Help, my betta fish is dying.

[thirstydeer]

I'm a rookie betta fish owner and I don't know what to do. My male crown tail betta has been acting weird the past few days. He seems to be afraid of me (he used to swim right up to me). He also seems to be just lying on the bottom of the tank not moving at all any time I look at the tank. It looks like he is dead. His fins seem to be bending. He is in a 2.5 gallon tank with a filter and heater. He eats 2-3 pellets twice a day. He still eats just fine. He also gets dried bloodworms once a week. I've tried giving him a pea for possible constipation. I've tried beta fix but I'm afraid of using it because the online reviews are less then favourable. I've also cleaned out his tank yesterday and I changed his filter. The water is conditioned. I'm afraid the next time I look at the tank he will actually be dead because he constantly looks dead until i tap the tank to see if he will move.

I've had him since June and even though its my first fish he's been very happy and healthy until the last little while. Something is obviously happening to him.

Please help... any advice or suggestions?

[clopez1]

What temp is the tank? Do you have a thermometer?

[thirstydeer]

The thermometer says 78 fahreinheit.

[clopez1]

How much water do you change?

[thirstydeer]

About a week ago I did a 100 percent change and again yesterday. Both changes was due to a growing algea problem. The lady at Petsmart said the algae problem is due to my tank light being too bright so I've kept it off until I get a proper bulb.

[clopez1]

I'm stumped...:( sorry.. I know how to keep em healthy..No experience making them better.

[thirstydeer]

Thank you for trying.

Can anyone else help please?

[jeremywadejunior]

Does everything else look normal with him besides his behavior? (any spots, fuzz, color change, stress stripes, etc)..

[paloverde]

sorry that your fish is ill, could you please go to the home page and under
Diseases and Emergencies is a detailed list that you fill out, so that members can start brainstorming to help you with your fish.

[thirstydeer]

Here is the list filled out as requested...

Perhaps this thread should move to the disease & emergency forum?

Housing
What size is your tank? 2.5 gallons
What temperature is your tank? 78 F
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 - on its own

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? aqueon betta pellets
How often do you feed your betta fish? twice a day (2-3 pellets each meal), also 1 dried bloodworm weekly

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? Typically once every few weeks (did one yesterday and one last week)
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? typically 50% but the last two were 100%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? water conditioner

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

Ammonia: between 0 and 0.25
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? fins are starting to break off, fins are bent, white dot by its eye (wasn't there yesterday), greyish discolouration under chin
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? lying bent as if he is about to die - lying like this for extended periods
When did you start noticing the symptoms? 3 days ago
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? tried a dose of betta fix but then read online that it is harmful so I'm afraid to give more
Does your fish have any history of being ill? no
How old is your fish (approximately)? I've had it since June - it was already full size then