The issue is probably heavy ammonia in the tank. snails produce quite a lot.
In a 2.5 gallon, it's best to be doing 1 50% and 1 100% weekly to keep ammonia down. He could be developing ammonia burns and be more resistant to activity due to discomfort.
think about how it is to get something like windex in an open cut. A betta is living in that basically when the ammonia is let to get too concentrated.
Try doing 2 100% changes this week and next week to see if that improves his behavior any. even if you're water conditioner says it gets rid of ammonia, it really doesn't. It may convert it to a less harmful form, but nothing gets rid of ammonia other than live plants, water changes, and beneficial bacteria (Plants and bacteria need to be in great quantity, so not the most ideal method for smaller tanks).
Also, try getting him onto a more protein rich food that isn't a flake. Flakes are messy and tend to cause bloating and constipation issues. Topfin pellets (Generic at Petsmart) usually are at around 45% protein. New Life Spectrum is a good pellet food too. You'll want to mix in more protein to the diet as well. Blood worms, krill, and spirulina brine shrimp are good for this too as a treat or meal replacement.
In a 2.5 gallon, it's best to be doing 1 50% and 1 100% weekly to keep ammonia down. He could be developing ammonia burns and be more resistant to activity due to discomfort.
think about how it is to get something like windex in an open cut. A betta is living in that basically when the ammonia is let to get too concentrated.
Try doing 2 100% changes this week and next week to see if that improves his behavior any. even if you're water conditioner says it gets rid of ammonia, it really doesn't. It may convert it to a less harmful form, but nothing gets rid of ammonia other than live plants, water changes, and beneficial bacteria (Plants and bacteria need to be in great quantity, so not the most ideal method for smaller tanks).
Also, try getting him onto a more protein rich food that isn't a flake. Flakes are messy and tend to cause bloating and constipation issues. Topfin pellets (Generic at Petsmart) usually are at around 45% protein. New Life Spectrum is a good pellet food too. You'll want to mix in more protein to the diet as well. Blood worms, krill, and spirulina brine shrimp are good for this too as a treat or meal replacement.
