[KaraAnne]

So my betta, Bob Buttons, always greets me & comes when I call him. Today he is acting depressed - just hanging out in one corner & not paying any attention to me when I talk to him, etc. When he does finally leave that one corner, he is swimming much slower and acting more lethargic than normal. He doesn't seem injured or bloated, and I can't see anything physically wrong with his body. He ate this morning, and is still taking occasional breaths from the surface, but something is definitely not right. I'm not sure what is wrong & I'm really worried. Any advice would be helpful! Thank you!

 

[Oldfishlady]

Sorry you Betta isn't well.....we need some more information and a pic....

At the top of the emergency disease section you will find a Sticky with a list of information we need to better help you....complete/copy/paste that and add to this thread and if you can add a pic.....but the more detailed info the better.....

 

[KaraAnne]

Housing
What size is your tank? 5 gallons
What temperature is your tank? 78º
Does your tank have a filter? yes
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? yes
Is your tank heated? yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? 2 mini algae eater catfish

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? betta pellets/flakes & brine shrimp in nutrient gel
How often do you feed your betta fish? small amount of food 2X day

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? I don't do full water changes bc I have the filter but I do add new water as the evaporation makes the water level go down
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? I add stress coat when I add new water & always brita filter the water 1st

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

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

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? N/A
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? Sudden depression/lethargy
When did you start noticing the symptoms? today
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? I added some Betta Revive drops which are supposed to prevent & treat fungal, bacterial, protazoan diseases
Does your fish have any history of being ill? was bloated once about 1 month ago, but that was before I knew not to feed him too much
How old is your fish (approximately)? I bought him in December

 

[SassyBetta]

two tips i can give you at the moment would be to invest in a water testing kit, i think i got mine for around 25 dollars at petco. its very important to know what your water parameters are at because they can help or hurt your fish if they are too high or low . very important. and secondly I would change how you do water changes a little, i dont know about other users , and this is just my way of doing it, but i dont let water evaporate very low befor i change my water. i do a 25% water change twice a week. ill sucktion about 25 percent of the water out and then replace what evaporated and the 25 percent I took out , with new fresh water. I have a 5 gallon bucket i got from homedepot with a heater set to my tanks temp and air stone in it that i keep filled all the time, so when i need to do a water change i have fresh water already prepared and ready. I hope your fish bounces back and gets better and i hope you find out what is bothering him

 

[Bombalurina]

I just want to add to Sassy's advice by saying, rehome those algae eaters. No catfish are suitable for a 5 gallon tank and they will not stay small for long. They are (most likely):
- plecos, which get between 6 and 24 inches depending on species and hav a huge bioload
- otos, which are delicate little things needing groups of 5 or more
- Chinese Algae Eaters, which get huge and very aggressive as they age
- Siamese Algae Eaters, which need at least a 20 gallon tank, getting about 6 inches long and very active

 

[KaraAnne]

OK Thanks for the advice guys! He actually seems to be acting more like himself today, but I will work on making his home better for him!

 

[BettaGirl201]

Mine was depressed, so i put a mirror by his tank. It really works you have to try it!

 

[Myates]

Sounds as if he is having issues with the chemistry..
You don't need to have the water sit out if you wish not to, but it's highly recommended to use tap water + conditioner over filtered water- as filtered water tends to lack needed minerals for the fish.
For 5 gallons, filtered, no live plants 30-50% water change per week with weekly gravel siphoning is needed to keep the water healthy.

And definitely agree on the catfish-