[filipthefish]

Housing
What size is your tank? 2 gallons
What temperature is your tank? 78 degrees Fahrenheit
Does your tank have a filter? Yes
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? filter also has a bubbler
Is your tank heated? Yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? None

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? doesnt fan out fins
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? Lethargic, lying near top of tank, stays in one corner
When did you start noticing the symptoms? about a week ago
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? Yes, 75% water change 2x a week. 20% water change every other day
Does your fish have any history of being ill? No
How old is your fish (approximately)? maybe a couple months?

Nitrate: 0
Total hardness (GH): 75, soft
Total alkalinity (KH):180, ideal
pH: between 7.2 and 7.8 neutral, alkaline

Filip the fish seems miserable. He only stays at the top of his tank, normally in one corner, and seems to be pulled up whenever he tries to swim down in the water. I have only had him for a few weeks, and I cant remember a time where he wasn't just chilling at the top of his tank... but he used to at least swim around at the top of his tank... now, not so much. I read a lot about SBD and have tried a 2 day fast with no results, and most recently I have tried feeding him a small amount of a pea... nothing I try seems to work. He seems so unhappy and I am not sure what to do... each day it seems he is more and more lethargic. Sometimes he will blow a bubble or two, but that is about the most activity i see out of him. I feel like he is slowly dying and there isnt anything I can do to save him from his misery... help!!

What should I do?

 

[tiffanylucky]

Try rearranging his plants in his tank. Also do you have aquarium salt? If you do then add some to his tank.

 

[tiffanylucky]

Poor little guy, at least he still has his color. Do you feed him color enhancing food?

 

[juanitawolf]

how often do you change the water and at what percentage?

since your tank is on the small side, you should try ,making it hold as much water as possible, this means your gravel layer shouldn't be so thick, as it reduces water volume that you need. i would also upgrade his plants to silk, just in case he gets his fins damaged

 

[Tealight03]

I would get him some bigger silk plants to hide in. Ibwould also check the filter. If it's too strong he might not like it. Unplug it for a day and see if he improves. Is he eating and pooping? Sbd is a possibility. I feed mine frozen brine shrimp weekly. There is always poop the next day.

 

[filipthefish]

I do a 30% water change every other day. 100% change once a week

I put a baffle on the filter, so now he can sit in front of the filter and not be moved.

he is eating... not sure about pooping

 

[SplashyBetta]

That's the 1.5 gallon Tetra cube I believe?

You don't need to leave quite so much space above the water line. There is open space between the highest part of the lid and the rim of the tank, yes? In that case you can raise the water level right to the rim.
I would also suggest removing about half the gravel to give more water/swimming space.

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

Never, ever use Aquarium Salt if you suspect SBD or any sort of bloating. Aquarium Salt causes fluid retention which is the opposite of what you want for any sort of bloating. It is also for external problems; not internal. It has very specific uses and should not be used before determining what is wrong with a Betta.

What was your water changing schedule before he became ill? What were Ammonia and Nitrite levels? How long have you had him?

If there is a lid on his aquarium you can raise the water level considerably.

 

[tiffanylucky]

Never, ever use Aquarium Salt if you suspect SBD or any sort of bloating. Aquarium Salt causes fluid retention which is the opposite of what you want for any sort of bloating. It is also for external problems; not internal. It has very specific uses and should not be used before determining what is wrong with a Betta.

What was your water changing schedule before he became ill? What were Ammonia and Nitrite levels? How long have you had him?

If there is a lid on his aquarium you can raise the water level considerably.

Reay! I never knew that, I would always use aquarium salt when ever one of my bettas was sick. I feel bad now

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

Reay! I never knew that, I would always use aquarium salt when ever one of my bettas was sick. I feel bad now

Unfortunately, a lot of people do. The key is to remember: Aquarium Salt is for external problems; Epsom Salts is for internal.

We've all make the same sort of mistake....at least I know I have.

 

[wanderer7]

It's possible he's simply bored. He's not got a lot of room there, and he can essentially see the whole tank from that one spot so he might not see much point in swimming around. You can try repositioning the decor inside the tank or placing objects outside the tank to attract his attention; some people like to draw on the glass with dry erase markers. I do agree with the poster who urged caution with the plastic plants; I had a betta who scraped himself over 50% of one side of his body in less than 48 hours in a tank with plants like those. Silk are much better, and not much more expensive.

Does he have any physical signs of illness - bloating, swimming in unusual orientations, etc? Has he pooped recently? If he has SBD the most common cause is constipation, which is best cured by feeding frozen daphnia and then fasting for 2-3 days. Peas are not good for bettas as they can't digest plant matter. However, some fish do have SBD for other reasons - some have it chronically, in which case it is not life-threatening but accommodations might have to be made.

Try a mirror and see if he flares at it. If he's bored, it'll be a stimulating exercise for him; if his problems are physical at least it will help you gauge his energy level.

 

[filipthefish]

hey everyone, I have tried all the suggestions... and have spent probably close to $100 in new foods, new tank, different filters, a heater, new plants, test strips, water cleaners, ect.... and nothing seems to be working... he now spends most of the day at the top of his tank laying on his side supported by the plant i got him... he either lays there or right on top of the heater... he isnt eating much anymore and hasnt pooped... i really dont know what else to do... he looks miserable

 

[ShadeSlayer]

The filter might be bothering him....

 

[wanderer7]

If he's not pooping and he's on his side, it is most likely SBD due to constipation. If you've been feeding him, it's best to stop immediately until he passes something. The only exception to this: if you can find a local fish store that stocks frozen daphnia (NOT freeze-dried; freeze-dried foods expand in the fish's body and can make constipation worse), give him one meal of that. Epsom salt (not aquarium salt, as someone here already explained) added at 1tsp/gallon can also help ease his digestive distress and get him to pass whatever the blockage is.

His problems could be caused by a bacterial or parasitic infection; however, constipation-induced SBD is the most likely, simplest, and most treatable cause of the symptoms you're describing. If epsom salt, daphnia, and fasting have no effect, you might want to try medicating for a possible infection. My personal choice is a combination of Kanaplex and Prazipro. Kanaplex is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that will help if his swim bladder itself is infected or if a bacterial infection is causing fluid buildup in his body; Prazipro is an anti-parasitic that will kill internal parasites in his digestive system. The two are safe to be used together at the recommended dosages.

I wouldn't medicate immediately as infection is not likely from the symptoms you've described alone. However, if you notice discoloration in his body, red streaks in his fins, or raised scales, you should begin medicating immediately as all these are signs of more advanced conditions than simple constipation.

 

[tiffanylucky]

hey everyone, I have tried all the suggestions... and have spent probably close to $100 in new foods, new tank, different filters, a heater, new plants, test strips, water cleaners, ect.... and nothing seems to be working... he now spends most of the day at the top of his tank laying on his side supported by the plant i got him... he either lays there or right on top of the heater... he isnt eating much anymore and hasnt pooped... i really dont know what else to do... he looks miserable

First I love how dedicated you are for your bettas happiness and health. He is a really lucky bettas to have someone like you with your big heart to care for him. Poor little guy, it breaks my heart seeing sad animals (besides when they're begging for more food cause they have not eaten anything in the last ten seconds and have full bellies). I bet your cute little guy will be his normal happy self in around a week after some tender love and care.

 

[ShadeSlayer]

he should be perking up soon. I’m rooting for him.

 

[Revosok]

Try putting a mirror next to the side of his tank for a minute once or twice a week. He should flare, which will help him poop, it should also help a bit with his boredom. And also like everyone else said: raise the water level a bit and take out half of the gravel that is in there.