Betta behavior depressed

I could use some help, please. My betta seems to be depressed? Is that even a thing? I was on vacation and had an inexperienced pet sitter that had specific feeding instructions. Unfortunately they didn't realize leaving the light on 24/7 was not a good thing. I came home and the water was the color of lime green kool-aid. I did a 25% water change using prime and pristine. 2 days later clear water 6.8 ph, 0 ammonia and nitrites 10 nitrates. No fish died but my betta now spends his time hanging in this corner looking like he's in time out. He's a rosetail in a 36 gallon bowfront. Tankmates are 5 corys, 12 rasboras and 2 small nerite snails. He has a hammock, floating log and various height broadleaf plants to rest on. He hasn't used any of these (that I have seen yet) since I came home. Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

His fins look tattered, unlike in your profile picture where his fins look perfect. It's hard to tell from that picture alone whether it could be damage from the other fish or decorations or if there's a fin rot problem - but I'd lean toward fin rot considering the water problem you had. Is he eating or swimming at all?

If I were you, I'd move him to a smaller tank on his own, like a 5 gallon, where he can have an easier time reaching the surface and won't be bothered by tank mates. Keep the water pristine and make sure he's eating and getting around alright. If he's having trouble getting to the surface, he could also have a swim bladder problem. Observation will give you guidance on whether or not you need to treat for anything, and you can report back here for more help.

Good luck!

 

You're right. His fins do look tattered. I don't believe any other fish are doing it because they never go around him. He did come out to guard his brine shrimp pellet last night so he is eating or interested in eating. I don't have a quarantine tank but can get a hospital tank maybe for him? Use the water from the tank. Should I just get a small emergency tank and give him Epsom salt baths?

 

Is he sinking when he swims? If yes, you can try epsom salt baths. Do you have a breeding net or box on hand that you could put inside this tank to eat least give him some elevation? If it's feasible for you to get a small hospital tank running, it would be a good idea to go ahead and do that, and it will probably come in handy in the future for quarantining new fish or hospitalizing fish. You'd either have to get another filter and add in cycled media from the main tank or commit to doing 75%+ water changes once or twice a day.

 

You're right. His fins do look tattered. I don't believe any other fish are doing it because they never go around him. He did come out to guard his brine shrimp pellet last night so he is eating or interested in eating. I don't have a quarantine tank but can get a hospital tank maybe for him? Use the water from the tank. Should I just get a small emergency tank and give him Epsom salt baths?

definitely get him back in a circadian rhythm with lighting. He’s probably exhausted after being over stimulated for so long. As for the fin issues. It’s probably self inflicted. If he’s a rose tail I would not be surprised he chowed down on his own tail to maneuver himself more easily. Your water issue sounded like an algae bloom caused by your lights being on way too long. And I don’t think that would’ve hurt him especially if your parameters are 0,0,10. Lastly, sometimes bettas aren’t comfortable being in community tanks. They may be stressed by all the activity. It’s always a toss up for them when it comes to aggression and comfortability.

 

definitely get him back in a circadian rhythm with lighting. He’s probably exhausted after being over stimulated for so long. As for the fin issues. It’s probably self inflicted. If he’s a rose tail I would not be surprised he chowed down on his own tail to maneuver himself more easily. Your water issue sounded like an algae bloom caused by your lights being on way too long. And I don’t think that would’ve hurt him especially if your parameters are 0,0,10. Lastly, sometimes bettas aren’t comfortable being in community tanks. They may be stressed by all the activity. It’s always a toss up for them when it comes to aggression and comfortability.

I agree with most everything here, minus the parameters - OP said those were the readings two days after a water change and a dose of prime, so it's fully possible that parameters were out of whack before that.

 

I agree with most everything here, minus the parameters - OP said those were the readings two days after a water change and a dose of prime, so it's fully possible that parameters were out of whack before that.

I misread! For some reason I read it as that was OPs parameters before the green water issue.