# Betta Lying on Bottom



## ctc (Dec 17, 2010)

I added a live plat to the tank about 2.5 months ago. At first my beta loved to sit on it. Within a couple of weeks the plant began to die. When I noticed the beta laying on the bottom I removed the plant and changed 100% of the water. 1-1/2 months later the beta still lies on the bottom except for feeding. What can I do to help him?

Housing 
What size is your tank? 2/3 full 2-1/2 gallon tank.
What temperature is your tank? Same as our home 69 F. in winter.
Does your tank have a filter? No.
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No.
Is your tank heated? No.
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? A Snail which must have been introduced with the plant.

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? betta bio-gold pellets.
How often do you feed your betta fish? 3 to 4 pellets 3x a day.

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change? 1x per week..
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 50%.
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Splendid Betta Complete Water Conditioner added to water in separate contailer 1 week before actual water change and set in same room as tank.

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters? No.

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity: 

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? He is scrunched up with folded fins unless feeding.
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? He never floats and only lays on bottom of tank unless feeding.
When did you start noticing the symptoms? About 1-1/2 months ago.
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? No.
Does your fish have any history of being ill? Not in the 10 months I had him.
How old is your fish (approximately)? Bought from store last christmas.


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## Panthera (Nov 2, 2010)

Its probably due to bad water quality. For a 2 1/2 gallon you should be doing at least 3 water changes a week, two 50% changes and one 100% change. Also its rather cold for him in there, you can pick up a cheap heater for about $15 that should keep it relatively warm. The best is around 76-82*. 

Also it seems to me like he might be bloated, 3-4 pellets 3 times a day is quite a lot. I only give mine 2 pellets twice a day, and with such cold water that you have him in, his metabolism is slower and he needs less food. Make those changes and I bet he'll be much happier, as well as healthier.


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## crowntail lover (Apr 25, 2009)

I agree. A heater will help extremly! And you will def. need to cut back on the feeding.. I only feed mine 3 pellets a day.. sometimes I feed bloodworms, BBS, and other frozen foods instead of the pellets as well. And I fast once a week.
And a 3 day fast will clear his system out completely..and than you cant start the proper feeding. 
As for the water changes. You will need to do a 50% water change twice a week, with a 100% once a week. And when you do so..you will need to add water conditionar everytime. 
Hope this helps! :]


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## Adastra (Jun 18, 2010)

Agreed with the others. You -definitely- need to get on top of your water changes. You're exposing your fish to very high concentrations of ammonia, which is toxic to fish. That is why he is ill. The only way to keep ammonia under control is through frequent 100% water changes. 

You -must- get a heater. 69 degrees is WAY too cold for a betta, and he will not live long in these cold temperatures. Bettas are cold-blooded so their entire metabolism slows down when they do not have access to properly heated water. This makes it hard for their blood to circulate, hard for them to digest food, and hard for them to fight off parasites and diseases. 

I highly recommend a 25 watt adjustable heater like this one: http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3743+11368&pcatid=11368 Because your house is exceptionally cold, you must have an adjustable heater. Heater pads, pre-set heaters, and other non-adjustable heater will absolutely not heat your water enough--they only work if your house is around 74-76 degrees and consistent all the time.


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## ctc (Dec 17, 2010)

Panthera said:


> Its probably due to bad water quality. For a 2 1/2 gallon you should be doing at least 3 water changes a week, two 50% changes and one 100% change. Also its rather cold for him in there, you can pick up a cheap heater for about $15 that should keep it relatively warm. The best is around 76-82*.
> 
> Also it seems to me like he might be bloated, 3-4 pellets 3 times a day is quite a lot. I only give mine 2 pellets twice a day, and with such cold water that you have him in, his metabolism is slower and he needs less food. Make those changes and I bet he'll be much happier, as well as healthier.


My poor Betta! Water changes 3x per week...I'm on it! I thought I was being generous with the feeding. The instructions on the Betta pellets states "...2 to 4 pellets 2 to 3 times daily..." No wonder his belly is large. 2 pellets twice a day it is! The heater is going to take some ingenuity, the tank is magnifying glass shaped with no straight sides and a smallish opening at top. Thank you for your advice!


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## ctc (Dec 17, 2010)

crowntail lover said:


> I agree. A heater will help extremly! And you will def. need to cut back on the feeding.. I only feed mine 3 pellets a day.. sometimes I feed bloodworms, BBS, and other frozen foods instead of the pellets as well. And I fast once a week.
> And a 3 day fast will clear his system out completely..and than you cant start the proper feeding.
> As for the water changes. You will need to do a 50% water change twice a week, with a 100% once a week. And when you do so..you will need to add water conditionar everytime.
> Hope this helps! :]


I'm working on a heater. Alright, it's a 3-day fast, then I'm changing the feeding regimen as suggested. Water changes 3x per week always with conditioner! Thanks for the advice.


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## crowntail lover (Apr 25, 2009)

You will need to fast him a few days before you start feeding him.


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## ctc (Dec 17, 2010)

Adastra said:


> Agreed with the others. You -definitely- need to get on top of your water changes. You're exposing your fish to very high concentrations of ammonia, which is toxic to fish. That is why he is ill. The only way to keep ammonia under control is through frequent 100% water changes.
> 
> You -must- get a heater. 69 degrees is WAY too cold for a betta, and he will not live long in these cold temperatures. Bettas are cold-blooded so their entire metabolism slows down when they do not have access to properly heated water. This makes it hard for their blood to circulate, hard for them to digest food, and hard for them to fight off parasites and diseases.
> 
> I highly recommend a 25 watt adjustable heater like this one: http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3743+11368&pcatid=11368 Because your house is exceptionally cold, you must have an adjustable heater. Heater pads, pre-set heaters, and other non-adjustable heater will absolutely not heat your water enough--they only work if your house is around 74-76 degrees and consistent all the time.


Thanks for the heater suggestion. Due to the magnifying glass shape of the tank with a smallish opening at the top, I will need to suspend the heater into the tank. The dimentionally smallest possible heater would be best. Thanks for the advice.


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## ctc (Dec 17, 2010)

Okay, it has been almost one month since I implemented all of your good suggestions: I fasted the betta for three days; I reduced the feeding to 2 pellets twice a day with fasting on Sunday; I purchased and installed a thermostatically controlled heater which is advertised to maintain the water at 78°; I change the water 50% twice a week and 100% once a week (using API beta water conditioner);... but the beta continues to lay on the gravel at the bottom of the tank.
As I originally wrote, a snail was introduced to the tank along with a plant that had since died and been removed. The snail continues to grow and creates a lot of gel like nests. At times I can see a few tiny snails, but they all seem to disappear. Is my beta eating these tiny snails? If so, is this bad for him?
At the recommendation of the clerk at pet Smart I introduced a small silk plant to add interest without rotting. The leaves are unfortunately mostly vertical and do not provide a place for the betta to rest.
He enthusiastically swims to the top during feeding with all of his beautiful fins fully displayed, but then sinks like a rock to the bottom afterwards. What else could be wrong? What else can I do for him?


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