Female, lethargic, not eating, clamping.

[peas]

I just moved her to the QT today.

Normal tank is a divided 10 gallon with my other betta (male). He's been as normal as he usually ever is. She IS eggy but it's been reducing.

She recently started to really clamp up as of three days ago (except for her pectorals). She has rejected food for the past three days, too. She used to always investigate her side of the tank but now she just sits at the bottom, and only goes up for air before going right back down. I've tried getting her to flare with a mirror, which she would do before all of this, and now she won't.. she just stares at herself. She has hidden occasionally... I sometimes have to really look for her. I can't tell if she is stressed or not because of her body color.

Please, this is stressing ME out aha...

The QT is currently 78 with smaller than a pinch of epsom, just incase. She has been pooping but IDK what from, she hasn't been eating!! (I let her adjust to the cooler temps before releasing her in it btw.)

Tank stuff..
10 gallon
Heated to 82 degrees
.25ppm ammonia
0ppm NI
0ppm NA (I am currently cycling it!!!)
Every other day water changes PRN if ammonia goes above .25ppm according to my test card (i use the liquid tests from API)
Last change was today around noon.
Food is omega one pellets and hikari brand pellets. haven't given any bloodworms to her, yet.

QT
Heated, 78
virtually no signs of Ammonia, NI, NA
conditioned.


Image attached was taken today of her midflight to the surface... she went straight back down to the bottom immediately after.

Please, and thank you for any help.

[callistra]

Even .25ppm merits a 50% change.

Actually your thermometer is showing 84.. I would drop temp

How are you acclimating during water changes? How exactly do you do changes?

[peas]

No, it's 82.. the angle is really bad, sorry. I just double checked, it's at the first tick above 80 aha.

Acclimation: I pour out a little water from the previous cup (to my water bucket), and hold the cup in barely, then after a moment or two I let the cup in a little more, the repeat until I don't have to hold it in. Then after a few moments I put some of the new water in the cup, and continue doing that until after about 15 minutes then they (I do this with both of my bettas) go in completely and do their own thing.

Changes: I have two siphons; a mini and a fat mini.

I, with the mini, siphon out a little gravel in the front of the tank about 10% on each side of the divider. Dump, completely refill with hot water, then dump that out and add approx. 80 degree water, then add conditioner, let sit for a couple minutes, and readd the water. Hachi (my male) is completely fine and Meili (fem) is, well, doing all of my OP.

I don't use the fat mini often.

My betta friends tell me to keep .25ppm and below ammonia since my anubis needs even a little while the tank is still in the process of cycling. I haven't reached any nitrates yet.

[peas]

am i allowed to bump or...

[callistra]

The ammonia is in toxic levels for your betta. Some are more sensitive than others. You need to get your ammonia down and up your changes and see if your betta perks up then.

[Crowntails]

Do major water changes and dose with Prime to get the ammonia down. She could be getting poisoned.

[peas]

I did a small water change. Hachi is still unaffected.

HOWEVER...

MEILI has been snacking on nematodes-- well, last week when I first got her in. They're the edible ones, I HOPE. Hachi however does not eat them-- he doesn't care for them. They're not bothering him at all.

I looked really close at Meili and it looked like little nematodes have been on her pectorals. She also got a little uh, floaty on me.

I went ahead and put her back in the big tank because my QT's temp is fluctuating She's in a cup in the normal water, though.

Can I salt the nematodes off her or how do I get rid of them?

EDIT

there's a couple "strands" of something on her body, too... they're moving

[callistra]

She could be shedding her slime coat.. can you get a good pic?

Are you using same temp water and adding conditioner before adding to the tank?

ETA: Hopefully the worms you are talking about are just planaria..

[peas]

^ Yes. I'm doing everything I do normally. I literally just cupped them in their tank so they have the same exact water and same temp. They're just.. in cups. Hold on, I'll try and get some pics. Give me a few minutes.

Does shedding the coat cause stress and lethargy, though? Haven't dealt with it before obviously haha

[callistra]

That means she's sick or very stressed, like from water quality issues.