Sluggish Betta

[twixie09]

Update: Betta is still laying very limp at the bottom of the tank, on his side. When I went to feed my corys, he layed on their food The corys tried to push him out of the way but it was almost like he was paralyzed...he struggled to move and just went in small circles. ):

I finally figured out how to get the dang lid on the tank with the heater and filter. I woke up this morning and the temp was like 89!!!!!!! I immediately did a water change, trying not to put too cool water in, and I got the temp to 81 after a couple of hours. Ugh!!!

Also, one of my corys has been laying on the bottom all morning...if I try to disturb him, he wiggles a little, then just lays there. Is it possible it's the heat? Or something else? Ammonia maybe? Another cory appeared to be scratching on the side of the tank, but it's REALLY hard to tell if they're scratching or just swimming. They're so spastic, it's hard to judge.

If I do get rid of the corys, should I restart salt dosage for my betta? I don't think he has velvet, because other than the silver, I see no discoloration, and other than him scratching, I don't think it's ich. (Also, no little white spots on anyone).

My neighbor has a ten gallon tank with three neon tetras, two peppered corys, two loaches, a snail and a tiny shrimp (a bit overstocked, I know). Would it be a possibility to put the two healthy corys of mine into her tank, temporarily, until my tank is done cycling, or would that just be way too much? Even for just a couple of weeks? I know the tank is already full, but like I said, I don't want to take them back to the store if I can help it.

 

[siva]

twixie09's deviantART gallery Try that.

How much gravel do you think will be sufficient, if it would even work? I'm pretty sure they don't have a used filter that they would give me. :/

Also, I'm thinking the main reason why he has been spitting out his food is because it's probably expired. I went out and bought him some Hikari Betta Bio-Gold baby pellets, so we'll see if he'll eat them. They're like half the size of his old pellets, and they're NOT expired.

No it's not a filter, but the actual filter media. A used cartridge, part of a cartridge, something that you can put in your own filter.

Hikari is the way to go. Still, him not eating is not a good sign. I doubt expired food would cause this.

 

[siva]

Update: Betta is still laying very limp at the bottom of the tank, on his side. When I went to feed my corys, he layed on their food The corys tried to push him out of the way but it was almost like he was paralyzed...he struggled to move and just went in small circles. ):

I finally figured out how to get the dang lid on the tank with the heater and filter. I woke up this morning and the temp was like 89!!!!!!! I immediately did a water change, trying not to put too cool water in, and I got the temp to 81 after a couple of hours. Ugh!!!

Also, one of my corys has been laying on the bottom all morning...if I try to disturb him, he wiggles a little, then just lays there. Is it possible it's the heat? Or something else? Ammonia maybe? Another cory appeared to be scratching on the side of the tank, but it's REALLY hard to tell if they're scratching or just swimming. They're so spastic, it's hard to judge.

If I do get rid of the corys, should I restart salt dosage for my betta? I don't think he has velvet, because other than the silver, I see no discoloration, and other than him scratching, I don't think it's ich. (Also, no little white spots on anyone).

My neighbor has a ten gallon tank with three neon tetras, two peppered corys, two loaches, a snail and a tiny shrimp (a bit overstocked, I know). Would it be a possibility to put the two healthy corys of mine into her tank, temporarily, until my tank is done cycling, or would that just be way too much? Even for just a couple of weeks? I know the tank is already full, but like I said, I don't want to take them back to the store if I can help it.

Laying on the bottom does sound like swim bladder. I would try feeding a some pellet sized peices of shelled pea, and otherwise discontinue feeding for a few days and see if that helps.

I don't know about the cory..it may the heat, that was too hot for them. It may also be the salt or the ammonia.

At this point I really don't know if you should use salt or not. Also not sure on the transfer of the cories. You don't want to spread something to her tank, in case they do have something contagious. Wish I could help more.

 

[twixie09]

They don't have one; I asked. I know what you meant.

===========================================

I have tried the pea, twice, which he wanted nothing to do with. Any advice? When I tried, it just sunk to the bottom. He's been eating okay now; he seems to like the Hikari food. I'm only feeding him a couple pellets every other day, and he usually doesn't even eat it.

I quarantined the cory in my old one gallon tank with half clean water and half tank water. He doesn't even move much. His gills move rapidly and if I disturb the tank at all, he just lays there. If I move a stone he's resting on, he spazzes out until he's smooshed between pebbles and the side of the tank, almost like he can't swim anymore. It's sad just watching him lay there...his coloring looks fine, and I haven't seen this one scratching at all. Is there anything I can do to help, you think?

Also, I went out and bought some Tetra water conditioner yesterday. Is that a good brand? It smells sulfery...will it hurt my fish? I heard a lot of good things about it.

:/

 

[twixie09]

Okay if anyone is still up (doubt it) I need to know how I can set up a safe quarantine tank for my cory. I do not want to keep him in the one gallon, especially because it doesn't have a heater or filter. I'm thinking of running to Wal-mart to get a starter tank. But since my main tank is not cycled, would it be safe to put my sick cory in? (I know, he probably won't make it, anyway, but it's worth a try, isn't it?) :/ I'm taking his illness quite hard emotionally....I feel bad watching him writhe on the bottom of the tank...I can't find any diseases that fit his symptoms. Can I put a sick fish in an uncycled quarantine tank? I'll probably get another ten gal tank, maybe twenty, depending on their prices. I just want to make my cory as comfortable as possibl;e, especially if he is going to die soon. Do I put plants and/or gravel in the Q tank?? I need answers. ):

 

[Hubert90]

Okay if anyone is still up (doubt it) I need to know how I can set up a safe quarantine tank for my cory. I do not want to keep him in the one gallon, especially because it doesn't have a heater or filter. I'm thinking of running to Wal-mart to get a starter tank. But since my main tank is not cycled, would it be safe to put my sick cory in? (I know, he probably won't make it, anyway, but it's worth a try, isn't it?) :/ I'm taking his illness quite hard emotionally....I feel bad watching him writhe on the bottom of the tank...I can't find any diseases that fit his symptoms. Can I put a sick fish in an uncycled quarantine tank? I'll probably get another ten gal tank, maybe twenty, depending on their prices. I just want to make my cory as comfortable as possibl;e, especially if he is going to die soon. Do I put plants and/or gravel in the Q tank?? I need answers. ):

Sorry to hear but u never know they may pull through! Qt tank doesn't need to be 20 gallons, 10 gallons is plenty. And a Qt tank normally has a Bare bottom with nothing but heaters and filters. Do u mind describing Ur Cory symptoms to me? And as for cycling ur qt. I don't think u have the time to do fishless cycle, so grab an old cycled media from one of ur filter and place it in ur new filter, and just monitor the water parameters closely and keep on top of ur pwc! I know how u feel, I lost a 10 year old oranda 2 years ago and I was so upset I was actually down for a week! Haha but all in all they count towards experiences!

 

[Hubert90]

And be sure to acclimate ur Cory before transferring them into ur qt tank. I hear catfish is quite sensitive towards a sudden change in water parameters (temp, ph and etc)

 

[twixie09]

Update: Betta is still laying very limp at the bottom of the tank, on his side. When I went to feed my corys, he layed on their food The corys tried to push him out of the way but it was almost like he was paralyzed...he struggled to move and just went in small circles. ):

I finally figured out how to get the dang lid on the tank with the heater and filter. I woke up this morning and the temp was like 89!!!!!!! I immediately did a water change, trying not to put too cool water in, and I got the temp to 81 after a couple of hours. Ugh!!!

Also, one of my corys has been laying on the bottom all morning...if I try to disturb him, he wiggles a little, then just lays there. Is it possible it's the heat? Or something else? Ammonia maybe? Another cory appeared to be scratching on the side of the tank, but it's REALLY hard to tell if they're scratching or just swimming. They're so spastic, it's hard to judge.

If I do get rid of the corys, should I restart salt dosage for my betta? I don't think he has velvet, because other than the silver, I see no discoloration, and other than him scratching, I don't think it's ich. (Also, no little white spots on anyone).

My neighbor has a ten gallon tank with three neon tetras, two peppered corys, two loaches, a snail and a tiny shrimp (a bit overstocked, I know). Would it be a possibility to put the two healthy corys of mine into her tank, temporarily, until my tank is done cycling, or would that just be way too much? Even for just a couple of weeks? I know the tank is already full, but like I said, I don't want to take them back to the store if I can help it.

He just lays there...I did feed him some cooked mashed shelled peas, so we'll see how he is in the morning...he seems to have problems getting on his stomach once he's on his side; he wiggles and wiggles and it just looks exhausting. Then, when he manages to get upright, his tail and bottom half of his body will start shaking violently. His coloring still looks normal and he's no longer breathing very hard; his breaths seem steady. I feel so bad. I wish there was more I could do. ):

 

[siva]

They don't have one; I asked. I know what you meant.

===========================================

I have tried the pea, twice, which he wanted nothing to do with. Any advice? When I tried, it just sunk to the bottom. He's been eating okay now; he seems to like the Hikari food. I'm only feeding him a couple pellets every other day, and he usually doesn't even eat it.

I quarantined the cory in my old one gallon tank with half clean water and half tank water. He doesn't even move much. His gills move rapidly and if I disturb the tank at all, he just lays there. If I move a stone he's resting on, he spazzes out until he's smooshed between pebbles and the side of the tank, almost like he can't swim anymore. It's sad just watching him lay there...his coloring looks fine, and I haven't seen this one scratching at all. Is there anything I can do to help, you think?

Also, I went out and bought some Tetra water conditioner yesterday. Is that a good brand? It smells sulfery...will it hurt my fish? I heard a lot of good things about it.

:/

Well they do..if they have a filter running it has some media in it they could give you part of..it may be too diffcult to get them to understand that though

I wouldn't move the cory. Since you do not have a cycled hospital tank, there is really no point. You'll only stress it worse. If you can't diagnose a paticular problem with it, all you can do is keep the water as clean as you possibly can, and stop feeding a for a few days.

 

[siva]

He just lays there...I did feed him some cooked mashed shelled peas, so we'll see how he is in the morning...he seems to have problems getting on his stomach once he's on his side; he wiggles and wiggles and it just looks exhausting. Then, when he manages to get upright, his tail and bottom half of his body will start shaking violently. His coloring still looks normal and he's no longer breathing very hard; his breaths seem steady. I feel so bad. I wish there was more I could do. ):

I'm so sorry It bothers me greatly when a fishy is suffering also. All you can do is make it as comfortable as possible at this point. Leave the lights off most of the time, fast them for a few days, keep the water as clean as you can. Hang in there girl!

 

[twixie09]

So...should I put him BACK in the main tank? He's been in quarantine all day. I don't have a heater or filter for the Q tank, so it would probably be better to put him back...but obviously I don't know much. :/

Edit: Nvmd I think he died...his gills aren't moving and I poked him around gently for a bit and he didn't even twitch. ): ): ):

 

[siva]

Well crap. Sorry Atleast he's not suffering now. Try not to beat yourself up, we've all made mistakes, and this little guy could have had a parasite or something else wrong with him and would have passed anyway! Cory cats are not the greatest shippers..and that's how they get to your lfs, via shipment, and it's not that uncommon for them to die shortly after shipment. I've had enough cories shipped directly to my home to know that for sure.

 

[twixie09]

Yeah ): I just wish I knew what killed him...he looks normal other than the fact that he's dead...I put him in a ziploc bag with a little water (don't ask why) and stuck him in the freezer, just to make sure he's absolutely dead before I do anything with him. The other corys are still acting fine...maybe he was just not as healthy as the other two. idk I plan on taking my two healthy corys to my neighbor's until the tank finishes cycling.

Think my betta can handle the rest of the cycle? He seems to be much more active, but still also lays at the bottom. Nitrates are starting to rise; that's good, right? I ordered a Nitrite test kit from Amazon (it's API brand), so that should be here probably by the end of next week. (I could not find one in any store, except in the master test kits).

I'm buying a 20 gal long tank this weekend. Someone is selling it to me on Craigslist for $25. Comes with 75 gal filter (will that produce too much current for my betta?), lid, light etc. Only thing missing is a heater, which I can buy later on. When I move in August, once we're settled in our place, I plan to set up the 20 gal, do a FISHLESS cycle this time (lol) and once that tank is cycled, move my betta and the corys (or whatever fish I still have) to the 20 gal and keeping the 10 gal as a quarantine tank.

Do any of you have Skype or any form of communication I can use if I have anymore questions? The forum is slow sometimes and you all have been so helpful. My skype is twixie09, so if anyone wants to add me or anything, let me know.

 

[siva]

Well you are staying right on top of it, so hopefully betta can make it through. Nitrates rising is good, yes.

That is a sweet deal for a 20 long w/ the fixins. I just bought one for $39.99 at petco. Just the tank. It sucked, but I had to have one Filter may be a bit strong, each betta is different, but can be baffled easily with a pop bottle - here's that trick: Filter Currents: A Betta's Worst Nightmare

You're fishless cycle will be super quick with your 20 because you can jump start it with filter media from your 10. What kind of filter do you have on the 10 currently? (If I knew, I forgot)

I don't have skype..what about msn messenger?

 

[twixie09]

It's a Top Fin filter from PetSmart (whatever came with my starter kit).

I don't have MSN. You have twitter, even? lol

Also: Betta looks the same as he's been looking; he's still turning silver. He's stopped scratching on things, and has been much more active lately and eating more. He still likes to lay at the bottom and he seems to fall to his side when he's not moving his fins, but I think most of it is age, honestly. I think he's getting along in years (if he really was 9-12 months when I got him, he would be just about three and a half years old, and considering he spent his entire life so far in a one gallon, unheated unfiltered tank, I would say that's not bad at all). I have definitely seen an improvement in his physical activity, so I'm not really sure what was wrong with him. Maybe he was just being lazy...I dunno.

 

[siva]

No twitter even lol I just can't keep up with you kids

I'm sure this was mentioned somewhere along the line, but you are using a dechlorinator, right? (I think you are, it's just one thing that could possibly cause discoloration in bettas so have to make sure).

Ok so that filter media inside your filter is what is holding the vast majority of the beneficial bacteria you are growing, so it's important that you never just chuck that cartridge and put in a new one like most filter manufacturers would have you believe needs done every month. Most importantly, completely do not touch it while your cycling. Don't rinse the filter cart or anything (also take it easy with vaccuming the gravel during your cycle). Once your tank is cycled, when you are doing your weekly pwc, take a look at the filter cart and if it looks cruddy, gently clean it off in a bucket of tank water (never use tap, it must be dechlorinated so it doesn't kill your bacteria), if it doesn't look like it needs cleaning, leave it be. When the cartridge is tattered and about to fall apart, rip the fiber part off of the plastic frame, throw away the plastic and carbon that was in the middle, and wrap that old fiber around the new filter cart and then insert it. This will protect your cycle and save your fish from mini cycles every time the cartridge is changed.

 

[siva]

Twixie how has your betta been doing? I have a molly with severe velvet and he has the silvering affect your betta had, which again made me wonder if velvet was your culprit.

 

[twixie09]

My betta is doing fine! He still likes to lay at the bottom but he has definitely been swimming around a LOT more. I think it was a mixture of poor water conditions from the old tank and probably being cold all of the time. He seems happy. ^-^ My two corys are doing wonderful, as well. One is almost twice as big as the other, so I have a feeling that one is a female. P:

But yeah. No other weird coloration on my betta; I heard some bettas just develop "beards" as they age. It must just be his genetics.

Good luck with your molly. ):

 

[siva]

Ok phew..so glad he's doing well. If it were velvet, by now, you would most definitely be able to see the dusting on his fins. I'm sure you're right that it is just the beard. Old man river hehe

 

[twixie09]

Hey, could you guys give me your two cents on my new post, please?

It's here: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/rinsing-sand-quick-replies-please-164606.html#post1492142 Thank you! : D