Please, Please Help. I Think My Betta Is Sick.

[hellopear]

Just yesterday, I was saying, oh my fish is so healthy, colorful, and cute. He swims and always eats.
But today, Sherlock was lying down all day, and when I just went to feed him dinner, I saw he hadn't eaten his breakfast. I don't know what's wrong. He's just been changed, he has those little drops that clean his water, he doesn't eat live or frozen food or anything. I'm not overfeeding him. He hasn't been flaring or swimming a lot like he usually does. I thought I saw him eat his breakfast, but I guess not. Please help me, please, please. It might be fishy-depression, but I don't know. He lives alone, not in a small bowl, or jar, he has or good sized tank. Nothing really huge, but it's a good size. He has a clean filter and everything. I'm really scared. Help me, please, PLEASE. I don't know what to do. He looks fine, no raised scales or spots, but idk. Help me..

 

[Liquid skills]

Got a pic that wld help alot
And how old is he ? So how long u have had him and his acc age from birth???

 

[the_lock_man]

when I just went to feed him dinner, I saw he hadn't eaten his breakfast.....I'm not overfeeding him.

If you're feeding him twice a day, then it's certainly a possibility that you are overfeeding him. His stomach is only the size of his eye, and he has no mechanism to tell him he's full. Does he look a bit bloated? If so, don't feed him for the next 3 days, then feed him a small pea (boiled, and de-shelled, then mashed under the back of a fork).

As LS said, a photo would help an awful lot.

 

[Rummynose]

Have you checked his ammonia, nitrite, nitrate levels? Anytime somethings looks wrong with your fish you should check the parameters of the water and do a water change. How long did you have your tank? What are those drops that clean the water?

Does the tank have a heater? Did the temp in the tank drop?

 

[Fishy friend2]

If you don't have a heater then it was most likely because of the temperature in the tank, In My Experience Bettas will become lethargic, won't have an appetite, and will lose their color when it is too cold, or there was a sudden temperature drop

 

[hellopear]

Today when I came back, I looked at him. His tummy is smaller, which is good, but he's losing color, which is from not feeding him (fasting for 2-3 days), so that's not a problem. But what really scared me, was that I noticed his scales were slightly raised. Just slightly. I can hardly even see them being raised, but they are. It's so little, that you can't see from the top, only from the sides. He's more active, but the scales are scaring me. It's not dropsy, I don't know what it is. He's about two or three months old. My mom said she read online and thinks he's constipated, so she wants to fast him and try the pea. He doesn't have a heater, but the water is the right temp, and I have a thermometer. I'll try and check his ammonia levels, too. I also got him a girlfriend. She's not going to be in his tank.

I'll upload pictures soon. The water is bluish from the medicine, not because it's dirty. I also have only an iPod camera, and the scales are raised so slightly that you can't see with the camera, especially considering the bad quality.

 

[Rummynose]

Today when I came back, I looked at him. His tummy is smaller, which is good, but he's losing color, which is from not feeding him (fasting for 2-3 days), so that's not a problem. But what really scared me, was that I noticed his scales were slightly raised. Just slightly. I can hardly even see them being raised, but they are. It's so little, that you can't see from the top, only from the sides. He's more active, but the scales are scaring me. It's not dropsy, I don't know what it is. He's about two or three months old. My mom said she read online and thinks he's constipated, so she wants to fast him and try the pea. He doesn't have a heater, but the water is the right temp, and I have a thermometer. I'll try and check his ammonia levels, too. I also got him a girlfriend. She's not going to be in his tank.

I'll upload pictures soon. The water is bluish from the medicine, not because it's dirty. I also have only an iPod camera, and the scales are raised so slightly that you can't see with the camera, especially considering the bad quality.

It is always best if you give us the readings that you're getting. A lot of people get the wrong information from their LFS (or pet store) and then what you think is the right reading actually may not be the right reading after all.

As soon as you feel there is something not right with your fish, it is important to check at least for ammonia and nitrate. Readings of ammonia shows that your tank is no longer cycled, readings of nitrates higher than 20 mean you need to change the water (although some people let it go as high as 100, I never let it go higher than 15 myself, before a water change). It is also a good idea to check the levels of your tap water, some people do have ammonia or nitrate in their tap water.

Also do a 50% water change. Nothing is better than fresh dechlorinated water, you could possibly be removing whatever what is making your fish sick by doing a simple water change. Sometimes toxins can get in your tank by aerosol sprays used near the tank. Or if you forgot to wash your hands and reached in the water, lotions, parfume, cleaning products....

I hope your Betta feels better soon

 

[hellopear]

I thought he was finally getting better, his scales went down, he was becoming more active, and eating more, but today, I found he had a fungus behind his right fin!! I did a 70% water change, but I have to order some medicine. He also has a swim bladder problem. He has trouble swimming and will stay at the bottom always near the heater or the marimo moss ball. When he does swim, he swims awkwardly on one side. The fungus looks like it's kind of connected in the inside, rather than a layer on the outside. He is eating, just not fast or very eagerly like he used to.

 

[hellopear]

Here are his levels:

Ammonia- 3.0
GH- 180
KH- 40
pH- 70
No2- 0
No3- 0

 

[Fishy friend2]

WHAT your ammonia is 3.0!!! Do a 100% water change, ASAP...... The ammonia problem is why he is so sick

 

[hellopear]

are you sure it's okay? I don't want to stress/scare him. And are the other levels okay? Do I need to add anything else to his water?

 

[Fishy friend2]

The other levels are fine, and yes you should do the 100% eternal change, just acclimate him correctly and he should be fine

 

[hellopear]

Will he be fine afterwards? Is there anything else I need to do to the water when I finish changing it?

EDIT:: Also I just realized that like the fish, the marimo moss ball has a little fish of cottony fungus stuff on it... what do I do there?

 

[Fishy friend2]

No you don't need to do anything other than add dechlorinator
And I would just see if it comes of with a gentle rub

 

[Man of fish]

Dechlorinate it.