As a result, the heart and inclusive cardiovascular system cannot keep up with how much blood and oxygen need to be pumped throughout the body, leaving the fish to ultimately suffocate. However, if you notice that your betta is struggling to stay up at the top of the tank but chooses to do so anyway, there is most likely an underlying problem.
As mentioned before, warm water holds less dissolved oxygen. As gas exchange happens at the surface of the water, dissolved oxygen concentrations are highest in the top layer of the tank. This behavior may also be accompanied by heavy breathing and erratic swimming. It is important to note that seeing bettas breathing rapidly and swimming at the surface may also be indicative of ammonia or nitrites being present in the tank.
Erratic swimming could be the result of your fish trying to escape from less-than-ideal water conditions. Warm waters and lack of oxygen can lead to disorientation, which could cause your betta fish to bump into the sides of the tank and any other decorations. It could also cause your fish to swim up and down the water column or side to side.
Unfortunately, this can quickly lead to over-exhaustion; as before, your betta might not be able to lift itself off the bottom gravel and fin rot can develop. If you think that your betta fish is acting out of its normal behavior, make sure to test all important water parameters. The problem with fixing temperature shock is that it needs to be done immediately over time; it is crucial to reduce or increase the temperature as soon as possible, but making sudden changes can also just stress out your betta fish even more.
For reducing water temperature, it is best to reduce in increments of degrees every 4 hours; some hobbyists even believe that a degree reduction every day is even better, in the case of an emergency, you do not have that time.
First, make sure that the aquarium heater is working properly. If it is, then set it to an ideal temperature; the heater should not be completely turned off as this can lead to the aquarium cooling off too quickly. Next, turn off the tank light and open the hood of the aquarium; this will stop any heat being transmitted from the lights and allows for greater evaporation. Any windows or other sources of light should also be blocked or shut off.
Fans can be added to the top of the tank to further improve evaporation rates. Small bags of ice may then be floated in the tank; still, make sure that you are not reducing the temperature too quickly; never put the ice cubes directly into the tank as this can upset water parameters, and is much less controllable than if in a bag.
Small water changes with cooler water may also be used to help lower the temperature, though the amount needs to be carefully calculated in order to avoid lowering the temperature too much; a small water change can also help if there is ammonia or nitrite in the water column, though too large of a water change can stress your betta out even more.
However, it is still recommended to only increase the temperature a couple of degrees every several hours to prevent your betta from stressing out too much. Unfortunately, there are not too many ways to accurately heat a tank back up. The best way is to program an aquarium heater with the appropriate temperature and keep an eye on the thermometer to make sure that the change is gradual.
In the case of a power outage, towels and blankets may be wrapped around the tank to keep heat from escaping as much. An air pump should also be added during this time in order to keep oxygen circulating.
Betta fish are tropical fish. These fish are adapted for living in warm water. Bettas prefer an aquarium with warm and slow-flowing water. The right betta tank temp allows your fish to be comfortable and thrive. In the proper temperature range, your fish will have the right amount of oxygen and maintain a healthy metabolism to keep it active, but not too active. The easiest way to keep your tank at the correct temperature for betta fish is to use aquarium heater to regulate it.
A small water heater like this one allows you to keep your tank at the perfect temperature. It also manually shuts off when it reaches the set temperature, so you do not have to monitor it continually.
If you are in the process of getting a betta fish, you should now have a good idea of how to keep the water at an appropriate temperature. If you already have a betta fish and are just realizing that you have been keeping its water at the wrong temperature, you can change it to the appropriate range.
Your betta fish may be in immediate danger if the temperature in the tank changes quickly and dramatically. Instead, make the transition gradual, so your fish can adjust. Cold water can weaken your fish's immune system, exposing him to a variety of bacterial, fungal and parasitic pathogens.
When water is not properly maintained, fish may develop popeye disease, a life-threatening condition that causes the eyes to bulge out of the head. Bettas stop eating in water that is too cold, and in very cold water they may not have access to enough oxygen.
Your fish will quickly become lethargic in cold water and may hover near the bottom of the tank trying to get warm. The most effective way to heat your fish's water is to use a small water heater.
Water should not be higher than 80 degrees, so ensure that the heater doesn't overheat the water; many water heaters are too large and produce too much heat for bettas because bettas are often kept in small two- to gallon tanks.
Check the specifications of the heater you've chosen, and make sure it is not intended for a tank larger than the one you have. Bettas thrive best in a temperature range of 78 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
This is because their immune system and metabolism function efficiently at this temperature. However, since their health will keep on deteriorating close to extreme temperatures, you should do your best to stick to the ideal temperature range. The underlying reason being that unlike us, fish rely on external conditions to generate the required levels of heat for them.
Bettas kept in a temperature range of 65 to 76 degrees Fahrenheit remain susceptible to bacterial and fungal infections. They are also known to have more digestive issues than those kept in the best temperature conditions. Moreover, in low temperatures, the digestive systems of bettas function slower than usual, resulting in bloat and constipation. In low temperatures, this system gets impaired and it becomes less effective.
When that happens, they become highly vulnerable to different types of diseases. One serious disease they might encounter is Popeye. This might have led you to imagine the popular American cartoon character Popeye, the sailor man. Also, when your betta loses the energy to move, it may not even come up to eat. Thus, it tends to eat inadequately in cold water. Without sufficient food intake, it will starve to death in a matter of weeks.
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