Totally stumped on sick betta

Question
QUESTION: I have exhausted the Internet and don't know what to do. Basically I have a betta, had for almost one year, and his life is good! 5 gallon tank, heated at constant 80, change water every 6 days, always talking to him, kids always talking to him, lives right ina  busy kitchen, flares, makes bubble nests when I change water... you get the drift. Always extremely active in swimming and eats 3 pellets in morning, sometimes 4, again at night. Every 3rd day gets a freeze dried bloodworm. Day before yesterday he ignored his food which has never happened. As day wore on, no swimming at all, just laying and sleeping all day- on bottom, mostly on top by the air. Occasionally at bottom he started to lie down. Does not look like SBD because when he tries to swim, he lazily does it but does it fine. No floating, no sinking really- sinking just in a sense of slowly going to bottom like he is giving up. Is this fungal? I see nothing really. Constipated?  I stopped feeding him after yesterday morning to try but his condition is same.  I am stumped on getting anti-fungal stuff to try, or antibiotics. I would hate to miss my window of trying...help!!

ANSWER: Hi Allison;

It's really hard to say what could be wrong. Without any external evidence of infection I don't like to recommend medications in cases like this but you could try it if you want to. If there were fungus involved you would see signs of it on him somewhere. There would be tufts of whitish patches on him. It's possible there is a bacterial infection so you could try one just to see how it goes. One that absorbs into the fish would be the best because it is possible there is something internal going on. "Maracyn Two" (minocycline) is good. Or, any medication containing kanamycin would be my choices. Both minocycline and kanamycin absorb into the fish.

Fasting him is fine and it will help his digestion to clear, just in case it's constipation or something there. You could also try feeding peeled green peas for a few days to help out his digestion as well.

There are other possibilities such as organ failure, cancer, and even old age. He is getting close to being a "senior citizen" now. Bettas have a typical lifespan of anywhere from 2 to 4 years. When you buy them in the store they are already a year old or so. That makes yours about 2 years already. You're doing a great job in caring for him so hopefully he's just having some indigestion and it will clear up soon.

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks.  I don't think it can be age, because it was abrupt. One day his crazy usual self, the  very next morning sleeping all day, not swimming or eating..a total 180.  I am contemplating changing 100% water tomorrow and doing the Marycn 2 (or whatever it is called, I bought it).  But am I just stressing him out even more?  The new water, new meds etc.  I keep wondering if a fish can successfully fight something like this on his own but then again, we are now on day 4 and he definitely looks worse.  So Marcyn 2 or Tetracycline do you think?

ANSWER: Hi Allison;

You are probably right about the age thing. It is hard on a fish to change all the water though. Change 50% or less and use Maracyn Two. Maracyn Two (minocycline) would be the best choice because plain Tetracycline doesn't absorb inside the fish the way Minocycline does.

Let's hope for the best...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks, I love that you are available. I usually do 100% water changes every 6 days, and the tank is actually 3 gallons, not 5(I typed that wrong). No filter, hence the total water change.  I usually change it, then wake up the next morning to a huge bubble nest and a fish that is swimming at me all day seemingly beyond happy.  By day 6, no bubbles and the fish is just ok so I know the water changes he loves.  But I think in his very sick state, a total water change plus meds might be too much.  He is now sitting v ertically and cramped up in the corner just sitting.  It's so sad :(  When he does sit on a plant by the surface, he isn't upright but lying down.  Since it is day 5 almost of this, I just wonder why he doesn't seem to go one way or the other- meaning die or get better.  That makes me think he is really trying to fight something hard but is stressed out at the same time.  I keep staring at him so that is probably adding to it.  Ok, so 50% water change and marcyn 2 is my attempt.  Fingers crossed but it doens't look good.  Funny thing is, I actually had a betta before that lived to be 4 yrs old, was uneducated about the fish and he lived in a 1 gallon with water cahnges maybe every two weeks.  I hate myself looking back, but wow he must have been a hardy fish!

Answer
Hi Allison;

Poor guy. You could even do 25% or 50% water changes every day. It's okay to do that even while adding the meds. Just do the change right before that day's medication. Antibiotics decay after a few hours so you aren't removing anything you shouldn't by that time.

Don't be too hard on yourself about the other fish. You can't do things better when you don't know what you're doing isn't enough. Apparently he was just fine and you just can't change the past. We moms beat ourselves up too much anyway. ;-)

At Your Service;
Christine Robbins