lethargic male betta

Question
Chris,

Thanks for your help and expedient response concerning Guapo, my sick betta.  I put a heater with a timer in the tank, and it's now a constant 82 degrees F.  I wish it didn't take him getting sick to make me realize he probably needed that from the start!  I also added some aquarium salt to the tank and have begun an anti-bacterial treatment for him and the tank.  There are several new developments.  (1) Guapo is moving more, seems a bit less lethargic, and ate a little bit of freeze-dried shrimp this morning, which I am thrilled about. (2) I now have a small colony of tiny clear animal-things hovering around the tank heater.  They do not appear to be on Guapo or attracted to him, and he is not showing signs of itching or external, skin irritation.  A friend took a look at some of them under a microscope and thinks they might be a type of copopod (sp?).  He thinks they are harmless, probably came from the freeze-dried food or the plant, and only recently hatched because of the warmer water temperature. (3) I think Guapo may be slightly swollen on one side or developing a slight curve to his form, but I can't tell if that's just because he might be swimming in a slightly jerky way.  Do you have any idea what the little heater critters are and if they are dangerous or possibly the source of illness and is it possible that Guapo is developing a curve or can be swollen on one side, if so, what might be the cause?

Again many, many thanks for your help!

--Lisa  


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Followup To
Question -
Chris,

Please help.  My male betta, Guapo, is resting at the bottom and top of the tank and not swimming.  I think he may have a slight mucous coating, and he did not eat this morning.  I feed him freeze-dried bloodworms twice/day, which is about all he will eat (does not like flakes, does not like Hikara pellets).  I give him occassional treats of freeze-dried shrimp, which he loves.  I noticed during this past week he seemed to be resting more but was still active, until today.  He is in a 1 gallon tank with carbon and biowheel filtration and a live plant.  The tank temperature is usually around 71/72 degrees F, but might be slightly lower at night.  I do a 50% water change every 2 to three weeks with dechlorinated water that is at room temperature.  I also have some small snails in the tank, which have been there for about 3-4 months.  He enjoys harassing them.  The tank was due for a clean this week, so I changed out the water, vacuumed the gravel, and changed the carbon filter as usual.  I have noticed slightly more algea growth on the plant and some larger pieces of gravel.  I have had him for about 8 months in the same tank.  I am sure he is not feeling well.  Is there anything I can do to help him (medication, etc.)before he becomes worse?  I put the tank into a sunnier spot to elevate the water temperature because I thought that might help.


Thanks for your help,
Lisa
Answer -
Hi Lisa;

I think he does need more heat. Get the water temperature up to 80 or 82. If he has a fungus that should kill it. Aquarium salt will help kill it too. Add 1/2 teaspoon per gallon. Some bettas can be very fussy, so the worms and shrimp are fine if he likes them. Also make water changes more frequently. Replace 25% every week. This keeps the water quality more consistent. He is getting older now so he needs a bit more help with heat and cleaning to keep him healthy. A betta's lifespan is typically 2 to 3 years and they are already about a year when we buy them.

Snails are basically "poop machines" so with them in there it needs more frequent cleaning too. I know it sounds weird, but snails often make more mess than they clean up. If they aren't feeding on the algae, maybe there is too much food going in so they aren't hungry enough to eat the algae?

Hope he feels better soon......

Followups Welcome

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins

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Answer
Hi Lisa;

I'm so glad he is doing better! The little bugs are probably something like you would see in a pond. I wouldn't worry unless they attach to your fish. They are most likley feeding on the waste in the tank. Snail waste is pretty "fortified" so it's especially known for allowing colonies of little critters like that.

As for his body, he may indeed have a spinal curvature, or it could even be an abcess or tumor. Spinal curvature has many possible causes and can be genetic, from muscle spasms, imbalanced diet or old age. Just keep up the good work and see how it goes. If it seems to be more like a bulge on one side, you might want to treat him with "Maracyn 2". It treats internal infections. Other medicines treat the outside of the fish only.

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins