Betta Help!!

[centuriJon]

Recently (like the past week) my male betta has not been very active at all. It seems like all he wants to do is hide in an atrificial cave I have set up. He doesn't even chase the female betta like he should. Could he be ill? I have also just recently gotten my aquarium to it's current fish stock, so could he now feel overcrowded? Any help would be appreciated.

As a side note (I just noticed) he seems to come out of hiding when he is curiuos... like at feeding times or when I turn the hood light on/off.

 

[Menagerie]

Many Qs need to be answered before help can be given
What is the size of the tank?
How many/what type of fish have been added? How recently? How long was the male betta in the tank with fewer fish--how many/type?
Water parameters: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate?
Have you seen any of the fish chase the male betta? The female betta could be chasing him--not the other way around
Is the cave located near the top of the tank?
Has there been a change in current from the filter?

 

[centuriJon]

wow, that is alot to answer.

The male betta was in my tank for a little over a month with 4 rosy tetras, 3 black mystery tetras, and 1 powder blue gourami. Then I got my pleco. About a month after that I added 2 more of each kind of tetra. A month after that I added 2 angelfish (one that died ). 2 weeks later added the platys. And 2 weeks after that added the female betta, gold algae eater, and goby (that was a few days ago). Water parameters are all fine, pH a little high, but not bad.

I've never had any fish chase my betta, and he's always been fairly peaceful to the other fish, and it seems like the bettas are just ignoring each other.

The cave is at the bottom of the tank.

I did get a biowheel filter though (at the same time as the angelfish), which has a higher current than my old filter, but I turned the output so that it shoots to the wall of my aquarium to reduce the overall current in the tank - but why would that have bugged him out?

 

[Christmasfish]

I notice you missed the tank size...
if your tank is smaller than a 55 gal.. that would your first problem with the total load towards the end. You do not say how long it has been running with its first fish/fishless cycle. It seems like under 6 months ownership....?

You had 2 labyrinths in the same tank..but had no aggression noticed.
An exception and therefore a good mix (aggression would be more on the dwarf's end).
But you added angels that likely were harrassed by the dwarf if same size
and a female betta

Recently (like the past week) my male betta has not been very active at all. He doesn't even chase the female betta like he should.

I am not sure whre that idea is from. Breeding females and shy females will allow themselves to be nippedd a bit and chased.
Otherwise they 're the fish to watch. They are fast and likely to shred your male. Bettas that get along should be exibiting no chasing what-so-ever no matter the gender. Only small pecks at supper time and other queing events.
It seems like your male is hiding from the female at the opposite end of the tank and she is allowing him that space. This can stress him greatly if it is actually the case.

Also there is no "fine" when talking parameters. The way to say that is zero across the borad. If it is not zero it is not "fine".
There is ZERO....danger watch....and Fatal.
We need numbers because many here may be aware of sensitivity in a particular species to particular quality issues. 8) Give up the numbers...gallons/Nh/No

Also I would watch that tank one night or two from a less obvious view post and see if you have a secret bully stressing the others. Many bullys get distracted when we are near to feed or attend.....so we never see them harrasssing their victims.

 

[sofia]

First of all...it is not a good idea to keep the female with the male in the same tank unless you are breeding them. Does the male at least sometimes flare at the other fish? How big is the tank?

You will want to look here on betta health:

http://www.bettatalk.com/betta_diseases.htm

 

[centuriJon]

This is all in my 20 gal tank - I figured if the bettas became too aggressive in such a small tank, I'd move the male to another one.

Water Parameters: Ammonia / Nitrites: 0, pH 7, General Hardness / Carbonate Hardness: 6.5 dGh/dKh

Now I'm thinking I may move the tetras to the other tank.

Also, the male betta became shy nearly a week before the female was added. But that's what is so strange to me, I've never seen any of my fish bother any other fish, except while the tetras were establishing their pecking order.

 

[sofia]

woah I honestly think the 20g is overloaded. Iam surprised the ammonia is 0. btw what kind of goby?

 

[centuriJon]

It's a good filter, and I monitor the levels closely. Thanks sofia for that site, lot's of good info. As best as I can tell (of the symptoms and diseases listed) he's probably just depressed. I have decided to take out about half of my tetras as well, they're a boring fish anyway.

It's a bumblebee goby. Cute lil guy

 

[Menagerie]

Bettas do not like current on the top of the tank. I am surprised the betta has chosen to hide on the bottom of the tank. Does he go to the top of the tank?
As for your bb goby--be careful with it. I had three in a community tank and grossly under estimated their salt needs and on top of that, they were out competed for food. They really like live foods, although mine excepted frozen blood worms. At the end, I was hand feeding mine and they did not make it. Since moving up here, I dedicated a tank for brackish water conditions and then couldn't get any of the LFS to get the bb gobies in

 

[Christmasfish]

What are the nitrAtes? They also a danger deepending on your change schedule.....
And that is not handled by the biofilter in media/filter or cannister. And gph is not relative to bacterial surface...btw...

You should still watch your tank and observe actions at dim light..
You mention tetras a lot but that doesn't affect the gourami turning nasty or the female cowing him....
Also depending on what you kh is made from, you may be experiencing swings in any of the readings because your neutral 7. I actually experienced that last month.... my calcium and potassium droppped to be relaced by higher magnese and lime when my water was mixed with city water a week. It is usually 7ph and 6kh and acidic. It became more alkaline and weak. I had .5 pH swings each way and one mini cycle. Lucky I caught the difference in time to take measures. :|

 

[sofia]

Actually many of my bettas love hiding places. Although most of the males are aggressive towards other fish in community tanks so Iam surprised yours does not flare..or does he? lol I had male betta bit off a big chunk of one of my sharks tail yesterday so I took him out and threw him in the garbage. lol JK.

Also I doubt he is depressed in that tank with lots of fish...how long has he been in there? He's probably still just getting used to with being with so many fish swimming around considering he was jarred by himself for more than half a year.

 

[centuriJon]

I know that some of the readings aren't related, but you guys asked for water parameters, and I gave you everything I know. I'm not worried about lime, chlorine, etc in the water because I have well-water that is filtered in home, plus an on-tap filter after that (I've tested water straight from the tap before, it comes out very clean). And I've actually written a software program to help me keep track of the water parameters (I know, I'm a nerd )

My betta had no problem with the new filter's flow for about 2 weeks, then he became reclusive (btw I've had him for about 4 months now). The only real surface current is in one corner of my tank.

My betta only flared once at the female, and that was it.

I peeked in on him in the cave today and he appears to have become a lil fat - so now I'm thinking he's got a swim bladder disorder - time to go on a diet

 

[sofia]

he doesn't have swim bladder disorder unless he has dificulty swimming

 

[sofia]

on another note, iam battling body fungus with one betta, bacterial infection with others and swollen gill with another....ugh what a PAIN

 

[centuriJon]

Well, thanks for all your help guys, but I lost him today. It appears to have been dropsy . Now I'll have to watch the female VERY closely

 

[sofia]

You know when you said that he appeared fat...that's the first thing I thought. Sorry for your loss...I also lost a female betta today to columnaris

 

[Menagerie]

I'm sorry for your loss.
Were the scales out like a pine cone?
The other possibility is he may have been bloated. Your fish will all benefit from some peas once a week. The first time I fed my fish peas they laughed at me, but now, they can't seem to get enough. I nuke the peas for a few seconds, peel and serve.

 

[centuriJon]

hmm... interesting, but yes they were out like a pine-cone