Sick Betta

[katie1984]

Can anyone help me with my Betta? I have had him for about a month. He usually just swims around, rarely on the bottom and is very happy. The last 3 or 4 days, he has been floating on the bottom for long periods of time and not moving, sometimes not even appearing to be breathing!

As soon as I go near him (on most occasions) he begins to dart around really really fast then back to the bottom again. He is still eating ok, but his behavoiur is totally different to when we first had him. We did a water change cause there was a yukky film on the surface of his third of the tank, and the other two are fine (the tank is 3 fold). Yesterday he seemed ok, fighting the other two, but then he goes all quiet and on the bottom again. To me, he looks to have lost a bit of colour too.

Is he sick? What can I do? We have not moved the tank or changed the conditions. (

 

[WILDER]

What fish are you keeping him with, darting around is poor water quality to parasites.
So need size of tank in gallons or litres, stock list of the fish in the tank.
And water stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph.
Is he flicking and rubbing on things in the tank.

Darting
Water quality problems, skin parasites, drug side effects, stray voltage in the tank


What three fold? and what do you mean fighting other fish as you can not keep males together, not even females.

 

[darkwater]

Hi Katie!

Im new here, but Ive been keeping and breeding Bettas.

Your fish is probably stressed from to much flaring

Your bettas need lots of alone time so they can rest.

And a minimum of or every other 3 days water change 50-100 percent.

 

[katie1984]

Thanks guys, but he never flares. I have noticed in the last day that he has a bulge (only a small one) on each side of his body. Maybe it is swim bladder? We bought him some medication for parasites yesterday which i hope helps cause he is darting around a lot too.

 

[darkwater]

What medicine did you buy?

I dont usually use commercial sold medicines.

I prefer the 1 table spoon of non iodized table salt per half gal. method.

But if you do, Melafix and pimafix is good.

In combination with daily water change of 50%.

And if you have access to dried banana leaves, their great for speedy recovery of sick bettas.

As for the bulges, Ive seen bettas with it. Its usually secondary infection from bacterial attacks caused by poor water quality.

And never flares? Even when he see`s another male or female betta? Probably because he is stressed/sick.

Most importantly dont lose hope Bettas are hardy little fishys