Lethargic Betta Not Eating

[sukies*star]

Cycled 5 gallon tank with heater. Sand, driftwood, floating water sprite and moss balls. 3 shrimp and a male betta.

I've had the betta a week. The last day or 2 he's been hiding out in the watersprite. Today his been very lethargic, moving as little as possible and being supported by the watersprite. When i tried to feed him (Hikari betta pellets) he ignored them.

I did a 30% water change yesterday. Ammonia and Nitrite are 0, Nitrate is about 20. pH is about 8/8.5.

I'm not sure what might be wrong or whats causing it or how to fix it. What i've considered as possible causes:

-High pH, apparently i shouldn't try to change it though incase it gets unbalanced. I have got some pH down adjuster incase though (haven't used it yet)

-The filter that came with the tank is too strong, i have it on its lowest setting but i think it is still a bit too strong for my tank. I have ordered a new one.

-Illness, i don't know what it could be though so am unsure how to medicate.


What should i do??

 

[fishlove75]

Other than being lethargic and not eating, does he look ok. Any swellings, redness, scales look funny, cloudly eyes etc. If he does not have any of these it might not be an illness (though I am no expert on illnesses).
Some suggestions:
find out what type of food they were feeding him at the store where you got him. My first Betta flatly refused to eat Pellets, he was used to flakes and would only eat flakes.

The filter, you have already ordered a new one, so on the right track there. In the meantime, see if you can put some filter floss, or other type of filter sponge in to the outtake on your filter to help slow the water flow. I had one betta that honestly need essentially completely still water. I don't even know why I had a filter in his tank, any water movement and he would run and hide, then I had another one (who I think was a zebra danio in another life) who actually played in the current, he couldn't get enough current, the stronger the better. Really funny to watch a Betta current surfing

Third, could he be constipated. Try feeding some fozen peas. Defrost them under some hot water, just enough to take the shell off, then squish up the pea and put it in. Peas can be a little messy so make sure you have supplies ready to clean out the uneaten pea.

The pH yes I believe that is a little high for Bettas. I believe the pH should be between 6-8 Bettas are a little more leniant when it comes to pH but 8.5 might be a little high. However, DO NOT USE anything that will adjust the pH too rapidly. I would suggest testing the pH if the water straight from the tap. This will give you your baseline pH if your tap water has a pH of 8.5 than MAYBE adjust your tap water than do very small water changes to bring your pH down slowly, but I would probably just leave it alone only adjust as a last resort. If your tap water is closer to 7 than do water changes to bring down the tank pH (again bring it down slowly with smaller water changes around 20%) and try to figure out what is in your tank that is causing the pH to rise. I generally don't mess with pH too much once fish are already in the tank, because rapid pH changes can cause problems, and I can never get the formula right to do it slowly. Maybe someone with more pH experience can help you out with that one.

Finally, could he just be playing shy. My very first Betta was very shy. It took him almost a month to eat properly and come out of hiding for more than a couple of seconds when I walked by the tank.

Best of luck to you and your Betta.

 

[sukies*star]

He died last night

He wasn't showing any physical signs apart from looking slightly grey around the head but I couldn't see properly as he was hiding in the watersprite. He'd eaten the pellets when I had given them to him before, I've also given him freezedried blood worms and betta flakes once each last week.

I also used to have a betta who loved playing in the filter current too this one tended to avoid that area of the tank though

I'll test the pH of my tap water when I get home this evening.


Thanks for helping and if anyone has any ideas about why he died please share

 

[fishlove75]

Gray around the head, could have been a fungal illness. I had one that did that. But he had a lump on his side. I was treating him for a parasite, started to look better for a couple of days, than started looking gray around the head. Never found out what the lump was, I think it was a growth of some sort, possibly cancer tumor (do fish get those not sure) but after his head turned gray started treating him for fungus, but he died a day or two after he turned gray. Never found out what it was. I am sorry for your loss, and sorry that I couldn't be more help.