Betta clamping; Don't know what exactly is wrong!

[EndlessUnicorns]

Housing
What size is your tank? 10 gal
What temperature is your tank? 79 degrees
Does your tank have a filter?
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? Divided tank with another betta male, he usually flares at him every so often

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Top fin betta bits
How often do you feed your betta fish? 2 in the morning; 2 later, if he eats them.

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? Weekly
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 25-30%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Tap water treatment

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

No access to tests; will get as soon as I can get to the store
Ammonia: n/a
Nitrite: n/a
Nitrate: n/a
pH: n/a
Hardness: n/a
Alkalinity: n/a

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? He's very clamped up.
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? He doesn't flare at his neighbor like he usually does, isn't nearly as active, clamping
When did you start noticing the symptoms? Today, when I got home from school.
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? No; I unplugged the filter so he'd move around again
Does your fish have any history of being ill? Not that I know of
How old is your fish (approximately)? I really am not sure...PROBABLY a young adult.

WELL...my betta fish, Captain Brigham, is confusing me. Originally he was in 1/2 gallon vase for a day until I could put him in his divided 10 gallon tank (he has 5 gallons to himself). He shares it with the betta fish I've had for a few weeks longer, Dominique. When first put in the tank he was extremely excited, and he was yesterday as well. He swam around like crazy, flared at his neighbor, and even built a bubble nest!

However the tank came with a Penguin Bio-Wheel 100 filter. He is on the side with the filter and HATES it. I've been keeping it off-when it's on, he sits on the gravel and sulks.
However I was worried about what not having a filter would do, so I turned it on this morning and left. When I got back, there he was in the corner, fins clamped up tightly. I had tried to put a baffle on...but he STILL won't swim around unless the filter is off! He sure loves sitting in the baffle though.

So..he's still clamped. He'll swim around a little, he doesn't just sit at the bottom...but he basically spends most of his time in the baffle of the off filter. He doesn't flare at his neighbor like he used to-he just sits there and stares, all clamped up. He won't even flare at his reflection. At least he's still eating.

I don't THINK it's a problem with ammonia (though I haven't been able to test it :( ) , since Dominique seems normal (though I may be paranoid, but he looks kinda lethargic now..)

Does anyone know what the cause might be? I think the filter may have spooked him...but I really am not sure and am worried about little Brigham!

[youlovegnats]

hmmmm, maybe the current is too strong for him? I just have a small stick-on filter in the tank- current isn't too strong so my girls don't get thrown around so much. :/

[Harley]

Originally Posted by EndlessUnicorns

He is on the side with the filter and HATES it. I've been keeping it off-when it's on, he sits on the gravel and sulks.
However I was worried about what not having a filter would do, so I turned it on this morning and left. When I got back, there he was in the corner, fins clamped up tightly. I had tried to put a baffle on...but he STILL won't swim around unless the filter is off! He sure loves sitting in the baffle though.

So..he's still clamped. He'll swim around a little, he doesn't just sit at the bottom...but he basically spends most of his time in the baffle of the off filter. He doesn't flare at his neighbor like he used to-he just sits there and stares, all clamped up. He won't even flare at his reflection. At least he's still eating.

Based on what you're saying, its definitely filter related. What style of baffle are you using that he can rest in it? You may have to baffle it further or replace the filter. Harley couldn't stand having the filter on until I baffled both the input and the output. It was just too strong for him to swim against and I was afraid he was going to get exhausted

[ctbetta808]

I've had a similar situation happen the other day. I have two males in a divided tank. I just put him in a couple days before one of my bettas started clamping and was very inactive. Yesterday he seemed fine, I think he just needed time to adjust? From what I've seen from research clamping has been caused by stress. So depending on how long he has been in his new tank it could be due to needing to adjust or like the other said the filter. Hope he gets better

[Oldfishlady]

When you turned your filter off the nitrifying bacteria could have died due to lack of oxygen and when you turned it back on the dead bacteria that turned to ammonia flooded the tank....I would make a 50% water change for the next 2 days and either leave the filter on all the time or remove it all together if you can't get it baffled so it doesn't stress the fish.....also, could you switch the Betta from one side to the other...maybe the filter wouldn't bother the other one a bad...just a thought.....

[EndlessUnicorns]

Firstly, thank you all so much for your help! My other betta seemed to be getting kinda sick as well, so I'm assuming the filter or the bacteria is the cause..BOTH of them refuse to eat now. :(

Harley, I used the DIY baffle on this thread, but it probably was too low!

ctbetta808, that might be the case. Thanks. :)

And Oldfishlady, after reading about the bacteria, I really think you may be right. :( I'll make those water changes!
And I'll probably just leave the filter off for a while...he's not really helping my fish. :( It's probably just stressing him out more.

Thank you all for your help!