Sick Bettafish???

[kevereski]

Hello guys. I'm new on this site and I need some help about my Bettafish. For the past week my fish didn't eat any of the food I gave it to it. It just stays on the bottom of the bowl I keep it in and barely moves. Even though it barely moves, when it moves it seems like it is blind. It just goes from the bottom of the bowl with full speed to the top and it jumps above the water and goes back in. I know this sounds crazy, but this is what my fish has been doing for the past week. This mostly happens when I place the food in the water. So I think my fish probably can smell or sense the food in the water but it can't see it so that's why it does all these "crazy" movements, trying to get some food. Guys I know this sounds crazy but I really need some help about this cuz I don't know what to do. Thank you!

[Sena Hansler]

Is he new to you?

Even if he is not I can guess this much. Jumping out of the water is his attempt to ESCAPE. "Escape what?" Water quality more than likely.

You said bowl... Did you know 1-2 gallon bowls really need to be cleaned every other day minimum to avoid ammonia? Ammonia is like the bleach we use as a chemical. It would be like swimming in a mixture of water and straight bleach, where your skin and eyes burn, and you'll be prone to infection.

It's the same with our Betta fish. Not only that, but they are tropical. They need heaters, to keep the temperature at 78-80, without fluctuations which can also cause major problems.

My guess for him:

Ammonia poisoning and/or burning, cold, and if his eyes are clouded over he has a bacterial infection.

[LittleBlueFishlets]

Welcome to the forum. Could you please fill out the form below so that we have more information?

Housing
What size is your tank?
What temperature is your tank?
Does your tank have a filter?
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?
Is your tank heated?
What tank mates does your betta fish live with?

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish?
How often do you feed your betta fish?

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change?
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change?
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change?

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

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

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed?
How has your betta fish's behavior changed?
When did you start noticing the symptoms?
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how?
Does your fish have any history of being ill?
How old is your fish (approximately)?