Betta Sick or Just Getting Old?

[DGalt]

I've noticed lately that my betta is very lethargic. He comes to the surface to eat, but besides that I see that he spends a lot of his time laying near the bottom (not 100% of the time, but enough to make me concerned)

I've had him for about 6 months now (my first fish :grinyes:). However, when I bought him he was pretty big already - hasn't gotten any bigger since I got him (didn't know about the whole size = age, even though it's kinda obvious...but I was a dumb kid back then :duh:)

I don't notice anything wrong with him besides his laziness. Nothing wrong with fins, no odd spots or anything. Water params are all good. Is he just getting old or should I look more into him being sick?

[jm1212]

tank size?

is it filtered and heated?

[DGalt]

ah yes....I always forget those types of things lol

tank is 15 gallons. it is heated to about 80 F. filter is AC50. I thought it might be the current (which is a problem I had in the first tank I had him in), but there is definitely space where he can swim around where there isn't much current (this is where he usually hangs up if he is swimming around).

The filter could be tiring him out, but like I said I had that issue before and he's even less active now than he was when I had that problem.

[DGalt]

bump

[bluekrissyspike]

6 months isn't very old but it's impossible to tell how old he was when you got him. betta can live several years but none of mine ever have. it sounds like he's sick. i wish i could help you. This seems to be the same problem all my betta's have had before passing on.

[Windy]

Bettas are not very active fish. There life span is no more then 3 years, although some people have had them longer. If there are no visible signs of illness, It could be the current in the tank. Even though you said he is in a section where there is no current, my guess is that the current is somehow still getting to him. If you still think he is sick try feeding him some medicated foods that they sell at the lfs to see if that helps. Another thing try giving him a bit more of a varied diet if you aren't doing that to see if he perks up. Is he alone in the tank? If he is try getting him some tank mates.

[Virtuoso2K12]

bettas loves warmer water like around 85's.Have you ever consider bringing a female to his life???

[DGalt]

he has tank makes, albeit none of them are female bettas lol.

I mainly feed him the betta pellet things. He'll nibble at the food I feed my neons (flakes and also freeze dried daphnia) but for the most part he just wants his little pellet things.

[BettaFishMommy]

ok, first of all, for the person that suggested getting the betta some tankmates: that is probably not a good thing to do. if the betta is sick it could make the new fish sick, and as we all know, quarantine is a must when you bring new fish home, so these "tankmates" wouldn't be going in the betta tank for at least a couple of weeks, so i don't see how that would solve the problem.

DGalt, you may want to try varying his diet with some freeze dried or frozen bloodworms, if his interest in his pellets is fading at all. I wouldn't suggest the medicated food, since you don't know what is wrong with the fish and you don't want to medicate an unknown problem.

Were his fins really long when you got him? most pet store bettas are a minimum of six months old when they get to the store, and then they sit there for gosh knows how long, so it is a possibility that your fish is "getting on". I've noticed with a couple of the males i've had for some time now, they don't swim around nearly as much as they used to.

How often are you doing water changes on the tank? bettas love to have really clean water. i always know when one of my males wants his tank cleaned, he sulks, lol. oh, they have so much personality!

Keep us updated. i hope your finkid is feeling better soon.

[DGalt]

As I said, params are good (0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrite, 5 Nitrate). I do water changes weekly. I can usually tell if the water isn't doing well because my pleco gets mad (i.e. skin gets this white filmy stuff on it - slime coat I think)...I think he's probably the most sensitive one in my tank in terms to water quality.

I've tried feeding the betta freeze dried bloodworms but he wouldn't touch him. He loves the pellet things...go figure.

As for his fins / size. He hasn't changed since I got him, so he must have been full grown when I picked him up. His fins were long I guess...same size as they are now.

[Virtuoso2K12]

i say he isnt sick.All bettas do have different personality as we human do like shyness. My betta is shy too.

[Virtuoso2K12]

Try putting a livebearer breeder box in the water with a female and see how he reacts to it.

[Kashta]

Oh please don't add a new, healthy fish in with one that's quite possibly sick or dying.

DGalt... separate your betta into the largest clean container you have handy to give him a rest. Put in some frilly live or plastic plants that he can hide in and a small air stone so he doesn't have to go up and down to breathe. Then after a few hours when he's settled into the new environment, just float one cube of frozen bloodworms in the water. Bettas can't resist those tasty worms... it's heaven compared to the freeze-dried ones (which have got to taste more like sawdust to them than actual meat).

In the mean time, look for any other symptoms you can find... spots or discoloration, ragged fins, distended gills, swollen belly, abrasions.. anything...

Let us know how it goes? Good luck!

[BettaFishMommy]

"DGalt... separate your betta into the largest clean container you have handy to give him a rest. Put in some frilly live or plastic plants that he can hide in and a small air stone so he doesn't have to go up and down to breathe. Then after a few hours when he's settled into the new environment, just float one cube of frozen bloodworms in the water. Bettas can't resist those tasty worms... it's heaven compared to the freeze-dried ones (which have got to taste more like sawdust to them than actual meat)."


i agree with the solitary confinement, but make sure you are using current tank water when you are setting up the bowl, since a huge change in water could stress him more. i don't think an airstone is necessary, since the betta's labyrinth lung is specifically developed for breathing surface air, not for "catching" bubbles in the water. if your room temperature is warm enough you won't need to worry about a heater, but maybe put the container beside the other tank so he can still see the other fish. segregated bettas are lonely bettas, i know this much. depending on how big the bowl is, you will be doing much more frequent water changes, btw. seems mine are never ending.......

i wouldn't give a whole cube of bloodworms. what i do when its suppertime in my tanks is defrost a cube in a little tupperware container beforehand and use a toothpick to put the worms in the water. there is no way a betta could eat a whole cube in one feeding and not explode! lol. just kidding, but that is a lot of food that would end up rotting in the tank, which would make the fish even more sick.

Keep us updated!

[kimmisc]

There is such a thing as betta boredom and depression which I've read a bit about. If your betta is in a tank all alone, he might perk up with some stimulation... addition of some shrimp or snails, a mirror held up to his tank occassionally, etc. Just a thought.