Is my Betta sick/depressed or sleeping?!?!!

Avel1896 said:

It depends on the way you use strip. try this ↓ then check with drop test (JBL if possible) and compare results... I've been very surprised !

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But they don't test ammonia, the most important water param test, IMO

Mistymercer said:

He is not sleeping on his side today. I know the water isn't warm enough I wrap a thermal blanket around tank till new heater comes (everything is curbside or delivery). I do treat the water and I'll get some strips. I have NO idea how old he is. I took it off a friend who got it from pet smart. I usually try replace water 2 months and deep clean every other month.

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Okay- I am just going to lay out the info I know about bettas on the table.

Parameters:
pH: somewhere between 6.8-7.2
ammonia: 0ppm
nitrites: 0ppm
nitrates: 5-20ppm
temp: 78-82 f

Tank Mates:
Usually, bettas don't need anyone to be around them. However, if he showing lack of aggression towards the tank mates could be a good or bad sign. He could be so sick he has no energy to protect his environment or he could just be calm and collected.

Decor:
To help his mood, please put more live plants in the tank. Floating and planted will do him well. Bettas love floating plants and I have seen that the bigger the leaves the better, they will sit in them and rest.

What to do:
Test your water, please get the API Testing Kit. It is liquid testing. It is a bit expensive but its worth it in the long run, as well as cheaper.

Once you get your parameters, please tell us here on the forum. We can accurately help you from there. I do not see anything wrong with him from the pictures you provided. However, sleeping on his side is not okay, he could have some buoyancy issues (swim bladder malfunction, dropsy (unlikely), ammonia poisoning, etc).

Take some more pictures. The people on here can identify diseases such as ich or dropsy very easily.

If he is continuing to eat, he could just be adjusting in his new environment.

Slaphppy7 said:

But they don't test ammonia, the most important water param test, IMO

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It's plainly spelled out ans strips for ammonia do exist.

It sounds to me like Ammonia poisoning. I think you need to increase your water changing schedule to at least once a week. Don't ever change 100 percent of course. Get an API water testing kit and test for Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrates. My guess is that it's a water quality issue. Beautiful fish.

carligraceee said:

API Testing Kit. It is liquid testing

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Not very accurate. JBL is truly better.

Is there any smell from your tank ?

@Naughts directed you to @Byron‘s latest article, which I was going to suggest. His article is very well written and easy to understand, so I suggest you thoroughly read through it.

I would perform a 75% water change ASAP. Your issue sounds like ammonia poisoning, as others have mentioned above.

Make sure the water you use is dechlorinated.

Avel1896 said:

Not very accurate. JBL is truly better.

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Oh wow, I have never heard of JBL!

carligraceee said:

Oh wow, I have never heard of JBL!

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Really ?
German brand Joachim Böhme Ludwigshafen (city) one of the very best brand in aquaria.

Avel1896 said:

Not very accurate. JBL is truly better.

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I agree that API test kits don’t give good readings, especially Ammonia and Nitrate. I’ve never heard of JBL test kits though.

There are several choices in briefcases or sold per unit :
- JBL PROAQUATEST COMBISET Plus Fe (need to add GH and opt for pH graduated 6→7.6).
- JBL PROAQUATEST COMBISET Plus NH4 ((need to add GH and opt for pH graduated 6→7.6).
- JBL PROAQUATEST LAB complete.

Note: JBL products are not easy to obtain in Canada. There are no distributers so the only way is to order from Europe. There are a few products available through locations like Amazon but not the ProAquaTests.

The most easily obtainable reasonable test kit in Canada is the API Master Test Kit for freshwater. The largest issue with the kit is the printed chart for the nitrates doesn't exactly match what the solutions look like. For the ammonia it needs to have the palest yellow color for it to be good if you have an greenish tint you have some ammonia and you need to address the situation. For the nitrate hints of red in the color suggests you are over 20 ppm. The photo below is from a test I did earlier because I found the nitrates hard to assess. The numbers above the test tubes are for the various concentrations of KNO3 in ppm.

PheonixKingZ said:

I would perform a 75% water change ASAP. Your issue sounds like ammonia poisoning, as others have mentioned above.

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Without testing, following this advice could be fatal for the fish.
See part 4 ("when not to do large water changes') of Byron's article on water changes, which addresses Old Tank Syndrome.

It doesn't matter which test kit is used, so long as the water gets tested so we can address the problem correctly.