Help! My betta fish is acting strange

[Gracesaysmoo]

i just bought a half-moon betta a month ago and he was perfectly fine for most of that time. I started him out in water that had been cleaned with filter charcoal. After about 3 weeks he got lethargic and started to sit at the bottom of the tank more often. My tank has a waterfall filter so I thought that was what made him tired and so I turned it off for a couple hours at a time to let him rest. He now spends most of the day sitting on a small rock I have in his tank or hiding behind the plant I have. He is still breathing and swims around the tank occasionally when I tap the tank but he’s definitely not healthy. I’ve had other fish die and I really want to save this one. Any help is appreciated.

Tank size: 2.5 gal
pH: 6.8-7
tank temp:77

 

[Guppylover3x]

i just bought a half-moon betta a month ago and he was perfectly fine for most of that time. I started him out in water that had been cleaned with filter charcoal. After about 3 weeks he got lethargic and started to sit at the bottom of the tank more often. My tank has a waterfall filter so I thought that was what made him tired and so I turned it off for a couple hours at a time to let him rest. He now spends most of the day sitting on a small rock I have in his tank or hiding behind the plant I have. He is still breathing and swims around the tank occasionally when I tap the tank but he’s definitely not healthy. I’ve had other fish die and I really want to save this one. Any help is appreciated.

Tank size: 2.5 gal
pH: 6.8-7
tank temp:77

Hi and welcome to the forum

You are correct to say bettas don’t appreciate a strong current.

Could you provide information on if you did a fish in cycle? If so any ammonia or nitrite in the water could have intoxicated the fish.

I recommend you perform a 75% water change and see if that helps. Make sure any new water is free from chlorine before added to the tank.

It’s recommended that you keep nitrates below 20, or ideally below 10.

Best of luck.

 

[Gracesaysmoo]

Hi and welcome to the forum

You are correct to say bettas don’t appreciate a strong current.

Could you provide information on if you did a fish in cycle? If so any ammonia or nitrite in the water could have intoxicated the fish.

I recommend you perform a 75% water change and see if that helps. Make sure any new water is free from chlorine before added to the tank.

It’s recommended that you keep nitrates below 20, or ideally below 10.

Best of luck.

I haven’t tested nitrates or ammonia. I do a partial water change once a week with API water conditioner. Should I use filter carbon instead?

 

[Gracesaysmoo]

I haven’t tested nitrates or ammonia. I do a partial water change once a week with API water conditioner. Should I use filter carbon instead?[/QUOTE

Hi and welcome to the forum

You are correct to say bettas don’t appreciate a strong current.

Could you provide information on if you did a fish in cycle? If so any ammonia or nitrite in the water could have intoxicated the fish.

I recommend you perform a 75% water change and see if that helps. Make sure any new water is free from chlorine before added to the tank.

It’s recommended that you keep nitrates below 20, or ideally below 10.

Best of luck.

i did the water change and he’s still sitting in the corner. What else should I do? How long should I wait to check?

 

[Guppylover3x]

I haven’t tested nitrates or ammonia. I do a partial water change once a week with API water conditioner. Should I use filter carbon instead?

You need to test for nitrites and ammonia as quickly as you can. These are lethal to fish.

If you don’t have access to a water testing kit, your local live fish store should be able to do this for you.

You mention weekly water changes, during cycling it’s recommended you change 75% per week.

Frequency of water changes should depend upon your readings. When ammonia or nitrites are in the water, it’s recommended you perform daily water changes until there gone. Readings should stay at 0.

Good luck!