Bottom Of The Tank

[Georgia_ofthejungle]

I currently have my veil tail betta only in my 10 gallon, after my live bearers went to a new home.
He originally had problems with bloat, but I worked out I was feeding him to much, an I also soak his pellets now. He gets 2-5 pellets each night, with 1 fasting day a week.
The tank gets a 25% water change once a week.
My pH is around 7.2, my ammonia is 0, nitrite is 0, nitrate is 0ppm. He looks relatively healthy, doesn't clamp his fins, but his gills do shut completely between breaths (don't know if this is normal or not).

He has always been a swimming between mid - bottom of the tank for some reason, even now the cheeky live bearers are gone. Is this normal behaviour?

 

[Mamashack]

It's unusual to have a 0 nitrate reading in a tank unless it's newly set-up and uncycled.
Which test brand are you using? If it's API the no.2 bottle needs a really good bashing to get the reagent chemicals to mix.
Does he ever go to the surface to take a breath? This is not unusual for bettas as they have a labyrinth and can breathe air (this is how they build bubble nests)
My betta spends a lot of time grazing at the bottom of the tank (he's greedy!) He gets 2 betta pellets a day and what he can scoff of the flakes I put in for the shrimp.
If he looks well and he's eating and swimming I wouldn't worry too much.
Does he flare at anything? I sometimes put a mirror to the side of the tank and he flares at his reflection then parades around the tank so proud because he's seen off the intruder!

 

[Georgia_ofthejungle]

Yup, he does flare, and he does go up to the top for breaths occasionally, and is pretty active I guess I have nothing to worry about! Thanks!