# not eating and not moving much



## Chacha (Apr 29, 2011)

We have had this fish for a few months. Everything was fine until a week ago. The fish does not eat the fish flakes anymore. The fish is spending a lot of time with staying at the bottom of the tank or near the surface without moving. It is not dead, but surely looks like dead. 
There is some redness on the tail. Besides that, I notice no changes in the appearance. 

What is going on with my fish? How can I help it to get better?

Many Thanks for your responses,

Lisa


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## Burd (Apr 10, 2011)

To assist you better, you'll need to answer the questions here: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=49233



> Housing
> What size is your tank?
> What temperature is your tank?
> Does your tank have a filter?
> ...


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## Here Fishy Fishy Fishy (Oct 29, 2010)

Cacha,

Before you do anything else, do this:

If you have a small plastic container (like the betta came from the store in), place your fish in it with a small amount of fresh, conditoned water, brought up to tank temperature. The idea here is that we want to make it easier for your fish to get to the surface for air while he is ill. If you have too, just cover him enough so he can reach up and breath.

While your fish is in this QT container with such a small amount of water, you'll want to change it frequently - every few hours - to keep it clean and safe.

Doing this will help your fish survive while you answer the above questions and we try to nail down what is going on.

I suspect we're looking at fin rot and possible bacterial involvement but we need more information...


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## Chacha (Apr 29, 2011)

*Fish cannot keep itself straight*

We have two betta fish. One living in its own tank is doing well. The fish flakes, water temp, the water condition, the frequency of feeding are the same for the good fish as for the sick one. We have had the fish for the same amount of the time. There has not been any changes. I have changed the water four times after I noticed something wrong with the fish, since April 18th. I used to change the water once a week. 
The appearance of the sick I am noticing has changed, though. The sick fish's tail has some redness, the same kind when it is under stress, for example, during water changing time. The sick fish's body cannot stay straight or swim straight. It needs to lean on something, the wall of the tank or the tank deco to keep itself from "falling" into a flat position.


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

He looks like he's in a 1/2 gallon tank, without a heater....

If that is so, he needs a 2.5 gallon tank, with a heater that keeps his tank 78-80*F. two 50% and one 100% water changes a week in a 2.5 gallon tank is the minimum.

It seems like he has finrot, and he's probably cold and ill. If you get him the set up described above, his health will drastically improve. 

every time a fish exhales or does a poop, they release ammonia, which builds up in the water. Obviously, ammonia is a harmful toxin that will burn the fish, cause bacterial growth, etc. This is why frequent water changes are necessary. Obviously, such conditions are not good for their health. Along with that, bettas are ectotherms, meaning they have no ways of heating their body. As such, their internal temperatures are the same as their external temperatures. They need the temp around them to be tropical (around 80* F) so they can properly function. Being cold (even by 5 or 10 degrees) can be extremely bad because it slows their body, and lowers their immune system. A betta that lives in the small 1/2 gallon tanks that petstore employees sell to uninformed customers is basically living in conditions that can kill them off in a month, even though they are extremely hardy fish.


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## CyerRyn (Apr 8, 2011)

Awww poor little guy. I had a really big frown face looking at him.:-( I hope he feels better soon.


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## gbose (Dec 2, 2010)

Chacha,

Test your ammonia. If you see _any,_ then start daily 50% water changes. Then follow JKFish's advice.

Good luck!

GB


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

There is a very good chance ChaChaCha will not have a testing kit, considering he or she is probably new to keeping bettas..

ChaChaCha, there's probably a good chance you might not be able to buy complete set ups for both bettas right away. In the mean time what you ought to do is 100% water changes once a day, and place the tanks in the warmest area of your house.


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## Pekemom (Jan 27, 2011)

Such great advice!! Good luck, Chacha...please let us know if your betta is improving...


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## Cos84 (May 4, 2011)

I am having the exact problem with my fish which I keep in my classroom. His name is Steve Prefontaine and the poor guy is suffering. I did what was suggested by taking him out of the tank and placed him in a smaller container with fresh water. Should I completely empty the main tank and refill it? What is the next step? please advise 
Thanks


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## Cos84 (May 4, 2011)

I am having the exact problem with my fish which I keep in my classroom. His name is Steve Prefontaine and the poor guy is suffering. I did what was suggested by taking him out of the tank and placed him in a smaller container with fresh water. Should I completely empty the main tank and refill it? What is the next step? please advise 
Thanks

Also I do have a filter in the tank


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

> Housing
> What size is your tank?
> What temperature is your tank?
> Does your tank have a filter?
> ...


 
answer all of that to the best of your capabilities so we can best help you


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## Cos84 (May 4, 2011)

2 gallon tank
water approx 85 degrees (I dont have a thermometer)
I do have a filter
Tank is not heated
No tank mates
I feed him pellets two - three times per week

I have not tested the water.. I do not know how

I changed the water 100% when I noticed his sluggishness, before that I had not changed the water. He was in that particular tank for about 1.5 weeks

He seems smaller
He has become sluggish and stays on his side.
I started noticing about a week ago
May fish has been with me for about 3-5 months


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

You'll want to lower the temps to around 78-80 degrees. In a two gallon, you need to be doing two 50% and one 100% water changes a week. You need to be feeding him 2 pellets twice daily as well. I suggest buying a thermometer. You can get a little glass one in the fish/pet section of Walmart for one dollar.


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## Cos84 (May 4, 2011)

Thank you


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## Chacha (Apr 29, 2011)

My fish has been doing better, but it still has not been eating anything for about three weeks. I don't how this fish keep itself alive without any food for this long period of time.


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

so is he in a larger heated tank with proper water changes?

Bettas can go a while without food, but by now he has got to eat something, it's not healthy. Offer him pellets soaked in fresh garlic juice.


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## OwnerofSaix (May 9, 2011)

It sounds like what Saix has been going through, ammonia burn. Get a liquid ammonia test and test your water. Make sure to change your tank water at least every other day, and put water conditioner in it. Don't forget to test it before you put him in.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

He definitely has fin rot. Can you pick up some API Stress Coat or API Aquarium Salt at the petstore soon? If the fin rot reaches his body, he will be very, very, very, very ill. I know you're getting a lot of advice kind of piecemeal but the basics that everyone will agree on are

1) He needs a heater to keep his water at approximately 75-80 degrees Farenheit
2) He needs a filter or 100% water changes at least once a week
3) He needs water conditioner like API Stress Coat or Seachem Prime
4) Two aquarium thermometers
5) An ammonia test kit. Later on, you will need test kits for nitrate as well. When you can afford it, you will probably want to get a master test kit that tests nitrate, nitrite, chlorine etc. For now, you definitely need either a liquid drop ammonia test kit or ammonia test strips.

Once you are able to obtain these things, you will want to do the following

1) Change his water. Make sure the water you put back into his tank is the same temperature as the water he was in and also make sure you condition the water. This is why you need two thermometers, one to measure the tank water and one to measure the water in the bucket you will be putting in. Stir the water vigorously to remove as many gas bubbles as you can.
2) Because he has a bacterial infection, you will want to do partial water changes once a day because you want to get the infection out of the water. Be sure to add Stress Coat or Prime every day when you do these changes. It's very important that he is able to build up his slime coat again.
3) Feed him good quality food, only a few pellets at a time. They need to be small pellets because bettas have small mouths, so food made especially for a betta are a good idea. Try and remove uneaten food.
4) Test the water every day to make sure there are no ammonia buildups. It's doubtful there will be if you are changing it frequently but it never hurts to be sure. Later, when he's healthy and you are no longer changing the water every day, you will want to test for ammonia every day.
5) Just watch him. If the redness in his tail gets closer to his body, post again and let everyone know. You may need to get tetracycline then.

I know it sounds like a lot of work but if you can get the little guy to pull through, you will be rewarded with a happy little fish with lots of personality. 

Good luck!


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## Chacha (Apr 29, 2011)

No, my fish does not eat anything, including the pellet soaked in garlic juice.
What to do??? Actually it has been four weeks, since this fish ate.

Second question - where do I buy these medications?


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Eeek, four weeks sounds like a long time even for a fish. Hmmm. Have you tried frozen brine shrimp or frozen bloodworms? The frozen fish food and Stress Coat can all be picked up at a Petco, Petsmart, aquarium store, or online from websites such as www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com or www.petco.com or www.petsmart.com .


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

ChaCha, you don't need meds. If he's in a minimum of a 2.5 gallon tank, heated (78-80*F 25-27* C), and clean (a 2.5 gallon tank needs a minimum of two 50% and one 100% water changes a week), then he ought to be getting better, and he ought to start eating. If he doesn't have any hiding spots, that might be another issue too, some bettas like knowing they have an option of hiding if they want, so it makes them more outgoing. 

If you would post a picture of his set up, I might be able to identify if there's something wrong with it.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

So he hasn't eaten for four weeks and he's just now looking sick? Tenacious little guy.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

By the way, have you purchased a heater? I know they're pricy but his chances will drastically improve with a heater. The Petco Submersible Heater at Petco is about $27 in store. Petsmart has Top Fin heaters starting at $17.99. Get a 50W. Sooner than later, you'll need a heater for your other fish, too. 

I know, I didn't realize keeping a betta could be so expensive either. But it's worth it, it really is.


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

The wattage will depend on the size of the tank. 10 watts would be enough for a 2.5 gallon tank. I know marineland sells a small one that size


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Yeah, but the mini heaters aren't always available in-store.  That's the only reason I said a 50W.


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

In petsmart, the 10 watt marineland one is available.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Boo, not mine. Their aquatics section is lousy and they take pretty poor care of their fish.


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## falconboy99 (May 14, 2011)

Try changing the water and removing the gravel and then see what happens.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I don't know if I'd remove the gravel until he stabilized. We might all be suggesting too many changes that will just stress the poor fish even more. Don't know, haven't heard from Chacha in a while. I hope the little guy is doing better, though.


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

Believe it or not, a stressed betta is not as bad as a betta with ammonia burns and finrot. In a 1/2 gallon (if he is still in there) 100% daily will barely make the cut for clean water. 

When I got my first betta, he was in a little 1/2 gallon. Once he started getting sick, I found my way here. He had to stay in there until my 10 gallon was cycled, so while he was waiting, I did 100% water changes daily. The cleaner water improved his health, and once he got into the cycled and heated 10 gallon with clean water, he bounced back greatly.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Oh, no doubt a betta with ammonia burn and fin rot is way worse than a stressed betta. But a stressed betta with ammonia burn and fin rot is even worse. I'd certainly suggest changing the water frequently and getting a heater but I'm not sure if the gravel being removed will make that much of a difference. It's mainly a problem when it traps the fish's solid waste and since this fellow hasn't eaten for four weeks, I'm guessing he hasn't produced much of that.


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

Well, if done correctly, even 100% water changes should be stress free, and the clean water will work to heal the ammonia burns and finrot. It's much better than letting the ammonia build up and cause even more damage, no?


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Oh gosh yes, the water changes will work wonders for a fish with ammonia burn an fin rot, or any other ailment for that matter. I'm all for water changes, never said I wasn't. Just not sure about removing the gravel in this case, that's all. Wonder what happened to Chacha, though. I'd like an update on the poor little fella.


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## falconboy99 (May 14, 2011)

Because when i do 100% water changes, Shotgun becomes slightly more active for the rest of the day.


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## Chacha (Apr 29, 2011)

The fish died approx. this morning. I changed the water and added the usual medicine Friday afternoon. I really thought it was getting better, possibly getting well - the redness was reducing and almost gone in some areas. 
After I woke up and checked on the fish, it was still alive. Then, I was not home for few hours. Within this time, it died. It was staying between the fake plane leaves. One side of its body was pale and greenish. The other side was more normal. The body was cure up and stiff. Poor thing... it was very sick but a great fighter. At the end, it was probably died with hunger (it did not eat at all).

Thanks for all of your input on how to save our little fish!


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Chacha, I'm so sorry to hear you lost your fish. You're right, he was a great fighter to hang on for so long. I hope things go better with your other fish. Don't forget that all the advice we gave for your little fighter applies to your other fish as well. That is, a heater and lots of water changes. If you have the time, please do keep us all posted on how the other fish is doing. My sympathies.


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