Betta very, very sick this morning

[daisyroo]

Got this beta for my son. First we started with a 1 gallon bowl and as I researched found that this isn't suitable and also he was having major ammonia build up and getting gross. So I got him a 3 gallon take with a tetra filter and airstone. He seemed to survive the transfer great last monday. He seemed to really come alive. But as I read I notice we should have a heater. So on Monday I picked up a heater. He seemed happy and fine before the heater but his water was 68 degrees. We keep our house about 70 so that was probably correct. I did get a thermometer you stick on the outside of the glass. Showed 68. So, I put the heater in. Well here we are 3 days later and we woke this morning and he was laying in the bottom of the tank. I did notice over the last two days he's been darting around a lot. His fins, look weird, sort of shred apart and lighter colored. No eye issues. He seemed fine last night other than nervous. He has quickly deteriorated this morning. He wouldn't come out of his house and was laying on his side. Well, then he was laying on the bottom on his side. Thought he was dead. Then I went back in and noticed he was trying to swim around. With gloves I did an emergency water change (changed half). I knew it could shock him but it was last ditch. He seems to have been shocked by the water change but at least he's at the top now but he's still laying side ways. He is breathing. Here and there he'll get energy and breath. I did turn his heater off thinking maybe the water was warmer than what the thermometer says. Says it is 74 now.

With him laying on his side, me thinking he was dead (laying flat out on the bottom for quite a while) should I even try anything else or is he probably dead? What could have killed him this fast? he ate his betta pellates fine last night. We feed him 2-3 per day and that is all he eats. He is a blue crown tail. We did get him from walmart so maybe he was already sort of sick. Just don't know he was a happy fella before in the cold water, would come interact with us at the front of the tank, would follow your finger, etc. Feel like I killed him. We do use water conditioner with water. I let it come to room temp. We do have hard water but I've heard that water conditioner fixes that. We had a filter running, heater running, he like his air stone and would often lay in the bubbles (had it turned down as low as it would go). What did we screw up?

Should I try something else or is he just going to die?

[Perseusmom]

Okay lets see if I can help, first off those temp strips you put on the side of the tank are not going to give you the temp of the water on the inside of the tank. Get a thermometer for inside the tank to get a true reading. 76 to 82 is good for their water temp, I have mine at 79 but it is and adjustable heater I got from Amazon for my 5 gallon tank. Is there anything in his tank that could have torn his fins like a deocoration ? Hard water is okay but with crowntails it can cause their fins to curl at the ends. I have CT from Walmart and he has always been healthy.

I am not sure what else to tell you, just keep and eye on him I think I would turn the heater back on and get a inside the tank thermometer to see the real reading of the temp. Good luck I sure hope he will be okay !

[daisyroo]

Nothing that wasn't there before. other than maybe the filter? His fins have a whitish cast all of a sudden.

[DiiQue]

The little guy may have swim bladder issues... does he seem bloated?

Does he have other external signs of illness/parasites? You mentioned he seems to dart around a lot...

Also, I recommend getting a water test kit so you know what the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels are.

[Wendyjo]

Before today, when was the last time you did a water change?

[daisyroo]

Sunday water change. I just did the change and it didn't smell bad at all not like it did in the fish bowl.

He seemed to start this darting Tuesday (after we got the heater). But like I said the stupid thermometer (the only kind Walmart had and we only have one pet store and they must be stupid because they said that betas should be fine in a 1 gallon bowl with no heater). I'll go by and get a real thermometer for sure though. I didn't get a test kit though because I thought for crying out loud my sis has one in a vase and so does my neighbor and they've had them for years. I did the half water change, I did the water conditioner, I did a filter, an air stone, a 3 gallon tank, then added a heater. I thought I was doing better than them for sure. My neighbors fish bowl is filthy and disgusting and her betta is fine. He doesn't look bloated. But he is kind of smallish. I think he is young. He lays on the bottom on his side now but if you go wrestle him up a bit he'll swim around but sideways and then he'll crash into things and float to the bottom. Ugh! I'm supposed to be working too (I'm on the clock I work from home though).

[daisyroo]

How would I know if it was that fish TB? I was very careful to use gloves and all but I'd hate it if I had to throw everything out. Thanks for chatting with a newby ya'll. Feel like an idiot to kill a betta. Everyones like "you gotta suck to kill a betta don't they live in mud puddles".

[OrangeAugust]

Is your heater adjustable? I had trouble in my smaller tanks with non-adjustable heaters heating up my tank to 90 degrees. Jasper seemed to still love it, but I'm sure a lot of bettas might start feeling sick it the temp is much above 85. Also, a thermometer attached to the side of the tank isn't going to read the correct temp unless the plastic/glass is thick enough. I thought the temp in my 1 gallon was fine because it read 80, but the water felt much warmer to the touch, so I tested it with another thermometer and it was over 85. It turned out that because it's a cheaper tank, the sides are thin enough that when the thermometer is against it it's very inaccurate. My fish had been in it for a while and seemed ok, but maybe get a thermometer that suction-cups on the glass so that the thermometer part isn't touching the glass but is in the water. It might be too hot for him.

[daisyroo]

OMG so I could have cooked him!!! It was the tetra 2-15 and it is supposed to have a thermostat but set to 78 degrees. It is all we had here locally. We are in a rural area.

[Perseusmom]

You could try some AQ salt its like 1 teaspoon per gallon and see if that perks him up or helps him to swim better. The white on his fins could be a fungus but I dont really know anything about that but you can look it up here and see if that sounds like what he might have and there are meds to help with that. Dont give up Bettas are tough little dudes !