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Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): We have had our male Betta for 13 months. He has been failing in activity and eating habits for about 3 weeks, now for the past week he has been hanging out at the bottom of its home. He comes up for food but is eating less and he has been spending much of his time resting on the gravel on the bottom, or hanging in his plant. He is becoming grey around its face and upper portion of its body. His fins are clumped and stringy looking. He no longer interacts with me unless I disturb him by tapping or entering the tank. He used to greet me with excited swimming and be ready for meals when I turned on his light or entered the kitchen. Now he often looks dead because he does not move. He is fed Nutrafin Betta Food. He used to get dried Bloodworms once a week or so, but stopped that in January when my Father-in-law said that could introduce parasites or bacteria.
Tank size: 1 gallon, air stone filter, artificial plant. He doesn't like the air filter on, so we run it only for 15 minutes in the morning and again in the evening.
tank temp: household temp--67 to 70 degrees. I thought he was cold, so we kept his light on more and insulated his tank at night. We have no tank thermometer or heater, so we rely on our house heating, the artifical light and insulation. It only helped a bit--I don't think it is the temperature that is behind this illness, although perhaps it is exasperating it. He lived all last winter in these same conditions and thrived.
pH: Don't Know (DK)
ammoniaK
nitriteK
nitrateK
kHK
gHK
Volume and Frequency of water changes: We change 1/2 tank water once a week with tap water that is temperature aclimated 24-hours and treated with Kent Betta Bowl Essential. He is clearly getting worse, so this week I have changed his water 1/2 tank every 3 days. He gets a spurt of energy immediately following the new water, but clearly he is deteriorating not improving. He looks like he is dying and we are anxious to help him. Just now I realized that I see less fish poop in the siphon than usual.
Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: Just the weekly treatment of the tap water with Betta Bowl.
Tank inhabitants: Male Betta
Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): None except to remove the hidey castle because it seemed the paint was peeling and I wondered if it poisened him.
Exposure to chemicals: None that I know of. His tank is cleaned with a scrubber and nothing with soap etc. has ever been in contact with his tank, water buckets etc.
Is he just dying? We got him from PetSmart as a gift and they had no idea of his age. I feel he is dying and struggling, even once in awhile he tries to play with me like he always has, but clearly he is dying and we are not sure what to do to help.
Thanks for any advice.
Tank size: 1 gallon, air stone filter, artificial plant. He doesn't like the air filter on, so we run it only for 15 minutes in the morning and again in the evening.
tank temp: household temp--67 to 70 degrees. I thought he was cold, so we kept his light on more and insulated his tank at night. We have no tank thermometer or heater, so we rely on our house heating, the artifical light and insulation. It only helped a bit--I don't think it is the temperature that is behind this illness, although perhaps it is exasperating it. He lived all last winter in these same conditions and thrived.
pH: Don't Know (DK)
ammoniaK
nitriteK
nitrateK
kHK
gHK
Volume and Frequency of water changes: We change 1/2 tank water once a week with tap water that is temperature aclimated 24-hours and treated with Kent Betta Bowl Essential. He is clearly getting worse, so this week I have changed his water 1/2 tank every 3 days. He gets a spurt of energy immediately following the new water, but clearly he is deteriorating not improving. He looks like he is dying and we are anxious to help him. Just now I realized that I see less fish poop in the siphon than usual.
Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: Just the weekly treatment of the tap water with Betta Bowl.
Tank inhabitants: Male Betta
Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): None except to remove the hidey castle because it seemed the paint was peeling and I wondered if it poisened him.
Exposure to chemicals: None that I know of. His tank is cleaned with a scrubber and nothing with soap etc. has ever been in contact with his tank, water buckets etc.
Is he just dying? We got him from PetSmart as a gift and they had no idea of his age. I feel he is dying and struggling, even once in awhile he tries to play with me like he always has, but clearly he is dying and we are not sure what to do to help.
Thanks for any advice.