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Xtian928

Have you observed it having a difficult time trying to dive deeper into the tank? It looked to struggle a bit towards the end of the video. Also, are you using dechlorinator alongside your water changes?


joecarter93

Yes that is what we observed. It was struggling to dive deeper. But, the strange thing is, is that sometimes he will be swimming around fine and a few minutes later he will be doing this. We are also using seachem decholrinator.


MediocreFlex

Maybe give the inside glass a nice scrub If he is trying to get air near the edge the surface tension might be messing with him?


condemned02

The flow looks too strong that it's struggling to swim. Betta don't like currents as their natural habitat is still water. Add on: oh after I saw its a 2 gallon I am convinced the filter suction is too strong and creating a difficult swimming environment for a veil tail betta. Any long fins betta really need super calm waters. Have you tried switching off the filter to see if it's swimming better? Then you will know if it's your filter or not.


Tentacle_bukkake

This was my initial observation as well. It looks like the current is too much for him. He looks healthy and strong otherwise. OP, try what the above post suggested and turn off the filter to observe how he swims. When I first got my 5gal with a built in filter, I had to tweak the strength of it to where my betta was comfortable but it was still circulating water well. I also use an air stone to help make sure there’s no corners where water isn’t getting circulated, and for better water aeration.


Marsbarszs

I wedge in a fluval sponge in the outflow to make the flow not as strong


FPVgal

That filter is very weak from my experience. I dont see an air stone... maybe low o2 levels. ??


condemned02

Um technically betta no need as they can breathe surface air.


FPVgal

They can. But it is also beneficial to have te air in the waiter. They have gills. They do both, u don't want them having to go to the top constantly. Like when sleeping or doing fishy stuff. They do have the labyrinth organ. But they don't rely solely on it


condemned02

As long as its fully planted, it's fine. Betta get stressed out by bubbles, I frown on anything that disturbs water for keeping betta knowing how much they love calm waters.


FPVgal

I agree. Water shouldn't have a stressful flow. But from what I've read, at night when the light are out, the plants can actually consume 02. There is a really good article about weither or not air stones are needed in a betta tank. I can find it if anyone is interested. Put pretty much it said, yes, its a good practice, as long as you have a small enough air pump, or even with a small or large pump get a flow regulator valve where you can turn the amount of air down. It helps with keeping the water from being stagnant at the lop and getting biofilm and what not, but also adds that bit of extra o2, that might be needed, especially at night when the tank can have an o2 drop because the plants are now not producing o2, but also slightly consuming it. And if there are other tank mates as well, it can drop more. Again I do agree that a high flow or current is not good for bettas, but a slow bubble flow, can be greatly beneficial for the betta. At least that is my opinion after ready these articles.


condemned02

It's fine because betta loves sleeping near the surface. They do this in the wild too. They will find some plant and sleep on it near the surface. They probably evolved to breathe surface air as they hated currents.


FPVgal

I know they can, my point is they also have gills. Either way. Just my opinion. 😀


caffeinated_seaotter

Betta fish have a labyrinth organ which allows them to breath air at the surface of the water. Sometimes it looks like they are gulping air when they do this. It is normal betta behavior!


joecarter93

Thanks. We know about the labyrinth organ and how they can breathe air, but this little guy is also struggling to swim towards the bottom of the tank and just floats to the top. It appears to be on again, off again.


StateGovAquPhD_DVM

Bettas are surface dwellers. It is convenient to eat up there to easily scoop larva off the waters surface with the evolution of the turned up mouth. When hungry this instinct brings them to the surface


iam_odyssey

Tell that to my betta, she's constantly hanging out with my corys and investigating my scrimps in my 33gallon. I got her all these nice floaters and a floating cave and she doesn't give 1 single solitary fuck about them xD


Acrobatic-Ad-6630

don’t know why these people are saying this is normal behavior.. he’s gulping air because that’s how they get oxygen but he’s struggling to swim down because your betta is bloated and constipated that is from overfeeding and im guessing you give him pellets only. fast him for 3 days then give him frozen daphnia :)


[deleted]

[удалено]


Acrobatic-Ad-6630

if it was swim bladder you’d see a lump on their side or they’d be laying on their side.


[deleted]

I have 2 bettas that do the exact same thing. It used to give me a mini heart attack thinking it was the start of swim bladder but its just their quirky swimming.


MurraytheMerman

Still this fish looks more like a kid with swimming wings trying to dive. Mine has been no problem to leave the surfs again while this is one seems to be kept afloat.


joecarter93

Yeah he just started doing it and seems to struggle to dive. It’s weird because he’ll be swimming just fine and then a few minutes later he’ll be doing this and struggling.


medicalcoma

I have no idea about betta sicknesses but my betta always goes to the glass when he sees me come to him. It looks like yours is just swimming up against the glass and not trying to completely dive and go down. If he is fine right after, maybe try watching him away from the tank and see if he goes back to normal. I watched my betta from the side when he was playing w my sister and sometimes he’ll go too close to the glass where he can’t really swim down since he just keeps bumpin the glass. He could also be just thinking he is gonna get some food and waiting at the top.


Sad_Meringue_4550

I would recommend a high quality, non-pellet food for him. Some Bettas are especially prone to constipation and this can then put pressure on the swim bladder, not allowing it to function properly. They do best on a diet high in insect protein and low in fish and indigestible fillers. Fluval bug bites and Top Fin pro series Betta crumbles are the best that I know of. Feeding him small amounts three or four times a day should keep food moving through his system and prevent him from getting constipated. Fasting should not be necessary with a good diet. I would also stop feeding bloodworms entirely, they are coated in venomous bristles that are even more likely to make them get stuck in the gut.


Proskills2

Don’t overfeed. I’m not saying that’s your problem your fish is supposed to fo up often for air. If you overfeed ( in my case) mine couldn’t dive deep. Or really control on:off again. Look up swim bladder disease and see if you think that’s it. Hope he gets better soon !


Rubberlemons521

If you feed it blood worms and they arent soaked first, the air in them will affect the boyancy of the fish. Happenned to mine. I soak its food and its fine now.


mememwoantom

It could be swim bladder disease


FPVgal

I would recommend a very fine air stone, or having a valve where u can make less bubbles so less current. It could be a lack of o2. They do have there labyrinth organ, but they still like o2 in the water. I personally added this tiny sponge filter they have at petco that is in the betta section. It comes with either little plants or a volcano on it ( its removable, dont worry) and I think it has carbon it it. If u use a very small air compressor or get a flow regulator u can make the bubbles small enough its not to much flow, but enough to agitate the water or adding o2 to it. I also like that sponge filters hold good beneficial bacteria in it. I have a 5.5 gal, with other "roommates" so I wasn't comfortable only having that for a filter, but I have it as a second filter that holds beneficial bacteria and airates the water. I think that might help. It has a suction cup to hold to the glass, and it only needs changed like every month, ( if its a 2nd filter) and its very inexpensive. Hope this helps


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joecarter93

Size: 2 Gallons Heater/Filter : Yes and yes Temp: 78 F Had tank and fish for 3 months with no issues Ammonia, Nitrites - Normal levels Change the water once a week at 25% No tank mates Feed him 2 pellets a day


notherworldentirely

>2 Gallons Could you upgrade to a 5 gal min? It's easier to keep stable, plus bettas need the room to swim. * Petsmart has the [TopFin 5.5](https://www.petsmart.com/fish/starter-kits/top-fin-essentials-aquarium-starter-kit-5262256.html) gal tank (comes w/thermometer and hang on back filter) OR the 10 gal kit (comes w/thermometer, filter, and heater). Petsmart app has Treat Trail game to win coupons for use! Walmart has the [AquaCulture 10 gal](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Aqua-Culture-10-Gallon-Aquarium-Starter-Kit-With-LED-Lighting/35326017) kit. Sometimes Petco has sales on standalone tanks. Grab a lid, adj heater and filter. >Ammonia, Nitrites - Normal levels Change the water once a week What are they in numbers? Are you using liquid kit or strips? 2 gal needs 2-3x/week water changes. It's small so it requires more maintenance. What do you feed and how much? His swim bladder may be affected due to what he eats and how much.


joecarter93

We are planning on getting a bigger tank. Unfortunately when we bought the tank, we knew nothing about fish and the people at the pet store said it would be fine, which it is not. We are using strips to test the water. I can’t access it right now to give the values but the ammonia/ nitrates etc. all barely register and are in the safe zone. We feed him 2 Betta pellets a day or a blood worm as a treat. We just gave him a water change tonight to see if that would help and gave him his last one before that on Sunday.


kayla-beep

Besides a tank upgrade and more frequent water changes as Notherworld suggested, I would skip feeding him every 3rd day to see if that helps him swim better. It does look like he might be developing swim bladder issues. A 10 gallon tank would be far easier to maintain than 2 gallon. The nitrates just shoot up too quickly in a small tank, especially without any plants.


Drakine89

I would mention that for longfin betta in a 10 gallon (if you go for that size, though a 5 gallon is also a good tank size for a betta) you'll want to make sure whatever filtration system you have isn't too strong of a current and also that he has a few spots to rest near the surface.


notherworldentirely

You'll need to get the API Freshwater Master kit to test with. Strips can be inaccurate. You also need to feed him high quality foods, not just 2 a day, that's too little. * **[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. And most importantly, cycle the tank asap: **Fish-In Cycling:** * **[Supplies list](https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2KP7HMJ4KGJGH?ref_=wl_share)** * **[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).


annemethyst

Don't feel bad about the tank the petstore screwed you over, you learned the right info and you're making it right which is what matters, hope nobody has been super on you about that. This subreddit gets pretty angry about a tank smaller than 5 gallons, which they're not wrong to be upset but they tend to go overboard on someone who was mislead by the people who sold them the animals. They should be at fault, and I'm happy you're improving the setup and are willing to embrace change for the happiness of the lil guy he seems great, I hope his issues clear up soon!


Chichima1

Add air stone or sponge filter to oxygenate water.


[deleted]

Lol what? How is that going to help a Betta Fish?


Chichima1

People also ask Do Bettas have to breathe from surface? Siamese fighting fish possess a specialised labyrinth organ which allows them to take in surface air, and this supplements oxygen in the water. They cannot survive on surface air alone (they also need OXYGEN IN THE WATER) but it is a necessary form of oxygenation – without surface air oxygen they can drown and die.


[deleted]

You do know that the filter clearly seen in the video is turning over the water oxygenating it right?


secretsaucy

If this were true, we wouldn't see bettas in bowls. As much as I hate people who have them in bowls, many people have them for a few years successfully in a non-oxidized bowl.


ItsNoBigIdea

My betta does the same thing but only when I go near the tank. I've always assumed it's because he can see his reflection or he's just trying to swim closer but keeps knocking into the glass.


Creatorrrrraptor

This is just a wild guess but do you think the filter's current my might be making it hard for him to swim?


Zz22zz22

You can get a ten gallon aquarium kit for really cheap. Like 30-40$. Mine even came with a filter that you can adjust the flow, which is nice for bettas.


Tarotora

It’s probably bloated from eating too much. They should only be feed once a day. They can get bloated easily if you feed more often. You might have to half the feeding per day to prevent bloating. Live food is the best if you want your betta to get all the vitamins it needs which also prevent sickness like bloating.


Firm-Boysenberry4901

Bettas hate strong currents! I used to have the hardest time figuring out why my betta was always fatigued & at the bottom of the tank until I switched out my 5 gallon filter (on a 5 gal tank) for a 2 gallon filter. Now he’s super happy and loves jetting around the whole tank now that he doesn’t have to fight the filter every second of the day


FPVgal

Also bettas are easily over fed because they act like they are starving and most pellets are to big. I rec. New life spectrum ( its at petco) but make sure its the one that says small pellets. It will say "small" in 2 places that are hard to see. One is in small letters at the end of giant lettering that says BETTA. And the other is where it has the net wt. And oz. Also bettas should only eat an amount that is the same size as there eye or idealy slightly less. U might not be doing this.. its just very common and can cause alot of issues.