Helping A Friend Her Betta Doesn't Look So Good

[FishHelper101]

Hi guys I'm posting for my friend:
 
ThatAquaristChick1234
 Her betta isn't looking very good at all. He's a very skinny red veil tail male and we need help diagnosing his disease. I'll post a pic in a bit but from brief description, what's ya'll best guess?
 
EDIT:
Here's the pic of her betta
 

 

[RCA]

How long has she had him?
Is he feeding, and if so what?  If not, when did he stop?
When did he start to go thin?
Any other signs i.e. strange behaviour?
Is he listless or active?
What size is the tank?
What sort of filtration?
Are there any other fish in with him?
What are the water parameters?
 
It looks like he may have a bubble nest above him, is that correct?
 
It maybe internal parasites, but it depends on the answers above as this can help diagnose the fish.
 
You state you cannot say your location but can you at least advise of the country you are in?  It helps to know when advising/where fish are likely to have been sourced from.

 

[FishHelper101]

There's very few things I know about him considering he's not my betta. The only questions I can basically answer from my perspective are
I think it's a bubble nest
no fish with him
and we're both in South California. 
All the rest of the questions she will have to answer, i'll get her onto the topic soon as I can.

 

[ThatAquaristChick1234]

Ive had im for almsot 1 year and a half
Hes eating new life spectrume pellets. he eats a TON
I noticed this about 1 month ago. I thought hed fatten up by now since i feed him so much
Other then that he seems normal
hes temp in a 1.5 tank with no fliter. it is cleaned every week. Im saving to get him a bigger tank (brother got him wasnt a planned pet)
no fish just a snail to help clean the debree
Havnt tested, but it looks nice and clear.
So cal (petco)
and i beileve its a bubble nest
 
I feel really bad as he used to be gorg!  

 

[Wildbetta]

Ok.  He is extremley stressed and very thin.  If you are feeding him as much as you say and he is eating then he has parasites.  Here a couple of pointers on how to help him get back in shape as quickly as possible. 
* He really needs a bigger tank with a heater
* He needs more frequent water changes (on a tank the size he is in--I would do 100% water changes every 2 days) Having no filter=100% water changes
* If you can not afford a bigger tank -- a cheaper alternative is a plastic storage tote(rubbermaid/steralite) of around 12-20 quarts (4-5 gallons).  Usually run $5 -$10
* For his parasites - prazipro is the best med but not widely avaliable locally.  Jungle parasite med(avaliable at Petco or Walmart) work good as well.
* A tank of less than 5 gallons is really too small for your betta much less with an added critter.  Remove the snail-it is doing more harm than good at this point.
* Your water being clear means nothing as far as quality. You water could be at toxic levels and be crystal clear.
* A bubblenest only signifies that the betta is sexually mature and able to breed. A betta will even make them in those "death trap" cups and is not a sign of health or happiness.
 
I hope this helps!!

 

[ThatAquaristChick1234]

Ok.  He is extremley stressed and very thin.  If you are feeding him as much as you say and he is eating then he has parasites.  Here a couple of pointers on how to help him get back in shape as quickly as possible. 
* He really needs a bigger tank with a heater
* He needs more frequent water changes (on a tank the size he is in--I would do 100% water changes every 2 days) Having no filter=100% water changes
* If you can not afford a bigger tank -- a cheaper alternative is a plastic storage tote(rubbermaid/steralite) of around 12-20 quarts (4-5 gallons).  Usually run $5 -$10
* For his parasites - prazipro is the best med but not widely avaliable locally.  Jungle parasite med(avaliable at Petco or Walmart) work good as well.
* A tank of less than 5 gallons is really too small for your betta much less with an added critter.  Remove the snail-it is doing more harm than good at this point.
* Your water being clear means nothing as far as quality. You water could be at toxic levels and be crystal clear.
* A bubblenest only signifies that the betta is sexually mature and able to breed. A betta will even make them in those "death trap" cups and is not a sign of health or happiness.
 
I hope this helps!!

Thanks for the tips!!!! Ill be sure to try them all!

 

[RCA]

Thanks for your answers, it always helps in diagnosing a potential cause.  I have an animal behavioural background, so I am afraid I always ask questions before giving a potential answer
 
I agree with Wildbetta and would worm him as typically if an animal eats a lot but stays thin it is often internal parasites.  Sometimes it can be an internal illness, but ruling out internal parasites is the first point of action.
 
Do you have anywhere that will test your water parameters for you?  The best testing kit is the API liquid test but I realise this is quite an investment which you could use to buy a larger tank and other more essential equipment.  Therefore if there is a store or friend that can test your water it will help you get an idea of what can happen with water in a short space of time within such a small volume.
 
I had a look at the diet you are feeding him, is it the Betta version?  Do you soak them before feeding? - this is a good idea as a Betta can have other issues if they eat too much dried food.  Also, be aware his stomach is about as big as his eye, so be careful of overfeeding, the sooner you can worm him the better.
 
Keep us posted as to how you are going.  Does he have a name?

 

[ThatAquaristChick1234]

Ok. I may invest in it because i do have other tanks, but i heard
 

Thanks for your answers, it always helps in diagnosing a potential cause.  I have an animal behavioural background, so I am afraid I always ask questions before giving a potential answer

 
I agree with Wildbetta and would worm him as typically if an animal eats a lot but stays thin it is often internal parasites.  Sometimes it can be an internal illness, but ruling out internal parasites is the first point of action.
 
Do you have anywhere that will test your water parameters for you?  The best testing kit is the API liquid test but I realise this is quite an investment which you could use to buy a larger tank and other more essential equipment.  Therefore if there is a store or friend that can test your water it will help you get an idea of what can happen with water in a short space of time within such a small volume.
 
I had a look at the diet you are feeding him, is it the Betta version?  Do you soak them before feeding? - this is a good idea as a Betta can have other issues if they eat too much dried food.  Also, be aware his stomach is about as big as his eye, so be careful of overfeeding, the sooner you can worm him the better.
 
Keep us posted as to how you are going.  Does he have a name?

Alright
No I may invest in that since i have other aquariums. Is PetSmarts water tests reliable? They will do it for free. Yes I am. I feed him 3-4 pellets and 1-3 bloodworms (pellets sun-thurs) (bloodworms friday, fast sat to avoid bloat)
I will be sure to His name is Maverick

 

[RCA]

No

I may invest in that since i have other aquariums. Is PetSmarts water tests reliable? They will do it for free.

 
Cannot say I do not live in the US, I believe they are US?  If they use a liquid test kit it will be more reliable than the test strips, as it is free then you may as well.  Do not be tempted to then buy a load of chemicals, which some stores will sell you to balance your water.  The best solution is regular maintenance etc., vs chemicals which can cause fluctuations in the water parameters.  If you can get the API one and see what readings you get vs the store, well worth it if you have a number of aquariums.  By the way you may wish to put your location in your profile as it assists when people advise you
 
Hi to Maverick

hope he gets better soon.
 
NB: check the expiry date on the API test kit as they only have a two year shelf life.

 

[Wildbetta]

 Is PetSmarts water tests reliable? They will do it for free.

 
As far as I know they are pretty reliable.  The main thing is to see if they test with strips or a liquid test.  Also make sure they give you the reading not just a "everything looks good/ok ect".
 
Maverick is such a nice name!  I hope to see him improve soon!

 

[ThatAquaristChick1234]

No

I may invest in that since i have other aquariums. Is PetSmarts water tests reliable? They will do it for free.

 
Cannot say I do not live in the US, I believe they are US?  If they use a liquid test kit it will be more reliable than the test strips, as it is free then you may as well.  Do not be tempted to then buy a load of chemicals, which some stores will sell you to balance your water.  The best solution is regular maintenance etc., vs chemicals which can cause fluctuations in the water parameters.  If you can get the API one and see what readings you get vs the store, well worth it if you have a number of aquariums.  By the way you may wish to put your location in your profile as it assists when people advise you

 
Hi to Maverick

hope he gets better soon.
 
NB: check the expiry date on the API test kit as they only have a two year shelf life.
ok! He says hi Im removing the snail on friday, and hes already looking a bit better. ive added stress coat when i cleaned the tank, so i thnk it helped a bit
Me to

 Is PetSmarts water tests reliable? They will do it for free.

 
As far as I know they are pretty reliable.  The main thing is to see if they test with strips or a liquid test.  Also make sure they give you the reading not just a "everything looks good/ok ect".
 
Maverick is such a nice name!  I hope to see him improve soon!

Alright! Ill probably go this weekend. Thank you! Me to! hes already looking a bit better

 

[TallTree01]

I've skim read so if I miss anything ill give out apologies now. Sorry.
Tips:


Ive had im for almsot 1 year and a half.
1 1/2 years isn't temp
Hes eating new life spectrume pellets. he eats a TON.
Feed him a ton. Feed him 2-3 pellets daily
I noticed this about 1 month ago. I thought hed fatten up by now since i feed him so much
Don't feed him so much
Other then that he seems normal
hes temp in a 1.5 tank with no fliter. it is cleaned every week. Im saving to get him a bigger tank (brother got him wasnt a planned pet)
Betta needs 5 gallon to be happy. Without filter daily clean is essential.
no fish just a snail to help clean the debree
Snail needs a filter
Havnt tested, but it looks nice and clear.
So cal (petco)
and i beileve its a bubble nest

I believe your plan is to upgrade the tank. Thumbs up from talltree. Will the 5 g be filtered and heated? Hope so.

Oh and bubblenest doesn't mean health/ happiness it means maturity

 

[RCA]

 

No

I may invest in that since i have other aquariums. Is PetSmarts water tests reliable? They will do it for free.

 
Cannot say I do not live in the US, I believe they are US? ......

ok! He says hi

Im removing the snail on friday, and hes already looking a bit better. ive added stress coat when i cleaned the tank, so i thnk it helped a bit
Me to

 
Do you always add stress coat when you clean out the tank or have you only just started doing this?

 

[ThatAquaristChick1234]

 

 

No

I may invest in that since i have other aquariums. Is PetSmarts water tests reliable? They will do it for free.

 
Cannot say I do not live in the US, I believe they are US? ......

ok! He says hi

Im removing the snail on friday, and hes already looking a bit better. ive added stress coat when i cleaned the tank, so i thnk it helped a bit
Me to

 
Do you always add stress coat when you clean out the tank or have you only just started doing this?

Ive just started adding a drop with regular water conditioner. 

 

[Ruskull]

I'm not a scientist but that fish appears to have a parasite of some sort.  If I had that situation and If he's eating, I'd be adding Seachem Metronidazole to some thawed out frozen food like a brine shrimp & bloodworm mix. It's one of the few meds that work on internal parasites and I believe that's what that fish has if it eats a lot but it's still losing weight.  Jungle also makes an internal parasite med but it's not available near me so I can't comment on it's effectiveness.
 
Have you seen any long stringy poop like things in the tank?  Long clear, hair like strings are usually a sign of internal parasites.