fantail of my betta

Question
Hi, I've had my betta for a few months now and just within the last few days ive noticed that he has been keeping to the bottom of his tank and not swimming around like he used to. i cleaned his water today because it was getting cloudy and i noticed that the few times i saw him swimming his tails seems to be stuck together or something. is there a reason for this?

Answer
Hello Santje-

Changing the water was a good idea. Usually, fresh water will perk bettas up within a day or so.

What you saw happening with his tail fin is called "clamping." Bettas do this when their water isn't up to par (too cold, too dirty, bad pH, too salty, etc.)

What you should do if your betta doesn't improve:
Change out his water with well water. Be sure to treat it with a water conditioner first!  Make sure his water is between 75-80 F. Add a small dose of aquarium salt to the water, and a dose of Melafix as well (both can be found at Walmart or PETsMART.)

Or course, the behavior you are seeing could also stem from boredom, so if your fish doesn't improve even after treatment, try showing him a mirror to keep him busy. He'll flare up at his reflection, which will increase both his blood flow and metabolism.

Hope this is useful!
-Amber Worman