Hello,
I have not posted in quite a while, but I have an issue and all my web research seems to only pull up answers to aquarium newbs and fishbowl owners, which I am neither.
I have a lovely orange male betta, who lives in a fully cycled, 5-year-running 20-gallon tank, heated, filtered, with lots of plants and decor. He lives with 10 corydoras, 4 cardinal tetras, and a Bolivian Ram. The water parametres are perfect, per my API master test kit and water changes. My betta has lived happily alongside his tankmates for 2 years, and there have been no new additions to the tank in over a year, and I am a fairly experienced tank owner.
However, for the past few weeks, he has been lethargic and mostly laying on his side, either on the bottom of the tank or in one of the plants. He shows no signs of disease, except for trouble moving, almost as if he is having a spinal problem. For the past couple days, he is also breathing a little heavy, but I assumed this is because he is not going to the top for air much, since he is an antabanoid. All of the other fish are fine, eating, swimming, interactive, just my poor betta. I have no idea what to do with him..
I am at a bit of a loss as to what to do, and am starting to consider euthanizing him (humanely, of course, via the freezer method) - I just don't want him to suffer.
Any suggestions?
I have not posted in quite a while, but I have an issue and all my web research seems to only pull up answers to aquarium newbs and fishbowl owners, which I am neither.
I have a lovely orange male betta, who lives in a fully cycled, 5-year-running 20-gallon tank, heated, filtered, with lots of plants and decor. He lives with 10 corydoras, 4 cardinal tetras, and a Bolivian Ram. The water parametres are perfect, per my API master test kit and water changes. My betta has lived happily alongside his tankmates for 2 years, and there have been no new additions to the tank in over a year, and I am a fairly experienced tank owner.
However, for the past few weeks, he has been lethargic and mostly laying on his side, either on the bottom of the tank or in one of the plants. He shows no signs of disease, except for trouble moving, almost as if he is having a spinal problem. For the past couple days, he is also breathing a little heavy, but I assumed this is because he is not going to the top for air much, since he is an antabanoid. All of the other fish are fine, eating, swimming, interactive, just my poor betta. I have no idea what to do with him..
I am at a bit of a loss as to what to do, and am starting to consider euthanizing him (humanely, of course, via the freezer method) - I just don't want him to suffer.
Any suggestions?