Dying betta

8 gallon tank
No tankmates
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
PH 7.6

I don't have tests but it's very hard water.

Water treated with Prime

Tank was cycled and betta added about 2 weeks ago.
Some plants added a week ago.

Since this morning the betta has just been lying on the gravel, barely alive. Nothing else noticeable. Nothing on the fish, no scales sticking up or anything.

I did a water change in case but no change.

I only got him about 2 weeks ago and since I got him he's been on the lazy side. But would normally start swimming about when I approached the tank. After a couple of days of getting him I saw him yawn quite a bit so I added a bubble stone at the back of the tank and then added some Amazon Forgbit to give a bit of shelter. Also added 2 marino balls and anubias nano.

Looking at the state of him I think he's nearly on his way out but I wish I understood why. I feel like I did everything right this time and ammonia and nitrite levels have been 0.

Any chance of a picture and short 30 second video of the fish?
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How did you cycle the tank?

Any idea what the nitrate level is?

What is the water temperature?

I will try and get a picture later but when the kids aren't around. Trying not to bring their attention to it right now!

I did a god bless cycle using household ammonia.

I don't have a nitrate kit unfortunately

Heater is set to 26C but I don't have a thermometer yet.

As I was taking the photo he actually swam up to the surface, had a full, then swam back down and rested on a marino ball.

How has been lying most of the day.

It appears that your tank isn’t cycled and he’s suffering from toxic exposure. Do a 75% water change immediately. Then do 75% water changes daily for the next 2 weeks. Use Seachem Prime as your dechlorinator. It wil detoxify the water for 24 hours. I know that’s a lot of water changes but you have to keep the ammonia, nitrite and nitrates down while the tank cycles. Please get an API Freshwater Test Kit too. You have to know what the water chemistry is doing. His gills are red so he has had exposure to ammonia at some point.

Did you change the water after the cycling process?

Did the ammonia have any surfactants in it?
These are a type of soap that can harm the fish.

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I have a few concerns about the area above his top lip. It looks darker and sunken in and doesn't look right.

Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for the next week. Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.

I did a large water change after the cycle before adding the fish. About 80%

I've done a 75% change today and will happily keep doing the changes. I use Prime already. However there is chloramine in the tap water - measures 0.25 on ammonia tests.

I've done regular tests since adding the betta and tank water has tested 0ppm for ammonia every time.

I'm using API freshwater tests.

The ammonia I used is Kleen Off, which was recommended to me for fishless cycling.

I did keep the fishless cycle going for a long time because I wasn't ready to get a fish over the summer. So I was just adding more ammonia now and then to keep it going.

Close up of his face, since you mentioned his mouth

With tank lights on

He is miserable and near death. I have no doubt it is toxicity poisoning. If I were you and you can get it, I would give him a bath in methylene blue as it treats toxicity poisoning. Then continue the daily water changes for 2 weeks, not 7 days. Please keep us posted.

Thanks for your help.

I can probably get meth blue tomorrow but at the moment I would be surprised if he's still alive by morning.

I wish I knew what I did wrong. I feel confident that ammonia and nitrite has been 0 since I got him. I tested daily for the first few days and then every few days after that. Never got anything above 0 (and even the tap water tests as 0.25 ammonia).

If there is no ammonia or nitrite then it is fine from that perspective. If there was an ammonia or nitrite problem it would have showed up when you tested it.
Right now just get the nitrate checked at the pet shop and see what that is like.

The nitrate could have gotten way too high but it won’t show now after doing a large water change. That’s why we need those water changes to continue.