Help my betta

[katelyncampos]

I got my betta fish about 10 months ago and he was very healthy. I do 25% water changes about 3 times a week and 100% about once every two weeks. He is in a 2 gallon tank with a heater and his ph and ammonia levels were fine when I tested them a week ago. About 4 weeks ago he started being very lazy and would just lay at the bottom of the tank and only swam to get food or to move places but every time he stopped swimming he just floated to the bottom. It looked like he had brown splotches around his head so I thought maybe he had a fungal infection so I put rid ich in his tank for about two weeks and continued with the regular water changes and he never got better but he is still eating and everything he is just very lethargic and I do not know what is wrong. So if you know anything about what's happening please let me know. thank you!!!


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[SpaceFish42]

I'm not sure what it is, but you probably shouldn't be doing 100% water changes. It basically restarts the cycling process all over again.

 

[katelyncampos]

I normally only do it when the gravel and everything inside gets dirty


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[coralbandit]

I'm not sure what it is, but you probably shouldn't be doing 100% water changes. It basically restarts the cycling process all over again.

^This is not true^??

 

[katelyncampos]

^This is not true^??

so it's okay to do 100% water changes?


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[coralbandit]

As long as water is properly prepared.
The right tempature and from same source as tank water.
You could probably avoid the 100% changes if you bumped your 25% up to 50%.
50% is only one gallon,and again done properly should only please the fish.

 

[SpaceFish42]

^This is not true^??

Oh no! I'm sorry! I have seen people saying that all over AA, and I had no idea it was false information.

 

[ArtistGardener]

Just don't wash the gravel and filter media with normal tap water (that kills all the beneficial bacteria) and it is OK for an occasional 100% water change. Is it a filtered tank? If not, that is all the more reason to not wash the gravel--just vacuum up the mulm. Do you have a photo of the fish so we can see the brown spot? It sounds like a fungus and RidIch isn't the proper way to deal with that. Let us know what's happening so folks can help. A two-gallon tank, while some think is fine for bettas, is hard to keep clean and maintain good water parameters. If you can, upgrade to a five gallon.

 

[brennae]

As long as water is properly prepared.
The right tempature and from same source as tank water.
You could probably avoid the 100% changes if you bumped your 25% up to 50%.
50% is only one gallon,and again done properly should only please the fish.

I do 100% changes on some of my bettas in smaller containers. Betta breeders that jar their fish do this also. Some tanks are so small that frequent large water changes are just necessary.

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[katelyncampos]

Just don't wash the gravel and filter media with normal tap water (that kills all the beneficial bacteria) and it is OK for an occasional 100% water change. Is it a filtered tank? If not, that is all the more reason to not wash the gravel--just vacuum up the mulm. Do you have a photo of the fish so we can see the brown spot? It sounds like a fungus and RidIch isn't the proper way to deal with that. Let us know what's happening so folks can help. A two-gallon tank, while some think is fine for bettas, is hard to keep clean and maintain good water parameters. If you can, upgrade to a five gallon.

thank you for letting me know about the gravel I had no idea and no it is not filtered but I check the ph and ammonia every week and the levels are normally within the safe parameters.


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[katelyncampos]

I'm sorry the pictures didn't show up very well but most of his body is brown except for a couple of blue spots


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[brennae]

Did you acquire this fish when he was already an adult?

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[katelyncampos]

im not sure how old he was but he was fully grown when I got him so yes


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[brennae]

Did he come from a fish store? Sometimes I wonder what they go through before getting to the store and if this has an effect on their lifespan. I'm just really not sure about the brown. If you have a small clear container and could put him in that with his tank water long enough to take a better pic that would help.

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[ArtistGardener]

10 months later is pretty late for something to show up related to his time at the fish store or breeder. I would guess it is a fungus due to poor water quality at some point. Keep up with the water changes, 50% every day, with quality conditioned water. You may have to try an antifungal medication, but most medicines are pretty hard on weakened fish. The best remedy is steady clean water.

 

[katelyncampos]

10 months later is pretty late for something to show up related to his time at the fish store or breeder. I would guess it is a fungus due to poor water quality at some point. Keep up with the water changes, 50% every day, with quality conditioned water. You may have to try an antifungal medication, but most medicines are pretty hard on weakened fish. The best remedy is steady clean water.

so try to stay away from medicine and just do 50% water change everyday?


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[ArtistGardener]

Without seeing a close up photo of him, that is safer advice. I agree with brennae on trying to get a better photo so we can see what is wrong with him. Lying on the bottom is a symptom of lots of things--ammonia poisoning, chilling, wasting disease, etc. Try to get that better photo, but in the meantime, good water is often the best medicine.

 

[katelyncampos]

okay awesome thank you I will change the water when I get home and try to get a better picture the only thing that confused me was the fact that this has been going on for weeks and he stills eats


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