Betta lying on bottom of tank... and 'burping?'

[pbloskas]

Hey guys,

Ok, so my betta has been lying at the bottom of my tank, and he keeps flaring his gills in a breathing fashion. He isn't discolored, but he did start flaring pretty violently and then Burped? (I have no idea how else to describe it). He released a lot of air, and now he isn't eating. Any ideas?? He gets a 25% water change weekly, 100% monthly, and his tank is heated to 90 degrees. Thanks!

[aokashi]

How big is your tank?
Can you fill this form out? it will help us diagnose his problem better :)
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=49233

[pbloskas]

Housing
What size is your tank? 2 Gal
What temperature is your tank? 90 degrees
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? Tetra betta pellets
How often do you feed your betta fish? Once every two days

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? weekly
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 25-100%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Aqueon water conditioner

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?

Ammonia: I have not tested in 2 weeks. I know, but Im busy without time to buy more tests.
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? discolored face
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? Staying on bottom and continuous flaring.
When did you start noticing the symptoms? This morning
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? Aquarium salt
Does your fish have any history of being ill? No this is the first time
How old is your fish (approximately)? No idea

[aokashi]

Have you changed decor or anything within the past few weeks? And when was your last 100% water change?

I can make two guesses here....rather conflicting guesses actually...
1 - your tank's water is not changed enough. a 2 gallon should really be given a minimum 100% water change weekly.

2 - your tank is actually somewhat cycled and your 100% threw the cycle off. The intermediate 25%s could not eliminate the ammonia build up fast enough...

Is there any abnormalities with the fish's gill movement? rapid breathing etc? What kind of discoloration does he have?
When he flares, is it a full flare (ie, gills and fins) or is it partial?
Is he flaring at the same spot?
Does he sink to the bottom? or actively swims to the bottom?

Is there anyway you can lower the temperature to 82?
slowly...

Either way, I recommend you to do a 100% waterchange right now. make sure the water you are changing in is the same temperature as the water you are changing out. clean the substrate thoroughly. if possible take the ornaments out and rinse the entire bowl with hot water.

[pbloskas]

Yes, there is rapid gill movement, mainly in a partial flare. He either lays on the bottom, or he floats at the top. There is discoloration in his face. Hes kind of pale. I did change the decor, I added dwarf hair grass two weeks ago, and since has died due to lack of intense enough light. I removed it 2 days ago. I also added a rock I bought from petco. I rinsed it first in hot water tho.

[aokashi]

can you bring the temperature down?

[Perseusmom]

Yeah that is really to hot for him I think but like aoksahi says you need to bring it down slowly. Not enough water changes for your size tank. Why do you feed him only every other day ....does his tummy look bloated ? Good luck I hope he starts feeling better soon, keep us posted and ask more questions if you need to.

[Frazzle]

Fill a baggie with cold water or ice, and let it float in the tank.

I think the rule is 4 degrees a day