# What's Wrong With My Betta?



## lassiefaire (Nov 1, 2011)

Housing 
What size is your tank?_ 2.5 gallon_
What temperature is your tank? _72-78 degrees_
Does your tank have a filter? _no_
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? _no_
Is your tank heated? _yes_
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? _none_

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? _pellets_
How often do you feed your betta fish? _once a day*_

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change? _once a week, I do a full water change _
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change?_ 100%_
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? _Water conditioner, aquarium salt_

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? _No._

If so, what are the following parameters?

Ammonia: N/A
Nitrite: N/A
Nitrate: N/A
pH: N/A
Hardness: N/A
Alkalinity: N/A

_(I've purchased some tester strips off Amazon, and they should arrive shortly!)_

Symptoms and Treatment
How old is your fish (approximately)?_ I bought my betta fish from Petsmart about one year ago (Nov 11). _
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? _Apollo is paler (I think, he was already a very pale pink when I purchased him), and now appears to have fin rot. Occasionally, his belly swells up like balloon (swim bladder disorder). _

How has your betta fish's behavior changed? _He frequently can't swim down, and rests at the top of the water in his tank. _

When did you start noticing the symptoms?
_It all started about two weeks ago, when he first got swim bladder disorder. I figured I was feeding him too much and began to fast him. He'd then be fine for a couple days. But then I'd feed him again (1-2 pellets) and he'd swell up again. This was a vicious cycle. Finally, I didn't feed him for a couple days, and he swelled up again without any food in his body. I figured he had internal parasites, and treated him for those. He was fine for a couple days while being fed, and then I noticed his fins had red tips. Over the next day I noticed that his fins were getting weaker at the ends and now it looks like the end of his tail was snipped off. I began treating him for that. Today I fed him and his belly swelled up again and he can't swim down (well he can, but he starts floating back up to the top of his tank again.)._

Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? 
_Yes, I've been treating him for swim bladder with Jungle's Parasite Clear. I've been treating his fin rot with Jungle's Fungus Clear. He has also been treated with maracyn-oxy and ampicillin previously. _

Does your fish have any history of being ill?
_He had pop-eye in late August. _


_How do I prevent him from getting swim bladder again and again? I'm not sure what is wrong with him/what he has. I don't want to lose my little guy. :-(_


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Welcome to the forum and sorry you are having problems....

It sounds like he has had multi problems over the year that you have had him

In the 2.5gal unfiltered tank....I would increase your water changes to twice weekly...1-50% and 1-100%...any live plants...

With multi problems-fin issues, buoyancy issues, popeye in the past along with the use of aquarium salt long term and multi medications...
I would recommend Epsom salt 3tsp/gal (Not aquarium salt) treatment along with tannins and 100% daily water changes in a small QT container covered with plastic veggie wrap to retain heat and humidity for the labyrinth organ, water temp in the 76-78F range during treatment.

Premix the treatment water in a 1gal jug of dechlorinated water-Add Epsom salt 3tsp/gal and a tannin source-either IAL or dried Oak leaf and use this premixed Tx water for 50% water change every 15min for 1 hour to total 4 water changes today and tomorrow start 100% daily water changes using this premixed treatment water for 10-14 days....he needs to stay in the QT with the treatment water-you can float the small QT in the heated tank to maintain temp-be sure and attach it to the side so it doesn't sink-turn off the light...be sure the treatment water temp is pretty close to the QT and Betta water temp when you make the water changes....

Hold food for 2 days-then offer small feedings of a good quality varied diet...if you have access to mosquito larva offer them for one meal a day...

Check your fish food and make sure it hasn't gone bad...if it has been opened for a year-you need to get some fresh food or if you kept the food on top of the tank, left off...etc....when fish food get too warm or any moisture gets in it ...it will go rancid-making the fish sick....

Can you post a pic....

Keep us posted....


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## lassiefaire (Nov 1, 2011)

Thank you! I truly appreciate the help and I'll start treatment ASAP. 

I've got a new sealed container of food so I'll switch over to using that immediately. 

I took these pictures a couple minutes ago, so this is his most recent condition. 

Let me know if you need more pictures and I'll try to get them. He really hates having his picture taken, so it's difficult to get them.


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## earthworm88 (Jul 8, 2011)

Is there something sticky out of his right operculum (gill cover)? Do you also have his photo when he was healthy?


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## lassiefaire (Nov 1, 2011)

I haven't seen anything sticking out of his gill cover. Where are you possibly seeing something? 

Here are some pictures from when he was at his healthiest... (before any sort of problems started happening)


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## earthworm88 (Jul 8, 2011)

On the first photo, it looks like the operculum is slightly raised, and there is an pinkish air-sac like object right behind it. It's difficult to see on photo since it's not 3D, that object in question may well be the fleshy beginning of the pectoral fin though, hence my question about something sticking out. 

Does he also have fin melt on his anal fin? Can you see the individual rays and tissues of the fins or do they look like they are clumping together at the end?

How is he doing so far with OFL's recommended treatment? Hope all goes well for you! Good luck. 

Cheers!


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