what is wrong with my new betta fish?

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lisapowers16

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i bought my betta fish 2 nights ago. when i first put it him into his new 2 gallon heated aquarium with UNDER GRAVEL FILTER, he seemed very happy. he swam around very energetically, flared at all the different corners, and swam through his new silk plant.
The next morning he ate 3 betta pellets but i saw him spit one out about 10 mins later ( i removed the spit out pellet from the bottom).

Today all he has been doing is lying on the bottom of the tank not moving his pectoral fins. He swims to the top every 10 mins to get air. He does NOT appear to be having any trouble swimming to the top or swimming back down to the bottom. he had no interest in food todat either. he just looked at it and swam away. he does not appear to have fin rot, ick, parasites or any type of fungus. What do you think is wrong with him?

NOTE THE TANK HAS NOT BEEN CYCLED!
 
ok it takes time for your betta to get use to the tank. just remember that it lived in a cup and now it lives in 2 gal. its like living in a closet and all of a sudden he has a small house. its most likely just getting used to the tank. just keep putting in the food if he ignores it take it out. he can live up to 7 day with no food so when hes hungry he will eat. bettas can be picky so maybe try a diffrent brand after a while
 
Are you using plain tap water? If you are using tap water did you treat it before putting the betta in the tank? If the tank has not been cycled yet it is more than likely ammonia build up in the tank. And since it's a smaller tank it will build up faster. Try doing a very small water change and don't feed him for a few more days. I know that may sound cruel but it will really do good for the little guy. It can also take up to a few weeks for fish to get use to their new home so just give him some time to get adjusted.
 
New 2 gallon aquarium. Not cycled. Sounds like you know what the problem is.
In addition to this the water temp may be too cool. Bettas do best when kept in the 78-82 F range. i.e., more colorful and active.
It's normal for Bettas to gulp air at regular intervals.
I suspect you have other aquariums. If so, move him to one of them until this one is cycled. If not, do an immediate 25% water change using treated water at the same temp as the current water. Then do 10-15% water changes daily for about a week.
I also recommend adding some of that "instant cycling stuff/bacteria" that's available at some stores. Not what I'd normally recommend, but here it should help. That's after the week is over.

I hope things work out.

Edit: Try live foods, or at least frozen or freeze dried.
 
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