[moonstar7834]

Hi! My roommate and I bought a betta the other day. He seemed fine before we moved him into the tank, but ever since we moved him in, he hid for the first few days in the 2 days. We were told that he was just adjusting to the tank and weren't too worried. Now he's very lethargic, and won't even hide. He goes up to the surface of the tank for air and then floats back down to the substrate. A couple of hours ago I turned off the filter because I was worried it was too strong for him.

Housing:
How many gallons is your tank?
2.5 gallons, definitely looking to upscale but restrained by college dorm for now
Does it have a filter?
Yes, but turned it off today because I was worried the flow was too strong for the betta
Does it have a heater?
Yes, has a heater
What temperature is your tank?
Preset to 78 degrees but temp floats around 78-80 according to the thermometer
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?
No air stone
Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind?
No tank mates

Food:
What food brand do you use?
Been buying multiple types of foods to get him to eat. Listed in order of when I bought them
Before he was introduced to the tank (when he was still eating)
- Aqueon betta food (pellets). He would try to eat it and spit it out, so we figured that it was too big for him since he looks like a younger betta.
- Fluval bug bites (flakes). Would crush them up smaller so he could eat them easier
After he was introduced to the tank (wouldn't eat anything after this)
- Aqueon betta treat (dehydrated bloodworms)
- (Haven't tried feeding yet) Reef Nutrition TDO ChromaBoost food for fish and invertebrates (pellets). Recommended to me by a fish store

How often do you feed your Betta? How much?
Fed him once a day, a small pinch of the flakes. Scooped out what he couldn't finish after around 2 minutes. After he stopped eating we try feeding when he comes up for air,
but he doesn't seem interesting in eating. We scoop it out after he doesn't eat for 10 minutes or so

Maintenance:
Before your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change?
Mostly daily but went without a water change for two days once since my roommate and I went back home for the weekend. It's been 4-5 days since he was in there. Did not
change the water in the cup he was in before.
What percentage of water did you change?
50%
What is the source of your water?
Tap water
Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water?
Have not vacuumed the substrate yet, planning to buy one.
What additives do you use other than conditioner? What brand of conditioner?
First started using API tap water conditioner super strength. We are now using API stress coat+ in place of the conditioner (it removes chlorines and chloramines as well).

Water Parameters:
What are your water parameters? Please give exact numbers. If tested by pet store please get exact numbers. "Fine" or "Safe" won't help us help you. Important: Test your water before the regular water change; not after one.

Got tested at the fish store today before seeing this forum and didn't get the exact measurements ): They said the water was fine; the sample of water was before I did the water change.

Symptoms and Treatment:
When did you first notice the symptoms?
The days after we introduced him to the tank
How has your Betta’s appearance changed?
I think his colors have faded a bit, and parts of his tail seem to be gone. He definitely looked better when he was in the cup but I don't have a clear picture of him before.
How has your Betta’s behavior changed?
The first couple of days, he would hide under a decoration we had in the tank. Now he doesn't hide, just lays on the substrate. He goes up to the surface of the tank for air and then floats back down to the substrate.
Is your Betta still eating?
No ):
Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how?
Have not been treating my betta.
Does your Betta have any history of being ill?
He seemed fine in the cup we got him in
How long have you owned your Betta?
Around a week, and its been 4 days since we put him in the tank

Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased?
He seemed fine when we got him, but I'm not a betta expert so I wouldn't know.

Pictures of him:

Any insight/advice would be greatly appreciated. <3

 

[letamcdaniel22]

It looks like fin rot to me. He could have had it starting before you got him. Many times they aren't in the best of care at the pet shops. What I would do is read up on how to treat fin rot. It is necessary to put him in a hospital tank. (A smaller tank because he's having difficulty reaching the surface and can wear out easily). Then look up the treatment for fin rot. Good luck

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

Take out all decorations and do four 25% water changes several hours apart. Sometimes "aquarium safe" decor is not. If he perks up, give him a few days and add one piece of decor every 48 hours.

Alternatively, you could put him back in his cup and see how he does. If he improves then I would say it's the shock of going from a one-room house to a mansion. Sometimes it takes two or so weeks for these fish to adjust to such a big change. In the meantime, stop feeding. Betta can go 2+ weeks without eating.

I'm not sure I agree with the fin rot diagnosis. Looks more like biting to me. However, the treatment for fin rot is clean water so weekly 25%-50% water changes will take care of that. You can add either Indian Almond Leaves or plain Rooibos Tea for their antibacterial and antifungal properties. If floating a leaf or teabag doesn't turn the water at least the color below, brew a strong tea, dechlorinate and add to tank. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator.

Good luck and keep us posted, please.

PS: Do turn the filter back on. Unless it is blowing him all over the tank and there are no areas of calm it is not too strong.

 

[moonstar7834]

Thank you guys so much for the advice, I thought it was really helpful! Unfortunately he passed away a couple hours after I wrote the post ):
I guess he didn't transition well to the tank because we really tried everything we could. I'll definitely keep an eye out on the artificial decor we have to see if our new fish has any adverse reactions to it.

I got a small sponge filter instead of the filter I had before just to be sure, tested my water again (was told it was fine) and got another betta from a reputable fish store instead of Petco. I also got some filter media from the fish store to help out the tank a bit. She seems to be doing great in the tank so far, has been eating and all

Once again, thank you guys so much I wish I found this forum earlier because maybe I could've saved him.