Fishy is acting odd :(

[PollyDactyl]

I brought my Betta home two weeks ago. I adore the little guy, he's very active and he loves his 5 gallon tank. I keep the tank heated between 75 and 80 degrees at all times. I feed him dried bloodworms 5 days a week and frozen brine shrimp once a week. I recently found out that the brine shrimp has mussels in it as well.

The last two days, he spends more time resting against his plants than usual. I'm not sure if the filter is a problem, it my be too powerful, though he hasn't seemed to have problems with it before. He still has a healthy appetite and he looks normal, but I'm worried that he's acting lethargic. Any ideas? I'm very concerned

[LebronTheBetta]

Please fill this out. More info means more we can find out about your problem. Your betta's diet isn't really a healthy one. FD and Frozen foods are more of treats due to their high-protein content and not so balanced nutrition. Pellets are best as staple and I recommend New Life Spectrum Betta Formula or Omega One Betta Buffet. Both are high-quality and can be found in Petco. Does the temperature fluctuate? If the filter looks strong, you can baffle.

[PollyDactyl]

Housing
What size is your tank? 5 gallons
What temperature is your tank? 75-80 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? Blood worms and brine shrimp
How often do you feed your betta fish? once a day, 6x a week

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? 50% once a week, 100% 2x a month.
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 50%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Betta Basics conditioner

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters? Not yet. I'll be doing that today.

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? There's a little black thing sticking to his dorsal fin.
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? He's more lethargic than usual.
When did you start noticing the symptoms? Two days ago.
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? 50% water change, Aquarium salt with change, turned off filter, removed and cleaned plants.
Does your fish have any history of being ill? Not that I know of. I brought him home two weeks ago.
How old is your fish (approximately)?Probably only a few months old.

[cantfindone]

It could be a parasite

[shellieca]

As Lebron stated blood worms & brine shrimp shouldn't be his main diet so I d start with that. Since he's not used to eating pellets it may take some stubbornness on your part yo get him eating them. The brown thing . . . can you post a pic? A 100% water change isn't needed on a filtered 5g tank & once your tank is fully cycled you can do one weekly 50% water change. Also leave the plants & decos alone as there will be some BB on them which you need. I suggest investing in a liquid water test kit especially since your tank is new. He may have slowed down because he's settled in after 2 weeks. I have a CT male who is not very active but is healthy some are just that way.

[callistra]

blood worms are like the potato chips of the fish world. They should be used sparingly as treats. First thing to do is get him on a good pellet like NLS Betta (Feed 5-7 a day split up into two feedings and a fast day a week) or Omega One (feed 3-4 a day split up with a fast day).

You can feed a blood worm or shrimp once a week for a treat if you like. If they're freeze dried you need to soak in a cup with a bit of tank water first to soften them. If they're live he may have a parasite issue, but photos would help..

[Viva]

How long has your tank been set up? Was it cycled before you put the fish in? You shouldn't do 100% water changed on cycled tanks either. Try doing a 30 - 50% change once per week. I would check the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels before assuming that its a parasite.

[callistra]

Since he turned off the filter it now needs 100% water changes and will have to be recycled. I wouldn't assume it's a parasite either but hard to say without pics.