# Betta just laying at the bottom of his tank!



## l2aymond

Ok, so me and my gf purchased a betta from petco about a month ago. We originaly purchased a 1/2 gallon bowl with no heater and no filter. after about a week we realized this was no good. about a week ago we purchased a new 20 gallon, heated, filtered tank. I set the tank up and made sure everything seemed ok for a few days. I used tap water w/ conditioner and used a ph test kit. I had to add ph down twice and it still wont even come close to being 7... When we first put the fish in he seemed fine swimming around, checking everything out. After being in the tank for only 2 days he seems like hes "tired" all the time. He just goes inside his log and lays flat on the bottom not moving for very long periods of time. If I try to get him to move hes very slow to react. This moring I found him right in the middle of the tank out in the open flat against the bottom. I though he was dead and I gave him a nudge with the net. he moved alittle bit and whent right back to laying down. Every once in awile ill see him swimming around but then he goes right back to laying. Now ive been reading and it seems this could be a problem with his bladder. Im going to fast him for a couple days and try the pea thing. but any help would be awesome.

Housing 
What size is your tank? 20gal
What temperature is your tank? 80
Does your tank have a filter? yes
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? tetra brand betta flakes
How often do you feed your betta fish? once a day, morning

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change? havent done one yet but was planning on 25% every month?
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change?
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? tap water conditioner

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?

Ammonia: not sure buts its only been 3 days
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH: to high, cant tell exactly, wont read about 7.6 on my test kit
Hardness:
Alkalinity: 

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? same
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? tired, laying on bottom
When did you start noticing the symptoms? yesterday
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? started fasting him and gonna feed him a pee
Does your fish have any history of being ill? no
How old is your fish (approximately)? Ive only had him for about a month


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## LolaQuigs

He could be reacting to the chemicals. Ph down is pretty much just acid. Chemically altering ph can make your ph unstable, which is much worse than a high ph. 

Bettas are pretty hardy fish and will adapt to a wide range of ph; mine is about 8.2 and all of my bettas have been fine. 

It couldn't hurt to do an epsom salt treatment if you do suspect swim bladder issues. I'd move him into a smaller qt container and add 1 tsp epsom salt for two days, then 2 tso for eight days, making 100% daily water changes.


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## l2aymond

ok sounds good, also i forgot to methion when he swims around he stops and then his tail end will start to sink. he will spaz a sec and right himself, then do it again. I just got him to move out of his log and he swam around doing this for like 30 sec and then went back into his log

how mush salt should I add if I put him the container i purches him in. the little platic ones


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## cjayBetta

1 teaspoon per Gallon, just pre mix it in a empty pop bottle (that has been well rinsed) make sure you condition the water aswell. Also I discovered that my betta developed Swim Bladder Disorder while feeding him flakes. I switched to feeding him 2 pellets twice a day and that has helped a lot, Also its a lot less messy.


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## fishman12

I think 8.0 is a pH that a lot of people on the site recommend.


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## l2aymond

ok I got him some freeze dried bloodworms instead of the flakes. I also picked up some "betta water" for his temp home and mixed up a little epsom salt. I hope he gets better. he just seems so lifless. he just kinda drifts wherever and lays there


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## cjayBetta

Freeze dried blood worms dont have enough nutritional value for a betta's main died. Freeze dried blood worms are a treat. Its like if a human ate chips every meal.


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## l2aymond

alright then ill be picking up some peletes also. Im gonna have the pet store test my water in case i missed something while im there


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## l2aymond

ok so I did a full water change on his little bowl and found some stringy brown poop at the botom. Not sure if this is good, bad, or signs of something else? He hasnt been improving but he doesnt seem to be getting worse. If he was reacting to the chemicals in the tank wouldnt he have greatly inproved by now being in diffrent water w/ out the chemicals?


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## turtle10

I would not use Betta water. Just use normal tap water with dechlorinator.


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## nmaybyte

If I may, I noticed you didn't test your water for ammonia/nitrite and nitrate. Why not test the main aquarium and see what they're sitting at? It can't hurt. Don't use the little paper strips. They suck....I learned my lesson after Ceasar died. If your betta is being exposed to too much NH3/NH+4 then he may become lethargic like you described.


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## l2aymond

I did check them myself and had the pet store check them and they were all perfect. He has been been completly back to normal after fasting for a few days in his little bowl. I tried feeding him a pea but he didnt want anything to do with it. I let him back out into his tank and he swims around a bit then goes and lays on the bottom again. Not nearly as bad as he did before but still I dont think thats normal. He also keeps opening his mouth realy wide... any thoughts


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## nmaybyte

l2aymond said:


> I did check them myself and had the pet store check them and they were all perfect. He has been been completly back to normal after fasting for a few days in his little bowl. I tried feeding him a pea but he didnt want anything to do with it. I let him back out into his tank and he swims around a bit then goes and lays on the bottom again. Not nearly as bad as he did before but still I dont think thats normal. He also keeps opening his mouth realy wide... any thoughts


Take a pic of him and the tank. I'm not trying to waste your time but the other day one ofthe members told me that X was really bloated. He's been doing something similar so I wonder if it's a fat betta thing. Although he's not been lethargic like your's has been. He's been swimming around and having a good old time, it's just he likes perching....a lot.


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## l2aymond

Ill try and get a pic soon. however i can deff say in no way is he fat lol. He does seem rather "lazy" though just kind of lounging everywhere


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## l2aymond

ok guys, I need help really bad!

My fish was doing great with the epsom salt treatment and "betta water" in his little bowl. So I did a 25% water change on his normal 20gal tank using tap water with conditioner and let him back out. He seemed great the first day and then everyday after that he got progresivly worse just laying on the bottom not moving or eating anything. He got to the point where he just kind of lets any water current pull him around and he doesnt bother even trying to move. He just lays there slowly breathing! I noticed white stringy poop hanging from him. I got jungle labs paracite kill tabs and aqarium salt for his tank. After 24hours with both treatments he is only getting worse. I took him back out and put him back in the "betta water" and epsom salt.

what happened? is my tap water just not good for him, even with conditioner? the water is clean and checks out fine with all tests but maybe something else is in it. I did notice that the area over the filter on the hood of my tank has been building up a white chalky film on it. could this be a sign of something bad in my water?


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## vaygirl

If he was fine in the cup and the betta water and not in the tank with tap water, I'd think there's something going on with something in that tank or your water. What kind of water conditioner are you using?


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## l2aymond

aqueon water conditioner


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## vaygirl

You could try switching to Prime water conditioner. You can usually pick it up at Petco. I know Prime pulls out heavy metals as well as chlorine and chloramine. If it were me, I'd tear the tank down, rinse everything, put everything back together and then try treating the water with Prime instead and leave out the ph down. In the meantime, if you still have the one gallon, you could switch him into it with betta water. Or float him in his cup with betta water as you were doing before until you're ready to re-do the tank.

I had a tank once that killed two fish in a row in a matter of a week. I don't know why. I took it apart and haven't used it since. Their symptoms were kinda similar to yours.


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## l2aymond

thats not a bad idea, The tank is brand new and this is the first fish in it. My fish is now acting almost paralyzed. not moving unless he absolutly has 2. He just lets himslef fall to the bottom flopping on the gravel. I did a 25% water change and retreated with the anti parasite taps. When I poured the new water in he flipped out trying to jump out of the tank a couple times but then he just flopped back onto the bottom.


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## l2aymond

O and when I was changing the water I found 2 fruit flys in his water floating on the top. if it means anything


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## turtle10

Why are you treating him for parasites? Was the water the same temp?


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## StarSpun

Sorry to hear about your fish. I had a similar problem with five of my males just today, and it was caused by the carbon in the filter somehow (at least I think it was!) It was raising the PH to 8.5 and apparently killing them!

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=65899


Not sure if this is your problem but you may want to try putting him in treated water WITHOUT the filter for a bit. *shrugs*

I really hope he's ok! :-(


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## l2aymond

I was treating him for parasites because He has white stringy poop and idk what else to do. Yes the water was the same temp

Ive also had the filter running without the carbon filter part in it per the instructions on the perisite taps.


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## turtle10

Okay well in the future don't give the betta medicine unless you know what you are treating. Medicines are also harsh and should be a last resort after the aquarium salt treatment.


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## l2aymond

well I did research before I treated him and it seemed like the parasite treatment wouldnt harm him even if he didnt have any... I feel terrible and dont know what else I can do.


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## turtle10

Medicines are just harsh on the body (fish and humans) and shouldn't be taken unless necessary. Don't feel terrible though.


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## l2aymond

ok so ive moved my fish back into a small bowl with betta water and epsom salt and floated it in his heated tank. He has lost alot of his color and seems to be turning yellow. His breathing is also very heavy now


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## LolaQuigs

Give him some time in his qt setup, he might be reacting badly to the different chemicals and medicines, and needs some time to get them out of his system. If you do suspect internal parasites, try soaking his pellets in garlic juice, it's perfectly safe for the fish and a natural parasite treatment.

I would definitely try using prime when you're ready to take him out of qt, and it can't hurt to add a little more than recommended. It definitely sounds like you have some sort of water quality issue. Maybe you could contact the water department of your city and ask about it. If the prime doesn't help, you may have to look into reverse osmosis water.


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## demonr6

I feel for you on this one. I came in to work yesterday and Max is acting the same way. I did his partial water change on Friday afternoon, I do twice weekly on Monday & Friday. I found him laying next to a stone and turning on the light which usually gets him to rush to the top waiting for food got nothing. I tapped the glass and eventually had to move him using a plastic knife to get him alert. He spent the entire day in the back of the tank and under the heater. I did a 100% tear down rinsing everything down to the gravel and today he is still pretty much the same. He is hiding under his bridge for the most part and not moving much. Like you I am not sure what to do, he is normally really active and swimming around but over the weekend it seems like it all went to heck on me. :-(


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## l2aymond

I wish my betta would eat something, otherwise I would soak his pellets...

Im on well water...


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## demonr6

Mine is eating at least. Once I am able to get his attention he swims right up and eats like normal. It's the lethargy that bothers me..


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