Betta Lethargic

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ocminpin

ocminpin

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Sep 7, 2011
Messages
2,283
Location
North Las Vegas, NV
Fluffy the betta has been a fishy member of our family for almost a year now. My girlfriend kept him in a 2g bowl with no heater or filter up until about 3 weeks ago. After a horrible case of fin rot he slowly came back from I convinced her he needed to be in a tank with heater and filter. His fin rot started out almost overnight and he went from normal to fins breaking off when he's swim suddenly and you could see fin pieces floating in the water. That was in July/August and after much convincing and a lot of healig on Fluffys part he was recently moved into a 20g L with 2 platies. There is no aggression in the tank whatsoever and everyone is peaceful. Fluffy generally does have odd behavior like seclusion and it looks like he's completely unmoving and at first glance you'd think he was dead but moving your hand in front of him he flutters to life and swims normally.
Up until last week when I moved him from a 10g to the 20g he ate 3 pellets every other day. In this last week he has been eating a small amount of Omega One Veggie Flakes once daily.
He has been fairly active since being put into the 20g... Seemingly very happy with the space.
Since Day 1 the parameters via API liquid test kit have been:

Ph- 8.2
Ammo- 0 ppm
Nitrite- 0 ppm
Nitrate- 10 ppm

I've been doing two 50% PWC a week.

His belly may seem bloated? He's also breathing like a goldfish does... I've never seen him move his gills to breath before till tonight. Just trips to surface. Perhaps I'm also not used to seeing him in brighter light so maybe I am actually seeing everything on him now. Can you guys please take a look? Maybe he's just bloated and isn't feeling well so he needs peas for a couple days? He ignored feeding time tonight.


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Still laying on bottom... Haven't seen him swim all day... He must be coming up to surface to breathe tho.. Just haven't noticed.
Poor guy.. Hope he's okay
 
Mumma.of.two said:
Is he still bloated? What temperature is the tank?
Click to expand...

Can't see his belly..: he's lying in same place this morning tilted on his side as before. Been same for last 2 days.
Temp is 80 as usual. Platies are acting normally and swimming around together. They're so cute like little buddies...
But fluffy... I'm kinda worried... He used to lay on bottom in his bowl quite often
 
Just read up on it.... I'm seeing to treat with Maracyn or Maracyn-Two, although by the time scales are pineconed it is likely too late.

I'm suspecting it was caused by substandard housing (2g bowl from Feb-Dec 2011--was just able to convince other half to have him in tank) no filter, no heat and a water change every 7-10 days. He also had the fin rot from August- now... Hes made a huge turn around from it and it appears find grew back almost all the way. Perhaps a bacterial infection from this?
 
Mumma.of.two said:
I agree. The bowl is the major contributing factor. Poor fella. What are you planning to do?
Click to expand...

Well... My platies seem fine... And I read treatment can cause strain on internal organs... Perhaps this is only on infected fish...? I know my girlfriend won't want to euthanize in hope of recovery, and she will be quite annoyed with yet ANOTHER medication after our latest issues with mysterious baby deaths and the Camallanus...
Perhaps I can euthanize while she's at work and save his body for her... --- if that seems the most humane thing for him then I don't have a problem doing it for his sake. Poor guy suffered all that time in bowl and with the fin rot... Yet when I put him in tank he swam so long across tank. Gave me great hope for him...

Do you guys think it's worth a shot??


My girlfriend said a little while ago that if he dies she doesn't want another betta... :-( poor little Fluffy...
 
Mumma.of.two said:
It depends if you want to give medication a shot or not. IMO it sounds too late but you never know. :( If he looks to be struggling I would put him to sleep. :(
Click to expand...

He's done nothing but lay on bottom of tank behind rock for the last 3-4 days... He's gotten more bloated and pineconed by the day... He used to be deep blue on belly now is almost a tan...

Elise.. What would you do of he were yours?
 
ocminpin said:
He's done nothing but lay on bottom of tank behind rock for the last 3-4 days... He's gotten more bloated and pineconed by the day... He used to be deep blue on belly now is almost a tan...

Elise.. What would you do of he were yours?
Click to expand...

:( wait until morning and if he's the same or worse euthanize him. That's what I would do. :(
 
Mumma.of.two said:
:( wait until morning and if he's the same or worse euthanize him. That's what I would do. :(
Click to expand...

Thank you ... I don't expect him to do any better... Unfortunately. :-(
It would be wonderful but I just don't think it will happen...
She suggested we put him back in the bowl because maybe he liked it there...
I must say I think I howled "NOOO!" too loudly! ;-)
 
Mumma.of.two said:
Wow he is quite large. :(
Click to expand...

I'll be taking a look at him in 7 hrs when I get up in the morning... :-(
Maybe he'll make it easy and drift off on his own tonight... Good peaceful thoughts for Fluffy tonight please...
 
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