 6 different places (walmart, petsmart, petco, and 3 different LFS). the ones that i expected to be sick (ones in cups full of poo, i know i am not supposed to buy those since they looked unhealthy but i just felt so bad for them) actually are quite healthy, so I just can't tell unless it's something really obvious like fin rot. 

Jan, that is a tightly packed bag! I thought they were always shipped individually in bag with a tablespoon or two of water. i am not sure which method is worst. I think I will end up looking for 5 more nanos or even larger tanks this weekend to put them in. I will have fun decorating them at least. 

Catherine, thanks for your kind words. 

~Kristen


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## benjavan (Dec 10, 2006)

I am not a fan of putting fish in blue water at all unless it is sick. It is like a person taking antibiotics 'just in case'. A healthy betta will be alert with flowing fins that dont droop. It will also feed agressively. 

I have a friend that has been recognized world wide for his quality bettas. He has been breeding them since the late '50s and has developed some of his own special strains. He raises all of his bettas in 1 gallon jars. His breeder tanks are either 10g or 5g with only a few inches of water in them. He does biweekly water changes to keep the fish healthy and happy.


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