Sick? Depressed? Stressed? or just weird?

[BabbleFish]

I just got a new female betta (i callher Yesterday) a few days ago and put her in my female tank with three other females, a loach, and a small angel fish. On the first day Yesterday (that's the fish's name) was kind of dazed, and only slightly curious of the other fish,but she was eating and exploring the tank. At one point durring their feeding the angel fish nipped her (we're not sure if that is part of the problem or what not. I feed them both betta pellets and fish flakes, so Yesterday certainly wasn't going after the angel's food.) I moved the angel to a different tank, but the next morning Yesterday refused to eat, didnt seem to notice the food, wouldnt react to stimuli unless it was something drastic (i.e., putting your hand in the tank) and just seemed in a daze. She stays near the surface and the male betta (he's not IN the tank, he's in a small separated segmant that just allows the females to see him and him to see out) but she doesnt react to him at all, even when he flares. Her second day in the tank she didn't move from his 'apartment' side once though. Her fins are beat up from when she was in the pet store tank and when she's by the surface she doesnt move her fins unless she absolutely has to (not even the front ones) , only if you watch very very closely can you see her gills moving. Sometimes i can't. The only time she moves is when she arches her back to get air, or like i said, when i check up on her.

My female, Babble, alwayse seems to be 'checking up' on Yesterday throughout the day. It's really very sweet, but It makes me nervouse because Babble is the sweetest fish i own and it would kill me to see her die of my own impatience and refusal to quarentine. bah. aaanyways..

The tank was treated for fin clamp, mouth rot, ick, and dropsy last night but she's still in the same state, although now her fins are more perky/displayed.

When I found Yesterday at the pet store, she wasn't very responsive to stimulai outside of the tank (dragging fingers against the glass, waving hands in front of the glass, etc. ), but swam throughout the tank carelessly. Could this just be a part of her personality? If so, why won't she eat? and why doesn't she move from the tank's surface? Stress perhapse? Should I quarenteen her from the other females? Or perhapse move her to my female tank for an environment change?


Any help would be much appreciated. Many thanks. ~Liz

 

[xXMrBonesXx]

the male in site could be the problem i dont know for a fact though

check your water parameters just to be sure the water is nice and clean, and if she keeps acting strange get her, her own 2 gallon or so tank and she if she reacts better to be alone

oh how often are you feeding your fish

 

[fourplayfishy]

id say she shouldda been quarentined as soon as u got her... but its possible its stress

 

[BabbleFish]

thanks for the reply.

They get fed in the morning before i go to work around 10 am and again at night somewhere between 8-11 pm.

When i feed them, i'm still putting the tropicall fish flakes in there as well, just in case she'd be more inclined to eat those. I tend to over feed them a little durring their meals, as I get worried that the loaches aren't getting all the nutrition they need.

What gets me about her and Sphynx, the male, is that she won't even look at him. She'll have her side resting against the glass and he'll be going crazy flaring at her and displaying. Going absolutely nutso, and she doesn't even move. Quite often i get panicked and think she's dead. That's how still she stays.


I turned their bubbler back on after leaving it off all day (as the dropsy, clamp fin, and ick treatment makes the top of the water bubble very easily. The entire surface was coated with bubbles when i awoke. ) And when i turned it back on she moved a little more then she has been, swimming with the new current and whatnot. I don't know if this is pertent information but i thought it note worthy.


* and yes, fourplayfishy , i think she should have been quarantined at first as well. that's why i mentioned it in my previouse post.

 

[fourplayfishy]

she may be a weird one and like the current

 

[BabbleFish]

oh yes, i do hope so. She's such a cute little thing, her face white fading into the light cerulean blue of her body . very very nice. THough her fins are torn, but i'm excited to see how much prettier she gets in the happier environment.

 

[jacblades]

i agree that you should have quarantined, especially sincve she looked kind of lethergic to begin with. keeping her in the tank with the other fish is only likely to stress her more and could possibly kill her.

i have never heard of anyone keeping angelfgish and bettas but theres probably a good reason i havent...ie-algelfish like to nip at bettas.

definately take her out and give her her own tank-at least untill she starts acting normal/healing.

i would consider taking the other bettas out too, either them or the angelfish

 

[fourplayfishy]

the angel fish nipped her (we're not sure if that is part of the problem or what not. I feed them both betta pellets and fish flakes, so Yesterday certainly wasn't going after the angel's food.) I moved the angel to a different tank,

angel was taken out jac

 

[TechnicolourBetta]

well, out of concern from my other fish i removed Yesterday from the tank and put her in a quarantine bowl. Sadly she died over night. thank you all for your suggestions and help. Now i'm off to set up a perminent cycled Quarantine tank. Thanks again for your concern, i'm sure she's happier now... but still I had already gotten attached and i can't help but feel remorse for the poor girl.

 

[jams.alaskan]

Sorry that you lost Yesterday. It is quite possible that she wasn't going to recover from the shipping to the lfs and whatnot...

ALASKA

 

[BabbleFish]

hmmm... i thought i edited 'technicolored betta' s post. sorry. i posted it under the wrong name.