# Not again!!!! New baby Betta is sick!!!



## Meg8556 (Jul 6, 2011)

Hello,
Hey everyone, 

I just posted a couple of days ago about my new baby Betta (who still doesn't even have a name!) and I think he's sick already!!! Please help and tell me if I'm being paranoid. I don't think I am which makes me super upset. Thanks in advance. 

Housing 
What size is your tank? 3 gallon
What temperature is your tank? 80
Does your tank have a filter? Yes, but it's currently turned off because baby is too little for the current. 
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? Hikari gold pellets... I gave him his first one on Sunday and he kept trying to eat it and he kept spitting it out but eventually he ate most of one pellet. Monday he refused a pellet even though it was crushed. I went out and bought him flakes and he ignored those tonight. 
How often do you feed your betta fish? Once a day right now

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change? He just went into the tank on Sunday so no water change yet. Was going to do a 100% change tomorrow since filter is currently off.
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 50-100% depending on the day
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? I added some stress coat to the water and cycled it over night with the filter running and the heater on before I put him in on Sunday morning. I also added a little aqua salt.

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
I forgot to buy more of the 6 test strips for all the other parameters but I have been checking ammonia daily and am going to get the other strips tomorrow.
Ammonia: ideal 
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity: 

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? None that I can see.
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? Not eating and hanging out at the bottom of the tank like he is scared and his gills are pumpin really fast. On Sunday he was happy as can be exploring the tank and same thing on Monday. He even flared at me on Monday when I showed him a mirror. I only did this for a few seconds one time. 
When did you start noticing the symptoms? Today 
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? No
Does your fish have any history of being ill? Just got him Sunsay from Petco. Seemed healthy.
How old is your fish (approximately)? He's 1 inch in body length and was a newbie at the store. In my other post ppl were guessing 3-4 months old. 


Okay, so in a nutshell... He was hungry the first day but had trouble eating the pellet. Second day I crushed the pellet and ignored it. Today I gave flakes and ignored it. Sunday he was fine, swimming around exploring the tank and hanging out. Monday same thing and he flared. He is definitely territorial over the tank already. I showed him the mirror for like 1 second and he kept flaring for like 10 mins on and off. It kind of freaked me out because I was scares he was going to stress himself out. Today, I get home from work. He's on the bottom of the tank and his gills are pumping like crazy. I turn the light on and he doesn't come to greet me. I put one flake in and he saw it and completely ignored it. I sucked the flake out and used the baster to touch the plant he was on because he was freaking me out. He only moved when I finally touched him with the baster and he swam quickly into his cave where he remains at I am writing this. His body and fins look good. No spots, no bloating. Please help!!!!!


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## Meg8556 (Jul 6, 2011)

Just checked on him again one last time before bed. He is still on the bottom but has moved to the other side of the tank and his breathing is now normal. His fins have clamped up though. It's like he's a zombie just sitting there not moving at all, even when I tap on the tank. Please help! It would be so much appreciated!! 
Thanks.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Hi Meg, I'm so sorry to hear your new guy is acting funny. Since he's so new, it's possible he's still settling in. Sometimes during the first day or two, they act normal because they are still exploring and the adrenaline hasn't worn off yet but once it does, the stress of the move catches up a little. It's not unusual for them to refuse food when they're in a new home, sometimes up to a week or more. 

I AM a little concerned about that bout of rapid breathing he had. I would suggest doing a water change ASAP and not adding AQ salt to see if that helps. Also, it will help us rule out any water problems as a cause. Now, I'm curious. Where is Mac when you are at work? Is it possible your new betta saw him and was startled by such a big dog while you weren't around? Aside from Mac, is there anything else that may have scared him? Any loud noises or construction? 

Try soaking some of the Hikari pellets in garlic juice or the juice of thawed frozen bloodworms if you have them. That might entice him to eat and the garlic will help his immune system. 

After the water change, try turning off his tank light and keeping the room where he is as quiet and dim as possible to keep him calm. Does he have any hiding spots in his tank, like caves? You can always turn a clean coffee cup on its side and put it in the tank for him to hide in. 

I hope this helps you and I really hope your new guy pulls through. He sounds so young and tiny. Oh, one more question. What were his conditions like at the pet store? Depending on how good/bad they were, that might play a part in his behavior too.

Keep us posted.


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