Help! :(

[wackystarfish]

Im not sure if my betta is ill or not She sits at the bottom and comes up for air then goes back down again. Her gills are flapping quite rapidly. There isnt any signs of damadge anywhere else. Is she just resting?

 

[kewskills]

is she new and possibly stressed, when was the last water change, tank temp? they normally should not be breathing heavily.

 

[wackystarfish]

Tank Temp: 80 degrees celcius
I canged the water today, she is fairly new, i got her yesterday. She seems to have calmed down a bit.

 

[Phoenixbaby]

tank size? filtered? what size is the tank?

try and lower the water level if u can

 

[wackystarfish]

18 litre
has a filter. is this serious?

 

[wackystarfish]

I have put her in a floating plastic breeding box to keep her up by the surface. She Seems to be able to control where she swims fine. Its more like she is exhausted. Oh, and she has a rather bloated belly.

 

[Phoenixbaby]

not sure tbh. is she in the tank by herself?

ok heres what i would do, id lower her water level, so she hasnt got far to swim to surface for air

how warm is ur water? turn it up to 28c, add some black water (boiled indian almond leaf) or if u have betta spa, add some of that

turn her light off, n leave her be

 

[wackystarfish]

right. I will do. Should i aeriate the water?? I have a pump...

 

[Phoenixbaby]

if she is bloated, feed her a cooked de shelled pea, not a whole one tho, just a lil bit mushed between ur finger and drop into the tank, this shud clear her out and hopefully sort that bloating

u can, but tbh if ur lowering the water level, it isnt really gonna do much use with air pump

good luck

 

[kewskills]

^good advice^.

she may just be stressed as she is new, may just need to settle down.

 

[wackystarfish]

She isnt interested at all in the pea... She is now hovering in the enclosure

Her breathing is slowing down though. I think she is calming down

 

[Phoenixbaby]

ok, turn the lights out, and leave her be for this evening, id even go as far as saying leave her quiet and dark all day 2moz

obv check on her when u get up, but leave the lights out and cover the tank up with a towel to black it out, dont feed her

and again, crank her temp up to 28c

this method worked well for me when my male DT was quite clearly very ill and nearly died, and hes still with me, and fighting fit

good luck x