fongster76
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2011
- Messages
- 2
Hi,
I've got a betta fish (female) that has stopped eating. She hasn't eaten for 3 days now and she just hides behind the filter in the dark, at the top of the tank.
She doesn't swim around, she's been in the same area (between the glass of the tank and the filter which is not much room) for the last 3 days. I can see her gills moving, she is now diagonal (mouth to top of water, tail down) but stays in this position for ages.
I dropped 1 x flake of food right on top of where she was today, but she just wriggled away. We've had her for 2-3 months now.
She's been living happily with 9 black phantom tetras (bought and introduced to the tank a few weeks earlier), a male betta fish (bought from the same shop as her at the same time) and a couple of shrimp (60L tank).
We have an aerator that's been blowing bubbles 24-7 for 3-4 weeks now, the temp is 25'C, plenty of plants, all fish are swimming around happily and eating incl the male betta. He swam near her today, usually they flare their fins at each other and chase each other around the tank "flirting", they haven't ever attacked each other... and today, he visited her, did some flaring and she didn't move so he left her alone.
We were told that if there's anything wrong with the water, the shrimp will be the first to die but our shrimp are fine (one's just exuviated and all ok).
I don't know if there's something wrong with her, I cannot see any signs of sickness on her body (her colour is normal, she has no spots or fuzz).
It's her unusual behaviour that's got me worried. She's fasted for 3 days now when usually she has a healthy appetite, she's been hiding and seems hard of breathing if that makes sense, it seems she stays at the top to breathe.
Has anyone seen this behaviour in bettas before? Will she be ok? Is she sick? Is she dying? Please can you tell me if there is anything I can do to help her?
I've got a betta fish (female) that has stopped eating. She hasn't eaten for 3 days now and she just hides behind the filter in the dark, at the top of the tank.
She doesn't swim around, she's been in the same area (between the glass of the tank and the filter which is not much room) for the last 3 days. I can see her gills moving, she is now diagonal (mouth to top of water, tail down) but stays in this position for ages.
I dropped 1 x flake of food right on top of where she was today, but she just wriggled away. We've had her for 2-3 months now.
She's been living happily with 9 black phantom tetras (bought and introduced to the tank a few weeks earlier), a male betta fish (bought from the same shop as her at the same time) and a couple of shrimp (60L tank).
We have an aerator that's been blowing bubbles 24-7 for 3-4 weeks now, the temp is 25'C, plenty of plants, all fish are swimming around happily and eating incl the male betta. He swam near her today, usually they flare their fins at each other and chase each other around the tank "flirting", they haven't ever attacked each other... and today, he visited her, did some flaring and she didn't move so he left her alone.
We were told that if there's anything wrong with the water, the shrimp will be the first to die but our shrimp are fine (one's just exuviated and all ok).
I don't know if there's something wrong with her, I cannot see any signs of sickness on her body (her colour is normal, she has no spots or fuzz).
It's her unusual behaviour that's got me worried. She's fasted for 3 days now when usually she has a healthy appetite, she's been hiding and seems hard of breathing if that makes sense, it seems she stays at the top to breathe.
Has anyone seen this behaviour in bettas before? Will she be ok? Is she sick? Is she dying? Please can you tell me if there is anything I can do to help her?