Sick Betta Fish

[Chenell]

My male betta is acting really funny, for the past two days or so he's been sitting there straight up and down... with his mouth at the water's surface. He can't swim right anymore... he just wriggles around. I think he had a stroke or something, cause he seems paralyzed on one side. Any ideas?

Please help.. I don't know how much longer he is for this world. :(

Chenell

[SoulkeepeR]

well...since on one else is gonna take this....


you need to post your tank specs, my best guess is that your beta is trying to gasp for air, witch either means a couple of things, that your tank is not cycled, you are not doing your water changes, not enough filtration\aeration witch is cause the water to lose oxygen level and suffocating the fish.

please e-mail me with your tank spec and well talk by e-mail, I don't really like to come on here....

[Chenell]

But he is not gasping for air at all! He is just sitting there facing the surface. My tank is 10 gal, undergravel filter, usually clean it weekly. I just had to put some medicine in for a sick guppy which thru off the cycle because it killed the bacteria. I just cleaned and changed 4 gal worth today.

He doesn't look healthy at all. His color is fading, and he is not swimming at all. He is maybe a year and a half old.. maybe two at the max. He's gone through a lot and has always been the last fish to get sick.

My other fish are fine, swimming around normally.


Chenell

[amy]

Depending on how he was when you got him, your betta may be just getting on in age...

[Chenell]

Here is a photo I just too of him. His color is really draining out of him.... I guess it's been happening for a while now, I just hadn't noticed it since it was so gradual. His scales are protruding. Maybe it is his time.

He was the first fish I got and it sucks to see him go. I did have another betta before him that lasted maybe a month before it died because I had one of those stupid plants with the fish in the vase. But this fish really gotted me started in the aqarium hobby and it sucks to see him go. He will get a proper burial at sea.

Chenell

http://www.numberfive.org/fish1.jpg
http://www.numberfive.org/fish2.jpg

[wetmanNY]

It's hard to lose a fish. It really gives me a pang sometimes, even after all these years. But a Betta doesn't have a very long lifespan, and yours may just be coming gracefully to his end.

[Chenell]

Well, he just passed on a few moments ago... after nearly a week of being strangely ill.

I'm glad to see him out of his misery, even though I don't really know if he was in any pain at all.

He was a good tough fish, who loved to fight his reflection and chase my poor cory.

Tommorow the search for a new Betta begins.

R.I.P. Mr. Sqiggles... may you go to the big fish tank in the sky.