Betta Stuck On Bottom

[Katty]

My female betta, Delphi, hasn't been doing well lately. I made a topic here but I didn't really get a response and she's doing worse now... Hopefully the betta people here have an idea. Now she is stuck on the bottom of the tank and won't move unless gently prodded. When she does move, it looks like she can't lift her head and body up and she just scoots in the sand for maybe an inch then stops. I think she might still be a little bit curved in the spine but its hard to tell with her laying on the ground, plus she likes to hide in her cave so I can't really see her too well. I haven't seen her come to the surface, for air or otherwise, since last night.

I fed her nothing saturday, pea sunday, and nothing on monday, in case she is constipated. Except her belly is extremely flat, maybe even flatter than usual, which makes me doubt she's constipated. If it's not constipation, I really have no clue what it is.

I've only had her for a year...

What could be wrong with her? What can I do?

 

[Better is Betta]

There could be a number of reasons for this and the one that comes to mind is bacteria infection. I would do a complete water change but please do it gradual as she is ill and drastic water changes can make her worse. I've had a couple of problems with my fish and it boils down to water condition and diet. Here is a list that describes bacteria infection. Inactivity, loss of colour,frayed fins, bloating body,cloudy eyes,open sores, abscesses, red streaks throughout body, reddening or inflammation of the skin fins or internal organs, bulging eyes,difficulty breathing. Any of those apply to your fish?. Another disease is TB, symptoms...loss of colour and appetite, becomes hollow bellied. Fish is lifeless and often crippled with a bent spine. They develop ulcers under the skin and may rupture causing open sores and pop-eye. This is a fatal disease. I don't want to scare you with all this info but its hard to give you an exact prognosis of exactly what is wrong with her. When ever I encounter an illness I check the waters ph and test for ammonia. The temperature in my tanks are always around 26-28c. I do a complete water change and add 1 teasp of aquarium salt to 2gal or 4.5ltrs of water. Then I wait a couple of days to see if the fish has improved. If she still hasn't shown signs of improvements I then add bacterial medication. I hope this has helped and Im sure someone else on the forum will give you more helpful info as well as what is the best medicines to use. Keep us posted on her progress

 

[Katty]

She is still very brightly colored, the only symptoms she has right now is inactivity and the curved spine, but the spine bends side to side (like human scoliosis), not up and down like the fish TB pictures I'm seeing in google. I haven't tried feeding her but I don't know if I should?

I will try some aquarium salt, I have that. I also have maracyn 2 in case I need it.

She made it outside of her cave last night (I think on accident) and is now hiding under one of the ledges outside it. She's not moving but I can see her gills going. She moved a centimeter when I walked up.

 

[Better is Betta]

Do you think she may have hurt herself somehow and is in pain. Its a bit like us humans when we twist the wrong way we do our backs in and have to hobble around like an old man on a walking stick. With bed rest and pain killers we eventually straighten up and continue on with our lives. Maybe she's in the same boat. What ever it is one thing seems to lead to another. If she is stressed she may end up with other problems. See how she responds with the salt and the water changes.

 

[Katty]

It could be, one of my thoughts is she could have pinched between the filter spray bar and the glass. She had the bent spine first before this apparent "swim bladder" stuff so it's possible she hurt herself.

 

[Better is Betta]

How is she today showing signs of getting better?

 

[Katty]

Err... I think she's either dead or dying...

When I got home, I checked on her and she was laying on her side, gills barely moving.

Then I went to check again and she had managed to wedge herself between the sand and the side of the opening of the cave. She looked like she needed help to get out of the spot so using a chopstick and a spoon I lifted up the cave and pushed her out of the way so I could put the cave back down without crushing her. During the whole thing of being moved around she didn't move one bit. Her gill cover looked like it was lifted up a little, like maybe it got caught on the cave when she was stuck on it? Once she was outside of the cave she was sitting upright and her tail was twitching/quivering. After a minute she is now on her side and not moving at all, not even her gills. She's maybe dead but I'm not 100% sure. If she's not now, she's definitely heading that way.

I have clove oil and alcohol... Maybe I should just finish things?

 

[Katty]

Definitely dead

 

[seizethecupcake]

Oh, Katty, I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[Better is Betta]

Sorry to hear she has passed away. ....you think it may have been from an injury or a mysterious bug? The main thing is you did your best to help her

 

[Randomitity]

Sorry for your lose I wish she could of made it through

 

[Katty]

Thank you for your kind words everyone.