Please help my betta is sick!!!

[krystaltopaz23]

Hi there! I am going to give you some quick information:
I have tow Betta's, one male, one female in a 10 Gal. tank
I change the water every week, i keep it at 75 degree's about..
Recently I got two fish to eat the Algae. They've been doing fine.
My female Betta started acting weird, i noticed she would dig her head into this little spot where I keep a heater under the gravel (it looks like a rug). She started doing that and then she'd go up blow a bubble and go back down there.
Then I started noticing the male doing that.
And then I noticed the Ich. Quickly I got medicine and thought okay they'll act a bit off because they're sick but soon they'll get better.
Today I noticed the male flaoting vertically (head up) towards the surface of the water. He would slowly sink down (still vertical) and then go all the way back up and stay there frozen and then repeat. As the day went on he started sinking and falling to his side, and just laying there. NOW he looks as if though he cant breathe and even falls on his back and won't move to right himself.

I don't know what to do I really love them to death. But the female isn't acting liek that so I just don't know what to do with him! He won't even eat and he loves his food.

PLEASE HELP I'm willing to try anything!!

[abwise455]

looks like your tank needs an adjustable heater, those "mat" heaters are no good because they aren't regulated at a set temperature. 75 degrees isn't the best temperature for your betta. Anywhere from 78-80 is ideal. Also do a 50% water change and make sure you add your water conditioner and acclimate your betta back to the tank.

[krystaltopaz23]

Originally Posted by abwise455

looks like your tank needs an adjustable heater, those "mat" heaters are no good because they aren't regulated at a set temperature. 75 degrees isn't the best temperature for your betta. Anywhere from 78-80 is ideal. Also do a 50% water change and make sure you add your water conditioner and acclimate your betta back to the tank.

thank you so much abwise455 I am def. going to do my best to get a better heater... I just dont know why hes breathing like that he looks like he can't pull enough air in

[krystaltopaz23]

Also I think I should mention his colors are washed out

[abwise455]

I am not sure my only guess is there is chorine in the water or he is cold, please answer all of these questions so I can get a better idea of your set up..

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)?

[krystaltopaz23]

Originally Posted by abwise455

I am not sure my only guess is there is chorine in the water or he is cold, please answer all of these questions so I can get a better idea of your set up..

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)?

Housing
What size is your tank? 10 Gal I believe.
What temperature is your tank? 75 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? A small blue female betta and two placo fish

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Auqueon Betta Food (small round pieces)
How often do you feed your betta fish? every night unless I find that I gave them more than usual then maybe I will skip a day and then resume there normal schedule.

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? One a week.
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 25 - 50%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? I use API tap water Conditioner

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters? I have not.

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

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? His usually bright red and blue colors are washed out, especially his usually almost white fins, they are pale and dark.
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? He is just lethargic looking and he is floating around vertically (head up) aimlessly and then will suddenly make a struggle to get to the surface only to sink back down when he reaches it.
When did you start noticing the symptoms? Yesterday and the day before that he was drying to get very close to the heater with the female but they've since abandoned that.
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? My father is using Ich medicine - putting a few drop every day.
Does your fish have any history of being ill? I do not know because i got him from Petco.. but he seemed very healthy and fine to me.
How old is your fish (approximately)? i do not know.

[abwise455]

Ok now that I know more about your situation I will try my best at keeping your little betta alive. Go ahead and cup your betta with a clean cup that has never had soap in it (preferably solo cup). Using a cup is less stressful than using a net IMO. after cupping your betta then siphon out 50% of your water. This will get rid of most of the harmful medication out of the water. add your water back, but make sure you condition it correctly before adding it. let it sit for 30 minutes so It can adjust to the tank..the new water should be around the same temperature as your tank. After 30 minutes float your betta in the cup in the tank to acclimate her to the water. add a tablespoon of the tank water to the cup every 15 minutes and after 1 hour add your betta to the tank. Make sure you keep the heater in the tank and tomorrow buy an adjustable 50watt heater at petco. also purchase api stress coat and repeat everything that you will do tonight, but instead of using your current conditioner use api stress coat. Then I recommend a 50% water change once a week. Hope this helps and please let me know the progress! good luck!!

[krystaltopaz23]

Thank you! I am going to start this first thing tomorrow! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

[abwise455]

Originally Posted by krystaltopaz23

Thank you! I am going to start this first thing tomorrow! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

your welcome let me know how everything turns out.. if you have the money also buy api freshwater test kit. its 30 dollars..its very important to know the water parameters and it helps to determine what is going wrong 9 times out of 10!

[krystaltopaz23]

Also Abwise when I take him out should I worry about length of time he is out of the water? How long before I should put him back in the tank?