Please help with Betta diagnosis!

[kells728]

Well, here's the scoop. I have a male betta fish (named Plato) in a 1.5 gallon tank, who has been very healthy until today. I did an 80% water change and put in flat marbles which were new. I rinsed them well in warm water and then cool, NO SOAP, and they said that they were safe for aquarium use. Afterwards, I put Plato in and since then he's been laying on the bottom and looks kind of grayish. He goes up to breathe and then just lays back down. Anyway, I have no idea what's wrong or how to treat him. Could it be the marbles? How should I treat this? Please help!!!


Update:

Last night after I posted I put him in a big bowl. He seems to be swimming a bit more, but still not up to par. Just wanted to let everyone know. Also, it looks like the sides of his head and eyes are grey. When I come over to the bowl he swims around, otherwise still just laying. Thanks!

[DaisyTattoo]

When you did the waterchange, did you make sure the new water was the same temp as the old water? This could be the problem. I also wanted to note that contrary to popular belief bettas do much better in a heated, filtered tank. They do also like to have room to swim, personally, I wouldn't keep one in anything less than 2.5G for long term since that is the smallest tank that can have a heater & filtration. I am thinking that stress is the cause of your betta's problems. This is usually the reason for discoloration like that.

[Ms.Bubbles]

I'm not sure how often you change your betta's water, but perhaps a large 80% change was too large/shocking to the betta if he's used to smaller water changes. The more often you do water changes, the less shocking water changes (especially large ones) are on the fish ...

Perhaps, as Jodi mentioned, the temperature was not equal to the old water, and was a shock.

Is there any chance that you forgot to put water conditioner in the new water?

[kells728]

The temperature of the water was the same, do you think that the tank size, etc, just finally caught up with him and stressed him out? I'm just not sure what the right steps to take are. I had a betta before and I added a filter but he kept getting sucked into the current (not the filter itself) so I took it out. I think it was the tank size + the filter. I would love to do a new set up, not too big, but I don't have a lot of money (college student and all). I'd really like to have a filter and stuff too. I have no idea how to go about doing it.

Any suggestions about what to do / tank set-up / products would be greatly appreciated. Anything!

[kells728]

Anything's possible (with the water conditioner), and I usually do 10 - 20% water changes once a week, usually 10%. Once a month I do an 80%, and after 6 months I haven't had a problem...

So, what actions should I take? Is there anything I need to physically do, or just leave him alone? How urgent is this?

[Ms.Bubbles]

There are people on this forum who have beautiful and healthy bettas in 1 gallon tanks. If the water quality is tested regularly and changed before there are any traces of ammonia, small tank size alone would not cause a betta to go grey IMO.

One problem with the small 1 and 1.5 gallon tanks is that they are difficult to heat. Bettas need temperatures of 75-80 degrees F, so a 2.5 gallon tank is a good investment because you can buy 25 watt heaters to keep the betta toasty.

PS. An unfiltered 1 or 1.5 gallon tank would require at least a 100% water change once a week, if not more. 10-20% is definitely not enough to keep the water clean and ammonia free. I recommend that you increase the water changes, keep the betta's temperature stable and as warm as possible until you can get yourself a 2.5 gallon tank, small heater, and a small filter if possible.

[kells728]

Ok, so increase water changes, and tank size when I can afford it. I'd love to have a heater. Do I need to do anything to get him back to normal?

[DaisyTattoo]

I think keeping up with the waterchanges will help greatly. FYI at walmart you can get a whole 10G setup complete with filters, heater, lights and all for 50 bucks. I know 50 bucks is quite a bit when you are in college, but it's something to think about.

[kells728]

Hmm, 10 gal, huh? That's not a bad idea, I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE an aquarium with a lot of fish. So, when I go up to the 2.5 gal, I should go with a kit that contains everything? Will I need to do anything to acclimate my betta to the new tank? I bet I could get a fish loan from my mom, ha ha. I'm not sure that I have room for a 10 gal in my tiny apartment, thuogh.

[Ms.Bubbles]

I would get him into the largest tank you have (I guess the 1.5 gallon you have, minus the marbles in case there is something toxic on them) and change 30% of the water every single day. I would also feed him sparingly (say 1 or 2 pellets or flakes per day) to keep the ammonia levels down.

[kells728]

Excellent, thank you! I'm going to try to go after class and buy a bigger tank, and get it set up. Once it's set up can I just put him in, or is there a procedure I should follow? He's hasn't been eating, but I haven't been leaving any food in because I didn't want to dirty the water in the bowl.

[kells728]

I just checked on him and the gray-ish parts seem to be flaky...not quite cottony...what the heck?

[kells728]

One more thing before I'm late to class...

Can anyone recommend a heater for a 2.5 gal? The sets seem to come with filters and lights but not hoods, and I have a light hood thing on the 1.5 gal. Plus, the gray stuff...eek!

[Ms.Bubbles]

Hmm, 10 gal, huh? That's not a bad idea, I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE an aquarium with a lot of fish. So, when I go up to the 2.5 gal, I should go with a kit that contains everything? Will I need to do anything to acclimate my betta to the new tank? I bet I could get a fish loan from my mom, ha ha. I'm not sure that I have room for a 10 gal in my tiny apartment, thuogh.Just a point to consider, betta's are not always the best community fish and some of them get aggressive with other fish in the tank. Be warned that you may still need a separate tank for your betta, if he ends up being the anti-social type...

If you can afford it, the best setup for a betta is:
-Minimum 2.5 gallon tank (5 gallons is nice, 10 gallons is pure luxury for a betta)
-Appropriate heater for the size of tank you purchase
-Small filter, appropriate for the size of tank you buy--but be warned that bettas don't like a lot of current and the filter should be adjustable so you can lower the output to keep the tank calm

Ideally you should "cycle" the new tank BEFORE you add the betta. However, it might be best to just get him into a larger, warmer space ASAP. You'll still need to keep up the water changes though--for 4-6 weeks if you get a filter now, and indefinitely if you keep the tank unfiltered.

Regarding the greyness--just keep changing water and keep him in a warm place for now, and see if he improves. You could also try mixing a pinch of salt in a cup of tank water, and add it to his tank...