Velvet/Not Eating

[jlynn912]

Hi... I am new to this site, and I have a big problem with my poor little Betta fish Romeo. I have had him for about a year and a half now, and about 3 days ago, I noticed that he would not eat. This is VERY unusual for him. Usually he goes crazy when he sees me come into the room because he knows its dinner time for him. He ALWAYS eats as soon as I feed him, and has never went a day without food. Well, I left him alone and hoped that he would be okay the next day. But again... I had the same results... only this time I also noticed how lethargic he seemed to be. He stayed at the bottom of his tank and barely even reacted to me tapping on the side. Then I noticed that when he did swim... he bolted across the tank very quickly from side to side... only to go back to barely moving again. I also noticed that he seemed kind of listless and not able to swim without leaning towards the side a little bit. So... much to my dismay... I thought maybe he had reached his end... and that his lifespan was just about up. I was expecting to find him dead every morning when I woke up and every evening when I came home from work... but this did not happen. So I finally did some research online. I did not physically see anything wrong with him... so I wasn't sure how much help I would get from the internet. Well, I ran across a site with common Betta fish diseases and problems... and found out that Velvet was a parasitic disease that is hard to see without the use of a light being shown on his body. I gave it a go... and sure enough... his ENTIRE body is covered with this reddish, splotchy color (he is a royal blue color). So I went straight to the pet store and got a bottle of maracide (recommended by one of the workers there). I have read many good reviews about this product, so I am hoping that it works for him. He is in pretty bad shape though... I just hope it's not too late for him! So finally to move on to my actual question.... I am mainly worried about the fact that he will not eat. Should this be a concern? I have read many different responses to how long a Betta can go without food... and mine is already on day 4 with no food. I offer it to him... but he is just not interested. I don't want starvation to be the reason he dies... but I don't know what else I can do! Any sugguestions/input would be greatly appreciated! I love this little guy! Also, how long should I be treating him before I would see his appetite come back? Thank you so much for any help!

[anastasiavixen]

I had a problem with my betta a while back. His water had gotten too cold, and he wouldn't eat and he was a bit lethargic too. But, as soon as I warmed up his water, he went right back to eating (he didn't eat for quite a while, like a week or two.) I would say just keep trying to feed him (of course, if he doesn't eat it, remove the food from the tank!) When he feels better, I'm sure he will go right back to eating :) Good luck, don't give up, and I hope he makes it!