Although we doubt that betta fish will ever be more popular than goldfish within the fish keeping hobby, bettas have managed to grow to be the second most commonly kept fish in the hobby and their popularity just keeps on increasing.
Due to so many people choosing a betta fish for their very first fish, we have noticed a large number of people reaching out to ask various questions about offering their pet bettas the best care possible.
After we published our article going over a lethargic betta fish after a water change, we noticed how many people make easy to avoid mistakes when making their water changes for their betta’s tank.
One thing that we noticed people asking about is why their betta is hiding after a water change so we wanted to make that the main focus of today’s article.
We hope that we will be able to help some of our readers avoid some of the mistakes that we commonly see people making with their tanks and prevent their betta from hiding after their water change.
Is It Normal For A Betta Fish To Hide After A Water Change?
The short answer to this question is, no it is not normal for your betta fish to hide after a water change.
If you make a water change and your betta immediately starts hiding, then that is a sign that something is wrong.
The problem is usually with the quality of water or the amount of water that you have changed in your tank but in some setups, there could be other problems in the tank that are causing problems for your pet betta fish.
Why Your Betta Is Hiding After A Water Change!
There are a number of different reasons why your betta might start hiding after a water change and we will go over some of those reasons below.
- You Changed Too Much Water!
- You Didn’t Change Enough Water!
- You Forgot To Use A Tap Water Conditioner!
- The Water Temperature Is Different!
- The Ammonia Cycle!
You Changed Too Much Water!
One of the most common reasons that we see people having this problem is because they are changing too much water in their tank.
If you change more than 50% of the water in your tank, then it is likely that your betta will start hiding.
The reason for this is because a large water change can cause a lot of stress for your fish and it can also cause the water parameters in your tank to fluctuate.
When the water parameters in your tank fluctuate, it can cause a lot of stress for your fish and it can even lead to death in some cases.
If you are going to make a large water change, then we recommend that you do it gradually over the course of a few days.
We usually recommend that you only change around 20% of your tanks water at a time to allow you to deal with the build up of toxins in the tank without changing too much water.
You Didn’t Change Enough Water!
The opposite problem can also occur and if you don’t change enough water in your tank, then it can lead to your betta hiding.
If you don’t change enough water, then the ammonia and nitrite levels in your tank will start to rise and this can cause a lot of stress for your fish.
It is important to make sure that you are changing at least 15% of the water in your tank every week to ensure that the water quality stays high and that your fish stays healthy.
You Forgot To Use A Tap Water Conditioner!
One of the most common mistakes that we see people making is forgetting to use a tap water conditioner.
Tap water usually contains chlorine and chloramine which can be harmful to your fish if it is not removed.
A good quality tap water conditioner will remove these chemicals from your water and make it safe for your fish to live in.
If you forget to use a tap water conditioner, then it is likely that your betta will start hiding because the water is too toxic for them to live in.
The Water Temperature Is Different!
Another common problem that we see people having is that they forget to check the temperature of their water before they make a water change.
If the temperature of the water is different from what your fish are used to, then it can cause a lot of stress for them and it can even lead to death in some cases.
It is important to make sure that you check the temperature of your water before you make a water change and that you match it to the temperature of the water in your tank.
The Ammonia Cycle!
One of the most important things to remember when you are keeping fish is that ammonia is very toxic to them.
Ammonia is produced when your fish waste breaks down and it can quickly build up in your tank if you don’t change the water often enough.
If you have a lot of ammonia in your tank, then it is likely that your betta will start hiding because it is too toxic for them to live in.
It is important to make sure that you are changing the water in your tank regularly to prevent the ammonia levels from getting too high.
You can also add a product to your tank that will help to break down the ammonia and keep the levels low.
How Can I Help A Betta Fish That Is Hiding After A Water Change?
If you think that your betta is hiding because of a water change, then there are a few things that you can do to help them.
The first thing that you need to do is to make sure that you are using a good quality tap water conditioner to remove the chlorine and chloramine from your water.
You should also make sure that you are changing the water in your tank regularly to keep the ammonia levels low.
If you are having trouble keeping the ammonia levels low, then you can add a product to your tank that will help to break down the ammonia.
You can also try to gradually acclimate your fish to the new water conditions by slowly adding new water to their tank over the course of a few days.
If you are still having problems, then you can always contact a professional fish keeper for help.
How Long Does It Take For A Betta Fish To Get Used To Its New Water?
It usually takes a betta fish a few days to get used to its new water.
However, some betta fish can take up to a week to adjust to their new water conditions.
If you are having problems getting your fish to adjust to its new water, then you can try slowly acclimating them to the new conditions by adding new water to their tank over the course of a few days.
