Betta Laying On Its Side? - He Didn't Make It =[

[Glegorly]

My friend recently bought me some Cardinal Tetras for my birthday so I moved my new Betta into a spare 2.5 gallon I have. It's filtered and heated with a 25w, Checked the water for ammonia and the reading said there was none. He seemed fine last night and the water temp was around the 25C mark. I woke up this morning and the thermometer didn't have a reading on it. The water was quite warm and must have hit over 30C.

I got him only a few days ago, friday in fact and this morning I found him just lying at the bottom of the tank on his side, breathing heavily. He's now resting on a leaf right under the surface, it looks like he isn't breathing but he is still alive. I turned the heater down, and then off because the water wasn't cooling. The water temp is now at 28C. Since I've got him he's had just two meals as he wouldn't eat the rest. He had been in transit in the mail over night before he arrived.

Anyone got a clue what could be wrong with him?


He didn't make it through the night, I'm gutted because it all happened so quickly and he didn't have any signs of problems =[

 

[electric yellow]

How did the water temp get so high? I have my 25watt heater on 26-28C and it never hits past that. During summer their either get a nice cool water change or some ice cubes in the top. I found they love the cubes.

His condition could be a number of things...heat fluxuation, stress. Has he been in his home long? Did you test your nitrAte and nitrIte stats?

 

[Glegorly]

How did the water temp get so high? I have my 25watt heater on 26-28C and it never hits past that. During summer their either get a nice cool water change or some ice cubes in the top. I found they love the cubes.

His condition could be a number of things...heat fluxuation, stress. Has he been in his home long? Did you test your nitrAte and nitrIte stats?

He was in a 5 gallon for a day and night and then I moved him over to the 2.5g. I think the heater was on full heat over night. I also used a different 25 watt heater in the 2.5 before that didn't bring it over 28C because it didn't have a temp adjuster. This new heater does. The current water temp is now between 26-27C and he's still laying at the bottom. I did do a cool water change and that brought it down by 1-2 degrees. I haven't tested for any nirates or nitrites but I did do a about a 30% water change.

 

[Glegorly]

He's now gone really rigid and his fins are clamped up. I removed the two live plants and he's still lifeless though he did swim quickly to the surface for air then swam back to the bottom. Could it be swimbladder?

 

[liz2]

sorry sometimes despite our very best attempts it is out of our hands...

 

[emeleeliggett]

Sorry that happened to your poor betta!