Betta fish resting more than normal?

[H0pefulDad]

Okay. I'm not going to sleep anyways but I do have homework I need to get done.

I hope he can help explain the aquarium salt to me too. I did some research and learned that it can apparently harm live plants like the ones I have in my tank (also I'm remembering that the reason you don't want a nerite in saltwater is not because it will hurt them but because they can then make babies), so I'm wondering if it would be better to just put my little boy in a quarantine tank for bit? But I'll definitely try the water changes first.

 

[Essjay]

From what I understand Seachem is best, and I've heard reports that the API one can injure a bettas labyrinth organ but I'm not sure if that's a current issue.

Just a quick comment - it's API Melafix, Bettafix (which is dilute Melafix) and Pimafix which are the products that are not suitable for labyrinth fish. These are so-called natural medications rather than water conditioners.

(I use API Tap Water Conditioner because all that does is remove chlorine and detoxify metals)

 

[H0pefulDad]

Hey I tested the pH of my tap water and unfortunately, it matches the 8.0 reading of my tank. I don't know if it was always like that, maybe it became different since the last time I was living at home and that's why my betta is having trouble adjusting?
But either way this means that water changes won't be able to lower the pH. Should I still be doing them? And does anyone think I should look into some natural ways of lowering the pH? I heard that things like driftwood and catappa leaves can help with that.

 

[mcordelia]

Leave the ph as-is. Your fish is already used to it, it's likely that it's always been similar.

How is your betta doing today?

If you want to set up a quarantine tank to do salt in, take your filter and heater from the tank and set it up in a sterilite-style tub or tote. Your snail should be fine in the filterless tank with the plants for a few days. Not 100% sure what not heating is going to to for the snail, I suspect it will be fine but if you're worried a small heater should run you around $30.

It's too bad that you didn't get any additional responses overnight, he probably has some kind of infection, but it's difficult to know what kind without a better diagnosis.

On the food thing, I saw some previous posts from colin that recommend continuing to try to feed the fish in this kind of situation, so if he's willing to eat, offer food, otherwise don't leave the food to rot in the tank.

 

[H0pefulDad]

Leave the ph as-is. Your fish is already used to it, it's likely that it's always been similar.

How is your betta doing today?

If you want to set up a quarantine tank to do salt in, take your filter and heater from the tank and set it up in a sterilite-style tub or tote. Your snail should be fine in the filterless tank with the plants for a few days. Not 100% sure what not heating is going to to for the snail, I suspect it will be fine but if you're worried a small heater should run you around $30.

It's too bad that you didn't get any additional responses overnight, he probably has some kind of infection, but it's difficult to know what kind without a better diagnosis.

On the food thing, I saw some previous posts from colin that recommend continuing to try to feed the fish in this kind of situation, so if he's willing to eat, offer food, otherwise don't leave the food to rot in the tank.

He's much the same today, still in that same spot under the the Amazon's leaves, or for a bit resting behind the heater with his mouth right by the water surface. When he was doing that he swam over to me when he noticed me looking though.
He was active for a few minutes after I did a small water change, swimming around and watching me, but he's back in his spot again, still breathing too hard.
I'm attaching a picture of his travel case, do you think it would work as a quarantine tank? Don't know if it would be big enough for the filter but I'll buy an extra one and heater if I have to.
I'll see if he's up to eating, I know he needs nutrients right now but I think I'll give him a few extra treats too.

 

[H0pefulDad]

Also if anyone knows, do you think it would be better to set up a whole quarantine tank situation for him or to just give him some salt baths? I learned about those but I'm not sure whether the longterm or short term exposure to the salt would be best.

 

[mcordelia]

I absolutely wouldn't go less than 5 gallons, since water quality is of the utmost importance right now. To be honest, if it were me, I would probably sacrifice a few of my plants in favor of stressing out the fish the least by not handling him. I think salt baths are most frequently used when there is an external sore or known parasite like gill flukes, but I'm not an expert.

If you do set up a quarantine tank, move over the existing filter and heater because you will have good bacteria already growing on them, if you set up a new filter you're going to cycle again which will probably spell doom for your fish. If you're able to move a couple of hardy plants into the QT I would also do that to give him shelter and help with water quality.

You can always start with 50% intensity on the salt and see how the fish/plants do over a couple of days. Remember with your daily water changes that you need to replace with water that has the same salt concentration as the tank.

 

[mcordelia]

I'm really batting out of my league here, so can @NCaquatics or @essjay or @AbbeysDad or someone else with more experience give any advice? @AdoraBelle Dearheart @PheonixKingZ @Naterjm @Guyb93 @seangee

Would the next step be to deworm the fish? Would aquarium Coop's quarantine trio be advised?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

The betta seems healthy to me, just from the photos. What are you feeding it? (Brand, type, etc.)

In my experience, some bettas are just lazier than others. The betta I have now is always swimming around eager to see me. (Or get food... )

But bettas I have had in the past, have rested a while them swam up, then rested. Nothing wrong with them, they just did it.

The betta I have now is the healthiest one I have ever had, partially due to the excellent food I give it. (Omega One and Fluval Bug Bites)

 

[H0pefulDad]

The betta seems healthy to me, just from the photos. What are you feeding it? (Brand, type, etc.)

In my experience, some bettas are just lazier than others. The betta I have now is always swimming around eager to see me. (Or get food... )

But bettas I have had in the past, have rested a while them swam up, then rested. Nothing wrong with them, they just did it.

The betta I have now is the healthiest one I have ever had, partially due to the excellent food I give it. (Omega One and Fluval Bug Bites)

I mostly feed him Omega One. As I've said earlier, I know he looks healthy and that's why I'm so confused as to what could be wrong with him. And I know there is, because while I'm certain some bettas are just lazier by nature, the fact is that mine isn't. If there's one thing that seems a certain sign of illness it's a sudden behavioral change, and my little guy has always spent most of the day swimming around his tank, even at night. Along with the fact that he seems to be having trouble eating and breathing is worrying for me.

 

[H0pefulDad]

Alright I got some aquarium salt and API test strips. I don't know how accurate the strips are but I'm concerned about the hardness reading since I read that bettas need soft water, and the color seems to match with the hardness of 120 GH. Worth noting though, that the pH reading as you can see is much lower than what the API test kit said, so once again it's not a given how accurate this is.
I'm going to start by adding a tablespoon of aquarium salt to the tank, maybe another one later in the night and I'll see if it helps at all.

 

[Essjay]

120 ppm (the same as 6.7 dH) is soft water.

 

[H0pefulDad]

120 ppm (the same as 6.7 dH) is soft water.

Oh okay, I didn't see that it was measured in ppm.

 

[Essjay]

120 dH would be solid rock

 

[H0pefulDad]

I added the tablespoon of salt, and my little guy immediately swam up to see what I was doing. He swam by his food hole and he managed to eat the pellets I gave him, even swam down to get the ones he missed. Then he swam around a bit more, rested by the heater for a bit, but now he's back down in his same spot again, still breathing hard enough that his flare tissue keeps poking out.
I've done some research, and I think that the most likely disease he could have would be fin rot. The ends of his tail and fins have always been kind of scraggly looking, I just chalked it up to permanent damage from the bad conditions he was living in before I got him or that he was biting the ends himself or something. But I've been thinking that they look a little bit worse than normal lately, and I took a close look and while there's no color difference to the dorsal and anal fins, the ends of his sort of tailfin do seem to be darkened. The symptoms of lethargy match up as well, so I'm going to consider how to treat mild fin rot for now.
Though according to this one article I read, a betta breathing heavily at the bottom of the tank is a sign of either too high temperatures or ammonia or nitrate poisoning. I know the water temperature is fine, and that my tank had that nitrite spike two water changes ago that probably meant the ammonia was up too, so could it be possible he's still poisoned from that? I don't the levels are high right now but will more water changes still help?