My fish is going downhill!

[dawnahdog]

This is an emergency. I got my fish Ferris on tuesday (it's friday now) from petco on an impulse buy. I've had bettas before, so I was expecting the usual.

He hasn't eaten at all since I bought him, and I've tried four different types of food. Last night he was acting sluggish, and he was laying on his side at the bottom of the tank for a few minutes. He was fine after that!

Today I noticed he has a bloated belly. I moved him to a smaller setup (not MUCH smaller) which has a light above it, and then about 15 minutes later I noticed he was acting weird- breathing heavily, almost like constantly flaring, and he will only stay at the top of the tank.. he only went to the bottom once when i accidentally scared him. I tried calling petco, and they said give him a pea. i did, no luck.

He still won't eat. PLEASE I want him to live.

[Perseusmom]

Hi there sorry your new guy is having problems. Could to go to this link and copy and paste this form here after you answer the questions so we can help you better.

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=49233

[Noobalva]

Originally Posted by Perseusmom

Hi there sorry your new guy is having problems. Could to go to this link and copy and paste this form here after you answer the questions so we can help you better.

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=49233

+1.

Give us as clear a picture as you can get of him (if possible). Maybe we can point something out from that.

[MiyuMikaelson]

From what I've read, Pea's are a no-no and can cause stomach problems. (Not your fault they're giving you awful advice.) But fill out the form Perseusmom linked to you and I'm sure fellow members will do their best to help you.

[dawnahdog]

Housing
What size is your tank? 2.5 gallons
What temperature is your tank? 78-80 f
Does your tank have a filter? no
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? pellets, freeze dried brine shrimp
How often do you feed your betta fish? i try 3 times a day

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? 2x a week
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change?30
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? bettasafe, aquasafe, easybalance lifeguard

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

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH: i tested the water but i lost the chart of what each color means :/
Hardness:
Alkalinity:

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? slightly darker face
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? sluggish
When did you start noticing the symptoms? yesterday afternoon/today
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? i don't know what to do
Does your fish have any history of being ill? he's new?
How old is your fish (approximately)? got him tuesday.

[Perseusmom]

Since he is bloated and having problems swimming I would add some unscented Espom salt to his water. its 1 teaspoon per gallon and dissolved in a cup of warm water before pouring it into his tank. Add it slowly just a little at a time, wait 10 or 15 mins and then add some more, like that till all has be added. Make sure the cup you use doesnt have any soap on it, the plastic throw away type would be best since you know its never had any soap in it. Dont feed him till the bloating goes away,

[dawnahdog]

you can't exactly see the bloating, but you can kinda see how he swims around with his mouth open, and how he's on/off flaring (that's how he's breathing now.)

[Perseusmom]

Also here is the water changing guide its great one to go by for water changes so you will have no ammonia build up in your tank.

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread....+change+thread

Sorry cant see the picture.

[dawnahdog]

just copy and paste the link, i guess.

http://crayy-0n.tumblr.com/post/43741210534

[Perseusmom]

Okay now I can see it. Had to tell how bloated he is though, I would do the Espom salt treatment and see if that perks him up any and helps him to swim better. It helps with any swelling he has. Also watch for any signs he might have internal parasites like white stingy poop.