Pooor Nemo :.(

[Snowdrifta421]

Hi,
I'm new to these forums and I'm kinda needing a little help here. I had a lot of fish as I growing up, but no bettas. Now we have two bettas, (we being my 2 year old and I). The first one we aquired from WalMart, I went there for shampoo and my son saw the fish and the next thing you know there I was walking down the isle of Walmart on a SUNDAY balancing my son on my shoulders, with the betta resting on the bill of my ballcap, propped up with my one free finger as I balanced my checkbook, a few little decorative rocks and a betta bowl in the other hand. Well anyway, we got him home and into his bowl I treated his water, and let him settle in for a while. He looks quite healthy, great color, hes a big fish. But he didn't seem to interested in his food, I noticed the food had no odor at all. So I tried feeding him some other betta food flake food with brine fish in it. The next time I changed his water we also got him a few more decorations. When I put him back into his bowl, he seemed a bit happier, and he did nibble a few of the flakes, but he spit those out and wouldn't eat any more. This went on for another week. Then, two days ago started darting around his bowl and burrying his head in the rocks and marbles and then he finally just went and floated with his head at the top of the water and would hardly move at all. When I got up this morning I saw he had buried himself down in his rocks and wasn't moving, I went over and tapped on the glass, then moved his bowl around a little, and no movment at all. Just then my son starts waking up so I didn't say anything to him and a couple hours later, when he was about ready to take a nap, we loaded up and went for a drive. While he was sleeping the car I went into the pet shop and bought another betta fish, some OmegaOne brand betta food, and went home to do the switch. I tapped on the glass and picked up the bowl, and sighed, and headed for the bathroom. and I had allready begun to dump the water into the toilet when he moved!!!!!! "Nemo!!!" I said, "what are you doing? Did you watch the movie?!? I allmost flushed you!!!!" So I changed his water again this I used the betta water conditioner that I got from the pet store intead of the dechlorinator that I picked up at Walmart. After finding a suitable pot for the other betta and getting him sitiuated. I watched Nemo, I tried the new food and he would let it float on his had but he would not eat it!! He just floates with hi nose up at top of the water. I just don't know what to do for the poor guy?? Can anyone give me an idea??

 

[catxx]

does he look like has any fungus or anything on his body? burying themselves and hiding in tank ornaments makes it sound like he has something fungal that itches. it could also be something internal. can he swim ok when he does swim? are his fins clamped up?

maybe he's a fussy eater! have you tried frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp or similar? they have a hard time turning that down!

 

[Kombat]

My betta used to eat flakes, but now he won't touch them. All he will eat now is frozen foods (blood worms and brine shrimp) and freeze-dried blood worms.

So definitely try some frozen blood worms. If a betta won't eat those then there is certainly something wrong with him.

Karl

 

[Snowdrifta421]

Thank you, I will try that. He swims ok when he does swim. I had to look really close to see it, but it seems like there is something that looks like an air bubble, on the top of his eyeball on both sides. I had wondered a couple of days ago if he could see very well, because he acts like he's trying to eat but there isn't anything there, I mean he isn't making bubbles like a nest and he'll even do it right in the middle of the tank.....and when you get down close to his bowl and look at him, its like he sees something is there, but he really doesn't look right at you and make eye contact like the other betta does... any ideas there?

 

[catxx]

if it looks like his eyes are bulging, thats popeye, a treatment of melafix helps with that one (i treat with melafix, but NOT the full dose suggested on the bottle, halve that and you'll be fine), if left untreated though it can be fatal.