Help a poor sick betta,what to do ??

[ozzy]

Hello A.C.
what to do with this poor fish ??
A few days ago a friend of mine asked me to see what I can do for this fish of hers(she is fish sitting for her sister),it is a betta about 3 inches living in gallon size vase with a rather large plant corked into the top of it,when this thing was brought to me I freaked,the water was very bad,brown and smelled ....
by fare the worst water I have ever seen,the first thing I did was a large water change with RO water,about 75%.I also rinsed out the vase with clean water till I got the substrate clean, just a few rocks with some marbles.took six times cause it just turned the water black,I have been working with this poor fella now for a week but just cant seem to bring him around,I feed him some blood worms in hopes he will eat,he will eat some but not much,not a very active fish at all,he spends all of his time at the base of the vase just laying on his side
any advise or help,I'll do anything ....
thanks

[TKOS]

When my betta got like that he stayed alive for 2 months, but without getting any better. Of course mine didn't eat at all, so if your is taking in some food there is hope yet. I would drop the water level very low for awhile to make sure he can get to the top to breathe easy enough.

[PumaWard]

I would also add a pinch of salt to the water, not a whole lot, maybe a few grains of aquarium salt... or a pinch of iodine free table salt. Also, do water changes daily if you already aren't... Good luck, I hope he gets better.

[LMOUTHBASS]

to change the vase so the cork doesnt plug up the air , bettas like to come to the surface for a gulp of air, lots of people keep plants corked in there so that there is no surface space for the fish to get air, i woul keep water levels lower if you keep the plant in there, he must be a tough fish to survie this so far, hopefully she will give the fish to you so you can give him a happier life good luck!!! let us know how you make out

[Faramir]

I'm not sure salt would make any difference - what's the thinking behind that recommendation?

[PumaWard]

Salt helps to reduce stress and also helps protect fish from a possible fungal infections, I think it also helps to protect against ich and some bacterial infections. Right now he seems to be weak and very stressed, the salt should help this out.

[Aderynglas]

I would put him in a 10 gallon tank and tell her he died because of the way he was kept :D :D :D

I'm on a Betta mission today

[ozzy]

thanks for all of the replies
I did drop in a airstone close to the betta to pipe in some air,he(she?) stays rather close if not on the airstone....
for the first couple of days I had removed the plant but since then I have put it back,just not sure what was best ???
I was thinking of putting him in a 10 gallon tank but was afraid of the tank having a cycle and in turn killing the betta for sure ...

[OrionGirl]

A single betta in a 10 gallon tank will not create enough waste to cause a spike. The open top, confined space, and lack of much circulation are probably all contibuting to the problem.

Move the betta, watch the water, and do changes if needed. I've never seen a betta create a spike in a large volume of water--but over feeding can cause one. Remove any uneaten food after about 1 hour. Make sure the water is warm--bettas prefer water 78-82.

[ozzy]

thanks again for the reply
I spoke with the girl who has me fish sitting,I did find out the fish is almost 3 1/2 years old,what is the lifespan of a betta ??
I do have a few heaters and some PH's around so I'll go ahead and set up more of a hospital tank for the fella