Aging betta behavior or should I be worried?

[ChibiShishou]

Hello,
I have a ten gallon divided between two boys, nicely planted at around 78 degrees with filter etc. But for the several months now Ichiru my oldest betta has been exhibiting some odd behavior. I am wondering if this is out of older age because of how he was treated before I got more betta advice or if maybe he's just getting older. Because the other boy he shares the 10 gal with doesn't exhibit any of these behaviors.

• Some times he has to swim pretty hard to get to the surface
• Some days he lacks an appetite in the evenings and wont eat period
• Or I have to poke him towards his food
• He nose dives just letting himself drop all the way to the bottom of the tank and doesn't move at all(ITS SO SCARY!)
• Ill find him clamped up sometimes after one of his nose diving experiences
• and hes very low when it comes to energy and exuberance.

So is this just an aging betta? If so should I get him a shallower tank so he doesn't strain so much?? I want him to be healthy and happy but I feel like hes acting so oddly for how he used to be.
Thank you for your time,

[RaptorX8]

Might be a swim bladder problem, but I'll let someone else with more experience speak up on this. However, this is a link to the disease section that has some information on swim bladder just in case it fits the bill.

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=73333

[Wendyjo]

Well how old is he?

[ChibiShishou]

Originally Posted by Wendyjo

Well how old is he?

Hes not very old at all! Hes only a year to two years.

[Wendyjo]

You've had him 2 years? He could be older if you got him as an adult at a pet store. Does he get excited or flare when he sees his tank mate? It doesn't sound like normal behavior - have you checked your water parameters to make sure everything in the tan checks out OK? Has the behavior gotten worse over the last few months, or did it come on very suddenly?

[ChoclateBetta]

He is most likely 2.5 to 3 years old so not that old. Might be internal parasites.

[ChibiShishou]

Originally Posted by Wendyjo

You've had him 2 years? He could be older if you got him as an adult at a pet store. Does he get excited or flare when he sees his tank mate? It doesn't sound like normal behavior - have you checked your water parameters to make sure everything in the tan checks out OK? Has the behavior gotten worse over the last few months, or did it come on very suddenly?

Very true he could be older than he looks.
He does not flare at his tank mate he does get feisty at me sometimes when I have him in the petkeeper while I clean the tank so I can't say he doesn't flare, just not as often as he used to.
Water parameters are A-ok.
His behavior came on suddenly at first, now its progressively getting worse.

[ChoclateBetta]

The average betta sold for sale is 6 months to a year.

[LizzyP]

If he's sinking to the bottom and struggling to get up to the surface, it isn't a swim bladder. That makes them very buoyant and can't get to the bottom.

Anyway. Sounds to me like something internal. Whether it's parasites or infection, I don't know. It doesn't look like anything is on his body? No signs of Ick or Velvet? For Velvet look at him in a dark room with a flashlight and his body will look like it has rust on it and for Ick it'll look like someone sprinkled him in salt. I would PM Sakura8 or OFL and ask their advice.

[ChoclateBetta]

They make pellets you can feed them that kill internal parasites.