Hello everyone. My betta has been declining for several days and I would like your help to understand what is wrong with her and what I can do. I attach profile photos and from above. I leave you all the data ordered:
• Volume: 18 L (right now I have it at ~2/3 of the level on purpose, so that it reaches the surface effortlessly due to its buoyancy problem).
• Temperature: 27 °C (measured).
• Planted aquarium (has live plants).
• Filter / cyclado: waterfall for about a year.
• Water changes: the last one was last week, and I've been making changes for a long time when I see that the water is already low, every 20 days or so.
• Parameters (measured 2 days ago; they are APPROXIMATE because my tests are somewhat old):
- Ammonia (NH3/NH4+, drop test): very yellow → close to 0 mg/L.
- pH (strips): ~7.5–8.5 (low confidence, old strips).
- Alkalinity/KH: ~300 ppm.
- Hardness/GH: ~75 ppm.
- Nitrite (NO2−) and nitrate (NO3−): NOT measured (I don't have those tests).
• Male Betta. I've had it since February 2025 and we bought it still small, so it's already an adult.
• He has a grayish/dull color, lethargic, has a hard time swimming, swims awkwardly, prefers to lie down or leaning on the plants.
• The belly looks a little swollen and is getting more and more still.
• It began to sink sideways; sometimes it stays still in the substrate of the bottom and sometimes supported on the plants near the surface.
• Now (after 2 days of fasting): no improvement. He is still lethargic and lying down, almost not moving. The fins do not look alive (somewhat stuck). The swelling of the belly seems to be only on the right side (asymmetrical). The scales are NOT raised. It has not lost color at all and still shines a little with certain light reflections, but in general I see it more translucent/transparent than before. He struggles hard to climb and make an effort to reach the food, although it is seen that he intends to do it with energy.
I have done:
• Fasting of ~2 days: no improvement, so I already resumed giving him little food (2 pellets).
• I lowered the water level to ~2/3 so that it reaches the surface easily to breathe.
• I maintain 27 °C.
• He does eat when I offer him (a few days ago he ate pellets soaked on the surface), that is, he retains appetite.
• I haven't medicated him.
Then:
• What could it be? I'm worried that the swelling on one side + the increasingly transparent/slimmed appearance, and also that it stays still for a long time and that you can't swim easily without sinking or staying still.
• Is it the right thing to do? Is there any treatment?
• What else should I observe or measure? If with the photos (profile and zenith) you see something, I thank you very much.
Thank you!
• Volume: 18 L (right now I have it at ~2/3 of the level on purpose, so that it reaches the surface effortlessly due to its buoyancy problem).
• Temperature: 27 °C (measured).
• Planted aquarium (has live plants).
• Filter / cyclado: waterfall for about a year.
• Water changes: the last one was last week, and I've been making changes for a long time when I see that the water is already low, every 20 days or so.
• Parameters (measured 2 days ago; they are APPROXIMATE because my tests are somewhat old):
- Ammonia (NH3/NH4+, drop test): very yellow → close to 0 mg/L.
- pH (strips): ~7.5–8.5 (low confidence, old strips).
- Alkalinity/KH: ~300 ppm.
- Hardness/GH: ~75 ppm.
- Nitrite (NO2−) and nitrate (NO3−): NOT measured (I don't have those tests).
• Male Betta. I've had it since February 2025 and we bought it still small, so it's already an adult.
• He has a grayish/dull color, lethargic, has a hard time swimming, swims awkwardly, prefers to lie down or leaning on the plants.
• The belly looks a little swollen and is getting more and more still.
• It began to sink sideways; sometimes it stays still in the substrate of the bottom and sometimes supported on the plants near the surface.
• Now (after 2 days of fasting): no improvement. He is still lethargic and lying down, almost not moving. The fins do not look alive (somewhat stuck). The swelling of the belly seems to be only on the right side (asymmetrical). The scales are NOT raised. It has not lost color at all and still shines a little with certain light reflections, but in general I see it more translucent/transparent than before. He struggles hard to climb and make an effort to reach the food, although it is seen that he intends to do it with energy.
I have done:
• Fasting of ~2 days: no improvement, so I already resumed giving him little food (2 pellets).
• I lowered the water level to ~2/3 so that it reaches the surface easily to breathe.
• I maintain 27 °C.
• He does eat when I offer him (a few days ago he ate pellets soaked on the surface), that is, he retains appetite.
• I haven't medicated him.
Then:
• What could it be? I'm worried that the swelling on one side + the increasingly transparent/slimmed appearance, and also that it stays still for a long time and that you can't swim easily without sinking or staying still.
• Is it the right thing to do? Is there any treatment?
• What else should I observe or measure? If with the photos (profile and zenith) you see something, I thank you very much.
Thank you!
