Stats Added Please Read :(

[alex:)]

Ive got a betta, he's probobly about 1 1/2 years old. he's only been in this tank for about 2months with 3 neon tetras and 3 brislenose algie sucker things and a zebra danio (30l tank)

ive had some problems over the water in the life of this tank but im on top of it now, he usually looks happy but recently he's starting to sit on top of my filter and look sorry for himself.

i never know if he eats to well as i always see him spitting food out but he always looks vibrant and healthy.

his 2 fin bits that dangle down are scrunched up and white near the end, im pretty sure he was like this for the lfs tho so never thought any thing about it?

im thinking maybe the case he is sad is that there is no real hiding place in my tank... i attempted to make a little rock cave with some pebals and bigger white rock and its easily big enough for him but he doesnt seem to like it too much.

any advice ??

 

[Jaded12]

Do the neon tetras ever bother him, sometimes neons will nip at bettas fins. What are the water stats in your tank? Ammonia? Nitrate? Nitrite? Temp?

 

[hollyp0p]

Do the neon tetras ever bother him, sometimes neons will nip at bettas fins. What are the water stats in your tank? Ammonia? Nitrate? Nitrite? Temp?

yeah neons went for those two dangley fins beneath the chin on my fish....my neons went back to LFS last night

 

[alex:)]

i think 7 of them did have a go at him but they all were killed by him in 2 days weird as he was in with them at the lfs.

they dont seem to give him any grief now tho.

water is good.

 

[Colin_T]

he is getting old. They are over 6 months old when you get them and have an average life span of 2yrs. Many live for 3 but few make it to 4. Fighters come from fairly stationary water and don't do well in tanks with too much water movement. They are also a surface dwelling fish due to the labyrinth organ in their head, (it allows them to breath air). Floating plants might make him feel better but he is unlikely to go in a cave.
Danios and other fast moving fishes can unsettle them as can a move to a new tank. As long as he is feeding well and the water is fine he should be ok. If he goes off his food then it is time to worry. try varying his diet, they love mosquito larvae and live brineshrimp.

 

[bugsy66]

Hope your betta man does better now. One reason I don't ever keep my males in aquariums. I have found them to live longer, do better and eat properly when they are kept in 1gal tanks by themselves. My longest betta male was 4 yrs old living this way.

When bettas are in community aquariums they don't seem to get the food they need, I like to make sure my bettas get enough food and are healthy. You might want to try this so you can still keep your community aquarium for your pleasure and give you betta man a new home so he can be his best.

 

[alex:)]

thanks for the responses, i bought some meltafix today and added it, i think it must be working (no good signs) but it looks like stringy kinda mucus im guessing is comming off him i guess thats only a good sign that its tackling it.

the bottle says it does

open red sores
fin and tail rot and eye cloud, pop eye, body slime, mouth n fungus and open body wounds so im hoping that sorts his suspected mouth rot out?

ive also changed about 2 litres of water in the tank and ive got another 4 litres ready to go in shortly,

i gave the tank a bit of a clean and bought a ario aerator suitable for the tank size, the other fish are looking happy but the waters still cloudy due to the change

i also bought a gravel sucker, and when i sucked some sand out it smelt quite bad, so im guessing maybe there is too much ammino in the water, i dont have an amino test kit but i have a 5 in 1

and the results are

gh - about 140
kh about 180
ph about 7 / 7.5
no2 about 5 and no3 about 80 (which were 0 the other day)

im guessing maybe the no's have gone up because of the meltafix and the accuclear i put in the water.

ill do 4 more litre water change (as i really want to clean the sand) then ill add some more melafix and wont water changed for 7 days like instructed on the bottle.

hows this all sound please?

 

[blue_betta]

They are also a surface dwelling fish due to the labyrinth organ in their head, (it allows them to breath air). Floating plants might make him feel better but he is unlikely to go in a cave.

a healty betta will occupy every level of the aquarium, mine will often spend long periods foraging in the gravel for any cory pelets they corrys have missed following feeding time. ive found that betta do appreciate a cave and such things to explore and shy fish like to hide in them.. heres a bic of a caramel coloured vt i had breifly relaxing in a small teracota plant pot (you get them with plants from pets at home) and most of my betta like exploring these pots