Betta Fish Forum banner

Am I freaking out over nothing??!

2K views 10 replies 4 participants last post by  sweetlime 
#1 ·
Hi everyone,

I need your help so I can actually get some sleep at night. I'm worried, so worried, about my baby boy Willie Nelson.
He's my only betta, my first betta, and a CT male.

I'll answer the questions in the recommended form and then will explain what I think is going on.

My tank is an Aqua One 9L tank. It's currently at 25.5C (heated by the included Aqua One heater, it is winter here in Aus after all), and is filtered (also included with the tank). Willie is the only inhabitant of the tank (grouchy and not a fan of any other fish...).

Willie has had previous issues with bloating and swim bladder stuff, so I don't feed him as much as other people I have read on here. (we figured out our system very much using a trial-and-error method) so he gets a few Aqua One Betta Pellets (the very small ones) ONCE a day (any more or any more frequently and swim bladder issues begin). Friday nights are fast nights.

I perform a 25% WC once a week, as well as a 50% once a week. (So 2 in total). I use a water conditioner with a stress coat in it when I change any water, and have used the product for the entirety of Willie's life with us (a year give or take a few days). I tested the water this morning and all levels and parameters are fine.

Okay. So on to what I see.

I have a feeling that the inclusion of a filter into Willie's tank has had an impact. A couple of weeks ago we upgraded to a new tank (from 8L to the current 9L one), and included were the heater and filter mentioned above. I've not ever used a filter with Willie prior to this, and have noticed that even though it is on it's lowest setting, and even though the tank and contents are marketed as a Betta Home and Contents, it may be too strong for my little guy.
It was so obvious the first few days that he was just getting tired, so I switched off the filter for a while and gave it an hour or so before bed, same next morning, and at night. This seemed to work better, he would swim around and even play with the bubbles and look to be enjoying himself.
The last few days though, he has been so lethargic and actually lays on rocks and seems to not be able to cope with the weight of his fins sometimes. I read on a post (can't find it now to link) that sometimes if they are too warm they will be lethargic, as they are with the cold. I lowered his temp 1C to 25C and it has seemed to help.

If I place my hand in front of him (not tapping on the glass) he will swim around for a bit and be moved around a little by the current of the water if the filter is on, but then will eventually rest on the bottom again. (I do understand they would get tired with their little fins, but this does make me worry).

He has also not been eating as much or at all some days since the tank change. He doesn't seem to have lost any weight, and his colour is far richer and he just looks healthier than before this tank...but I still don't know.

As I'm typing this I decided to turn the filter on again to see if that would motivate him to swim. It did! He swims around and then rests in the same bottom corner.... and then will swim again for a brief time (sometimes going to the top and getting a mouth of air, something he has done since the day we bought him) and then a lap of the tank and then back to the corner.

I guess I am just a worried mamma.
Should I be freaking out to the extent I am?
Would adding a silk plant help? So he could rest on/in it?
Should I keep switching off the filter or will the constant flow actually help him build a tolerance or better little swimming muscles?

Thankyou...!
 
See less See more
#2 ·
I've not had a problem with filters being too strong with any of my bettas.

My ex was keeping a large goldfish in a 10 gallon tank when we met. It didn't take long for me to upgrade the tank to a 29 gallon. Well, that goldfish was not used to having room to swim and definitely wore itself out in the bigger tank. It took a little for it to adjust to the extra space and stronger current, but it did. The fish was just physically weak from not swimming for so long.
 
  • Like
Reactions: adelinemichelle
#4 · (Edited)
They make leaves and stuff for the fish to lay on - its something that they do. As far as yours laying on a rock, I'm quite sure that those words conjure up different images in different people's heads. I can't tell you if it's something to worry about or not. You know your fish best of all - you'll have to use your best judgement on whether its bad or not.

I would keep the filter going. You can do things that will break up the current in the tank, providing places for the fish to rest. Too, most likely there are already places within the tank where it can get some rest. Perhaps on the rock.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the advice.

Things got a lot worse last night and I now have a sick little fish on my hands.

Just before I went to bed (his tank is on my bedside table) I looked to check on him and lo and behold, he was in the 'death hang'. At one point from the top of the tank, and then a few minutes later in the very middle of it. Scariest thing. He wasn't really responding to my movement, and an extremely gentle nudge with the side of his net didn't really get much of a response. I quickly conditioned some new water in an old glass fish bowl to temperature and put him in.

I can't really work out if he is having swim bladder problems again (I read that SB can be a permanent issue?) or whether he was poisoned by ammonia despite me following everything I've read on the forums re: water changes.

I've since emptied the large tank and am having second thoughts as to whether I try it again. He's currently still rather lethargic but responds far better, and seems to have more life in him than he did yesterday.

I'm fasting him today and will keep watch on him, he looks the tiniest bit bloated but nothing that you would really notice. He is less floaty and hasn't hung by his nose that I've seen since being in the bowl (I stayed up til 4, woke up at 6.30am...it's now 10.21).

Not really sure what I should do. I was considering a trip to LFS but I am extremely hesitant to follow any more of their advice (tank etc was their recommendation). Any help would be immensely appreciated.
 
#6 ·
I think fasting the fish is a good idea, and I would stay up on doing water changes. Ever other day. Fresh water does wonders, and is your first line of defense when something goes wrong. I would see if a couple more water changes this week brings more life back.
 
#8 ·
This sounds similar to what I went through earlier this week with my guy Gaston. He was fine Monday morning swimming around like normal and eating fine... and then I had him flare with a mirror so I could check his fins closer. About an hour, hour and a half after that he was just... there. He was laying on the suction cup that holds the heater to the wall and wasn't moving. Not even when I tapped the glass right in front of his face. I thought he was dead except for after I tapped the glass he did kind of rise up and wiggle before floating back down.

He didn't *look* any different, only acted different. All people could come up with was that he was very stressed. I tried putting him in a floating quarantine tank, but that made him worse, so I let him back out into the 5 gallon. I kept the room as dark as I could and covered his tank up to keep it even darker. I also kept it as quiet as I could... and I just let him be. I didn't feed him. I tried not to hover (though we all know how well that works haha) It was an absolutely nerve-wracking 48 hours. But lo and behold, I got up this morning and checked on him and he was swimming around his tank, like nothing was wrong. He was watching me and swimming around in reaction to me again. And he just looked better. I offered him a tiny bit of breakfast and to my surprise he gobbled it up and looked at me like, "Woman, I'm a full grown man. Feed me more!" haha

Also, I want to note that last night before bed he was looking a bit swollen in his belly area. I think after a good poo (two upon further examination of his tank) he's feeling much better.

I hope this helps you some, I was absolutely a wreck for 2 days -and over a fish!- so I understand how you feel.
 
#9 ·
Oh thankyou so much for your reply, TiffanyP!
Now I don't feel so bad for being 'hovering mother'!! haha

I am currently sitting here in my loungeroom and have moved him (in glass bowl) to the coffee table here in the heated room. (yay small apartments :\ ) He is swimming around pretty happily before slowing down and resting near the top of the water again.

I think what I might do is continue with the fast. He does this swim bladder thing and is prone to bloating a bit occasionally so I will keep up with that and pray he doesn't begin to hang again.

It has been an extremely emotional time! I'm so soft and extremely attached to my baby so I have sobbed my way through water changes and watching him like a hawk and I think you might be right - smothering him with my love might be a bit much for the poor little guy (he's a bit grumpy by nature!)

I'll head to Petbarn later and grab a new silk plant for him to rest in when I put him back in the big tank in a few days time.

As a side note I think that they know the efforts we go to. A previous time he had bloat and swim bladder issues badly he was almost certainly dead (I lifted him straight out of the tank with the net. no chase, no fuss. heartbreaking.) and I (however slowly) managed to nurse him back to health. During that time he'd struggle toward me and look at me with these big dark eyes - broke my heart! but you can tell he could appreciate how I'd helped. (even if the fault was my own through overfeeding or what).

I appreciate all your comments, this forum is the best place as a Betta owner and lover. So thankyou all! xx
 
#10 ·
No problem, glad I could at least attempt to soothe some frayed nerves. I've only had Gaston since Friday so I don't really know what's normal and what isn't for him yet, but I just knew that something was not right. I'm hoping after some stability in the same tank and regular feedings and water changes that he'll get into a good routine and see that life is more than just a tiny cup :)

I hope Willie Nelson perks up for you soon! Just remember to breathe and to not suffocate him :) I believe peace and rest does a body wonders - even for fish!
 
#11 ·
Hi adelinemichelle, I hate to ask the question, but how is Willie Nelson doing?

I had 2 healthy bettas for a while, but decided it was time for them to stop sharing a bowl (separated of course) and liked the look of the Aqua One Betta Home & Contents kit.

I should also let you know that I bought two of the Betta home & contents kits, one for myself and one for a friend who also had a healthy betta and was merely giving them a new (and suposedly better) home.

Things didn't end up well for either of the fish that were put in the new tanks. Or the two subsequent one's I bought to put in mine!

I think there's something wrong with the pebbles/sand.

I've also read on other blogs of ppl having their pets die quickly in these same tanks
:(

I'm going to try replacing the sand, but quick frankly I'm a little scared to put any more fish in it (my other fish is doing fine btw).
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top