Whats Wrong With Him? :(

I just went to feed my guy and noticed he was on the bottom on his side. When I put the food in he went to go up for it but couldn't make it to the top. Now he's swimming around the bottom at a normal speed on his side. He tries to swim up but can't get more than an inch or two. The fins on his side are going fine but it just seems like the back half of his body is like paralyzed or something...

Sounds like swim bladder once it has progressed it is hard to cure, try some shelled peas and frozen daphnia, good luck.

You probably already know this, but i would lower the water level if possible, as if e is struggling to get to the surface, it will be easier for him to reach air and food.

It sounds similar to what one of my bettas had a while ago, as it progressed, he would just lay there, and wouldn't move unless i touched him, then he would kind of swim on his side away and continue resting. He also looked paralyzed. The lady at the pet store (surprise surprise) didn't know what was wrong with him, and neither did i.

I hope yours gets better though!!!!

l.michelle said:

You probably already know this, but i would lower the water level if possible, as if e is struggling to get to the surface, it will be easier for him to reach air and food.

It sounds similar to what one of my bettas had a while ago, as it progressed, he would just lay there, and wouldn't move unless i touched him, then he would kind of swim on his side away and continue resting. He also looked paralyzed. The lady at the pet store (surprise surprise) didn't know what was wrong with him, and neither did i.

I hope yours gets better though!!!!

Click to expand...

He's eating fine but the problem isn't getting any better..
Is this something I should continue to give him more time with..or.

Are his fins clamped at all? the little ones he swims with? I had two bettas die of clamped fins from poor water quality. They acted how you described -- they would eat but swim on their side or lay on their side on the bottom of the tank.

He lays on either his side on the bottom or on the bottom of his long fin and is pointed straight up. He swims slowly but seems to deal with it now. His fins are not clamped.

can you show a picture of it:: B)

Have you tried any meds for him yet? Maybe some aquarium salt to relieve stress? If I were you I would search for his symptoms on the web since no one here really knows.

Good luck!!!

How old is your fish? Mine, when they get elderly, no longer have the energy to haul around all that fin and tend to either anchor themselves in the floating plants so they can be in easy reach of hte surface, or else do as you described, lie around the bottom or "sit" on their tail fin face pointing straight up and then struggle mightily to get to the surface. I usually will put them into a shallower container so they don't expend all their energy just trying to move around, keep the water extremely clean, daily check them over for opportunitistic infections, etc.