Help please

[ki113rm00n]

hello everyone :)
Need some help.
My new little betta is sick, I think. He's not eating anything, and barely moves around the tank.
Have no idea what's wrong with him...


Housing
What size is your tank? 20L
What temperature is your tank? 25C
Does your tank have a filter? yes
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? no
Is your tank heated? yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? none

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? JBL pallets
How often do you feed your betta fish? once a day

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? once a week
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 30%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change?

[Oldfishlady]

Welcome to the forum.....

How long have you had him and how long has he not eaten...any other sign/symptoms/behavior changes...etc....other than not eating or moving around a lot....

[prodrumernate]

is it posible to get a couple pictures?as Oldfishlady has said.any other symptoms/signs and behavior changes?see if there are any spots or discoloration on the fins and body,look at the gills.what color are they?are they swollen?

[ki113rm00n]

I've had him for about a week now, and i'm scared..
His gills are fine, but he seems to have something dark on the end of his fins. He spends the entire day on top of the filter..
I got him as a gift from a creepy store, he was in a half full plastic cup.
A friend told me to put a few drops of Methylene blue in the water but it doesn't seem to get any better.
Sorry but can't upload any pictures right now, my camera isn't that great.

[missmayr]

That could be just his fin color. Observe the edge of his fins, if they appear to shrink, it could be fin rot, which you should use maracyn I/II, tetracycline, or ampicillin (or a broad spectrum antibiotic/medication if you don't any superior lfs near you like me).

It will take some time for your fish to become habituated. He's most likely just stressed not sick from the change in environment. Try to ease him out of it. Attempt to feed him often (take the pellets out if they're left uneaten though). Once he feels more familiar, then he should start eating again.

I bought this appetite booster, vitamin supplement, and aloe vera (that helps with a betta's slime coat) called Acurel if you want to try that. The guy at Petco recommended it for when Bettas are stressed.

Good luck!

[prodrumernate]

missmayr is rite..he could be just stressed from moving around a lot..if his fins r starting to deteriorate then it could be fin rot..

feed him about 3 or 4 pellets in the morning and about the same before you go to bed.remove any food he doent eat..do water changes once or twice a week,.about 25%

if its black or greyish black on his fins..it could be fungus or bacteria...do you know ur water parameters? ammonia,nitrate,nitrite,ph

[Oldfishlady]

Its not uncommon for new Betta to not eat for weeks or seem more lethargic-especially when they go from a small temporary cup to a larger filtered tank.....

Once he adjust to the new setup-he should start to eat....

Right now what I would recommend-turn off the filter and make some 50% water only changes for a few days. Once he settles in and starts to eat-Then give the filter and filter media a good rinse and re-start it to see if he will tolerate the water movement.....

The number one medication for our fish is...Fresh like temp dechlorinated water from water changes, good nutrition and patience.......

Over use, over treating and/or using antibiotic "just because" or the "shot gun" method-Often can cause more harm than good.......These products not only kill the good pathogens that keep the bad pathogens in check-it can make the fish toxic and all this compromise the immune response and things can snowball.....