Please Help Save Dorty

[shasum]

I've been searching for answers for hours, so I'm sorry if I've overlooked where the answer to my problem may already be answered. I brought a male betta home a few months ago and he's been thriving with no issues. yesterday, I added a heater, though I didn't turn it on yet, the temp is still mid to high 70s. I also added a fake soft plant that wouldn't snag his fins, since my last live plants died... thought he would like a second place to hide, although loves his cave. also...and I'm sorry, I just didn't know better, I added a light, a blue one, that was too bright. he has never had a light before, and so after some research, I really think it just stressed him out. so away with the light after waking this morning and finding poor Dorty (my 5 y/o named him:)) extremely lethargic. he would not eat his breakfast. several hours later, we come home from school and he is still very, very lethargic...like, I don't know if he's going to make it. but the water is suddenly cloudy. from what I can surmise, the introduction of the light gave rise to a bacterial bloom, or whatever? I don't know, I'm still figuring this all out as I go, so bear with me...so I vacuumed the gravel, removed 1/2 the water, cleaned the sides, checked the ph...ph is good, added some easy balance... I tried to be very gentle and as unintrusive as possible, the poor guy is so stressed. I have not even added water back in yet. what do I do? will he live? he's in a 10 gal filter tank, eats about 3 pellets of food. he is hanging in there, no physical symptoms other that floating on his side and acting mostly dead, but occasionally will right himself and swim a little. stays near the top...which is uncharacteristic of him. please help? thanks

[registereduser]

Originally Posted by shasum

I tried to be very gentle and as unintrusive as possible, the poor guy is so stressed. I have not even added water back in yet. what do I do? will he live? he's in a 10 gal filter tank, eats about 3 pellets of food. he is hanging in there, no physical symptoms other that floating on his side and acting mostly dead, but occasionally will right himself and swim a little. stays near the top...which is uncharacteristic of him. please help? thanks

Sounds like how my guy acted when he got super stressed in his 20 gallon and 8 tetras died off in front of him.

Do you have a water test kit to make sure ammonia/nitrite/nitrate is in check?

I put my guy in a 2 gallon bowl with some aquarium salt and he revived in 2 days. Maybe add some stress coat too?

[shasum]

Thank you! I ran right out and bought the salt and stress coat and am waiting... his color is good - improving, even, and the tank has already cleared, but I'm not ready to add water yet just because I feel like he's going through enough stress. I just added the touch of salt and some of the stress coat...I'm scared that every attempt is just going to do him more harm, but I really hope he hangs in there. Should I pull him out into a bowl with no movement/filter/air, etc? I just think it might be too much, but at the same time, his current environment seems a little aggressive with all the motion going on... I just don't know. ***AND THIS IS NEW***I'm seeing pieces of his fins floating in the water! Do beta drop their "plumes" during stress??

[DiiQue]

How often do you do water changes? You said you removed half the water due to it getting cloudy, but haven't added any new water... I would say get him into some good clean water to start. Just make sure the temp of the new stuff isn't too far off the temp of his tank.

[shasum]

Honestly... I had let it go longer than I needed to without doing a partial water change...it's been longer than a month and I was on about 25% every few weeks until this last month... he's got plenty of water, but it's about 2/3 full... I could start slowly adding water back in (matching temp, of course), but I am just scared to keep aggravating his situation and creating more stress... Do you think adding water will help?

[shasum]

Dorty didn't make it :( Thanks for your input, though

[Kenny G]

My condolences on the loss of Dorty.