Very Sick Betta!!

[Jessica13]

One of my new HMs is very ill!!!

I just went to feed him some bloodworm and he was lying upside down at the bottom of the tank!!! I thought he was dead so tried to get him out and he started moving. I've put him back in with some melafix... But i cant think what else to do!!

He's in an unheated and unfiltered tank (just under 2 gallons) that has water changes every 2 days. he's been fine, and looked great this morning and ate his breakfast, but now he looks dead!!! He's not moving again now, other than wiggling his little fins every now and then...

What should i do?!!

 

[Kiarra]

I'm not sure what good the Melafix would do. It's my impression it's for healing minorly damaged fins, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

How's his color? Is he coming up regularly for air? Does he swim at all? Is he having trouble with his balance (i.e. keeping upright)? Is he struggling to swim? Is his belly fat and swollen?

 

[Jessica13]

Melafix is all i have so thought it was better than nothing!

His colour is perfect, he looks absolutely perfect, other than the fact he's lying on the bottom of the tank He's not coming up for air. He's still just about alive but not for much longer i think.. He has been in perfect health since i've had him (about a month-ish) and he's been eating well up until this morning. He's got no signs of illness and doesnt have a swollen belly... He's just not moving

 

[MissD]

It's up to you, but I would get the Melafix out of his water. I've had nothing but trouble with it and ended up losing any betta whose water was "treated" with it.

I would make sure he's in nice clean water with a little bit of aquarium salt, and try and get your hands on some other meds. I don't really know what myself, as I've never had this problem, but I'm sure someone else will be able to help you.

 

[BettaMomma]

I agree about the MelaFix - I'd get it out of there.

Are you 100% positive you dechlorinated his tank the last time you gave him a water change?
Is it possible that anything like hair spray, perfume, etc. could have landed in his bowl?

In any case, I'd give him another water change and just give him a few inches of water in the tank to be in - if he is coming up for air, make it easier for him to get up for it....

 

[Jessica13]

He's died

little betta

Whatever he died of killed him in literally an hour! Poor little guy..

 

[Kiarra]

Edit: Poor baby. At least he went quickly and didn't suffer.

It does sound like a poisoning, but he was a very beautiful boy.

 

[Jessica13]

Yes, its best that it was quick.. Poor little thing

To reply to Bettamomma though - His water had definately been declorinated. I use the same water for all of my betta tanks so all 5 of them have been in it and the other 4 are fine.. He's in the living room so there's no way anything could have got into it.. It doesnt make any sense

 

[Joby]

Sorry for your loss

He was lovely

 

[BettaMomma]

I'm sorry for your loss.
I can't honestly think of what it could have been, I was just trying to come up with anything that it might have been.
I guess it was just his time.

I'm sorry

 

[Jessica13]

Thank you both..

Its really sad cos he was only a baby - about four months old! I've just checked around my other boys and they're all happily munching on bloodworms! I'll keep a very close eye on them but whatever it was, i dont think it was a disease or anything...

Very depressing..

 

[eudielynn]

So sorry. Sometimes there just isn't any easy explanation.