It may be time, but i really hope it isnt

[ImBettaThanCool]

Time****
Before i start, heres some info.
Fish:Betta
Tank:25L fluval chi
Temp:78 degrees farenheit
Water change: Weekly
Plants:Java fern
Substrate:sand
Problem:Lethargic betta, no appetite, hasnt eaten in about 5 weeks, only comes up for breath. Mild case of fin rot that was treated in the past but somehow came back.
Ok, so this is kind of hard for me considering my betta was my FIRST ever pet. I was just randonly given the responsibility one summer day. And so I took care of him, and all was good. And it was like that since august 24 of 2017. Fast forward to now, I fear that it may be his time. I really hope it isnt, though.
Heres the problem. Ever since i moved into my new house, which was a couple months ago, he started to act differently. I mean, i set everything up right, and i followed all precautions for moving with fish, but for some reason, overtime, he became more and more lethargic, and eventually he would never eat, he would only lie on the bottom of the tank, and he would only go up to breath every once in a while. Ive tried everything. Water changes more frequently, indian almond leaves, aquarium salt, constantly checking water parameters. Everything. And to this day, he has still not eaten ANYTHING. I think it has been about 4 or 5 weeks that he hasnt eaten. Maybe more. Heck i feared that he wouldnt even make it to 2019. And thats what really saddens me. Losing my betta is like losing a really close friend. Its been so long since I got to feed him, and so long since he would come up to the top of the tank to greet me when i came home from school. It just doesnt make sense though. He hasnt eaten in so long, yet i still see swim up to the top to breath. It pains me deeply to think that he is sufdering, but i dont know what to do.
And yes, i confess that since he was my first pet, i made some pretty beginner mistakes, but i really hope that theres still something i can do to save him. Sorry for the long story btw, i just really dont want to lose him yet, but if i really do have to put an end to his suffering, I will do what I must.

 

[SaraB]

Have you gotten the water tested at all? If you don't have a test kit the fish stores will usually do it for free.
Did you try changing the food? Maybe he's bored of it, you could try live foods.

 

[Anto26]

Did you get the tank recycled after your move?

 

[ImBettaThanCool]

Have you gotten the water tested at all? If you don't have a test kit the fish stores will usually do it for free.
Did you try changing the food? Maybe he's bored of it, you could try live foods.

Ive tested the water countless times, but it all comes back normal. I also tried switching up his food, going from nutrafin bug bites to omega one pellets, then i added in some freeze dries bloodworms because that was all i could get. The thing is though, is thay he just doesnt come up anymore. He just sits at the bottom of the tank all the time, so im not sure how to feed him, if the food really is the problem.

 

[ImBettaThanCool]

Did you get the tank recycled after your move?

When i moved, I made sure to keep a lot of the same tank water, only losing about 25% of it, treating the move like a regular watee change. I also tried to preserve the beneficial bacteria of the filter pads by keeping them in a bucket of tank water, but just in case it didnt work, i bought a bottle of nutrafin cycle.

 

[Anto26]

When i moved, I made sure to keep a lot of the same tank water, only losing about 25% of it, treating the move like a regular watee change. I also tried to preserve the beneficial bacteria of the filter pads by keeping them in a bucket of tank water, but just in case it didnt work, i bought a bottle of nutrafin cycle.

Good job.

 

[King Fisher]

Sounds like a sick fish to me. If it were me I would treat him with meds for bacterial disease. I would go even further and medicate for parasites as well.

 

[Autumnsky]

Sad for sure.

It is possibly getting to be that time.

But the fish does have an issue to treat - fin rot. Not eating can be a symptom of parasites, and King Fisher got it right.

I went through a whole battle with a sickly fish recently,
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f23/importing-a-thai-betta-the-experience-367697.html
and water as clean as possible is of the utmost importance.

Also I say this a lot, but try Epsom salts /plain no additives.

Start with one teaspoon per gallon dissolved in hot water. Add cool water to get it to tank temp and dechlorinator.

Over the first 24 hours add 1/4 to 1/3 of the mixture every 6-8 hours.
The idea is to urgently but gradually add it in. Honestly I have added the whole amount to a fish tank when I felt the little guy was likely to die and did not have any issues, fish got better over time.

Then add it back each time you do pwc so the amount per gallon stays in the water.

If he seems to be responding better, maybe up it to - up to 1 tablespoon per gallon.

You can make a concentrate ahead of time by calculating the amount per dose of water and epsom salt per gallon, and adding it in for each gallon of water changed.

look into a medicated food /local store is great option but if you can't find it local
https://www.angelsplus.com/FlakeMedicated.htm

 

[TMaier]

I experienced something similar with my Betta. I treated him for parasites and possible constipation. I finally had someone who suggested he was just getting old and tired of carrying all those showy fins around. I got him a floating log so he didn’t have to try so hard to get to the food. Or target fed him in the log. He lasted another year. Treat the fin rot and get him a log.