Please Help!..my Betta Is Sick-updated

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Tank size: 2 Liter Wall Mounted Cubes
pH:Unknown
tank temp:77

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior):He is laying on the bottom of the tank. Not moving or even greating me for food. He usually leaps and does the fishy dance when I am near. His fins, all of them, are not plush or flowing anymore. Looks like they are all stuck together, coming to a point. They do not move when he swims. They are stiff. I cleaned his tank with clean, left standing water. I have put him in a one gallon tank. I noticed that he is Rubbing against the rocks, violently. Moving his tank rocks all over the place in the past few days. He has cloudy poops too when I changed him into his isolation tank. Any clue what that means? He also lays in the back corner of the tank with his head pointed downward into the corner or at the top nose up in the corner. And occasionally swims nose first into the corner and rocks. Every once in a while he will swim around but not for long. He gets excited when I talk to him but can only flap his side fins and follows with his eyes. I keep thinking he is dead. Really scaring me.

He wont eat. Takes pellets then spits them out. Does this repeatedly. Then gives up and goes back to the corner.

He is in a seperate tank with lower water levell now. No plants. Just his tank rocks. Cleaned them last sunday.

I have two other bettas that are thriving. They all recieve the same care. Although my oldest "Fishy" suddenly died today also. He was fine, doing his fishy dance at me when I went upstairs and 2 hours later when I came down he was dead. No symptoms. Ate, greeted, and acted fine. So I believe these are unrelated. He was only a year old (thats a guess) I bought him 8 months ago. My first Betta.


Volume and Frequency of water changes: Once a week

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: Sea Salt, Water Conditioner

Tank inhabitants: None

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): Silk Plant

Exposure to chemicals: Gave him Parasite Clear by Tank Buddys, Melafix, Pimafix and a bit of salt. Am I missining anything? And how long till I know if this is going to work?


I have had him for almost two months. He was really tiny when I bought him. So Im sure he isnt very old at all.

I live in California.

Water stats?

ammonia?
nitrite?
nirate? (not as important)

I suggest doing a 75% waterchange and see if that perks him up until someone more advanced on diseases replies to you.

They are going to need your tank water stats though.

5teady said:

Water stats?

ammonia?
nitrite?
nirate? (not as important)

I suggest doing a 75% waterchange and see if that perks him up until someone more advanced on diseases replies to you.

They are going to need your tank water stats though.

Click to expand...

I dont know any of these..... I am new to bettas. They are all in 1 gallon tanks. Fresh standing water. Tank changes minimum once a week.

I have been changing his water every couple of days since he got sick. 75% change. It perks him up a little bit for a few minutes then I get the same result.

lalabugu said:

5teady said:

Water stats?

ammonia?
nitrite?
nirate? (not as important)

I suggest doing a 75% waterchange and see if that perks him up until someone more advanced on diseases replies to you.

They are going to need your tank water stats though.

Click to expand...

I dont know any of these..... I am new to bettas. They are all in 1 gallon tanks. Fresh standing water. Tank changes minimum once a week.

I have been changing his water every couple of days since he got sick. 75% change. It perks him up a little bit for a few minutes then I get the same result.

Click to expand...

Are your tanks cycled?
How long they been up and running?
Have the tanks got any filters in them?

If you have not got matured filters in the tanks, i suspect your water quality is going to be poor.

5teady said:

lalabugu said:

5teady said:

Water stats?

ammonia?
nitrite?
nirate? (not as important)

I suggest doing a 75% waterchange and see if that perks him up until someone more advanced on diseases replies to you.

They are going to need your tank water stats though.

Click to expand...

I dont know any of these..... I am new to bettas. They are all in 1 gallon tanks. Fresh standing water. Tank changes minimum once a week.

I have been changing his water every couple of days since he got sick. 75% change. It perks him up a little bit for a few minutes then I get the same result.

Click to expand...

Are your tanks cycled?
How long they been up and running?
Have the tanks got any filters in them?

If you have not got matured filters in the tanks, i suspect your water quality is going to be poor.

Click to expand...

Tanks are small "Wall Mounted" 1 gallon, max. Uncycled no filter. My bettas have been in them for over 4 months. Only this baby is newer. Have only had him for two months. The others are awesome and have no problems.

OK , what the heck. I haven't gotten more than 2 replies in almost a week. Is there anyone out there? A simple "Thats good" or "No, try this" from somebody would be nice. I am new to this whole Betta/ Fish care thing and no one is even suggesting, or advising or yelling at me. Its very frustrating since I haven't a clue what the heck I am doing. I feel like I am treading water out here, kinda like my little man "Mouth".

It does seem that he has perked up a tiny bit. He seems to flutter his little side fins excitedly when I come by the tank. And even forces himself to swim over to me. Zips around for about a minute and then is worn out by the show of love he displays. As little as that is. I fed him flakes today instead of pellets hoping him sucking them in and spitting them out, he might at least get some nutrition since he hasn't eaten in more than 4 days.

??*** His little fins are clamped up so tight it almost looks like he is paralyzed. Is that normal? I mean for the stress and/ or illness? The don't move at all. From his gills down doesn't move at all. The only body movement that he does show is this weird Twitch/ Bending of his body at almost a 90 degree angle right in the middle. Thats it. Does that seem odd?

Somebody please help me help myself with suggestions or information. He has been fighting a good fight for a week now. I cant believe he is still here. But I'm afraid to get my hopes up that he may make it. Anyone had a fish this sick and pull through it? As much feedback Is appreciated.

After all, Knowledge is power, right?

Here is a new picture of "Mouth".


Does his color seem to be better? At least he seems to be more level when he is treading water. Is that a good sign?

Hi there - I've only just seen your post about your poorly Betta.

Clamped fins are often a sign of a bacterial infection and, that being the case, should be treated with something like Myxazin (although you can't use this within 4 days of using whitespot treatment).

I have a German Ram who has suffered pretty much the same symptoms as your Betta - clamped fins, lethargic etc - but halfway through the dose of Myxazin now and her fins have begun to loosen up and she is eating and swimming much better.

If you've tried everything else and he's still unwell, it might be worthwhile giving a bacterial treatment.

All the best - Athena

lalabugu said:

Here is a new picture of "Mouth".


Does his color seem to be better? At least he seems to be more level when he is treading water. Is that a good sign?

Click to expand...

Your fish seems to have some sort of internaql parasite problem, its getting ever so thin and this is the signs of internal probs..

I dont know if you can help the problem as it seems pretty far on, but you need a anti internal bacteria medication.. (interpet no9 is good)

Athena said:

Clamped fins are often a sign of a bacterial infection and, that being the case, should be treated with something like Myxazin (although you can't use this within 4 days of using whitespot treatment).

Click to expand...

You can if you do a 75% waterchange and half the dosage.

mate filteration even in a small tank is very important,, ive seen and kept bettas in both conditions and can hand on heart say you need filteration!!!!
i know people keep them in unfiltered tanks but it doesnt seem to work well, try getting a bigger tank that would sit on a desk, better than the wall and have a little filter in it like fluval 1 or even an undergravel,,

tanks like this are cheap and good ive had one
http/www.aquaone.co.uk/aquarium_aquaStart.php
http/www.aquaone.co.uk/aquarium_aquaStart.php

Athena said:

Hi there - I've only just seen your post about your poorly Betta.

Clamped fins are often a sign of a bacterial infection and, that being the case, should be treated with something like Myxazin (although you can't use this within 4 days of using whitespot treatment).

I have a German Ram who has suffered pretty much the same symptoms as your Betta - clamped fins, lethargic etc - but halfway through the dose of Myxazin now and her fins have begun to loosen up and she is eating and swimming much better.

If you've tried everything else and he's still unwell, it might be worthwhile giving a bacterial treatment.

All the best - Athena

Click to expand...

??**** I have given him Parasite Buddies, Melafix, Pimafix, Salt. 25% water changes per day with redose of meds. I heard that the Melafix is pretty potent stuff, So I have been afraid to give the full dose of that and the Pimafix together with no water change out. The instructions on both say not to change the water until the fourth day. Should I stop the water changes and go full boar with the meds all together?

Any thoughts would be awesome. Dont want to overdose him on top of it.

Sounds like he's been medicated up to his eyeballs LOL - does he have any signs of fungal disease? (Just wondering why you gave Pimafix?) And Melafix is for open wounds, damage to fins etc - does he have such damage?

If you're ever in doubt about the health of your fish and can't get an answer on these forums it's always best to explain the symptoms to the person in charge of your LFS or take your sick fish into them to check, if you have the means to do this.

I think he's probably been treated for certain things he doesn't have - just my opinion, though.

Having seen those symptoms before, I'm fairly sure it's a bacterial infection he's got, as mentioned earlier. I'd ask at the LFS for a good anti-bacterial treatment.

Sorry, I've not heardof/had experience of Parasite Buddies treatment so can't comment on that.

Hope your lil fella pulls through!

The above mentioned medications cover Internal/ External Parasites, and Fungus. From Flukes to Velvet, Ich, Gills, cotton wool, white spot, and is a antibacterial application. Figured If I covered most parasitic, Bacterial, and fungal, I had to get something right. Everything but Dropsy, I think. He has gotten really skinny, but he hasnt been eating for 5 days now.

I did go out and buy a book on bettas, and a new Aquarium with filtration for my Babes. Here is a picture of it. Its my first but not my last. Killing me having to wait before I can put my New betta Girlies in it. They're gonna love it. What do you think? Im so stoked on it. And heres a picture of my new "missy" girl.

what does his poo look like?
take a water sample to your local fish store and get them to write down the readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate
do you use dechloriator for your water changes?