Betta Dying

[cupofjoel]

I have a female betta that I think is close to dying. I tried taking a picture of her, but she's hiding at the bottom of my tank near the corner. I did see her swimming a bit and caught a glimpse of her abdomen area which is quite large and protruding. She'll eat, but I'm fasting her to see if whatever is going on with her will pass. I know things are limited without a photo, but any thoughts would be helpful.

Water Parameters:
5-gallon tank
0-0-5ppm
1 nerite snail is in there with her
50% twice a week water change

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Are her scales sticking out? Does her poop like white or stringy? (Try to get a picture ASAP)

 

[cupofjoel]

Are her scales sticking out? Does her poop like white or stringy? (Try to get a picture ASAP)

Okay she is definitely not well. She used to come to me aggressively wanting food and now she doesn't respond to me at all.

I checked for ammonia and its at .25 ppm, when I just did a 50% water change yesterday so that's strange. This is a cycled tank so I'm curious how that happened.

she hasn't pooped so I can't tell you that part. I think her scale is sticking out, but I can't say for sure.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Keep up those water changes.

I can’t tell from the photo, if her scales are sticking out or not. If her scales are sticking out, it is dropsy - which has no known cure...

 

[cupofjoel]

Keep up those water changes.

I can’t tell from the photo, if her scales are sticking out or not. If her scales are sticking out, it is dropsy - which has no known cure...

Treatment. The infection causing dropsy is not easily cured. Some experts recommend that all affected fish be euthanized to prevent the spread of the infection to healthy fish. Also, when combined with popeye, the prognosis is bleak.

Just read that online. That sounds horrible. I'll observe for a bit longer, but she looks like she's ready to go.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Treatment. The infection causing dropsy is not easily cured. Some experts recommend that all affected fish be euthanized to prevent the spread of the infection to healthy fish. Also, when combined with popeye, the prognosis is bleak.

Just read that online. That sounds horrible. I'll observe for a bit longer, but she looks like she's ready to go.

All of that is true, I’m very sorry...

Keep in mind: You are doing her an honor by putting her down. If you kept her alive, she would just suffer. Again, I’m sorry...

 

[cupofjoel]

All of that is true, I’m very sorry...

Keep in mind: You are doing her an honor by putting her down. If you kept her alive, she would just suffer. Again, I’m sorry...

Thank you for your support. Kids are going to be super sad.

I've never put down a fish, how does one do that?

 

[EllRog]

Could probably do with a bit of a better photo before definetly diagnosing dropsy. Could be an interal parasite making her swell. What do you feed her?

 

[cupofjoel]

Could probably do with a bit of a better photo before definetly diagnosing dropsy. Could be an interal parasite making her swell. What do you feed her?

Well, she won't move at all so I can't get a better photo or angle. Her gills are barely moving. She doesn't even look at me. She's just laying next to the wood and gravel.

I just researched clove oil, but it'll take awhile for it to arrive and that means she will suffer for a few more days.

 

[EllRog]

Well, she won't move at all so I can't get a better photo or angle. Her gills are barely moving. She doesn't even look at me. She's just laying next to the wood and gravel.

I just researched clove oil, but it'll take awhile for it to arrive and that means she will suffer for a few more days.

It might not be dropsy, don't give up faith just yet process of elimination, what do you feed her and how often? Have you noticed that her scales have lifted, draining her of her colour? Is the back-end of her body appearing to float upwards, leaving her nose down at all?

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Well, she won't move at all so I can't get a better photo or angle. Her gills are barely moving. She doesn't even look at me. She's just laying next to the wood and gravel.

I just researched clove oil, but it'll take awhile for it to arrive and that means she will suffer for a few more days.

You can get clove oil at most any chemist or pharmacy, people use it for toothache. I picked some up from Boots (UK Walgreens) for £2.99.

But fish can sometimes look very ill and still recover. I wouldn't be too quick to euthanise. How long has she been looking like this? I would do another water change. It's possible that since you got an ammonia reading, that it was even higher before testing, and the plants took up most of it. So she could be suffering from the effects of the ammonia spike and fully recover. Or as @EllRog just said, another fully treatable illness.

 

[cupofjoel]

You can get clove oil at most any chemist or pharmacy, people use it for toothache. I picked some up from Boots (UK Walgreens) for £2.99.

But fish can sometimes look very ill and still recover. I wouldn't be too quick to euthanise. How long has she been looking like this? I would do another water change. It's possible that since you got an ammonia reading, that it was even higher before testing, and the plants took up most of it. So she could be suffering from the effects of the ammonia spike and fully recover. Or as @EllRog just said, another fully treatable illness.

She's been eating bug bites, freeze dried blood worms, and micro wafers.

Her scales have lifted a bit and she does seem dull in color that usual. I feed her once a day and fast her once a week.

 

[cupofjoel]

She's been eating bug bites, freeze dried blood worms, and micro wafers.

Her scales have lifted a bit and she does seem dull in color that usual. I feed her once a day and fast her once a week.

She's also been like this since yesterday.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

She's been eating bug bites, freeze dried blood worms, and micro wafers.

Her scales have lifted a bit and she does seem dull in color that usual. I feed her once a day and fast her once a week.

Are you willing to do another water change now and see if she might recover?

It's concerning that you had a reading for ammonia the day after a water change, and she became ill at the same time. I wouldn't chalk that up to coincidence and euthanise her without eliminating the ammonia spike.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

She's also been like this since yesterday.

It still could be an ammonia spike maybe? Maybe another WC?