pH Levels in My Betta Fish's Tank

[ScarletBegonias]

I got a betta fish a couple months ago and the pH levels in my tank are a constant issue. I purchased a couple water conditioners and some aquarium salt to treat my tap water with, but for some reason every day the pH levels go way above what is recommended. This has resulted in him developing a tiny amount of fin rot. Although I have treated him with anti-bacterial food, I just know it's the pH level in the water that is causing it. I clean his tank once a week and also add water conditioner to balance the pH every day, which seems excessive, yet necessary. Does anybody know of any good products or methods for stabilizing pH levels in freshwater fish tanks?

Edit: I have looked all over the internet already and spoken with friends regarding this, so this Forum post is a last resort, hopefully...I read somewhere that a reverse osmosis system would be best, hmm...

 

[Laura]

Call a local fish or aquarium store (like maybe where you got the fish) and explain the problem to them. They should be able to help you.

 

[Lilou]

My mom keeps a Betta Fish and she uses reverse osmosis water in his bowl. She has never added anything or tested the PH of the water. The fish is quite healthy. So perhaps the issue is the "tap" water? That is the only thing the store advised my mom about the fish - is to NEVER use tap water.

 

[ScarletBegonias]

Thanks Laura! I forgot to mention that I also went to two different stores. They both just recommend to put these water conditioners and the aquarium salt.

Maybe there is better water to use! My friends use tap water in their tanks, but perhaps the water where I live is what's doing it. I will research this further, thanks Lilou!

Also, on a side note, my friend who is a veterinarian says that the food products they sell for all pets (here in America) always label the serving portions to be much higher than what the animals actually need. I was following the directions on the food labels for the first week, but cut the portions to less than half because my fish was getting fat! When I consulted my friend she told me this information about the food..

 

[Aneke]

Yes, Scarlet, I'd recommend not using tap water. I used to buy plain old distilled water for my betta when I lived in an area with particularly nasty water, and it worked fine. Also, if you have any live plants in your tank/bowl you might check for any dead leaves, or any organic matter sitting around. And sometimes, depending on the substrate you have, that can affect pH also. Make sure you avoid anything made from limestone or shells.

Hope that helps! And good luck with your fishie's weight loss program ;)

 

[Ben]

The problem is most likely the build up of ammonia excreted by the fish. This is normally converted to nitrites and then nitrates in a cycle by pseudomonas bacteria. This cycle establishes itself over time but the fish often die before balance is achieved - search for 'fishless cycling' to understand the ideal approach to this problem.

Do you have a filter? It is difficult to achieve a healthy population of this bacteria without a filter medium. Otherwise you have to change the water regularly and this causes problems of its own, but it can be done if you don't introduce chlorine/chloramine by using tap water. Bettas are anabantid fish - they breathe air at the surface and can live in poorly oxygenated water, this has allowed them to be kept in small volumes of water but the build up of ammonia is still dangerous to them. A weekly change may not be enough, I'm not sure because it's been a while since I kept any fish but there is TONS of information on the internet about this and a specialist forum would tell you exactly what you need to know.

Bettas (we call them siamese fighters here) are just the most beautiful fish, good luck to you.

 

[ScarletBegonias]

Thank you, Aneke! It's odd that both clerks I talked with recommended tap water and not distilled and that the websites I'm finding information on have conflicting information regarding using distilled water. However, I am going to try it this weekend with the water conditioners and salt and hopefully this does the trick!

Also, I don't have any life plants, shells or limestones, but appreciate you telling me just in case! I'd wanted to fill the tank with shells before I got him, but learned that this would not make a healthy environment.

As for the food, it's my understanding to feed him twice a day six days a week (with one day off) and only allow him to eat for about a minute or two. However, even with that he inhales the food and gets a fat belly like nothing! I read online somewhere that one woman used to feed her betta three pellets a day, which is a lot less than what mine is currently getting, hmm..

Thank you also, Ben! I agree that it's probably the ammonia from his excretions and I do have a water filter that I change monthly (according to the directions). I also think that a Siamese fighting fish is a more appropriate name for these little jewels! My finger has attempted to befriend him a few times, but it's his bowl now and nobody else is allowed inside but him, lol..;)

 

[Ben]

[quote author=Scarlet]

Thank you also, Ben! I agree that it's probably the ammonia from his excretions and I do have a water filter that I change monthly (according to the directions). I also think that a Siamese fighting fish is a more appropriate name for these little jewels! My finger has attempted to befriend him a few times, but it's his bowl now and nobody else is allowed inside but him, lol..;)
[/quote]

Hold a mirror up to him and he will display as if he saw another male, they are super aggressive towards each other (clue is in the name)

 

[ScarletBegonias]

Oh Ben I will never do that again, lol, but thanks for the idea! I read online months ago that it was a good idea to put a mirror for exercise (like they need more of that), so I put a mirror, but then forgot about it for forty minutes! I meant to leave it for five, but didn't set an alarm and went off to do other things. When I came back into the room I felt terrible, because he was just staring at the mirror and sitting, exhausted, at the bottom of this tank. I also think this constitutes energetic feeding and I plan to let him remain the narcissistic fishy he was born to be without any reflected "intruders." Haha..;)

I am finding it difficult not to laugh (and roll my eyes!) when he puffs his cheeks and fans his fins after I clean his tank and he can see his reflection all over the place. He gets so hyper then and has been known to raise the temperature of the two gallon tank up to three degrees! Sometimes I put a towel on top of his tank to make it dark if he doesn't calm down over this after a few minutes. He's too funny, but I just want to protect him from his reflection and minimize being a part of the energetic feeding dynamic..:)

 

[ScarletBegonias]

Well, its been about a week since I introduced my fish to distilled water, but I have observed very similar unstable pH levels in the water as I did when I was using tap.

My current theory is that it must be the amount and type of foods I am feeding him that is causing this problem. Even though he has been "dieting" for about a month now he still has a fat belly and my father, who hadn't seen him since I got him two months ago, told me last week that he was twice the size he was when I got him! I have now cut his diet to half of what it was. This has been a hard decision, because I don't want to starve him, but I think his belly is just still too fat. Now I am only feeding him once a day, six days a week.

I am also limiting his food intake to strictly blood worms. The other food I was feeding him contained gluten. Although I switched between a diet of pellets and blood worms, I think maybe the gluten might have something to do with it and that the blood worms (meat) is what might be best for him and the pH levels in the tank...