Help

[dixiedawn]

I don't know what's going on. He's got me worried. A couple of days ago he was swimming happily, making bubble nests and such. Last night while sitting on the sofa i watched him for a bit, and he seemed to have stayed in his castle all night long, only coming out to go to the surface every now and again. Today was 'clean tank day' So i set about the usual chores of putting him in his little bowl and carry on, but while he was in the bowl, he didn't look so good. Like his fins that are normally a bright crimson red with flecks of blue are starting to look washed out and pale.

I don't run a filter with him, as i do 1-2 part water changes a week and once monthly whole tank clean if i think it needs it. Today i thought he needed it as i saw some weird 'fluff' hanging about on the thermometer as well as some uneaten food from early day feeding stuck in the plants.
He gets once weekly pea and twice weekly brine shrimp.

I've taken out his castle so i can watch him more carefully.

As soon as my camera charges a bit i'll tape a vid of him and some pics so ya'll can see for yourself. He almost appears to be having some difficulty coming to the top, like he doesn't want to but knows he has to, then he slowly drifts down to the bottom, help my baby please

 

[dixiedawn]

http/s3.photobucket.com/albums/y62/Dixie...nt=8b040865.flv hope that link works for the vid

 

[-germ-]

Have you watched him at night time before?
Is he usually quite active?

How long has the tank been set up, osmotic shock/stress is a possibility, do you have a water testing kit?
When you clean the tank do you clean the gravel, if so do you simply gravel vac, or do you rinse it off using your tap?

The washing out and hesitance to visit the surface at their simplest would suggest stress osmotic or not (although stress often denotes illness)....
Stress can be a result of a multitude of things (practically anything and everything really) i would reccomend returning the castle ornament, i can appreciate that you want to be able to see his every move, but if he is stressed and/or ill, he needs somewhere to hide and i doubt removing it will have benefited the fish.
You need to look into water stats, temperature, the age of the Betta (ie; it may just be old age) and look for any minor symptoms you may not have noticed and/or mentioned.

Good luck....

 

[dixiedawn]

he's usually very active until lights go out. He swims up to the sides when ppl pass and comes out of his cave when i call him, but last night he just couldn't be bothered. I watch him more than i watch TV most nights lol

When i do compete tank clean i take the gravel completely out, run it under the tap with warm water and kneed it to get any floaty bits out of it.

My water is quite hard, about 8, but he's been in hard water since i got him here about 2 months ago and he's been fine

will put his castle back in tho i really don'twant to cos im worried about him

 

[-germ-]

I would assume your tank is uncyled then, and the symptoms are a result of poisoning....
In an unfiltered tank the majority of nitrifying bacteria is present in the gravel, the washing of the gravel under your tap will most likely have killed off any nitrifying bacteria present.
How much water do you change?
If this was me i'd step up my water changes (20-60% daily) a fair amount until i could get accurate tank readings.....
Obviously take them slow due to the risk of stress for the fish, Betta IMO being particularly susceptible, if you use a siphon to remove the water, rather than simply pouring the top-up back in i'd use my siphon to keep it slow and unstressful.

Edit; The castle; changes in decor will often stress fish, as will having no where to retreat to when threatened. This will not help him at all, whatever cause of illness/stress.

 

[dixiedawn]

today i did 100% water change. Usually when i do waterchange it's around 50% somtimes slightly less

As i said I don't run a filter with him, He hates the current

I never ever tip tank up, i always slowly syphon out a bit intow his bowl for him to sit in, i catch him and literally got it down pat with getting him in and out without catching his fins or him flopping about

I've been advised to step up the waterchanges, get some bettafix etc, sound right to you?

 

[-germ-]

I wouldn't have thought Bettafix is neccesary without any physical damage.
Bettafix is first and foremost an antiseptic.
If it is poisoning or hypoxia related i would advise against any additions to the water and simply maintain the water as best as is possible.
The vast majority of medications (although i can't speak for any medication in particular) are irritants that increase respiratory load and stress the fish.
In this case IMHO Bettafix shouldn't be used until further symptoms (if any) manifest.

Yes. step up the water changes and as mentioned earlier try and get a decent liquid tester which should help you out if a similar situation arises in the future.
May help you out in the short run also as your tank is going to haveto be re-cycled (if it was cycled in the first place).

 

[dixiedawn]

I'm reducing water levels so he doesn't have to come so far up to breathe, dimming the lights so not so stressful for him
His fins are a bit tatty so im going to hold off on the bettafix, but will pick some up anyway. Lynda reckons this and also live foods for time being is best way. Am getting an air stone as well.........will keep ya'll posted

 

[-germ-]

Certainly agree with all Mrs B has reccomended. Edit; Particularly the addition of an airstone.
Make sure with lowering the water level you keep to your water changes, the more water you have the more diluted that your toxins will be (does that make sense?) obviously if a betta poos at the same rate in 2.5 gal as it does in a 5 gal, the concentration of ammonia will be higher in the smaller volume of the two.
And obviously, don't over do the livefoods. Particularly if using bloodworm.

 

[bubblesburst80]

i cant offer any more help than you have already had, just wanted to say i hope fonzie picks up soon

xXx