just want him back to normal!!!

[LiLBit1188]

I bought my fish about 2 years ago as a gift for my niece.. now he's getting worseand worse. In reading multiple online sites.... I have come to the conclusion he has fin and tail rot. He has gained an extremely large belly. I don't know if its because he's sick, or fed too much, or because he just sits at the bottom of the tank all day except when he swims up to eat... :( somebody please help!!

[ChoclateBetta]

Sounds like low water temp is it 78-82F how big is the tank how many water changes.

[Oldfishlady]

Welcome to the forum and sorry you are having problems.....

We need more info and a pic...

How big is the tank, filter, live plants, water temp, how much and how often are the water changes, additives used, appetite-food/feeding, any tank mates, health/treatment history and how long has he been lethargic-can you describe the fin rot- as well as any other signs/symptoms...

[LiLBit1188]

It's only a one gallon fish bowl. No filter or anything. And, the water is too cold... I don't remember where I read it.. but it said 69 degrees. :/ ... Now I'm feeling like a fish killer. I signed up on here so hopefully I can get him back to normal. :) .. n my SIS doesn't understand.. "we can jus buy a new one" .. I'm sorry but that's not an option for me... I posted two pictures. That's the best I could get since he just sits at the bottom. I wash his bowl weekly and put water conditioner in it. And the betta fix.... Which isn't helping. That's basically all I do for him. Besides feeding him

[Perseusmom]

Is there any way you can get a heater for him or something bigger to live in since a 1 gallon is hard to get the correct size heater for that doesnt over heat since the tank is so small. They are tropical fish and the water temp needs to be 76 the lowest on the way up to 82.

As for his swollen belly you can not feed him for a couple of days and see if it goes down. If not you could do some Epsom salt treaments where you would add a teaspoon of the Espom salt to his water. For the fin rot to heal he needs to be in etra clean water which means water changes and for a 1 gallon I would do a 50 percent change everyday and a 100 percent 3 times a week. If you need anymore help with him be sure and ask..I sure hope he feels better soon !

[aokashi]

I highly recommend you to order a heater for him (and any fiture fish)
the hagen elite 25w (or cheaper 50w option under the same product- which i suspect is a 25w)

make sure when you do water changes to do it with warmer water. and not cold. water should be slightly cool to the touch (not chilly)...

Recommended water change scheule for a 1 gallon bowl is 50% half way through the week and 100% at the end of your week and a thorough cleaning of the bowl.

bloat could be due to constipation, over feeding or internal norgan problems.

it is likely you over fed the fish, because at such cold temperatures, his metabolism simply does not work as fast....

No food an some epsom salt is in order here..
again the most important fact is temperature. warmer temperature will help him pass feces....

[LiLBit1188]

Thank u so much. I will try the warmer water n salt as well. Is there anything else I should do? Medication for the fin rot? Just the water conditioner is ok? ..

[Connierodz]

What worked for me..but did it everyday for seven days was take him out of his tank or bowl...get a different small bowl with conditioned water ( warm ) and add aquaium salt (1tsp) leave him there for 5 to 10 minutes meanwhile 50% wter changes everyday..then put him back in his tank or bowl..(it helped with both fin rot and bloating)

[Hassled]

Originally Posted by Connierodz

What worked for me..but did it everyday for seven days was take him out of his tank or bowl...get a different small bowl with conditioned water ( warm ) and add aquaium salt (1tsp) leave him there for 5 to 10 minutes meanwhile 50% wter changes everyday..then put him back in his tank or bowl..(it helped with both fin rot and bloating)

Don't just dump him from the cold water to warm water though, that would end really bad.

[asukabetta]

Originally Posted by LiLBit1188

It's only a one gallon fish bowl. No filter or anything. And, the water is too cold... I don't remember where I read it.. but it said 69 degrees. :/ ... Now I'm feeling like a fish killer. I signed up on here so hopefully I can get him back to normal. :) .. n my SIS doesn't understand.. "we can jus buy a new one" .. I'm sorry but that's not an option for me... I posted two pictures. That's the best I could get since he just sits at the bottom. I wash his bowl weekly and put water conditioner in it. And the betta fix.... Which isn't helping. That's basically all I do for him. Besides feeding him

A 10w or 7,5w heater could work, that is what I used for a 2 gallon bowl, there are some that autoregulate, keeping the water 4 degrees over ambient temp, and turns off when the water gets too hot. Try your nearest pet store or the internet (if you can order one), make sure it fits in your bowl of course. Or upgrade to a 2 or more gallon tank/bowl (it makes things easier trust me.) The bigger the better :D, but that depends on what you can afford or fits in your house, but 2 gallons is the perfect min.

Using a light is not recommnded to heat your bowl, betta's need night and day schedules with light or they will get stressed, at night the bowl will get overly cold and during the day it would get too hot. It will do more harm than good.

Avoid overfeeding, if he looks pregnant (under the gills is his belly) stop feeding him for a day or two, (don't worry betta's can survive even longer without food) so he can clear out his waste, then feed him 1 a day, if using flakes feed him about 2-3 flakes, unless they are big then feed 2 big flakes and after 2 min, remove uneaten food (as a previous bowl owner I recommend this since you don't have a filter and it helps keeping your water cleaner for longer)

If it's not the tummy, it could be bloatness from overfeeding, which affects the swimming bladder, making it hard for the fish to swim. It has a different treatment. However I recommend doing what I said above about the feeding as overfeeding and bladder issues go hand in hand.

Treating Fin rot; before resorting to medicine which are easy to overdose and hardy on the fish sometimes, resort to the most natural way of healing.

Nothing heals fin rot better than CLEAN WATER. Since the bowl is small, the waste accumulates faster unlike bigger tanks, which is the reason for which they are more recommended because they are easier to put filters and heaters in (tanks due to their non curved walls.) Do 50% water changes after 2-3 days (mid week) and then 100% water changes a week (weekends for example) prepare a bottle with conditioned water aside so it can remain ambient temperature as brusque temperatures can shock the fish. Adjust the fish to the bowl temp by letting the fish (in a cup or recipient float in the bowl)

Adding Aquarium salt (IN SMALL DOSAGES they are freshwater fish after all) can help receed fin rot and prevent fungus. Which you can do while you keep the water clean.

Advanced fin rot would mean using medicine like Melafix and bactopur, anything that can fight fin rot or bacteria as they are the cause for it apart from poor water conditions. If fungus appears, you may have to use a different medicine for that too, try treating fungus first then fin rot, limit yourself to using 1 treatment at the time and NEVER mix.


I hope this helps, and good luck, make sure to give it lots of tender loving care!