# My fish is dying!!



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

So today I fed my fish like normal, a small bunch of betta flakes (all he likes to eat) twice, once at 8 AM and once at 6 PM. I added a small amount of cold but still water to his 3 gallon tank to bring up the water level for aesthetic purposes. The temp is still at it's steady 78 degrees. But my fish is struggling to swim, can't follow my finger to the bottom of the tank, and keeps giving up and lying still as if dead for a couple seconds before swimming more. He also is swimming just over the surface of the water,w hich he NEVER does. What is wrong with him? Oh and the tank is planted with anubias and some lilies.
It really looks as though he doesn't have much time left, but he was FINE 2 hours ago.


----------



## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=49233 Please fill out.


----------



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

ChoclateBetta said:


> http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=49233 Please fill out.


Housing 
What size is your tank? *3 gallons*
What temperature is your tank? *78 degrees*
Does your tank have a filter? *yes, eclipse bio wheel*
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, just plants*

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? *flakes, does not like pellets.*
How often do you feed your betta fish? *twice a day, 8 to 10 hours between*

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change? *I do 25% changes every few days to a week.*
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? *25%*
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? *None, the water added is still water been sitting for a week.*

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
*Have not tested water, have no test. Pet store closed until tomorrow.*
Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity: 

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? *He does look a little bloated, in the area behind his head, where his thin fins are.* 
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? *It has no strength to swim more than an inch below water level. Seems to give up and "crests" the top of the water like a shark or dolphin. Has apparent trouble breathing, but not too badly.*
When did you start noticing the symptoms? *An hour ago. They were not present 3-4 hours ago.*
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? *No because I don't know what's wrong with it!*
Does your fish have any history of being ill? *Never.*
How old is your fish (approximately)? *Got it from reputable pet store 6 months ago.*


----------



## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Letting water sit out does not make it safe. You still have to add Dechloritator.


----------



## Kithy (Nov 21, 2012)

You need to do more changes in a week, probably closer to 50% twice a week. 

Letting water sit out removes chlorine but there are many other things in tap water that need to be removed with a water conditioner. Unless you have well water, that's a whole different thing, I think.

When you feed him, do you remove what he doesn't eat?

Depending on where you live you could get a test strip kit from Walmart even at this time, some Walmarts are 24hrs. It won't be the best but it'll give you a better idea of what's going on.


----------



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

Kithy said:


> You need to do more changes in a week, probably closer to 50% twice a week.
> 
> Letting water sit out removes chlorine but there are many other things in tap water that need to be removed with a water conditioner. Unless you have well water, that's a whole different thing, I think.
> 
> ...


He eats all I give him. I can't imagine giving him more than he will eat.
I did some research, could this be that bladder disorder thing I read about?


----------



## Kithy (Nov 21, 2012)

zebra3 said:


> He eats all I give him. I can't imagine giving him more than he will eat.
> I did some research, could this be that bladder disorder thing I read about?


Swim bladder? I suppose it could be but I've no experience with it and bettas. Any chance you can get picture or video of him?


----------



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

I'll get a photo and edit this post with it check back in 5 minutes. I think it's that because his belly is big and he keeps "laying down" at the top of the tank.

*Important: I turned the filter off because I feel it was making it even more difficult for the fish to swim.
*That shouldn't be a problem right?


----------



## Kithy (Nov 21, 2012)

zebra3 said:


> I'll get a photo and edit this post with it check back in 5 minutes. I think it's that because his belly is big and he keeps "laying down" at the top of the tank.
> 
> *Important: I turned the filter off because I feel it was making it even more difficult for the fish to swim.
> *That shouldn't be a problem right?


Shouldn't be. If you need to lower the water do so as well. You might need to do more water changes while he is unwell.


----------



## veggiegirl (Nov 20, 2012)

Hey there,

Being that your betta became unwell so quickly I would tend to think that it may be the water that you added to the tank. Sitting the water out in the sun may remove the Chlorine but it will not make it 100% safe. Traces of heavy metals and other unsafe substances may still be present in the water, only Water conditioner will neautralise these making the water safe for fish.

Also always make sure that the new water that you add to his tank is the same temperature as the water that is in his tank otherwise he will become very stressed which will compromise his immune system and put him at risk of disease. I hope he recovers, goodluck


----------



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

If I could I'd make these smaller:












By the way, I THINK that is a bubble nest under the lily pad. Which is neat since he never made one before, I woke up this morning an noticed it, though I think he's been building it for days.


----------



## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

If your tank is cycled and your filter off for over a certain amount of time, it will kill the bacteria and when you turn it back on again, the dead beacteria will cause an ammonia spike. 

Flakes aren't very good for them and it can cause bloating, so he may indeed have an issue with his swim bladder, especially if he is overfed. Plain, unscented epsom at 1 teaspoon per gallon will help if his swimming issue is indeed caused by swim bladder disease, which really isn't a disease at all. It's almost always caused by over eating but can also be a birth defect. My sister had an albino goldfish that swam upside down and backwards its whole life. 


Ohhh - if he is having issues reaching the surface, loweing the water will help as will having something to rest on - to kinda hold them inplace so they dont go floating off. constantly trying to stay still tends to wear them out. and dont feed him for a day or two. It wont hurt him to not eat - they can go weeks without food.


----------



## LeoTheLakerBetta (Oct 12, 2012)

I would try feeding him less along with dechlorinator to new water. Bettas will just keep eating until their stomachs are really really beyond full. Their stomachs are only the size of their eyeball which, as you can imagine, is pretty small. I would fast him, meaning don't give him food for a day ow two. That way he can digest his food and that could be his problem.

Lowering the water level maybe a little difficult with your heater so if he is having a lot of trouble swimming to the surface, if you still have his little petstore cup, you can float him in the tank and switch out his cup water when it gets dirty or every 6 hours or so..

But if you can do it without a cup, even better.


----------



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

Tikibirds said:


> If your tank is cycled and your filter off for over a certain amount of time, it will kill the bacteria and when you turn it back on again, the dead beacteria will cause an ammonia spike.
> 
> Flakes aren't very good for them and it can cause bloating, so he may indeed have an issue with his swim bladder, especially if he is overfed. Plain, unscented epsom at 1 teaspoon per gallon will help if his swimming issue is indeed caused by swim bladder disease, which really isn't a disease at all. It's almost always caused by over eating but can also be a birth defect. My sister had an albino goldfish that swam upside down and backwards its whole life.
> 
> ...


Thank you. I will not feed him for a couple days, if he lives that long. His problem isn't getting to the water level because he can't swim to the bottom. I will lower it somewhat however. But the filter will wear him out much much faster, it is a gamble, but I am keeping it off. He was struggling so bad that he couldn't get to the side of the tank that has the filter when it was on.

I will get epsom salts in the morning. I will be sure not to give too much, but can it hurt him if it's not necessary?


----------



## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

The good news is, SBD is not fatal. It just makes them look pathetic till they workout whatever is in ther system that is messing with their swim bladder - which is usually excess food. I think what happens is they eat too much and the stomach expands to the point where it squished the swim bladder?


----------



## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

No. epsom won't hurt him. It's pretty gentle and works as a laxative, just as it does for humans (or so the package will say. I never had a desire to test that theory LOL). It can be used long term as well. Aquarium salt, however, is harder on their internal organs and should not be used for more then 2 weeks.

and water conditioner. you should really use that too. It does not matter what kind or brand, any will do. The most popular seem to be Seachem's Prime and API's Stress Coat. But like I said, dosen't really matter what brand it is - they should all take care of chlorine and heavy metals inthe tap. Some also remove ammonia/nitrite and nitrAte. 

If the filter was bothering him, then turningit off was a good move. I don't bother with filters in tanks under 10 gallons anyways. Not enough outlets and doing the water changes is pretty easy with a gravel siphon. :-D


----------



## FishFriend9292 (Oct 14, 2012)

Betrays will eat even if they are not hungry, it's sort of a survival instinct. Exactly how many flakes are you giving him?


----------



## FishFriend9292 (Oct 14, 2012)

Sorry- Bettas. For some reason my kindles Pluto correct doesn't seem to think betta is a word.


----------



## FishFriend9292 (Oct 14, 2012)

OMG!!! AUTO! not Pluto...strange AUTO correct


----------



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

FishFriend9292 said:


> Betrays will eat even if they are not hungry, it's sort of a survival instinct. Exactly how many flakes are you giving him?


It's not exact, its a pinch of food. Hopefully I just gave him too much and it will work itself out in a day or two, lesson learned. I guess we'll know when I wake up tomorrow. I figure if he's still alive then, it's overeating.


----------



## ilovebettafishandsuzys (Nov 18, 2012)

i am sory about your betta. is flakes the only thing he will eat. try some freezed dryed blood worms turn of your filter and do a 50% water change and make sure that the new water that you use is decolranated. i would say that he is going thur betta depresion. as a last resort go to a pet shop/fish vet and see what they say. hopes this helps.thank you


----------



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

I'm gonna go ahead and not feed a betta that has potentially been overfed even more food. And I doubt a fish that just went from a 1 gallon tank to a 3 gallon with filter heater and live plants a few months ago is depressed.


----------



## callistra (Jun 29, 2010)

You need to use conditioner. You should have cycled the tank carefully: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=47838 Once fully cycled (or as much as a 3 gallon can be.. and this would have taken up to 2 months.. have you even had it set up that long?) you should have been doing 2 50% changes a week, one should includes a vacuuming of the gravel to remove poo or what the mods in this forum refer to as the stir/dip (stir up the poop and scoop it out with a cup) method. 

Now that you have turned off your filter you need two different water changes a week - one 50% and one 100% including a thorough rinsing of gravel and all dechor.

You have a water quality problem. You also have a feeding issue.. I think people have already gone over this with you, epsoms etc. What pellets have you tried? Have you tried NLS or Omega One?

Here's how you can do those water changes without shocking:



> To do a water change, use a little cup like a plastic solo cup - this cup must be only for him and have never been used with soap or other chems. Scoop him up in this cup (keep him in the cup about 1/4 full of water - it doesn't need to be much because he won't be in it for long) and leave him in the cup while you change his water. To do the 50% use a turkey baster - dedicated only to him that has never seen soap or chems - and drag it through the gravel and try to suck as much of the poop out as possible, in addition to 50% of the water. Use a thermometer under the running tap to get it to be the same temp as the water that is normally in his tank. When the thermometer says the flowing tap is the right temp, fill back up his tank. At this point, add the conditioner (dose for how much water you change - if you change half the water you add half gallon worth of conditioner, If you do a 100% water change dose for the full gallon change). Float his plastic cup with him in it in the new water. Slowly add a couple tablespoons of the new water into his cup every 10 minutes for at least an hour. Finally, dump him in gently but try to get as little of the old cup water back into the tank as possible. When you do the weekly 100% you will do mostly the same thing except empty his tank fully and rinse everything in it very well under warm water but never use soaps or chemicals. Once it's fully cleaned/rinsed you can refill it and repeat the cup/acclimate phase.


----------



## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

first off, ad some dechlorinator. then fast him for three days, at he end of this he should be given a small piece of boiled pea.


----------



## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

> try some freezed dryed blood worms turn of your filter and do a 50% water change and make sure that the new water that you use is decolranated. i would say that he is going thur betta depresion. as a last resort go to a pet shop/fish vet and see what they say. hopes this helps.thank you


Freeze dried bloodworms won't help if a betta is bloated or constipated. Once water is added to them, they expand even more. Giving it one or two, once a week is ok but it's like us eatting candy. 

not sure where the depression is comming from either. 

PS - a petshop is the last place you want to seek advice, unless you know they have a knowledgeble fish person on staff. Most petco/petsmart employees only know what they are told and most of the time that info is not correct. 



> *Swim Bladder Disease (SBD)/Bloat*
> •Symptoms: Betta has trouble swimming, maybe he can’t stay upright and can only swim on his side.
> •Treatment: This is not a contagious or fatal illness. If it isn’t congenital (aka a condition that he/she has had since birth), then it is caused by over feeding or feeding the wrong foods. Bettas will typically recover after a day or two of Epsom Salt treatments (1-2tsp/gal) and fasting. You can help prevent a reoccurrence by switching to a better pellet food, feeding less and offering a more varied diet. To make it easier for the betta to eat and breath, you can make the water shallower. You can offer him/her frozen daphnia (sold at Petsmart) as daphnia will help him/her pass stool. DO NOT FEED THEM PEAS.


some say yes for the pea, some say no. I think its more for goldfish but..eh...if you think he will eat the pea. I think you need to remove the shell and then cook it somehow? Not really sure, never tried that method.

Have you tried New Life spectrum pellets? I have yet to find a betta who won't eat them. Some of the other kinds of pellets are too big and even if I break them up - they still won't eat them. Or if you want to stick with the flakes, use a tweezer and grab a flake or two depending on size. I feed flakes ever now and then for variety and always end up feeding too many.


----------



## ilovebettafishandsuzys (Nov 18, 2012)

*sory for the bad info*

 i am sory that i gave you some bad info. i went back and studyed what i said and i agree with Tikibird all the way. ps also sory i did not take into acount where you live i am new to this web site and i thaught that this web site was local. at my petsmart i know l person that has had and bred bettas for 15 years!!!


----------



## ilovebettafishandsuzys (Nov 18, 2012)

pss. i am so sory for giving you (Zebra3) and anyone else who read my post at the top of the page bad info:-(. sory!!!!!


----------



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

He appears to be doing better now. He isn't as bloated and is swimming upright. I watched him swim to the bottom. However, he isn't quite as active as usual, but who is when they've been feeling lousy?

The next step for me is to figure out exactly what went wrong to keep it from happening again. My estimation is that he ate too much, maybe my pinch of food was more than I thought it was yesterday. I will give him a COUPLE flakes late tonight just to keep things relatively normal, but this poses a question:
How often do you guys feed your fish?


Thanks for all the responses I received during the night. I will do some more regular water changes, despite the fact that I don't believe the small amount of water I added to the tank was the cause of this unpleasantness.


----------



## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

zebra3 said:


> He appears to be doing better now. He isn't as bloated and is swimming upright. I watched him swim to the bottom. However, he isn't quite as active as usual, but who is when they've been feeling lousy?
> 
> The next step for me is to figure out exactly what went wrong to keep it from happening again. My estimation is that he ate too much, maybe my pinch of food was more than I thought it was yesterday. I will give him a COUPLE flakes late tonight just to keep things relatively normal, but this poses a question:
> How often do you guys feed your fish?
> ...


My fish recently bloated, and then started doing barrel rolls at the surface. So I understand your reaction! 

When this happened, I posted a panicked email. Callistra and Shellieca gave me excellent advice.... The little barrel-roller is now fine. 

Here's what I did for my guy:

1) Fasting - Do not feed him while he's bloated. He will tell you that he's hungry - ignore his demands for food. 

2) Epsom salt - It acts like a laxative. My fish was constipated and bloated. The Epsom salt got things "moving" again. LOL I think people here already told you about adding this?

3) NO peas - I've read a lot of conflicting advice about peas. But basically, it would only act as a laxative anyway, which is duplicating the Epsom salt treatment. So it's not needed.

4) Water changes - In an unfiltered 3 gallon tank, the recommendation is to do one 100% and one 50% water change per week. Always use a water conditioner.

Then, AFTER he's no longer bloated, and has been fasted awhile:

5) Feed a TINY amount. My guy eats pellets. Once I saw that everything was COMPLETELY back to normal with him, I fed him a SINGLE pellet. 

6) After he successfully ate the pellet and did not bloat again, I put him back into regular water (without Epsom salt, but with conditioner). Acclimate him slowly! 

7) I continued giving him SMALL meals. He's now up to two pellets, twice a day. And that's it.

I've read that their stomachs are the size of their eye. In other words, really small!

My bigger betta gets 3 pellets/2x per day (total of 6). This smaller guy (who bloated) gets 2 pellets/2x per day (total of 4). 

Based on Callistra's and Shellieca's advice, I also switched his pellets. They said that 'fish' should be the first 3 ingredients. (Rather than wheat or cereal.) People here recommend NLS (New Life Spectrum) and Omega One Betta Buffet. My local petstore doesn't carry NLS, but they did have Omega One, so that's what I've been feeding.

Good luck! The barrel rolls at the surface had me convinced that he wasn't going to make it. But he's fine now. (Although he's decided that he likes chewing his tail. So that's our next 'challenge' to overcome. LOL)


----------



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

LittleBlueFishlets said:


> My fish recently bloated, and then started doing barrel rolls at the surface. So I understand your reaction!
> 
> When this happened, I posted a panicked email. Callistra and Shellieca gave me excellent advice.... The little barrel-roller is now fine.
> 
> ...


I got him those new life spectrum pellets a while back, he ate one and spit others out. Waste of money. I notices what looks like a little round white poop on one of the leaves in my tank, I wonder if that's normal.


----------



## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

zebra3 said:


> I got him those new life spectrum pellets a while back, he ate one and spit others out. Waste of money. I notices what looks like a little round white poop on one of the leaves in my tank, I wonder if that's normal.


White poop can indicate parasites.

BUT their poop is usually the color of their food. 

The Omega One pellets that I feed are kind of reddish, so my guys' poops look like reddish 'cinnamon buns.'

I don't know the color of the flakes that you're feeding him. But if they're NOT whitish, this MIGHT indicate something like a parasite issue.


----------



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

LittleBlueFishlets said:


> White poop can indicate parasites.
> 
> BUT their poop is usually the color of their food.
> 
> ...


That is something I am afraid of. I am going to monitor him closely for the next week. I will feed him sparingly, and see what is happening. He has not eaten yet today.


----------



## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

zebra3 said:


> That is something I am afraid of. I am going to monitor him closely for the next week. I will feed him sparingly, and see what is happening. He has not eaten yet today.


Since he was bloated yesterday, I would, personally, not feed him at all today. A day without food is not going to hurt him, especially if he bloated from being overfed.... That said, the 'lil guy is yours, and I'm sure you will do what you think is best for him!

If he has another white poop, you may want to start a new thread, asking about parasites. (Since there's already been conversation about bloating on this thread, though page 4.)


----------



## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

IAL should help.


----------



## sunlight (Apr 24, 2012)

one advice if he might have internal parasites it really better to feed himm. They pass parasite with poo. So if you have frozen daphnia or just feed small portions. The more they poo the more chance they pass them out. I think you need to make sure if he has them because i think there is a chance fish to survive if they have it only if you treat them in early stages. So just monitor closely his poo. Filter i think will bother him anyway ..
Sorry i read briefly all 4 pages so just want to make sure that you know to do daily water changes with epsom salt? Epsom salt will help to purge parasites out and clean digestive system.
Also epsom salt will not treat parasites , if he has them you might need medications.


----------



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

sunlight said:


> one advice if he might have internal parasites it really better to feed himm. They pass parasite with poo. So if you have frozen daphnia or just feed small portions. The more they poo the more chance they pass them out. I think you need to make sure if he has them because i think there is a chance fish to survive if they have it only if you treat them in early stages. So just monitor closely his poo. Filter i think will bother him anyway ..
> Sorry i read briefly all 4 pages so just want to make sure that you know to do daily water changes with epsom salt? Epsom salt will help to purge parasites out and clean digestive system.
> Also epsom salt will not treat parasites , if he has them you might need medications.


That's tough because it might not have an obvious tell. It was easy to see that something was wrong with him last night, because he was keeling over belly up. But a parasite might not show itself easily in behaviors I think.


----------



## sunlight (Apr 24, 2012)

with internal parasites fish usually bloated, lethargic with time, poop white,or clear or partially clear , stringy,wormy shape, gray belly


----------



## halfmoonbetta77 (Dec 29, 2012)

I'm really sorry this is happening to you. I had a betta that was 2 years old he was doing the exact same thing as yours, just floating at the top and not swimming very much. He also had a what seemed as a swollen belly. Sadly he eventually died a few minutes later. Don't really know what caused it although I have a theory it was over feeding because i too fed it flakes and quiet a bit really:-(


----------



## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Something might have gone bad like stress.


----------



## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

Epsom won't get rid of internal parasites on it's own, but it will help flush them out. Watch him for a day or two and keep an eye out for stringy, white poo. 



> *Internal Parasites*
> •Symptoms: Betta is losing weight but eating normally and acting lethargic.
> He/she might dart or rub against decor.
> •Treatment: These can be hard to fight and can get confused with the fatal disease Tuberculosis. Perform daily 100% water changes (if possible, for larger aquariums change 3/4). Make sure you carefully clean the gravel to remove eggs/larva. Aq.Salt does not seem to be affective against internal parasites. I find combining ES with an anti-parasite med is best. *Treat with 1-2tsp/gal Epsom Salt combined with either Jungle’s Anti-Parasite Pellets, Jungle’s Parasite Clear Fizz tabs or API General Cure. *PP is also effective against internal parasites.


I guess they can be bloated too, if they have worms in their stomach? 
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=73333



> pss. i am so sory for giving you (Zebra3) and anyone else who read my post at the top of the page bad info:sad:. sory!!!!


We were all new at some point  That's awsome that your petsmart has smeone that actually knows how to care for fish. At my petco, they told me I can keep a male with a female and a pleco in a 1 gallon tank and that if you touch a chinchilla, it will die. A rock would give better information they do, if it could, ya know..talk.


----------



## callistra (Jun 29, 2010)

What changes have you done so far with all the suggestions in your thread?

My experience with internal parasites it is causes spastic wild behavior and by the time it's bad enough that they actually get lethargic they're gone soon after.. Also they will by skinny while with bacterial normally no weight change if not bloated actually now internal bacterial infections I've seen cause more lethargy.. but anyway it's one or the other.

Can you share photos?


----------



## Shewbert (Dec 16, 2012)

If he goes to the top on a regular basis he might be gulping air through lack of oxygen, more regular water changes are needed, maybe an air stone placed in his water to keep oxygen levels up. it does not take long for a fish to use up the oxygen in a 3 gal tank.
Don't let him stuff himself with food, its better to give him small regular meals than large meals, remember large amounts of food puts pressure on his swim bladder.
Starve him for a couple of days, 
A day of not feeding him each week will do him no harm.
But an instant 50%-75% change is needed.
Ray


----------



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

Tomorrow I'm doing a water change with new conditioner. I have not made many changes to his habitat because I didn't want to introduce new things to a problem I was unsure of. He is acting normal as ever right now, so tomorrow is a water change and two SMALL meals day to see how he handles it. 

Thanks for the help everyone, it's weird to see your fish literally keeling one night and wake up to a healthy appearing one the next day.

I'd like to reiterate for people just joining in:
*My fish is no longer exhibiting behaviors listed on page one.*


----------



## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

So he is all better? Sweet



> If he goes to the top on a regular basis he might be gulping air through lack of oxygen, more regular water changes are needed, maybe an air stone placed in his water to keep oxygen levels up. it does not take long for a fish to use up the oxygen in a 3 gal tank.


Bettas have a labyrenth organ - which allows them to breathe air via the surface not through the gills.


> This organ allows labyrinth fish to take in oxygen directly from the air, instead of taking it from the water in which they reside through use of gills. The labyrinth organ helps the inhaled oxygen to be absorbed into the bloodstream. As a result, labyrinth fish can survive for a short period of time out of water, as they can inhale the air around them, provided they stay moist.


If he won't eat pellets - Omega one flakes are probably the best you will find. The first few ingredients are fish items not wheat or anything like that.


----------



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

Okay, so I got some water conditioner. It says to add 1 tsp per 10 gallons. How do I equate that to half gallons or one full gallon? I don't want to be too far over or under.


----------



## callistra (Jun 29, 2010)

What did you buy?


----------



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

callistra said:


> What did you buy?


Aqueon water conditioner.

http://www.petco.com/product/102599/Aqueon-Water-Conditioner.aspx


----------



## callistra (Jun 29, 2010)

You use half a ml per gallon. 1 ml is approx 20 drops so you use 10 drops per gallon.


----------



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

*My fish is dying! Part deux.*

*Okay so he's doing it again.*

My fish is lying on his side at the top of the tank for a while, then getting some air and swimming around for a few seconds before repeating this behavior.

I almost want to believe that line about him being "depressed" only, _why would he be depressed he is spoiled rotten with a beautiful tank?_

I changed his water a couple days ago. 25-35% change, his water is crystal clear and clean. 
I have fed him sparingly, usually a 2-3 flakes, 9-10 hours apart since the first incident of this.
His water remains at a comfortably stable 78 degrees, going down to maybe 76 at night. For the middle of winter, that seems acceptable. At this point, I am clueless. Parasite perhaps? Weird delayed reaction to one of the plants in the tank? (anubias, lilies, tiger lotus) I was actually about to order some more plants but I guess that's on hold for a while.


----------



## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

Very...Odd.

Is he acting like he can't swim down? clamped fins or color loss?
Try Pming callistra..akura8 or oldfishlady.


----------



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

No actually, he's proven that he can swim around the tank fine, but seems to get bored and just give up at the top. I can't explain it. I think it's a storm he will have to weather and only time will show if he makes it out of it.​


----------



## sunlight (Apr 24, 2012)

sorry i lost truck of what you doing. If you doing salt you need to do 100% water changes or at least alternate between 50% and 100%.

I really think if you have 3 gall it 

I really think if you have 3 gall then it not enough water changes. If you cycling the tank and have filter you need to do minimum of 50% water changes with gravel vacuum and filter media cleaning. And if he is acting sick you even need more water changes. I really think that you should take filter out since he is back to sick and try to do more water changes. And try salt treatment , not sure if you are using it.


----------



## sunlight (Apr 24, 2012)

sorry for bad thread i was doing work at the house. Is he still bloated? Did you treat him with epsom?


----------



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

It seems to be only after he eats. And I'm not feeding him unreasonable amounts either. Then he goes back to normal some hours later.


----------



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

It just happened again after I fed his ONE PELLET of the high quality expensive stuff. He has energy but his balance is all off.


----------



## callistra (Jun 29, 2010)

What size container is he in now? What's temp (per in tank thermometer)? How often/how much are you doing water changes?

Does he appear bloated? Is his belly gray? Can you share photos?


----------



## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

I have heard that some bettas will get like that after eating just a small amount - something to do with short bodies and swim bladders too small?


----------



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

I have posted photos. He's in his tank. 
I actually have this down pretty good at this point. I know exactly what causes this. He eats anything, and his balance is off for a while, typically less than 8 hours, though it could be as little as 5. So in a way, scientifically speaking, I am closer to a solution, than I am to the original question posed. 

It does not appear to be a lethal problem, as it is something he recovers from each time it happens, so far, that has been 3 times.

So I suppose I should change this thread's title to "Help my fish is messed up!" rather than it's current one.


----------



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

Tikibirds said:


> I have heard that some bettas will get like that after eating just a small amount - something to do with short bodies and swim bladders too small?


Ahh but the odd thing- this did not happen until I possessed him for over 6 months.


----------



## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

That is most odd, Indeed. 

swim bladder issues are normally not fatal so you are good there but I dont know what to tell you to get him to stop -especially if its happening with only 1 or 2 pellets.


----------



## callistra (Jun 29, 2010)

If OP would answer questions we could possibly help him


----------



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

callistra said:


> What size container is he in now? What's temp (per in tank thermometer)? How often/how much are you doing water changes?
> 
> Does he appear bloated? Is his belly gray? Can you share photos?





zebra3 said:


> I have posted photos. He's in his tank.





callistra said:


> If OP would answer questions we could possibly help him


He is currently in his 3 gallon tank.
The temp is 79 degrees.
I'm doing water changes every few days.
He does not appear bloated.
His belly is always a little gray.
I posted photos a few pages back when he was at his worst. 

He currently has no problem with balance because I have not fed him since last night.


----------



## sunlight (Apr 24, 2012)

How is your betta doing?


----------



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

sunlight said:


> How is your betta doing?


Well I'm feeding him extremely little amounts. I will give him a few flakes tomorrow and see how he handles it. He's fine right now, but the only food he's had today is a dusting of betta flakes.


----------



## callistra (Jun 29, 2010)

Flakes cause swim bladder issues more readily than most pellets. You should be using a high quality protein based pellet with the first two or three ingredients as _whole_ fish not fishmeal or wheat. The flakes will also muck up his water quickly and if you're not running a cycled tank that means ammonia builds up much more quickly. 

You're still doing at least 2 water changes weekly right.. 50% and 100? Using the method I provided to avoid shock. I'm looking back.. and all I see is people saying do a big 75-100% water change and you saying you did little 25%.. Clear does not mean clean. Unless you're using a drops kit for ammonia you can't assume his tank is ok, and it definitely won't be unless you do the bigger changes.

Gray belly means he's stressed out.

What color is his poop?

The 76-78 daily swing is hard on him. You need to stabilize this. Either by investing in a better heater (what size is he in now?) or not letting the room he's in drop so cold.


----------

