My fish! my fish!! help!!!!

[astridluv]

Ok so, this is my first fish. i brought Nibbles at first to keep my mind off my very first breakup and heartache and i gotta say he's keeping me busy!! :)

anyhooooo so nibbles was always weird, when I got him at this specialty pet store he was nibbling the bottom of the bowl constantly and going in circles too, hence the name nibbles. so I brought him, a nice bright red betta and at first he was fine normal really, um.. I got him maybe...2 or 3 weeks ago, then I just noticed this past Sunday that he got slow. He usually swims around nibbling here and there but now he stays at the top of the bowl, and it keeps getting worst! like for instance all day today except when I feed him, (he's got quite an appetite) he stays pressed up against the tank I got him in, as still as death, sometimes he flaps one of his fins but mostly he just stays there. ..he's like that as we speak! I changed his water yesterday and the temperature now for it is 77 degrees F. Im so worried for my little friend I don't want him to die! PLEASE HELP HE"S GETTING WORST I couldn't not bear a broken heat and a dead fish at the same time!! Somethings gotta give! Help save Nibbles!!!!





Housing
What size is your tank?
12 in. x 6.5 in. x 10 in.

What temperature is your tank? No
Does your tank have a filter? no
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? no
Is your tank heated? No
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? none




Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? hikari betta bio-gold
How often do you feed your betta fish? 2-3 times a day

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? once a week
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? like... 98 %
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Splendid Betta complete water cinditioner

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters? no and how? O.o......

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

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? not sure
When did you start noticing the symptoms? Sunday so...6 days ago
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? I decrease its food intake from the manufacture's instructions of 2-4 pellets ( i do 4) 2-3 times a day (i do 3) to 2 pellets twice a day. and I usually wait till Friday to change the water but I changed it Wednesday.
Does your fish have any history of being ill? not that i know of
How old is your fish (approximately)? umm I've had him about 2-3 weeks.

[Canuck Fins]

It's hard to have a pet you know isn't 100%.

Your betta may be sluggish because the water isn't warm enough. Between 76* and 82* is optimal. You'll probably need a heater for that to stay consistent.

A water change once a week may not be enough. Get a liquid test kit (API master kits are awesome!) so you can test for ammonia because it will build up if you are doing such infrequent changes.

I'd also recommend reading through this if you haven't already because it's full of great information. :)

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=20058

[BlackberryBetta]

You might need a heater, bettas get sluggish when the water is too cold. Why would the water be 77 if you don't have a heater?? That doesnt make sense. Do you run warm water from the tap and then put him and the water in his tank? If that is the case, don't do that, the temp will shock him and then it will fall down to room temp anyways. It doesn't seem like an overly huge issue though. You can also get a little variety with the food like bloodworms and/or flakes.

[astridluv]

ok i will!! anything for nibbles!! thanks!

[BlackberryBetta]

I hope your little buddy is okay! Keep us posted! Sending good vibes your way! :)

[astridluv]

blood worms and flakes? ok i think i can get flakes right now too! thanks so much!!

[BlackberryBetta]

That won't heal him up right away, it will just keep him healthy. It isn't manditory but optional for a healthy betta! I would get freeze-dried bloodworms, btw.

[BlackberryBetta]

If you are really concerned. You can put him in treatment. Regular conditioned water with aquarium salt. 1tsp/1gallon.

[astridluv]

ok i will look for those too. and thankd for the good vibes!! I'll keep you guys posted and send pics! :) there is hope yet!

[astridluv]

i just read the thread. there are alot of things i need for nibbles. lets hope he last till sunday night!