Please help me help my betta :(

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fishychick

fishychick

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Oct 16, 2014
Messages
229
Location
Southern California
IMG_20150219_101007.jpg

Tank has been up for about a year. 5 gallon. I do a 30% wc once a week.

For the last week and a half or so my betta has been getting more and more lethargic. He either lays on the bottom or floats motionless in the corner. He has been eating but I thought I might be overfeeding so two days ago I gave him a pea (which he ate) and yesterday I fasted him, but no improvement. So last night I did a 50% wc and added salt, still no improvement.
Before last nights wc;
ammonia-0
nitrites-0
nitrates-10

Quite a few times I've thought he was dead until I tapped on the tank and he moved. He looks ok and doesn't seem to have the other symptoms of betta diseases that I have researched. I'm not sure what else to try. What am I missing?
Thanks.
 
SpaceFish42 said:
I'm not sure, but this might help.
betta diseases
Good luck!
Click to expand...


Thanks! I checked that out this morning. Great site. That's whats so frustrating, the site gives really good detail and photos about different betta illness, but the only thing that really nails what my guy is doing is;
"Is not active. May lay at the bottom and come up only for air, or may stay at the surface in a corner."
He doesn't have any of the other physical signs or symptoms that help identify what is wrong. He basically just stopped moving. In the picture he even looks a little better than he has lately, usually he is actually laying on the rocks.
I appreciate the help though.
 
Indeed, it could be the beginnings of SBD before it completely takes effect. I'd have an anti bacterial on hand (I just went through this).
 
for the record there's two types of SBD. There's whirling disease and the type where they just act lethargic and don't do much until they're sinking. the latter is very hard to catch and the first sign is lethargy. you might also want to get a shot of him from the top to see if he is skinny; if he is it could be a further sign of some type of SBD infection ravaging him seeing as the infection will hinder his ability to put on weight or absorb nutrients. An S shaped spine is also indicative of a swim bladder problem (although it could be other things, too).

If you do conclude it's SBD - which it may or may not be - Aquarium salt won't help - Epsom salt will. But don't rush off and do anything yet.

and yes temp - totally forgot. If the temp is too low they will be lethargic.
 
StrangelyNormal said:
for the record there's two types of SBD. There's whirling disease and the type where they just act lethargic and don't do much until they're sinking. the latter is very hard to catch and the first sign is lethargy. you might also want to get a shot of him from the top to see if he is skinny; if he is it could be a further sign of some type of SBD infection ravaging him seeing as the infection will hinder his ability to put on weight or absorb nutrients. An S shaped spine is also indicative of a swim bladder problem (although it could be other things, too).

If you do conclude it's SBD - which it may or may not be - Aquarium salt won't help - Epsom salt will. But don't rush off and do anything yet.

and yes temp - totally forgot. If the temp is too low they will be lethargic.
Click to expand...

Is SBD swim bladder disease?
As far as temp goes, I don't know specifically, I just know I make sure it stays towards the top of the green area on the thermometer. I have a problem keeping my tanks from getting too warm. I had a heater in his tank but one night I came home and the temp was way above the green line. I know bettas like it toasty, but I didn't want to over do it. It's been sort of since that time that he's been acting so sick.

He came out and ate a little last night but this morning he was laying on the rocks and leaning against the side of the tank. It also looks to me like a part of his tail has gotten shorter but fin rot doesn't make sense because I change his water every week. He doesn't look any skinnier to me, but I'll try to check him from the top when I get home. I'm so frustrated. I feel like he's just laying there suffering.
Is there anything I could be doing? Just daily water changes?
 
FreshSaltGirl said:
+1, might be SBD. Just for the record, what temp is his water normally at?
Click to expand...

I normally just make sure it stays within the green bar on the the thermometer. It's usually right at the top. I have a problem with my tanks getting too warm so I figure he's good. I had a heater in but took it out because one night the temp was waaaay high out of the green area. Not sure what the specific temp is because honestly my eyes aren't good enough to see the numbers because they are so darn small.
 
Try feeding him de shelled peas. The frozen kind not the canned ones more sure they are thawed beforehand
 
FWFishTanks said:
Try feeding him de shelled peas. The frozen kind not the canned ones more sure they are thawed beforehand
Click to expand...

Thank you for the suggestion. He ate a pea Tue night, I fasted him Wed and gave him a small bit of food last night. Maybe I'll try another pea tonight. I appreciate your help.
 
fishychick said:
Is SBD swim bladder disease?
As far as temp goes, I don't know specifically, I just know I make sure it stays towards the top of the green area on the thermometer. I have a problem keeping my tanks from getting too warm. I had a heater in his tank but one night I came home and the temp was way above the green line. I know bettas like it toasty, but I didn't want to over do it. It's been sort of since that time that he's been acting so sick.

He came out and ate a little last night but this morning he was laying on the rocks and leaning against the side of the tank. It also looks to me like a part of his tail has gotten shorter but fin rot doesn't make sense because I change his water every week. He doesn't look any skinnier to me, but I'll try to check him from the top when I get home. I'm so frustrated. I feel like he's just laying there suffering.
Is there anything I could be doing? Just daily water changes?
Click to expand...

Post a picture of him from the top. And knowing a specific temperature will help us out a lot. Yes sbd is swim bladder disorder.

You don't want to try peas too many times.. I have heard that feeding peas can damage their digestive tract.
 
loli from top.jpg

StrangelyNormal said:
Post a picture of him from the top. And knowing a specific temperature will help us out a lot. Yes sbd is swim bladder disorder.

You don't want to try peas too many times.. I have heard that feeding peas can damage their digestive tract.
Click to expand...

Look at this photo! Doesn't it totally look like SBD? That's fixable, right!!??
Temp is 78 degrees.
 
He is on the skinny side.. hmm. What do you feed him with?

The spine could also be a nutritional thing.
 
okay.. first, I would definitely get better food. Omega One and New Life Spectrum fit the bill. Second, your water sounds okay.

Third, I personally do think this is either a nutritional issue, swim bladder or both (poor diet = illness). I would use an anti bacterial. Do you have medication? is he in a tank by himself?
 
He is in a tank by himself. I did a 50% WC last night and he seems worse today. He's laying on the floor of his cave. I fasted him yesterday. I'll stop by the lfs to get the food u suggested. Should I start him off with some blood worms or something? Also, I think I have some bettafix. Should I use that or get something else? Also, he hasn't been swimming sideways or anything, So I guess I'm still not sure if it's sbd.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
 
Also, I was thinking of getting a small QT tank so I can better monitor him. Or will that just stress him out? Going to lfs now. He's barely hanging on. I'm kind of freaking out. I feel like it's too late. :(


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice
 
I wouldn't give him anything that will expand in his stomach. I would put him on a diet of frozen mysis shrimp but if he won't eat them I would give him pellets, since flakes can be tough on their swim bladder even more. As for antibiotics I would get a strong antibiotic like kanaplex. Furan 2 could maybe help you too since Kana usuaally isn't available in pet stores. BettaFix and the other API "fix" products aren't really helpful with most bad cases needing antibiotics.

I wouldn't put him in quarantine. I would lower the water level though.
 
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