Will my betta fish die? How long will it take IF he is dying? I just bought him today!?

[barleytea]

I bought my betta fish today. And I guess I made a terrible mistake. I just dumped out the water that was in his little cup, and poured in tap water and then added 2-3 drops of water conditioner. (while he was still in it)
Then, I looked at my fish and he was very veryyy still, which worried me all of a sudden, so I began to add more drops (probably around 4-5). :/ I'm guessing my stupid mistake shocked the fish and that the water was too cold or maybe there are still lots of minerals inside that could be poisoning him?
I'm so sad. I just bought him and I've already become attached to this little fish.

He's still lying still on his side. But, it's hard to tell cause every now and then he'd move around just a teeny bit.
Please help! Thanks.

 

[Sam H]

I can tell you exactly where you went wrong:

1. Pouring tap water on your Betta fish.
2. Adding more water conditioner.
3. Cup?!
4. Just bought him.

1. Chlorine from the tap water will poison the fish possibly fatally.

2. If the recommended amount of chemicals doesn't work, don't add more.

3. Cups aren't homes for Betta's. Yes the CAN live in them, yes the ARE kept in them and YES they are sold in them BUT NO, they are never, ever, suitable homes for Betta's.
Just ask anyone who knows about fish (not pet store people. They sell the animals and USUALLY don't care about their well being).
Betta's will survive in small amounts of water but it won't be a happy life for them. They will be cramped, bored, depressed and cold.
Get your next Betta (if you choose to get one) a 2.5 Gallon+ aquarium with a heater and live plants (5 Gal+ with filter is better)

4. I assume you just walked into a Pet or Chain store and saw a pretty little fish sitting in a cup. You then asked about the fish and were told that they need little to no attention to survive and that the little cup is a perfect home for him. This is wrong. Betta's need plenty of care, attention and space. You can't buy any pet without knowing what it requires.

What you should do:
1. Put your fish out of his misery. I hate to say this but most Betta's that you can buy commerically are about 9 months old (Avg. lifespan of two years is normal) and has been treated badly. Poorly housed, underfed, no water changes, allowed to get cold, etc. Unfortunaly he has a pretty lousy life and it's up to deal with it. Here's some options:

-Wait and hope he gets better. It does happen but it's a slim chance.
-Euthanise him. (Dip him in boiling water for about 5 seconds. Instant kill.)
-Take him back to the shop and demand your money back.

I suggest you put him out of his misery but it's up to you. Just remember what I said about taking care of a Betta and do the right things next time. Research before you buy.

It's not your fault, you didn't know what you were doing.

Good Luck.

 

[derekclassof03]

i'm kinda spoiled from hawaii's nice tap water so idk what kind of water you have there, but if it's generally drinkable straight from the faucet then the water should be fine. The other poster were right about the shock of hte fish though.

Personally to me i use to work at a pet shop and someimes fish people would forge to change the cups daily, so you'd see a fish swimming around in his own poop. It wasn't the optimum condition granted, but they still survived. What i'm saying is that betas to me from experience are one of the heartiest fishes you can buy (unless it's an albino one[not sure if albino betas exist]). So in my opinion even though your beta went into shock i can almost guarantee you he wont die by tomorrow unless your water isn't that great where u live.

Oh and on a side note, unless fighting with another beta, generally i find betas to be mellow fishes, more like a gold fish than say barbs that move a lot.