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caroline12

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Feb 25, 2020
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Hi! I'm new and I just need a bit of help. I have had my betta for at least over a month now and he has very suddenly become lethargic and not eating. His mouth and gills have become discolored wnd he just looks beat up! I attached some pictures. There is almost gold scales around his mouth area. He is still swimming towards the top and pretty fast as he always is. I just really need help! I have a 2.5 gallon tank, heater, just bought a new great filter, plants, and a snail.
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Basically as Barry said, do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a couple of weeks.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

How often do you clean the filter and how do you clean the filter?
 
HI Caroline,
I'm sorry your Betta is ill!
Can you identify what is that thing floating near his eye in the first picture?
 
Basically as Barry said, do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a couple of weeks.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

How often do you clean the filter and how do you clean the filter?
I just got a new filter last week, I take out actually filter parts and rinse off/soak all of them every time I do a partial or 100% water change. Do you have any suggestions on how to make sure my water is chlorine free? I use betta water conditioner but that's all.
 
Basically as Barry said, do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a couple of weeks.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

How often do you clean the filter and how do you clean the filter?
I don't use anything t
I just got a new filter last week, I take out actually filter parts and rinse off/soak all of them every time I do a partial or 100% water change. Do you have any suggestions on how to make sure my water is chlorine free? I use betta water conditioner but that's all.
Also, I'm pretty new at this so any explanation for a gravel substrate clean would help haha!
 
Sounds like you may be rinsing the beneficial bacteria off your filter pad. Stop rinsing them so often. Only clean the pad if it the current is slowed down in filter. It will do much better.

The most common things wrong with betta tanks are:
1. water temp - needs to be 78F minimum
2. cycling issues
3. too small of tank (water issues)

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image source

This fish looks somewhat similar to yours and it turned out to be a cycling issue in the water.
 
I have a feeling that you didn’t cycle your tank before adding your fish, did you? Are you aware of the aquarium nitrogen cycle? We need to know what your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates are. Do you test your water? If not, take a sample to your fish store and ask them to test it for you. Write down the numbers and get back to us. Your betta really needs at least a 5 gallon tank too. Below is information on cycling your tank and the nitrogen cycle. Until you get your water test results, do as advised above and do daily water changes to keep the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate down. Get an API Freshwater master test kit. It’s an important tool in fish keeping! Get back with us. :) https://modestfish.com/how-to-cycle-your-aquarium/
 
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I have a feeling that you didn’t cycle your tank before adding your fish, did you? Are you aware of the aquarium nitrogen cycle? We need to know what your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates are. Do you test your water? If not, take a sample to your fish store and ask them to test it for you. Write down the numbers and get back to us. Your betta really needs at least a 5 gallon tank too. Below is information on cycling your tank and the nitrogen cycle. Until you get your water test results, do as advised above and do daily water changes to keep the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate down. Get an API Freshwater master test kit. It’s an important tool in fish keeping! Get back with us. :) https://modestfish.com/how-to-cycle-your-aquarium/
Thank you so much for the help! I will try to get back to you with the levels but for now I will get some new gravel and that API master kit! Thanks to everyone! Hopefully will get back soon. Also looking at a new tank and will stop cleaning my filter so much haha! I'm a new betta owner and need some advice!!
 

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