My Funny Picture - Another betta question?

Another betta question?

Thanks everyone who helped with my betta. He died the other morning, but I tried, and I think he lived a little longer because of it. He even ate something a couple times. But now my roommate's betta is acting weird. He won't eat very much, and sometimes he seems to get nervous and swims quickly around the bowl very close to the sides. She sometimes leaves uneaten food in the bowl too long, despite what I tell her about it being toxic after a period of time. And she uses bottled water in the bowl. Here are some pictures of the fish. Sometimes you can see a lot of his gills and they are moving quickly. Also his head looks a little weird. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/tsuki06/100_1469.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/tsuki06/100_1464.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/tsuki06/100_1463.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v735/tsuki06/100_1462.jpg It may be nothing, but after what happened with mine, we're keeping a close eye on her's.

Public Comments

If the gills are moving quickly, that may either mean the tank is too warm, or there's an ammonia buildup in the tank. Is your friend changing 25% of the water every week? It doesn't look there's anything wrong with the fish...yet. It could also be that the fish is just too old, expecially if your friend got the betta from the petstore instead of breeding it herself or directly from a breeder. All petstore bettas are at least a year old, if not more. Hopefully he'll feel better soon.
You take very good pics of the fish! I just wanted to say I am sorry about the loss of your fishy. I mean its your roommates fish so you can't do much because its hers. I would def say to you next time you get one do more research. Maybe get it a better home, pref a 2.5 gal or 5 gal with filter and heater, check amonia and nitrite and ph levels. i have only had my betta for 2 weeks, and lucky he has not had problems. He is spoiled and lives in a 5 gal with heater and filter. Makes bubble nests a lot. Maybe talk to her about the importance of taking care of him because he is not looking so good and you will help her. But as for him swimming quickly on the sides of the bowl, my guys does that ALL the time, so I assume that is normal. def tell her its important to take that un-eaten food out. you seem to know the drill! Good Luck!
Absolutely beautiful pics of him! He looks quite a bit like mine, actually! Ok, first off, it's not recommended to use bottled water, especially if it's distilled. There's nutrients in water that the fish need to have, and if it's distilled, they're taken out. Pay attention to what kind of bottled water it is she's giving him. Spring water is ok, as long as it's not distilled. I recommend getting stress coat, aquasafe, or some other kind of water conditioner, and have a gallon jug of tap water strictly for the fish. Keep water in it room temperature, with the stress coat in also, and use that when you do your partial changes. (Don't use cold water! It will stress the fish!) I have a 2 gallon tank for my betta, and I do about a half tank change once a week. He thrives perfectly like that. There's no heater for him, and no airstone, not that bettas require either. I swirl around in the gravel to make the waste at the bottom float up, and syphon off the water with an air tube and that way I can get the chunks out too. He really looks perfectly healthy. He does seem to look slightly pale though. (Hense the weird head.) Let him have a mirror for a little while, a couple hours or so. He will instantly turn dark colored and puff out! It's amazing how different mine looks when I do so! Mine turns pale-ish at night also, (about what hers looks like in the pics) when the tank cools down. (The light my tank has warms it up perfectly, and the house is kept at 72, so it's never too cold for him.) You may need to make sure the bowl is away from outside doors, windows, or any other cold spots in the house, and think about getting maybe a snakelight or something for a bit of warmth, if your home is kept any lower than maybe 70. If there's a cold draft from anywhere, that can make him sick since they do breathe the air outside the tank. If he's going nuts and swimming really fast, it could mean he's hot, or he's just doing the normal thing, and patrolling his territory for females and any other fish. Get a thermometer, any tank kind will do, and keep an eye on the temp. I use a sticker-kind on the 2 gallon. Keep the temp anywhere between 70-85. They love it warmer, but I've read they don't live as long if the water if super warm. It speeds up their metabolism and they age faster. Too cold and they are sluggish. I'd say a range of about 72-80 or so is just fine. Another idea. Get the little dude a plant. Live, plastic, or silk is ok. Just remember, plastic can rip the fins, but I've never had any problems with my betta and his plastic plants. Mine loves to hide, and will sit atop his, and can reach the surface for air whilst he sleeps. I know all fish people will down me for this one, but honestly, in my opinion, I'd say get him a pet cat. Corycats are very sociable critters, and he will keep the betta company. BUT they have to have air!!! They don't eat betta food either! I know you aren't supposed to keep any other fish in a bowl that small, (your's seems like maybe a one gallon?) So, you may want to upgrade, or maybe forget I mentioned this at all. lol (I don't recommend this for that bowl, but you can get a great setup, like mine, for about $20 and is super easy to maintain, and comes with the light, airstone, pump, tubing, etc.) I gave mine a pet cat, and the cat bumped into him for the first few days non stop, trying to get to know my betta. Now they're fine with each other. Since I don't have an airstone in it, I do about a 10-20% change everyday to maintain the oxygen in the water for him. (Another reason I keep the gallon of water at all times.) I've heard of corys and bettas becoming the best of friends before, and the cat will follow the betta around the tank. FYI, I am getting ready to transfer my pair to a 55 gallon, so I wanted my betta to get used to the idea of having other fish around him. That's the main reason I got him a pet cat. Sorry about your loss. I hope hers stays healthy, and you don't have another loss in the home! Good luck with him, and I hope this helps! ;o)
He looks pretty healthy to me. Maybe a water change would help.