I think my betta fish (Siamese fighting fish) is depressed or sick?

Question

He's fairly new. I bought him maybe a week ago. Today I changed his fish bowl (using water that I left out for three days to neutralize) and now he seems really lethargic and depressed. He won't leave the bottom of the bowl and hasn't been swimming for quite some time.

He's usually at least a little active...so this is a significant change.

Could it be because he's in shock? Or is the water not properly neutralized?

Answer 1

hi, i think bettas are really really misunderstood fish. you said you changed his bowl today, if that means you have him in one of those tiny bowls that you just completely emptied and refilled with tap water then there is no wonder he is sick or deperessed, especially if you did not use a de chlorionator. removing all the water at once kills all the beneficial bacteria that would have killed any other fish by now. there is no way to one hundred percent neutralise chlorine by just standing the water. they are tropical freshwater fish that require a heated filtered planted cycled tank just like any other fish, they are very hardy which means they can tolerate disgusting conditions that would kill any other fish but it doesnt mean they should be forced too. the reason bettas can survive these conditions is because they can breath air from the surface so they do not have to ingest as much of the toxic ammonia and chlorine that other fish do, btu it does not mean it does not cause them harm. you need to research how to keep fish and how to cycle the water properly. i have a betta in a 130 litre tropical tank and he is so healthy and active, he looks like a different fish to when i bought him from the aquarium where he was stuck in a little bowl. here is a question i asked a while ago which explains more of this in detail.

i'm sorry if this sounds a bit aggressive but i think people really really need to understand about animals before they buy them.

http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/ind...

buy youre fish a small tank with a heater filter and plants and he will become beautiful and happy and healthy. you could even add in a school of brightly coloured tetras and make more of a proper aquarium. much nicer than a sad looking fish stuck in a tiny bowl for its whole life... for me thats horribly depressing to look at. good luck with your fish!!

Answer 2

I had some betta fish and I found out the hard way that they are hard to manage. I had two betta fish. We had there bowls next to each other, first mistake. Betta fish are pretty much fighting fish and you never put them with other fish especially another betta. Even when they had separate bowls, one of the betta died from flippin hitting the glass repeatedly. The other one we put in a room with a window, second mistake. At night the window made the room colder and the betta fish are very sensitive, it died as well.

Try putting it in a more controlled temperature.

Answer 3

did you put a mirror up to his bowl? does he perk up then?

If not he may be sick.

Answer 4

If there is chloramine in your water it won't go away by letting it sit.  You have to add water conditioner.

Next thing is a betta will not be healthy in a bowl.  You need a 5 gallon filtered heated tank.  Betta's need water the water temperature to be a constant 80F or they become very lethargic.  

Everytime you do a water change it stresses the fish.  A betta's lifespan can be up to 7 years but not if kept in a bowl.  They rarely last more than 6 months.

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Answer 5

Bettas tend to not move when theyre cold. they ARE tropical ya know. and letting the water sit out does not neutralize all the chlorine and doesnt even start to kill the chloramine or the heavy metals. it simply is not safe. please get water conditioner.  and as far as the tank goes, a 5g heated filtered tank will most ikely make him perk up=]  well i hope your little fishy gets better SOON. itd be a shame for him to die pre-maturely, those fish are so beautiful! good luck! =]