# Sluggish or hard time swimming?



## ScuitoAmi150 (Nov 19, 2009)

Previously I posted that my male and female betta (dual tank) have both been sluggish but especially my male. You all suggested that I get a heater which I'm planning to do.

I'm watching my male this morning and when he does swim to the top of the tank (feeding time) he is like dragging his hind end. And then once he eats he goes back down to the bottom and starts sleeping again. 
Why is he dragging his hind?

Also there is like this stuff around him (not gold looking like velvet), kinda looks like he is shedding. Do bettas shed?


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## ScuitoAmi150 (Nov 19, 2009)

by the way you can see the picture of him in my avatar he is dragging his hind end.


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## BettaxFishxCrazy (Sep 5, 2009)

One of my new guys had this, he was like paralyzed behind. Sadly he wasn't doing good at all, he had a really hard time going up for oxygen like your guy and wouldn't eat anything. I noticed on his back tail he had a red dot that eventually was going straight into his 'butt' so to speak and his fin was slowly losing color also. The last day that I had him the red sore had fuzzy stuff around it and he could barely swim. I brought him back to the family pet store that I got him from and they're going to treat him, but I don't think he'll survive.  I hope your guy gets better!


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## ScuitoAmi150 (Nov 19, 2009)

=[ Okay. My boy comes up for air and still has an appetite. He loves food. 
I'm trying to debate whether or not to treat him with Aquari-Sol. Its for ICK, Closed Fins, Body Fungus, Velvet and Sluggishness. 

That is what I used to treat the Velvet


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## ScuitoAmi150 (Nov 19, 2009)

so I put the black out divider in the tank. Should I separate them completely? Because although it is divided it has a grill under neath. I want to take that out but then the divider just swings and Ami has gotten into Scuito's side before


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## ScuitoAmi150 (Nov 19, 2009)

Update:
today Scuito is a little more lively. I kept the black out up so he can't see Ami and i added one of the bigger tank gravel rocks (the plastic see through kind that come in pretty colors) to encourage him to not lay around as much.
He went spastic at feeding time. Is swimming around a little bit more.
I added BettaFix last night (i know its for damaged fins and skin but if that cotton looking stuff is hurting his skin...)
I'd still like to know how to treat him.


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## BettaxFishxCrazy (Sep 5, 2009)

I'm so glad that he's doing better! I personally would separate him because you aren't sure exactly what he has and if it's contagious than your other one has a high chance that he'll get it too. I wouldn't overdo it with meds yet until you know exactly what you're treating for.


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## ScuitoAmi150 (Nov 19, 2009)

Okay! Will do. I just got 4 snails the other day (wish I hadn't) so I'll put them on the other side of his tank and take out my female.


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## 9 Bettas (Nov 22, 2009)

Watching this thread with interest as a couple of my boys are dragging their butts, 2 just started in the last couple of days, one - Levi has been doing it for a little longer.

We thought they may have been cold due having the aircon on for a killer summer here but have changed the vents so they don't blow near, have bumped up their heaters a little and it doesn't seem to have made much difference. Without looking at their thermometers (which I can' at the mo coz I'm at work) I can't say exactly what they are set to but its the top of the green 'acceptable' range for tropicals so I'm guessing around the 25/26deg C mark.

Tank sizes are all different so can't help you on that, all PH are neutral, all nitrites, nitrates, amonia are all fine. Have a fairly comprehensive test set! Water is changed once a week normally, but this week we've done it twice just to make sure their levels all stay OK and to add a little aquarium salt into the mix.

Any other ideas? I hate to see them struggle and think they could be in pain and I'm not helping!


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## ScuitoAmi150 (Nov 19, 2009)

9 Bettas said:


> Watching this thread with interest as a couple of my boys are dragging their butts, 2 just started in the last couple of days, one - Levi has been doing it for a little longer.
> 
> We thought they may have been cold due having the aircon on for a killer summer here but have changed the vents so they don't blow near, have bumped up their heaters a little and it doesn't seem to have made much difference. Without looking at their thermometers (which I can' at the mo coz I'm at work) I can't say exactly what they are set to but its the top of the green 'acceptable' range for tropicals so I'm guessing around the 25/26deg C mark.
> 
> ...


I hope we both find the answer soon!


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## 9 Bettas (Nov 22, 2009)

Fingers crossed! I've lost one that went like this, hopefully we can work it out before anymore suffer too much.


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## ScuitoAmi150 (Nov 19, 2009)

9 Bettas said:


> Fingers crossed! I've lost one that went like this, hopefully we can work it out before anymore suffer too much.


Scary!
I thought he was doing a little better this morning but now he is laying around again. :-(
I hope he didn't wear himself out flaring at my new betta (I don't have much space where the tanks are so I have to put Scuito's next to his).

I'm going to do a bunch of research tonight. I'll let you know if I find some clues.


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## lilyrazen (Oct 25, 2009)

Good Luck! My betta Wilson did this once but eventually went back to normal. I lost him over a year later so I'm pretty sure that wan't it.


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## ScuitoAmi150 (Nov 19, 2009)

Did you do anything to treat it?

I found this:
http://bettysplendens.com/articles/page.imp?articleid=930
One of them says: pale, dull or gray. Stays at the bottom of the bowl only coming up for air. 
due to - cold, stressed, vitamin deficiency. Treated with  BettaMax


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## 9 Bettas (Nov 22, 2009)

_I hope he didn't wear himself out flaring at my new betta (I don't have much space where the tanks are so I have to put Scuito's next to his).

_As long as its not all day every day, flaring at other fish is actually good for them - good excersize. And as for 2 - 3 years old being old age, I had one live til at least 7!!

That diagnosis is sorta close. Mine just seem like they need to sink as soon as they have been up for air and always butt first. 2 at the moment are sitting up the top of the tanks between the heater and the glass, just under the surface. Black is just floating there and Levi is acutally using the plastic heater mount to sit on. Prince is hanging around the bottom of the tank but doesn't seem to be having as much trouble with the sinking as the other two.

Sam (Sambucca) was butt down, head up all the time, sometimes couldn't make it to the surface so I actually had to lower his water lever near the end just so he could breathe and feed if he wanted to. He actually ate right up til the last day.


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## ScuitoAmi150 (Nov 19, 2009)

9 Bettas said:


> _I hope he didn't wear himself out flaring at my new betta (I don't have much space where the tanks are so I have to put Scuito's next to his).
> 
> _As long as its not all day every day, flaring at other fish is actually good for them - good excersize. And as for 2 - 3 years old being old age, I had one live til at least 7!!
> 
> ...


 I put something between their tanks so they couldn't see each other. 
Mine have the same symptoms as yours do. My female as being laying at the top of the water lately, just sleeping, almost all the time. Kinda odd. 
When Scuito goes up for air he comes down butt first, just like yours


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