# Betta died immediately.



## Shawn5800 (Nov 18, 2009)

I took my sister to Petco today and got her a small 1 gallon bowl with a plant ans some gravel along with a beautiful blue betta. 

I filled the bowl with water, warm to match the water that betta had been residing in previously. I put in a piece of a start right tab to get the bowl ready for the betta immediately. Put the betta in. 


It started to flip over, and shake uncontrollably, and finally it just died with its nose to the gravel. What did i do wrong?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Its got to be the water. Did you let the tablet fully dissolve? Was the container small enough that the piece of tablet was on overdose. Since the tab has electrolyte and "helps" the slime coat, it is probably easy to overdose. Did the temp of water match to your touch? I prefer liquid water conditioner because its easier to control the dose. Find one that 'detoxifies' ammonia such as Prime or Amquel+. Avoid ones that mention electrolytes and slime coat. That stuff isn't necessary and makes it easier to overdose.


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## <3~Pleco~<3 (Jan 31, 2009)

For the future, also get a larger tank for your betta. They do much better in 5 gallon+


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Don't believe it when a tablet claims to do anything instantly.
You did a few things wrong, though:

1- you got your fish & the bowl at the same time. Huge mistake.

Always set up the tank a day or two before getting any fish. water right out of the faucet, even dosed with some chemical, is still not suitable for fish due to the imbalance of dissolved gases in that water which came from being pressurized in the pipes. The tank needs a day to fix that.

2- A thermometer is a better gauge of temperature than your best guess.
The temp has to be pretty close a match when you move a fish.

3- the water chemistry between your tanks and the petstore tank must be pretty close a match. 
If the difference is too great, your fish won't survive the transfer to the new tank.

If you got a betta in one of those tiny little bags that they come in, still floating in the petshop's tank, then that bag was full of ammonium. When it went into your bowl, that ammonium got a fresh new dose of oxygen and probably a big rise on pH, thereby instantly converting it into highly toxic ammonia. I don't know if you got any bag water into your bowl, but that's a major cause of new fish doom.


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## katfemme89 (Nov 27, 2009)

I know lots of people keep them in bowls, but bettas really look so much prettier in a tank with a filter and a light (try to invest in that. you'll be glad you did). Cycle the water. The tablet, like someone above said, was probably an overdose. Most of those tablets are made to treat 10 gallons or above, so even half of that would have been way too much.


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## Sea-Agg2009 (Aug 2, 2008)

Warm to the touch is probably around the 90 degrees area. The water betta's are kept in is between 65 and 75. You can do the same procedure again, but let the betta and the bowl sit next to each other for a few hours (overnight). This will let both containers come to room temperature, and avoid the temp shock which killed your fish before. Chemical shock doesn't act that fast, and usually results in the fish just turning over. To be honest I think those tablet things are a waste. You're best bet is buying a bottle of tap water conditioner, and just using that. Remember, water conducts heat at a different rate than air. Water left to sit overnight will feel cold to the touch probably, but that is ok. If the water feels warm to you, it will boil your fish.

There are also many heated debates about betta's and the size of their tanks. Considering their physical nature, I don't see anything wrong with "betta bowls". Just try to keep the decorations natural and low-key. As for filtration, I don't see a need. Betta's have the metabolism of a gnat. My girlfriend is killing the minute cuttings of my watersprite because her betta doesn't produce enough nitrates to keep the plant alive. Changing out a cup of water every week should easily suffice.

P.S. and don't pour the old water into the tank. Cardinal sin of fish keeping. That stuff is NASTY. Aside from the ammonium idea, there is a ton of other nasty stuff in there that you can't get rid of. Pouring that water into your new bowl is signing the papers for a life-time of headaches.


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## daniel89 (Nov 28, 2009)

grave diggers :O


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