Here you can see Kratos relaxing, he looks very comfortable. It has been a very inactive season and it has me worried, because in addition its fin is being damaged.
One of the factors that can give us more clues about the mood and health of our betta fish it is precisely how active they are. If we see that they spend most of their time lying down and moving rather little, we have a good reason to suspect that something bad may be happening to them.
Table of Contents
Why doesn't my betta move?
They can be several things and not all of them are bad:
- Your betta may be sick.
- Your betta may be somewhat sad.
- The temperature of your aquarium is low.
- Your betta is simply wandering.
The problem with this is that it can be difficult to find out which of the options is correct.
😷 Your betta may be sick
When bettas (and in general fish or even any living being) get sick they tend to adopt a much more passive attitude.
It is exactly like what happens to us when we are sick. We tend to be more in the bed resting and we do not usually go out much, because exactly the same happens to the Bettas.
To detect diseases we have to watch our betta very carefully in search of anything strange that we can find. For example:
- Damaged, frayed, glued or bad looking fins in general. In that case I recommend an aloe vera treatment.
- Large or small lumps in the body. In that case it could be constipation or a tumor, I recommend this entry.
- Lack of appetite. This may be due to overfeeding, but if this is not the case and you feed your betta correctly, it is probably because he is sick.
In addition to the advice you can find in the respective entries, it is advisable to make a partial water change and check the aquarium water by performing tests.
Your betta may be sad
Yes the betta is sad due to bad conditions or is subjected to elements that may stress you, as it could be exposed a lot of noise, it may also be somewhat inactive.
In this post I give 7 basic tips to take care of betta fish that can help you be more lively.
The temperature greatly influences
When he betta is exposed to temperatures lower than 24 degrees enters a state of hibernation, so it will be quite inactive. This will also weaken your immune system and be more likely to get sick.
In this post I talk in more detail about the ideal temperature for betta fish.
Not everything has to be bad, your betta may simply be wandering
If we have observed all of the above well and it does not appear that it is any of these factors that causes inactivity, your betta may simply be somewhat vague.
They are fish that although it is a good sign that show a lot of activity sometimes it also gives them leverage and that does not mean that something bad happens to them.
Also is true that every betta is a world, and there will be more active bettas than others.
And to finish…
We always have to worry when our betta is inactive, although it may be nothing (hopefully). But it is still a very important indication that something bad may be happening and if it is the case it will be better to discover what happens as soon as possible. Since the time factor is crucial depending on what may happen.
About the Author
I am a web programmer and I love everything related to SEO, in fact I work on it. Among my hobbies are music (I play some instruments, but what I carry best is drums and piano), aquarium hobby, blogging and video games (although I hardly have time for it anymore).
17 Comments
Good Silver,
I have a problem that worries me a lot ...
Recently I switched to my aquarium Betta Fish (one of 16 L) ... with that aquarium I had a filter, At first everything was fine, but after 3 days I started to see it more inactive ... and at 4 days I realized that I was always at the bottom standing half-tilted and only went up to catch air and did not eat ... (and that is rare because it goes crazy for food and although it is a little vague, it is often up frequently ...)
At first I thought that it was the same as water (that's why I did the cycling recently etc) but I think I would have seen other symptoms and before, not after 4 days ... They have also analyzed the water and although it is somewhat high in nitrites (I have been told that it is normal during cycling), I have been told that it is not bad to affect the fish like this. Temperature at 24-25 degrees.
I suspected that it could be from the filter, because in the other aquarium that was somewhat smaller it had a very small filter that didn't move much water and this new one is quite current ... so to test it I turned it off. and indeed he began to be more active, although he still does not eat…. So I assumed that it should be of the excessive current to which he is not accustomed (although it does not seem to me that there is so much ...) I have tried to fix it by putting a tube with holes that divides the jet into three and more oriented upwards so that it goes the current with less force and less direct, but it seems to keep bothering him. As soon as I turn on the filter, it stays still glued to the bottom and when it tries to catch air it costs a lot ...
I do not know what to do because for now I have turned off the filter to rest but I can not have more than 24 hours off by bacteria ... And if I turn it on I fear that it dies of exhaustion ...
Any recommendations or ideas?
Greetings
I do not believe that the truth is due to the filter, I can understand that it will generate stress if the current is really high, but the attitude it shows and what you tell me seems more of a disease or that something has hurt you in your health.
Nor can I see how strong the current is to tell you, that you will know better, but in that case perhaps a less powerful filter is suitable. I am surprised that your filter does not have a mechanism to regulate the flow rate.
What seems to me the trigger for all this, is that you have added your betta too soon to the new aquarium. And if the current causes stress ... 2 × 1.
About what they have told you in the store I am quite surprised, the nitrites are VERY toxic and the only viable value in an aquarium to be sustainable is 0. I do not know your case very much, but I explain a little:
There is a point in the cycling of water where nitrites begin to increase day by day until nitrates begin to appear gradually. These "eat" the nitrites, so that during a period the nitrites go down while the nitrates increase, when the nitrites reach 0 you can already say that your aquarium is cycled.
If right now your aquarium is in the “nitrite increase” phase, your betta will have a really bad time, since the water will become more and more toxic. If luckily, you're already on the nitrite drop, at least it will get better.
As a tip: Never add any fish to an aquarium until it is completely cycled. Oh, and the filter should never be turned off!
Yes, that is exactly what they explained to me in the store. I have not started from scratch exactly because the ceramics of my filter were already cycled say ... I mean that as I know them they passed me the ceramics they had in an already cycled aquarium so that they told me that I had taken a step and that the betta was not nothing was going to happen to him (I don't know if this is correct, but that's what they told me) and it costs him up to catch air ... and instead when I turn it off, nothing more or less normal ... I don't know, seeing this, given the possibility of dying of exhaustion I have decided to turn off the filter until I find a solution. I know I should not turn it off but I can not think of anything else and I see quite weak ...
Well, I tell you what I would do and you already value it:
Your betta should not be in an aquarium without cycling, because as I have already told you, it is toxic, a lot. If you can transfer it to the old aquarium do it, if not, or even improvise a small aquarium for the days that pass between the water in the main aquarium.
On the filter, I would buy another with an adequate flow and that can be regulated or try to engineer them to reduce the flow of what you already have. If you buy a new one, just change the sponges you use now, but in part this is negative because you delay cycling more. However it is the best solution I think, with the filter off you will slow down the process even more and over with the betta there ... get it out of there until you get everything in order, seriously, I fear the worst.
1 Answer
Is the fish tank where you have it big or small? Do you have a filter? How have you washed it?
It could be ammonium poisoning or not2. Tell me more to help you better.
Have you done something different than usual?
It is a small fish tank, it has no filter. I washed it as I always had, I don't use any chemicals, only hot water. And this is the first time this has happened.
It may be that the water came with some nitrite peak.
Make a total water change of the water. And keep tai maintenance if you don't do it anymore. Total water changes every 2 days
So I wash all the accessories in the fish tank or just changed the water?
Do I put drinking or purified water?
Just change the water. The water to use depends on the values that the running water has. If they are correct you can use it. If you're not sure, I'll give you mineral water. Or mix drinking with distilled
2 answers
It can be a problem of adaptation when changing it from fish tank. Or it may have been a blow.
How often do you change the water? How do you treat it?
Do you have space to move in the jar?
No, he doesn't have much space to move.
I change the water every two 2 and put 2 drops of neutral B
One of the problems could be that, the lack of space.
Is the fish well externally? Do you have fins well etc?
- Anonymous right now
One thing my betta fish yesterday jumped from his fishbowl I quickly put him back in his fishbowl but the next day he was without strength to swim and he stays at the bottom trying to climb but he can't know if he eats but I'm very worried that I can do
It could be because of the blow
Hi. Bad thing. If it has fallen from a certain height it can have internal damage. It is hard to know. To bettas it is convenient to have them covered since they are quite jumping. See how it evolves, as I say it can have something internal. - Jose D. Hernandez
I need urgent help. My betta has been at the bottom of his fish tank for 2 days, he does not eat and is lying on his side and breathing like agitated because the movement is seen in his gills. His skin color is somewhat clearer. The fish is square, I change the water weekly and always have good food. He has been with me for about 2 years now. What could I do to help you - Mary Carmen Proaño Gavilanes
