Hmmm... Normal HM behavior or is he sick?

[BakaMandy]

So it's been two weeks since I got Aros, and I'm kind of concerned due to his lack of energy.

I'm not sure if it's just his personality or what, but he often spends a lot of his time floating at the surface of the water, not moving at all. I know HMs need to rest a lot because swimming around with their heavy tail can be exhausting, but he used to rest on his silk plants or hide in his cave, and he doesn't even do that anymore.

He eats but eats very little, and he doesn't even have that much enthusiasm as he eats. Although I'd imagine he doesn't eat a lot because he doesn't swim a lot... He also will only eat blood worms. I've tried but he won't eat anything else, even if I try to only feed him pellets for days on end. It's like he's too lazy to chew on the pellets. Even if I soak them to let them soften, he might take a nibble or just look at it and totally ignore it.

He also hasn't made a bubble nest, which he did do for the first few days I got him.

He isn't bloated and looks completely healthy. I don't think it's SBD because he can swim around normally. I haven't noticed anything other particular behavior.

I'm just worried about his lack of energy and lack of appetite, especially for a betta his size (he's tiny! So he's still probably very young...).

Although his poop looks a bit odd, it's kind of opaque in areas like when Kyu had internal parasites, so if there's anything wrong with him, I'd say it's internal. But I've been wondering if his poop might be opaque due to the bloodworm skin...

His water conditions are fine, his water is always at 80 degrees, and I've done 50% water changed every few days because he doesn't have a filter (I'm looking for a nice sponge one that won't damage his fins).

So I was hoping to get another person's opinion for this kind of situation :S... thank you for your time!

[Jynx]

what size tank/bowl is this fish in?

[BakaMandy]

3 gallon

[ScentedLove]

I hope you find a solution

[doggyhog]

Hmmmm, I don't really know. I hope everything turns out OK.

[BakaMandy]

>.<;; I changed his water yesterday and he seemed to be a little more energetic this morning (but he didn't eat, he never eats after I change the water), but now he has a tear in his dorsal fin Dx;; *treats quickly*

[AlexXx]

Maybe change the water more often? If he got more energetic after you changed it?

Whats the best kinda of filter for Betas?

[BakaMandy]

I've used a waterfall filter for most of my bettas (with a little modification so that the flow didn't make it hard for them to swim) and I haven't had a problem. But since Aros is a HM, his fins once accidentally kinda got sucked into the filter D: so I haven't used it since. I've seen a few sponge filters and I heard they're the most gentle filter out there and won't hurt a soul, so I'll probably grab myself one with my next paycheck :)

Well this time when I changed the water, I added a bit of Nutrafin Cycle and let the tank cycle for a little bit before I put him in. D: But I don't know if using Cycle is a good idea with the bacteria, just because last time I used Cycle, his fins kinda got holes in them like this time, but don't get holes if I don't use Cycle. I wonder if the beneficial bacteria that in cycle induces a kind of fin rot? I know he gets stressed out when I do water changes, he gets stress stripes o-o so the stress might make him more susceptible to it... do you think that's possible?

Never the less, I'll grabs some Prime next time I'm down at the fish store x: so I don't have to use cycle to manage the ammonia levels...

I wonder if I should change the water in his tank again though >.<;; just cause he got a hole in it... I'm a bit paranoid since Shota got fin rot x:

[Elena]

I think 100% water changes are needed every 4 days or so.

[BakaMandy]

Yeah, that's what I've been doing :).

He's back to just floating at the top and resting )':