Worried About My Betta....

[SouthernCross]

My betta is worrying me. Usually he's very active. All he's doing today is sitting on the bottom or amongst the leaves and barely moving. Fins a bit clampy. Usually he will flare at the drop of a hat but I can't get him going with his mirror. No ammonia or nitrite readings.

Two things in his tank have changed:

On Saturday I bought him a heater because its getting cold. Yesterday he looked like he was loving having the warmer water. I have it set for about 26. I didn't think this would be the problem.

The only other thing I think it could be is that I added some Melafix last Wednesday and some more yesterday (I;m still trying to get his fins healed up) and the only thing I could think of is that I've overdosed the tank a bit - I've since changed out about a third of the water to dilute it some. This was the only thing I could think of.... I've added Melafix before with no prior problems....

Any ideas???

 

[SouthernCross]

Anybody

He's still on the bottom, he's not coming to the surface anymore, he's just laying there breathing through his gills....

I'm changing some more water right now, probably another third.

Could the temperature change have caused this? I mean I added the heater on Saturday, it was up from 19-20 to about 26 all of Sunday, and he seemed to be loving it, and now he'll barely move....should I turn it down?

I don't know what else to do???

 

[jess6905]

i dont know what it could be how ever i have herd that melafix is not good for bettas. how long have you had him, and what do you feed him(regular foods and treats)?? have you done anything out of the ordinary around his tank like (spray or paint)??

 

[SouthernCross]

I've had him a good two months at least. Maybe 3. He gets Hikari Betta Bio Gold pellets and Nutrafin betta food (which is a flake with dried bloodworms through it). Occasional pea. No sprays or anything - only have added the heater and the Melafix...

I've been recommended that diluted Melafix is good for bettas. As that's all Bettafix is, diluted Melafix.

 

[SouthernCross]

Ok, he was up near the surface after sitting on the bottom for a good hour at least, I offered him some pellets and he ate them, which I guess is a good sign. Another thing I've noticed is his pectoral fins, instead of being fanned out in little circles like usual are all clamped up so that they look like they come to a point. When he's still they are flat to his sides.

I don't understand whats wrong....

I don't know if it could POSSIBLY be related to an issue I'm having with the heater - that its causing interference static in my computer speakers and my television. I'm going to ring the shop where I got it tomorrow to make sure its not something wrong with the heater, whether that should be happening - because I've got another heater in a big tank near the television and it doesn't cause anything like that...I made a thread about the heater here.

 

[girl4God81]

I would probably do another water change. I have a little boy who has acted odd when I gave him maracyn. He's had it before and is normally fine but all I can think is maybe I over medicated somehow. When I did a 50% water change, he made a huge bubble nest and went back to normal. His water wasn't bad otherwise because I had just done a water cahnge the day before. I would try another water change and don't add more meds (just in case). Good that he's eating!

 

[SouthernCross]

Not much change since yesterday...

 

[knt5005]

I'm not sure what the problem is, but I do remember reading another thread a week ago about a betta staying towards the bottom of his tank and I think that person kept him in one of those breeding nets so he wouldn't have to go far for air. I wish I could remember what thread that was because maybe it would help somehow.

Good luck.

 

[SouthernCross]

That's a great idea. My tank is tall so it would probably help him a lot. I have a breeding net so I'll go set it up.Hopefully it will fit. I'm gonna take him out, pop him in a cup, do a near 100% water change then pop him back in in the net.

I had thought about putting him in the net in my community if it was something in his water, but then I thought if hes ill with something else I don't want to risk the 22 or so fish in my community.

 

[Amunet]

You might be thinking of my thread. I put a breeders net into the tank and put my boy into it when he was very sick from betta spa.

That could be what's wrong with your guy. From what I've read, Melafix can damage the labyrinth organ in bettas and other labyrinth fish.
Usually when people recommend you to use melafix on a betta, they'll tell you to do a half dose instead of full.
I'd do a few more water changes to try to get as much of the medication out of the tank and just watch him. If he's still resting on the bottom alot. Either lower the water lvl, or put him in something like a breeders net so he won't have far to go for air.
Hopefully he'll perk back up once the medication is out of his system and water.

 

[SouthernCross]

Yeah I tried to do a smaller dose, but maybe it still wasn't small enough. I will get on with that 100% change, I would have changed out about half yesterday, but there would still be some Melafix in the water.

Should I turn the heater down some? I mean I didn't think 26 was high for a betta, but could he have not liked the temp change from around 20 to 26? It wasn't pparticularly rapid or anything...

 

[knt5005]

Yep, that's the thread I remember. I've had horrid luck with Pimafix with my bettas. I haven't had much issue with Melafix, but it could be the problem. When my bettas were ill (and I thought they were goners for sure) my boyfriend just changed their water every 8 hours or so with only conditioner and a little salt. They pulled through, which amazes me to this day. I think some just react differently to medications.

Good luck. Keep us updated.

 

[Amunet]

It's water was only at 68 degrees? Or well.. 20C? Wow.. that is very very cold for a betta!
It's recommended that bettas be kept in around 80F (27C)...
I doubt the temp is the cause for the illness but you never know. You could try turning it down just slightly.. maybe to 23 or 24C to see if he perks up some if water changes dont do the trick.

 

[SouthernCross]

I know. That's why I bought him a heater. We're just coming out of summer here in Australia, it was weird, went from being super warm (so room temp for the tank was more than fine) to really cold really rapidly. Stupid global warming climate change. So I popped it in on the Saturday night and turned it to 26 (its what I keep my community at although I know bettas usually like it a bit warmer, but didn't wanna go too high too quick) and he seemed really happy all of Sunday. I added more Melafix on Sunday, so I'm about 80% sure it was the culprit. But then again the heater was new too so I didn't wanna rule that out. He's been like he is since yesterday.

Well, I changed nearly 100% of the water (well, drained to the top of the gravel with the vac) filled up with freshwater treated with StressCoat dechlorinator rather than regular and he's in the breeding net, which has cut in half the distance to the surface for him. He's just resting on the bottom, about every half hour or so he goes up to the surface...

Changing the temp (I turned it down a bit overnight) hasn't made any difference to his condition, so I'll put it back up to 26.

 

[Amunet]

Ah.. I gotcha.
Well I really do hope the lil guy pulls through!