[NewBettaOwnerHelp]

I got this Betta fish two days ago and am new to owning fish so I'm really lost as to how to help him. I'm 99% sure he has some sort of infection after reading up on various issues. I had him in a .5 gallon bowl for the last couple days and he seemed really depressed, just laying at the bottom on the bowl all day and not eating so I read up and got him a bigger bowl with decorations and a live plant to entertain him but he's just been sitting at the top since I put him in there and he's still not eating. He's gotten fresh water basically everyday since I got him because I've had to move him almost everyday. What are symptoms of being stressed?
Along with the lack of movement and eating, I've noticed that his back fins are lax and he hardly uses them to swim. There is a small hole in one of them so I was thinking pinhole rot?
And on top of that, one of his eyes is clouded over and slightly puffy.

Could there be a single issue that could be causing all of this?
Everything I've read talks about noticing changes in their behavior but since he's so new, I don't know whats normal for him or how to treat him.
I really just want him to be happy. Please help :-(

 

[Setangha]

Could you fill this out for us as thoroughly as you can? It would help us figure out what to do for him. Pictures would also be a great help, if you can get them.

Housing
What size is your tank?
What temperature is your tank?
Does your tank have a filter?
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?
Is your tank heated?
What tank mates does your betta fish live with?

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish?
How often do you feed your betta fish?

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change?
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?

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

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

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed?
How has your betta fish's behavior changed?
When did you start noticing the symptoms?
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how?
Does your fish have any history of being ill?
How old is your fish (approximately)?

 

[NewBettaOwnerHelp]

Housing
What size is your tank? 1 gallon
What temperature is your tank? 74 degrees F
Does your tank have a filter? No, water has been changed frequently though
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? TetraBetta Plus Floating mini pellets
How often do you feed your betta fish? 2-3 pellets three times a day. Only feeding him this often because he doesn't eat when I feed him

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? Every day for last 3 days
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 80%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Water conditioner

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
Haven't had them tested

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

Symptoms and Treatment-- I barely got the fish so I cannot speak for how he has changed.
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Still quite colorful, one eye is clouded overow has your betta fish's behavior changed? Hardly active
When did you start noticing the symptoms? The day I got him, 3 days ago, I noticed he was very lazy.
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? No
Does your fish have any history of being ill? Unknown
How old is your fish (approximately)? Unknown

 

[NewBettaOwnerHelp]

Today, it seems like one of his scales is coming off and he has white spots around his head. Is it possible that I got a fish with every possible fish disease?
How do I treat him, or can I?
Please help

 

[NewBettaOwnerHelp]

 

[Setangha]

I'm so sorry he's not feeling well. :-( He's definitely stressed. Are the white spots fuzzy looking? My best guess is he's dealing with a fungal infection. I'm pretty new to bettas and fishkeeping too, however, so I'm not completely sure on that. I'm hoping someone with more experience will be able to give you more insight. From this sticky:

True Fungal Infections
•Symptoms: White cottony like patches on its body or head, Lethargic, Not eating, Clamped Fins, Pale Colors

•Treatment:
Conservative: Lower temperature below 76* F and treat with Aq.Salt at 1 tsp/gal. Increase water changes to 100% daily. Replace accurate amount of salt following water changes. Never continue salt treatments for more than 10 days.
Medication: If Conservative treatment is ineffective after 10 days or you see the fungus spread rapidly during the course of conservative treatment, move to medication. Add “Fungus Eliminator” by Jungle, API Erythromycin, API Fungus Cure, API Triple Sulfa, OR Mardel’s Maracyn II. Change water every day and add a new dose of the same medication. Continue until all fungus has disappeared.

If it were me, I'd start him on the conservative treatment of 1 tsp/gal aquarium salt until I had a better idea of what's going on. Try to keep the temperature of his water as stable as possible. It helps to put his bowl on a towel and wrap another towel around/over it.

I know it says to keep the temperature below 76, but after he's recovered it would be worth looking into getting a slightly larger tank and a heater. Bettas prefer temps between 78-82 or so, and larger tanks are easier to heat and generally have fewer temperature fluctuations, which can open the door for diseases.

You may also want to consider switching to a higher quality food when you can. Tetra's betta formula has a ton of fillers in it that can cause digestive upsets and don't offer much in the way of nutrition. The most recommended pellets here are New Life Spectrum and Omega One, which are much higher quality. I think the next one up is Aqueon, but I'm not sure on that one.

Does your betta look like he's gasping or trying to rub against things (gravel, decorations, etc)? What brand of water conditioner do you use?

Sorry I can't be more helpful. :-( Please keep us posted! I hope your little guy feels better soon.