Betta fish not moving

May 30, 2020
Betta fish wont eat or swim

What do I do? My Betta Fish is laying on the bottom of the little container we got him in and we just got him yesterday!! It won't eat or move! Please Help!

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He could simply be stressed from the move. Most fish won't eat within the first 24 hrs. because of this. What size container do you have him in? Contrary to what stores say betta fish need at least a 5 gallon tank with a heater and filter to look and act their best. If you're able to test your water that would be a great thing to do. API master test kits are great for this. Testing your water will let you know if your tank has cycled or not. Here is a link on cycling.

Goldibug has given you great advice.

Hopefully you are not saying you still have him in the cup size container many big name petstores sell them in. If so he is stressed from travelling AND from ammonia poisoning (which arises from rotting food and waste). Those containers have their water changed daily...

Your betta needs to be in a 5gallon (as Goldibug said) or larger tank with a heater, filter and full hood (bettas can jump several inches into the air) with access to the surface (so leave a couple of inches of air in your tank above the water line)- as they come up for air. A larger tank is better both for you and for the betta - smaller tanks take more maintenance and very small mistakes can make for very large toxic chemical buildups.

Since your tank will not be cycled yet you will need to do water changes (with temperature matched water with water conditioner added) every couple of days to keep the toxic ammonia and nitrites at bay. See this article for an understandable explanation:

Even after you do this do not be surprised if he does not eat for a couple of days. He may take a while to settle down - after all it is a lot changes. He can easily go a week without any food without any problem. Remove any food not eaten with three minutes or it will foul the water.

the water might be too cold, as soon as i start using my a/c mines start doing that

My Betta fish won't eat.All Sheldon(my fish) ever does is lay at the bottom of the glass bowl on the rocks. The only time he ever swims around is when I tap on the glass or move the bowl.I tried giving him all different types of food including the Betta flakes that enhances color, Betta food pellets, floating mini pellets(even though they don't seem to be floating), and the dried worm things.I've tried all of these, but he still won't eat!I've had him since August of this year. Should I be worried?

Is his tank heated, filtered? How often is the water changed? How much water is changed at one time? What size tank is he in?

Bettas need a heater and filter and at least five gallons, and by the way those cups are meant to be temperary and ony used until you get him/her home.

Heated with a filter is the way to go!! No more of this confined tiny cup space with dirty water and no heat or filtration. This really needs to stop. I hate how pet stores sell their bettas and don't tell people how to properly care for them!!

sounds like u need a "betta" fish hahahahahahahaha!

Bettas should be in a minimum tank size of 2.5 gallons and I do not recommend this size as the fish simply cannot thrive in such a small area. You should always put it directly into the tank when you get a new Betta. I already had a tank ready for when i got home with my Betta. It could be lac of space or the fish could be stressed out. most Bettas will not eat for a while after a ride in the car because they need time to get use to the change of temperature.(normally the temperature in store cups is below normal to the fish)

P.S. your new Betta is probably stressed out

Betta Geek, this post is over two years old so I think the situation has been resolved. You can find the date in the upper right hand corner of each post.

This topic is a year old. It's been resolved.

Is this too small for Noah(my fish) to swim in? I did just get him Saturday..it is now Tuesday. He's really random when he eats... And I noticed he eats it when its really small. He doesnt eat the flakes though. And there are those small bubbles at the top.

Please post the question in a new thread. This one in ancient. It started two years ago, the dates are in the upper right hand corner of each post. It helps to ask new questions, as they will be seen sooner, and not bring up these ancient ones that have already been resolved.

But the answer is no. It's not nearly big enough. Minimum 3 gallon tank, 5 or 10 is much better. Must have a filter and heater and the Nitrogen cycle completed. It's really the only way to keep them healthy.

Source: www.myaquariumclub.com
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