My New Betta Doesn't Look Happy

[Mr Spoon]

Hi, i bought a male betta on sunday, he was very active and eat some dried blood worms. Yesterday he refuse to eat anything, i offered him flakes, bloodworms. tetra granules, he just hides in the cave at the back, this morning he just laying in the cave. tested water - ammonia 0 - nitrite 0 - nitrate 20ppm - PH 7.6 Tank temp is 26, i need some help/advice i dont know what else to do.

 

[LauraFrog]

How big is the tank and is he actually lying on the gravel, or just hiding? Fish need some time to settle in and he'll probably be fine in a week or so but if he's actually lying on the gravel there might be a problem.
How did you acclimatise him when you brought him home (floating bag, adding water etc) and how long was he in the bag?
I'd guess that it's just stress and will go away.

 

[Mr Spoon]

He is in a 35 litre tank with 4 baby mollies. He was in the bag for 30 minute drive and floated for 30 minutes whilst adding small amounts of aquarium water to bag every 5 minutes. When full poured some out to make room for more. He's not laying on his side, but resting on the gravel.

 

[loraxchick]

hes proabably settling in. do you have plants or a cave or something for him to hide in/rest on. my betta will sometimes laze around for quite a long time. and then zoom off to explore.

 

[Mr Spoon]

Hope it's just time to settle in and nothing else. I got a piece of bogwood with a home grown java fern on it and a stone cave he can hide in. I also added a fake plant in the corner that goes to the surface and across the surface a bit.

 

[loraxchick]

well all you can do is keep his water clean, keep offering food(of course take it out if he's not eating it so it doesnt spoil in the water) and monitor him for signs of illness. hopefully he's just skittish and settling in

 

[Mr Spoon]

well all you can do is keep his water clean, keep offering food(of course take it out if he's not eating it so it doesnt spoil in the water) and monitor him for signs of illness. hopefully he's just skittish and settling in

Thankyou Loraxchick I will keep an eye on him.

 

[Mr Spoon]

i just lifted his cave up to check on him and half his tail is missing. i'm going to post a topic in the emergency section

 

[Amunet]

Are the mollies bullying him?
If you have another tank, take the mollies out. Or put him in to a breeders net or something. Poor lil guy.

 

[Mr Spoon]

The mollies dont go near him as they only babies. Mollies have now been moved so i can treat him on his own. Got advice from wilder in the emergency forum. Hope he recovers he's a lovely little betta.

 

[Jdubz]

have you got any pics?

Its worrying when they get like that...

Dose up with melafix or somting to heal his tail...

They grow back quite quickly with clean water and TLC

 

[Mr Spoon]

It is worrying, i'm giving him loads of TLC so i got my finger and toes crossed for him. I have treated with Esha 2000 finrot and bacterial. i have melafix but not sure if i can mix the 2

Here's a couple of pics the day before he got ill, i try and get a update pic tommorrow, dont want to bother him at the mo as i just added esha and turned light off.

http/i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk42/An...24/DSCN1117.jpg
http/i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk42/An...24/DSCN1105.jpg

 

[JasonU]

I have seen Bettas recover from worse fin damage than that.

I think the best advice is keep the water clean enough that you would happily drink out of it.

I would consider adding some acquarium salt to the water, keep the temperature up, I would possibly use myxacin to treat the fin rot.

I dont know if it is fin rot or damage from the other fish.

By the way he is a cracking looking fish.

 

[razer121]

ooo hes a very nice betta, mine was abit of a bugger when he first went into his tank, now he just swims under the current through the heater and the into the current!! easily entertains him and me for ages!!, hope yours gets better soon mate

 

[Mr Spoon]

I have seen Bettas recover from worse fin damage than that.

I think the best advice is keep the water clean enough that you would happily drink out of it.

I would consider adding some acquarium salt to the water, keep the temperature up, I would possibly use myxacin to treat the fin rot.

I dont know if it is fin rot or damage from the other fish.

By the way he is a cracking looking fish.

Thanks, These pictures were taken the day before his fins got bad

ooo hes a very nice betta, mine was abit of a bugger when he first went into his tank, now he just swims under the current through the heater and the into the current!! easily entertains him and me for ages!!, hope yours gets better soon mate

Thanks razer