Lethargic betta

[Newbie02]

Hi everyone, I’m posting about my betta again I’ve noticed these past couple days my betta has been clamping his dorsal fin ( top fin) this past week but I figured it should get better with water changes but now he’s starting to clamp his other fins too. I’ve noticed he just floats at the top head first with his tail downward and he doesn’t swim as much as he used to and hides behind the filter. And now that I put in the heater he’s laying next to it

2. A full description of the fishes symptoms-lethargic, clamped fins, stays at surface of water (Does NOT float on sides)
3. How often you do water changes and how much-about every 2-3 days when ammonia reaches .25 and 70%
4. Any chemicals and treatments you add to the water.- no I use spring water
5. What tank mates are in the tank. N/A
6. Tank size. 2.5
7. Finally Have you recently added any new fish?

Tank size:2.5 gal
tank age:3 weeks not cycled
pH:7.4-7.8
ammonia:0
nitrite:0
nitrate:
kH:unknown
gH:unknown
tank temp:76 ( I just put in the heater so it should go up)

 

[Newbie02]

I forgot to add he still eats like normal and is still very alert he will hang out in the open instead of hiding but he still stays towards the surface

 

[Attenbruh]

How old is he. Bettas can get very tired and sleep lots towards the end of their life. They also come from swamps and very oxygen depleted water. Instead of breathing through their gills they breath air at the surface and sometimes blow bubbles that they breath in later. I think it's perfectly normal.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Hi everyone, I’m posting about my betta again I’ve noticed these past couple days my betta has been clamping his dorsal fin ( top fin) this past week but I figured it should get better with water changes but now he’s starting to clamp his other fins too. I’ve noticed he just floats at the top head first with his tail downward and he doesn’t swim as much as he used to and hides behind the filter. And now that I put in the heater he’s laying next to it

2. A full description of the fishes symptoms-lethargic, clamped fins, stays at surface of water (Does NOT float on sides)
3. How often you do water changes and how much-about every 2-3 days when ammonia reaches .25 and 70%
4. Any chemicals and treatments you add to the water.- no I use spring water
5. What tank mates are in the tank. N/A
6. Tank size. 2.5
7. Finally Have you recently added any new fish?

Tank size:2.5 gal
tank age:3 weeks not cycled
pH:7.4-7.8
ammonia:0
nitrite:0
nitrate:
kH:unknown
gH:unknown
tank temp:76 ( I just put in the heater so it should go up)

76 is the minimum temp for a Betta. This could easily explain his lethargy. There should be no ammonia in the water at all, as this will be burning his gills.

 

[Newbie02]

How old is he. Bettas can get very tired and sleep lots towards the end of their life. They also come from swamps and very oxygen depleted water so they don't have gills. Instead they breath air at the surface and sometimes blow bubbles that they breath in later. I think it's perfectly normal.

I actually got him from Petco like three weeks ago but his activity level then and now are very different. He’s still comes out to greet me but like I said he stays near the surface and head first with his tail downward at a diagonal

 

[Newbie02]

I

76 is the minimum temp for a Betta. This could easily explain his lethargy. There should be no ammonia in the water at all, as this will be burning his gills.

check the water for ammonia daily and do a water change anytime it goes .25

 

[Newbie02]

Hi everyone, I’m posting about my betta again I’ve noticed these past couple days my betta has been clamping his dorsal fin ( top fin) this past week but I figured it should get better with water changes but now he’s starting to clamp his other fins too. I’ve noticed he just floats at the top head first with his tail downward and he doesn’t swim as much as he used to and hides behind the filter. And now that I put in the heater he’s laying next to it

2. A full description of the fishes symptoms-lethargic, clamped fins, stays at surface of water (Does NOT float on sides)
3. How often you do water changes and how much-about every 2-3 days when ammonia reaches .25 and 70%
4. Any chemicals and treatments you add to the water.- no I use spring water
5. What tank mates are in the tank. N/A
6. Tank size. 2.5
7. Finally Have you recently added any new fish?

Tank size:2.5 gal
tank age:3 weeks not cycled
pH:7.4-7.8
ammonia:0
nitrite:0
nitrate:
kH:unknown
gH:unknown
tank temp:76 ( I just put in the heater so it should go up)

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

How old is he. Bettas can get very tired and sleep lots towards the end of their life. They also come from swamps and very oxygen depleted water so they don't have gills. Instead they breath air at the surface and sometimes blow bubbles that they breath in later. I think it's perfectly normal.

You really do need to do some better Betta research. He's a fish, so of course he has gills!
They come from a wide range of quality waters, but because they can be found, struggling to survive in muddy puddles, some people think that that is good enough for them. It isn't.

They (and other anabantoidae) possess a labyrinth organ, that allows them to survive in grim, oxygen-depleted waters.

Please read and learn here.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I

check the water for ammonia daily and do a water change anytime it goes .25

I hear you, but I repeat...it should be zero ammonia readings, for any fish. A lot of live plants, especially floating plants, would help immensely here.

 

[Attenbruh]

76 is the minimum temp for a Betta. This could easily explain his lethargy. There should be no ammonia in the water at all, as this will be burning his gills.

Do they have gills. I was told they don't?

 

[Newbie02]

I hear you, but I repeat...it should be zero ammonia readings, for any fish. A lot of live plants, especially floating plants, would help immensely here.

I am keeping it at zero ammonia though?

 

[Attenbruh]

How big is your tank?

 

[Attenbruh]

How big is your tank?

It should be at least 5 gallons

 

[foxgirl158]

I am keeping it at zero ammonia though?

If there was zero ammonia, the test wouldn’t be reading .25 every couple of days. Is your tank cycled?

 

[foxgirl158]

If there was zero ammonia, the test wouldn’t be reading .25 every couple of days. Is your tank cycled?

Nevermind, I see from your info on the first post that it isn’t. This would most likely be your problem, as you are now completing what I believe is known as a fish in cycle, which not advised. I’ll @ some people who know more then I do.
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