My boy is stressed.

[thepiefairy]

Housing

What size is your tank? 10 gallon

What temperature is your tank? 80 degrees Fahrenheit

Does your tank have a filter? Yes, this is most likely the cause of the stress since it has a strong current. It's an Aqueon QuietFlow Power filter.

Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No.

Is your tank heated? Yes.

What tank mates does your betta fish live with? He's a single fish.


Food

What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Flakes, the pellets are too big for his mouth.

How often do you feed your betta fish? Once a day.


Maintenance

How often do you perform a water change? Every Friday.

What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 30%

What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Nothing, I buy Spring Water because my tap water is toxic for fish even with treatment.


Water Parameters:

Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters? I will be bringing a water sample in when I go to Petco for Aquarium Salt tonight.


Symptoms and Treatment

How has your betta fish's appearance changed? He has scratches on his body from trying to hide behind the thermometer and his lower fins have curled slightly (hard water most likely).

How has your betta fish's behavior changed? He's skittish but is always anxious to come to the front of the tank when I say hello. He snaps his mouth at me and paces back and forth, this has been happening for a week.

When did you start noticing the symptoms? I noticed he was stressed the minute I brought him home just over a week ago. The jaw snapping began on Wednesday last week, and he's always paced back and forth. The scratches on his body appeared while I was at work today and he was stuck behind the thermometer.

Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? No, I'm buying aquarium salt later to see if it helps.

Does your fish have any history of being ill? I haven't had him long enough to say, but he was skittish to begin with.

How old is your fish (approximately)? I don't know his exact age but I'm fairly sure that he's very young. He's still getting his colors in on his fins and he's barely an inch long fins and all.

He's quite the little piggy and that hasn't changed at all. Right now I have a coffee cup and three fake plants (betta friendly) in the tank. Would more hiding places help or are there other things I can do? I would appreciate any advice I can get for helping him.

[Sea Dragon]

More hiding places will definitely help. Turn the filter off, or buffer it to reduce the current. If he's skittish, put a dark towel or coat over the tank to calm him. Stress Coat+ also helps with healing in addition to AQ salt.