Betta is Acting Funny

well our little fury is acting kinda weird he's usually swims all day and loves the camera but does like to sleep upside down in his plant. the first time I found him like that we thought he was dead but he just sleeps that way.maybe he thinks he's part bat.

now his tank has a little rock where he can hide but has taken upon himself to hide behind the filter or the over the tank metal thermometer and torn his fin on it so I'm replacing it with one of those lcd ones you put on the outside of the tank.

is it normal for them to hide this much it doesn't seem to fit with the personality he's shown till now

 

aww poor fury...says you don't know about the nitrogen cycle...?? and hes in a small tank so he probably needs some vita chem, and a change in water of at least 50% with the tap water treated with prime...I hope the handsome fella gets better!!!

 

HI fish, I'm sorry Fury isn't feeling well. Shawnie has given you good advice.
What are your readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate? Knowing this will help everyone to help you and Fury.

Here's a good article to read about the nitrogen cycle:
https://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm

Good luck.

 

might I ask for the specs for your tank? like what type heater/wattage? and what are the reading on your tank? and do you detox the tap water with some type of conditioner? even more, one that is more betta safe?

 

Your mystery moss ball is a marimo ball. Keep his water changed and it should help get him feeling better soon a lot of partial water changes in a tank that small. Tanks that size are hard to keep cycled.

 

I don't have a heater for the tank but the heat in my building is so insane that his tank usually read between 78- 83 degrees and that's with all the windows open I'm more concern about us boiling to death than the temperature dropping. what do I do if it gets any higher give him an ice cube? just kidding just heat exhaustion talking

I'm currently changing his water twice a week and treating the water with splendid betta complete water conditioner and aquari-sol after aging it a day or two.and has a filter don't know the brand just what the pet store said was good for it.

he does seem to be getting back to normal. and eating like a little hog.
I haven't tried the pea thing yet.

 

He's a handsome boy! Try the peas, he'll LOVE it! Just make sure they are cut into tiny peices so he can swallow them..

 

It would be helpful if you can get his tank to a consistent temperature, even if it means upgrading to a 5 gallon or 10g. I'm not sure that much of a fluctuation is good for him.

 

Actually, one way to cool the tank water some is to put some ice cubes in a sealed ziplock bag and float it in the tank.

I'd recommend Prime for his water conditioner and a larger tank, as others have mentioned. The larger tank will be easier to get cycled and keep cycled and the Prime really helps fish in uncycled tanks as well as having benefits in cycled tanks. It's our main water conditioner - we use that & Fish Protector. 1-2 drops per gallon treats your tap water and no need to let the water 'age' for a day.

Vita-Chem and Garlic Guard would be good for his fins to help heal them. Also Fish Protector is great for that. All 3 can be ordered at thatfishplace if you can't get them locally.

I don't have a heater for the tank but the heat in my building is so insane that his tank usually read between 78- 83 degrees and that's with all the windows open I'm more concern about us boiling to death than the temperature dropping. what do I do if it gets any higher give him an ice cube? just kidding just heat exhaustion talking

I'm currently changing his water twice a week and treating the water with splendid betta complete water conditioner and aquari-sol after aging it a day or two.and has a filter don't know the brand just what the pet store said was good for it.

he does seem to be getting back to normal. and eating like a little hog.
I haven't tried the pea thing yet.

 

Actually, one way to cool the tank water some is to put some ice cubes in a sealed ziplock bag and float it in the tank.
.

thanks I hadn't thought of that. I'll come in handy in the summer too.

heres a vid of him you can see his tail pretty well, it use to be torn straight through and my new betta couldn't leave him on the self next to the dead one it was to hart breaking.

 

The link isn't right, try it again

 

yeah took me a minute to figure that out

 

great vid...he looks happy and definitely spikes up when he see's the new guy! where's the new guy going? I bet that handsome fella is going to color up so beautious once hes outta that cup....cant wait to see all his changes either

 

Great video. You have 2 beautiful little guys there.

Fury looks to be almost a maroon rather than red.

 

Yea, they are handsome boys!

 

thanx they are great aren't they. still can't think of a name for the new guy any suggestions?

 

I like to watch them a little while and see their personality start to come out.. the perfect name will come to you.

 

I like to watch them a little while and see their personality start to come out.. the perfect name will come to you.

oh goodness I still can't figure out a name. but he is so funny. he stares at me when I'm watching tv then goes in circles when I'm go near him. sometimes he even looks like he's wagging his tail. I'm on the verge of naming him pup or rover but my son said it would be an insult if I did.
a "fish name pup" just sounds so cute. like the dog who wanted to be a reindeer.
what was the name of that movie?

 

Olive The Other Reindeer. Very cute movie. lol

 

Rover The Betta

 

i've heard of a movie with a cow that wanted to be a reindeer.
but not a dog.
that movie was called annabells wish.
My little sister watches it every christmas.

 

Great lookin bettas

 

My Betta, Loco, has been acting funny for a couple days and upon closer examination I noticed some differences in his skin and fins. He absolutely means the world to me and I am worried sick.

Loco was cycled in tank. I have had him since May. I test his water religiously and react accordingly during times like nitrite spikes while the tank was cycling. I am well versed in water changes.

What I was not well-versed in before I bought him was the size of tank he needed. I know that 1 gallon is far too small for him and plan on moving him to a cycled 5 gallon as soon as I get our current situation under control, unless the small tank is the problem? And before that I was trying to guage if I could get an algae problem under control before moving him. I absolutely never EVER would have put him in this size tank had I known better but it was recommended to me by a girl at PetsMart. I thought I was giving him a mansion =( Read on...

He sits at about 72 degrees in his tank which he has always seemed comfortable with - I've read that bettas can sit above or below the recommended 78 and be okay too. He's never exhibited stress at all so I think he is okay with his ongoing temperature. I did buy a small heater but I am worried of risking overcrowding his tank. Because he was seeming depressed, I moved him up on a kitchen counter this month to keep him interactive with us while we cooked. He is far away from being able to be affected by the temperature from the stove. He likes being around us and he seems to need a lot of attention. He seemed much happier with the move.

He is a hearty little guy and has never had any issues with seeming unable to deal with any conditions or changes. I have kept up on water changes religiously for him every few days or more if needed and he only receives Spring water that is conditioned. I feed him one pellet in morning and one pellet at night. He has never seemed to like dried blood worms. I can't get him to eat them.

Starting earlier this month, I have been battling some green algae in his tank. I have, multiple times, scrubbed everything in his tank but it has been coming back in small amounts. I keep it in check and do not let it get too bad for him.

This last time when I went to clean the algae he was extremely darty and difficult to net, which is normal for him. I actually had to get my boyfriend to help. I scrubbed his tank and all the pieces in it.

After putting him back I noticed he was funny, although he might have been funny before this cleaning? Unfortunately I don't know for sure.

SYMPTOMS

1. He seems a little floppy while he swims and he seems to get frustrated by it. He also may seem a little weak but only sometimes. He's having some difficulty getting around but he is still very spunky, he still always comes out to say hI and he is very much "with it." He just seems like he can't do exactly what he wants to? especially going down or coming up. But he has been able to reach surface and bottom easily. He is all over his tank still and not necessarily always hanging out in one spot. Seems like possible swim bladder issues to me? He also gets darty sometimes which is unlike him normally. He's been showing off his colors and flexing as is usual of him.
2. He has some tiny, vertical lesions on his skin as well that are very much alarming me.
3. His head seems a little bit darker than usual.
4. One of his eyes seems to have a cataract.
5. He has a light black (grey?) streak in his top fin

After seeing him like this which is not his usual self, I freaked out and automatically thought TB (please no ) but his spine does not seem permanently curved. He seems to curve it oddly only sometimes to get where he is trying to go and when he seems frustrated about his mobility not being 100%. Also he does not seem to be getting worse from yesterday when problems were first observed.

Current Treatment

1. I thought these might be signs of an inner bacterial infection so I am currently on day 2 of APIs Fin & Body Cure.
2. I'm using API's Stress Coat.
3. I tested his water and it's absolutely perfect. I added a moss ball for him yesterday too.

I am wondering if he is starting to feel stressed and bored in a tank that was too small to begin with? Maybe he was injured during this last netting? He has soft leaves but a pineapple ceramic type thing that has pointy edges. I suppose it's possible the lesions came from this during last netting? I was watching to make sure he wasn't injuring himself but maybe I didn't catch it if he did? Do you think it's time to get him into a larger tank? Could these symptoms be related to this?

I'm concerned about lesions and antibiotics (doxycycline in this case). I want to be able to give him aquarium salt but I have not been able to find if I can use the two together.

Also, he hates the current of his filter. It's a little strong for him but it only happens in one small section of his tank. He has a hammock leaf and other big leaves near surface to rest on as well which he does and he rests in a calm spot just behind his filter. He usually rests at the surface and has always been this way when resting.

This filter is the only one that fits and works until I get him into a bigger tank which I want to do asap but not if he is really sick and stressed obviously.

He's happy still and full of life but seems darty and pissy sometimes. He is still eating but I have to direct his food to him a little more closely. He's not constipated it doesn't seem, although if it is a thing his swim bladder looks enlarged, maybe?

Pic with bloodworm - Loco in May when I first got him.
Other pic with red on it is him now.
The other far away pic is him now.

I guess in looking closer he may have the beginnings of fin rot?

My other question is: is Loco just old or getting there?

Please help. I really had to shine a flashlight on him very hard and observe extremely closely to even see the physical issues. Any advice is greatly appreciated I have read and read and read about possible causes and I am at a loss.

THANK YOU!

Youngloco

• LocoGoneCrazy
• Aug 29, 2019
• 1

Locored

• LocoGoneCrazy
• Aug 29, 2019

Locofin

• LocoGoneCrazy
• Aug 29, 2019

I meant that the tank was cycled with Loco in it. Not that he was cycled.

 

We are going to need to know exact water parameters, and a history of parameters would be very useful.

Do not treat a fish if you do not know what the issue is. This is often a mistake people make and it does more harm than good. Medications are not a viable option unless underlying issues are addressed. Those issues are 1) Bettas must have a heater. 2) As you've acknowledged, he is in a tank that is much too small. It's okay, we all make mistakes, no judgement. But, you will keep running into problems if environmental issues are not addressed. He doesn't look like he's dying or anything in my opinion. What I will say is upgrading the tank and allowing him more stable temperatures will very much help him. That and clean water will make him very happy. Also, two pellets a day is much too little. You should be doing something more like 3-4 in the morning 3-4 in the evening. Is he old?

 

I do not know how old he is. I am curious if someone can shed light on that?
I used to borderline overfeed and he kind of had GIANT poops, so I dropped down his eating after reading about it.

Water is:
Nitrate - 0
Nitrite - 0
Hardness - 75
Chlorine - 0
Alkalinity - a little less than 40
pH - 6.2

Tank had a history of a nitrite spike but I kept it under control until it cycled.
It had higher alkalinity before in 120 ppm range
I believe, if I remember correctly, the water was in between alkaline/neutral.

Ammonia is zero.

I'm happy to get him into a 5 gallon tank as soon as possible. I could have it set up by tomorrow. The issue is the tank will not be cycled (or how long will that take with Tetra Safe Start Plus involved?). We had some unfortunate events happen this summer and that took all my time, so now that that's died down I'm ready to get him into a new tank asap but I have questions about cycling, and starting one with possible algae problems. I also am worried if he really is sick that it will be worse to move him.

I had narrowed his issues down to TB or a possible bacterial infection. With TB he would die or need to be euthanized, but I figured I could at least try treating for a bacterial infection. I was worried if I didn't do something I might wake up to find him dying. I do worry I have jumped the gun on antibiotics but I've read not to stop them once they are started. We have 2 more doses to go.

 

I have, multiple times, scrubbed everything in his tank but it has been coming back in small amounts

This can cause your nitrogen cycle to be disrupted. Has any ammonia occurred? Your nitrite spike may have been caused by all the cleaning.

Algae occurs when there's an excess of nutrients and/or light, among other things. How long do you keep the lights on? Is it by a window?

He also gets darty sometimes which is unlike him normally

Dirty how?

1) Bettas must have a heater.

Not necessarily. If your house is always in the 70s and the tank has relatively stable temperature (not near drafts, not near heat sources), it's possible not to have a heater. My baby betta tub does not but my two other betta tanks do.

Also, two pellets a day is much too little. You should be doing something more like 3-4 in the morning 3-4 in the evening

Also not necessarily. It depends on the size of the pellets. Some pellets are large and cheap and/or poor-quality brands have pellets that expand in the stomach. Feeding such foods that much can be detrimental.

 

The nitrite spike had happened when the tank was working through it's first cycle. Like a month or so ago. I kept the nitrites as low as possible because I had read it could be very detrimental to the fish's health. The cleaning has been happening only during this month to help with algae issues as I had read to scrub everything.

Loco gets dArty. Meaning he darts around sometimes, swimming fast, which is generally unlike him. It seems like he gets irritated or frustrated about his current mobility issues and then will just dart around.

His food is pretty large for his mouth.

Also, he's not by a window I shut the lights off every night and leave a faint light that isn't direct on the tank for him so he isn't in pitch black. Can these lil guys be okay in **** black? I always feel weird about doing that to him.

Ammonia has occurred at times but I try to keep that very low.

 

Ammonia has occurred at times but I try to keep that very low

You shouldn't have to try. That's what the nitrogen cycle is for; it takes care of it for you. There shouldn't be a struggle or it appearing and disappearing. I don't think your tank has cycled and stayed cycled. This may be due to the small tank size; they can fluctuate easily and be hard to maintain.

Also, he's not by a window I shut the lights off every night and leave a faint light that isn't direct on the tank for him so he isn't in pitch black. Can these lil guys be okay in **** black? I always feel weird about doing that to him.

Yes, even indirect light can grow algae. Algae is very opportunistic; if it can grow, it'll grow, regardless of optimal or ideal conditions. How long are the lights on for? All day? If you don't have live plants, there's no need to have it on all day. In fact, I'd say you don't need lights, period, but that's just me. I didn't have a light on my convict cichlids their whole lives; they had my ceiling fan light.

Loco gets dArty. Meaning he darts around sometimes, swimming fast, which is generally unlike him. It seems like he gets irritated or frustrated about his curren

Ooooh, I thought that was a typo or something
If that's the case, it's possible he cut himself against decor while dashing around. That might be what those lesions are.

Also, he hates the current of his filter. It's a little strong for him but it only happens in one small section of his tank.

Try baffling it. Google baffling filters for ideas.

He has never seemed to like dried blood worms.

You should soak freezedried foods before giving them to fish. He may just not know what they are. I used to dangle them like they're alive. Now I just have to put in the tank.

His food is pretty large for his mouth.

So was the food I found my baby betta trying to eat in the store. Poor thing was so hungry and couldn't eat the food that was as big as his head. My favorite fish food is Fluval Bug Bites. Feed it to all my fish: platies, mollies, bettas, and my new Rosie Red Minnows. The small pieces mean I don't have to worry about bloat, I can feed them to my juvenile livebearers, and my baby betta can eat them. The ingredients are great, too, no fillers/tons of wheat or grains; first 2 ingredients are Black Soldier Fly Larvae and Salmon.

The cleaning has been happening only during this month to help with algae issues as I had read to scrub everything.

Still, it's not good. What does the algae look like? Nevermind, you said green algae.

As for the eye, I'm wondering if it's diamond eye (read: Bettas With Diamond Eye). It looks like the scales are over eye, do you agree? It may just be the photo that looks like that to me; you can see it better.

 

The lights are being left on all day and off for at least 8 hours or so every night.

Thank you all for your help thus far. You really have me considering some things I wasn't before. I really think the eye might be a diamond eye issue. His eyes don't seem cloudy but it looks like exactly that, a scale over his eye which I think he has always had?

Could his eye be causing him balance and mobility issues?

When I say I try to keep ammonia down I mean I net most of his poop or uneaten food so that it doesn't get too high. All I've read is to try to get rid of these things so it doesn't end up being too high for him and lead to ammonia poisoning.

There is no doubt in my mind that his tank is easy to kick off balance with the size.

I bought a taller softer plant for him a month or so ago because I read they like plants that breach the surface. Now, though, he has less space but more resting spots. Overall though, I get the sense his tank is now crowded for him and he doesn't like it.

I guess my question is this. With his slight mobility and weakness issues and some tiny lesions on him and that grey streak in his fins and feeling like he may be crowded in there, what do you think my best next steps are?

I have to finish his antibiotics so he has today and tomorrow left on that. Do you think it's best to get going on a new tank for him and just try to get him in there? The problem is I really want the tank cycled this time without him having to go through more stress of cycling. However, I'm concerned that time is of the essence here.

When I do set up a new tank I want it to be exactly what he needs. The right filter, cycled, moss balls, the correct types of plants and hiding spots for him, etc. I want it to be right. Should I include rocks and stuff from his current tank or should I just start clean slate?

So many questions. I'm not sure if I have a sick fish or a fish that just is starting to show signs of being unhappy in a tank set up that is incorrect for him.
Thank you thank you!

 

Thank you all for your help thus far. You really have me considering some things I wasn't before. I

No problem, that's why I'm here. Glad I can help.

The lights are being left on all day and off for at least 8 hours or so every night.

I would reduce the time. If you don't have live plants, how long the lights are left on for doesn't matter except that there's nothing to take advantage of the light... Except algae. Reduce the time by half and see how that does for awhile.

Could his eye be causing him balance and mobility issues?

I'm not sure about balance, but but I'd think it would affect his ability to navigate. If his vision is affected, it'd make sense for him to struggle with seeing where he's going and what's around him. Not being a fish with eyes on the side of my head, I'm not exactly sure how that works.

When I say I try to keep ammonia down I mean I net most of his poop or uneaten food so that it doesn't get too high. All I've read is to try to get rid of these things so it doesn't end up being too high for him and lead to ammonia poisoning.

Ah, okay. You mean you try to prevent potential ammonia problems, not that you're struggling with ammonia currently. While it's definitely good to remove waste so there's no buildup, it's not so simple as that. There's also bacteria breaking down waste into harmless mulm. I actually don't gravel vac my 25 gallon much because of all the plants and things on the substrate. I have a filter that is 2-3 times more than I need for my aquarium size, but my platies and mollies are messy and I have quite a few growing too. There's tons of surface area for bacteria to grow in it as well as in the substrate and on plants, so I don't really worry about the debris being harmful as it's broken down. Still, your scenerio is very different and removing all that is a good thing.

I bought a taller softer plant for him a month or so ago because I read they like plants that breach the surface. Now, though, he has less space but more resting spots. Overall though, I get the sense his tank is now crowded for him and he doesn't like it.

Sounds like a case of where reading something and following it doesn't pan out. Sometimes we get too caught up in following "advice" that doesn't work for our situations.

I have to finish his antibiotics so he has today and tomorrow left on that. Do you think it's best to get going on a new tank for him and just try to get him in there? The problem is I really want the tank cycled this time without him having to go through more stress of cycling. However, I'm concerned that time is of the essence here.

I don't really see the situation as life-or-death right now, but I definitely could be wrong; fish can take a turn for the worst real fast, unfortunately, plus there could be invisible things wrong. I agree that having the new tank cycled properly would be more beneficial, for both of you.

When I do set up a new tank I want it to be exactly what he needs. The right filter, cycled, moss balls, the correct types of plants and hiding spots for him, etc. I want it to be right. Should I include rocks and stuff from his current tank or should I just start clean slate?

Since there's no reason as of yet to think there's something on his current decor that is causing him to be unwell, I definitely recommend adding it to his new tank, at least temporarily. In fact, I think you should move the crowding plant into the new tank and maybe one or two other things. Including old decor and old substrate in a new tank will provide the cycle with "seed" bacteria on those surfaces.

Can you explain his darting a bit more? Does he rub against things? Does he seem to itch? Will he be not moving one moment and then jolt or suddenly dash around? I just want to see if what you're seeing is known as "flashing," which could be a sign of parasites.

 

It seems that yes what he is having is navigation issues, due to a little imbalance. I have been having to make sure he gets to his food properly because he's not balanced enough to get to it correctly before it floats to the bottom. He will turn and turn around, try to get to the food right in front of him and over shoot getting to it. Then it ends up behind him and he has to go to the other side of the tank to spin around and come back and try again. I pretty much at this point have to put the food right in his mouth, so to speak.

The plant got changed because the first smaller one I had was sharp an pointy and I noticed one tear on his fin one day and decided to switch it. All they had was something that was probably much too large for the tank.

I have been watching him closely for parasites, I don't see anything on his skin, do you in pictures? He just seems to be knocking around a little more than usual and hanging out more on surfaces whether it's a plant or the glass. I can't say I see him "rubbing"necessarily but maybe he is? When he is swimming around and not against something he will sometimes become darty and shoot to a corner of the tank, his favorite spot behind his filter and rest. He is actually resting his body in a calm spot of the filter pole that sucks up. He doesn't dart back and forth. He's shooting directly to the calmest spot in the tank. This is where I think the current from the filter comes in and he's starting to get fed up with it?

And yes he will seems calm and fine and happy while swimming then dart.

When I think of "rubbing," I think of like the way cats rub themselves on things. What I have observed from him is that he turns around a lot on the glass, in which case makes his body hit/rub/bump the glass. For me this has been attributed to his unstableness in mobility issues, but maybe this is him actually trying to rub on things? He seems to be brushing his face around on the glass and a lot in corners of the glass too. He is definitely having a lot of bodily and face contact on glass that he never did before.

 

Sorry, apparently I missed the alert for this.
It's hard to say what could be causing his behavior. If I could see it myself, I'd have a better idea.(If you happen to get videos of it, that'd be great.) Gill/body flukes usually cause darting and itching or rubbing against things. They're typically not visible.
Usually fish just sort of flick against things or brush against things, as external parasites can cause irritation, and not rub like a cat. I had a Molly that had a weird gray patch like the scales were worn off so I put him in QT. After about a month of no change, I figured it was harmless and out him back in the main tank... And noticed he was chased by the female. He'd rub against the pothos stems and along the undersides of the leaves. He did that before but it looked like he was eating or nibbling, but it occurred to me that maybe he was stressed and was obsessively rubbing against the leaves? I put him back into QT and he didn't do that and was calmer.

Since your betta dashes over to a calm area, a place of safety, I wonder if he's stressed, as you mentioned.

How long has the new tank been running? What's the test results?

As for the eating... My bettas are dorks. They'll get so fixated on my fingers that they don't realize I already dropped food. My male is always too close to the glass and often hits the food in his eagerness, scattering the food or sending it to sink. I've literally had to point out the food and slowly show them where it is, or try to lure him away from the glass so I can drop it not on his head.
I don't know if your fish truly can not see the food or if he's just a silly dork, to be honest. Sometimes they get so excited to eat they overeagerly jump at the food or swim around and spread the food out on the water or miss it.

I don't want to recommend meds without knowing what is going on.

 

Sorry to be so out of touch. We had some serious stuff to deal with again this weekend. The tank has been running since May and the water parameters are posted above.

I bought him some much smaller food pellets and he's eating so much better. They are minI so I'm giving him 4 in morning 4 at night. He seems to be doing a lot better. I really think the larger ones weren't working at all for him. He seems a lot more calm in general and able to eat easily without getting frustrated.

We also finished his antibiotics of doxycycline.

I'm going to keep watching him for parasites just in case because he was possibly showing some signs of rubbing. I'm still not seeing anything on his fins or scales. I have some time over the next couple days to watch him more closely.

In general though he seems calmer, happier, and not frustrated.

I still want to get started on a 5 gallon tank and take one of his ornaments out to seed it. I noticed he is sleeping on the big leafy plant, they act similar to a leaf hammock for him so I think I'll leave it for now.

Let me know if you think I'm missing anything at this point and a HUGE thank you for talking me through this! I was worried he was ending up with TB or something because of some of the things I was seeing. So thank you thank you. I've learned so much but I know I have more to go with this little guy.

 

I'm very glad I could help. It's good to hear that he's doing better and likes his new food.