Betta looking terrible??

What's wrong with the poor dude?
I tried treating for fin rot and hasn't improved. I've been treating that for 2 weeks?

 

What's ur tank perameters and water change scedule, the poor thing doesn't look good, and tank mates ect, it might take a while to recover even if it's successfully been treated?

 

Tank size? Water quality? Heater? Filter?

 

Tank size? Water quality? Heater? Filter?

Got him in a 4 gallon tank without a filter. Water change once a week.
Ammonia- 0
Nitrates - 0
Nitrites - 50
No heater but he lives in Singapore so water is at 28

 

He needs a filter asap. With a water change only once a week there's very little to 0 oxygen in that water.

Are the nitrites 50 or the nitrates 50? Either way it's too high and needs a water change.

 

He needs a filter asap. With a water change only once a week there's very little to 0 oxygen in that water.

Are the nitrites 50 or the nitrates 50? Either way it's too high and needs a water change.

Betta fish have evolved to have the capability to live in small bodies of water with no oxygen in them. They breath from the surface of the water.

 

No fish can survive with little oxygen in the water including bettas. Their labryinth organs allow them to live for a short period with no oxygen. Bettas survive without a filter it does not mean they are thriving. That's like saying humans can live without food--while we can it doesn't mean we should.

A filter also removes toxic buildup like ammonia and nitrites.

 

No fish can survive with little oxygen in the water including bettas. Their labryinth organs allow them to live for a short period with no oxygen. Bettas survive without a filter it does not mean they are thriving. That's like saying humans can live without food--while we can it doesn't mean we should.

A filter also removes toxic buildup like ammonia and nitrites.

This is not true. Don't listen to this person.

 

This is not true. Don't listen to this person.

Bettas like all other fish take in oxygen through their gills.

I'm confused as to why you believe this not to be true?

 

Bettas like all other fish take in oxygen through their gills.

I'm confused as to why you believe this not to be true?

I've been told, and I've seen it in person, that Betta's come up to the surface, take in a big gulp of air, and then swim back down. I've seen it with my own two eyes.

 

Hello, few questions for you.
1. What are you treating with
2. How is he acting
3. How much are you feeding him
4. How do you preform waterchanges, do you add dechlorinator as well
5. How long have you had him
6.Do you use a liquid test kit?
I highly suggest a filter as all fish really need one, you will go through a cycle though. I suggest getting some bottled bacteria to help it go quicker. What are the para meters of the water you use? I'd do daily waterchanges as that's the best way to treat fin rot. He doesn't look to horrible, looks like it would be able to clear up with daily waterchanges to me.

 

I've been told, and I've seen it in person, that Betta's come up to the surface, take in a big gulp of air, and then swim back down. I've seen it with my own two eyes.

Bettas can take oxygen from the surface as supplemental oxygen. They still need it in their water source as they intake their primary oxygen from their gills. I encourage you to do more research on this since many new fish keepers believe bettas do not need filters. I myself thought that to be true until truly reading information and researching.

 

Let's just agree to disagree guys, this isn't the place for a debate.
Also, has he always looked like this? The nitrites in the water are not great, they should be zero.

 

Let's just agree to disagree guys, this isn't the place for a debate.
Also, has he always looked like this? The nitrites in the water are not great, they should be zero.

I'm thinking OP meant nitrates versus nitrites at least I'm hoping so!

 

Bettas can take oxygen from the surface as supplemental oxygen. They still need it in their water source as they intake their primary oxygen from their gills. I encourage you to do more research on this since many new fish keepers believe bettas do not need filters. I myself thought that to be true until truly reading information and researching.

This is not what I've heard. My best friend works at a Petsmart. He says that the Betta bowls have no Oxygen and they only change the water once a week. Those little water bowls barely fit the Betta in them.

 

Got him in a 4 gallon tank without a filter. Water change once a week.
Ammonia- 0
Nitrates - 0
Nitrites - 50
No heater but he lives in Singapore so water is at 28

And you wonder why he's sick?

You need a filter, heater (doesn't matter where you live, the fluctuations in room temperature are bad for him) and you need to be doing more water changes.

Please research Bettas and tell this friend he/she is very wrong.

Bettas need at least 2.5gs of water, while they may be able to gulp air they are FISH and fish breathe oxygen from the water and doing only weekly water changes without a filter means the quality of the water is appalling.

You are slowly killing this fish. Please remedy your issues ASAP and take the advice of experienced fish keepers here.

 

This is not what I've heard. My best friend works at a Petsmart. He says that the Betta bowls have no Oxygen and they only change the water once a week. Those little water bowls barely fit the Betta in them.

Your friend getting hired by a chain store doesn't mean he/she knows anything about fish. The goal of big stores like petsmart, and most any fish store that isn't a small mom and pop type place, is to receive the product, display it in a way that takes up as little space and requires as little maintenance and resources as possible, and get it sold as quickly as possible. It's not their concern whether or not the fish can live long term in a cup, it benefits them if you kill them with unfiltered, uncycled tanks or bowls and go buy a new one in a few weeks or months, more so than if your one betta lives for years like it should if you give it what it needs to be healthy. Those stores throw away dozens of dead fish every day because it's cheaper than giving every betta a filtered tank. It's pretty sad to me, the reason bettas are sold in cups is because they sell so many that it's the only practical way... And the only reason they sell so many is because misinformed people think it's acceptable to keep one in a tiny bowl or a vase with no filter or heat.

 

Your friend getting hired by a chain store doesn't mean he/she knows anything about fish. The goal of big stores like petsmart, and most any fish store that isn't a small mom and pop type place, is to receive the product, display it in a way that takes up as little space and requires as little maintenance and resources as possible, and get it sold as quickly as possible. It's not their concern whether or not the fish can live long term in a cup, it benefits them if you kill them with unfiltered, uncycled tanks or bowls and go buy a new one in a few weeks or months, more so than if your one betta lives for years like it should if you give it what it needs to be healthy. Those stores throw away dozens of dead fish every day because it's cheaper than giving every betta a filtered tank. It's pretty sad to me, the reason bettas are sold in cups is because they sell so many that it's the only practical way... And the only reason they sell so many is because misinformed people think it's acceptable to keep one in a tiny bowl or a vase with no filter or heat.

This is why I will not buy fish from these terrible stores out of choice.

We have Pets At Home here in the UK and they're just as bad. I rescued my Betta from there about two months ago as I simply couldn't leave him suffering like that. Living in half a litre of water. Disgusting.

OP you might consider rehoming him to someone more qualified to care for him if you refuse to take on the advice given by Betta keepers here.

I'm not being nasty but you are not meeting his needs and he deserves better as all living beings do regardless of their species.

 

Putting the breathing aside, let's say they can breath air from outside the tank, they are still living in the water constantly, any poor water conditions will stress the fish and lead to bacterial infections. You can't get away from the fact that almost everyone on this forum recommends a filter and a cycled tank with regular water changes. GouarmI can also breath from the surface but I would still give them the option to breath like a fish in the water.

 

RubyGem is that food floating on the top of the water?

 

From that pic there is a lot of food in there. Maybe parameters are off. But I'm not sure my betta has the same issue. But I have a filter, I check my parameters every other day. Treated him for finrot. Do weekly waterchanges. No tank mates. So idk. I'm struggling with the same issue.

 

From that pic there is a lot of food in there. Maybe parameters are off. But I'm not sure my betta has the same issue. But I have a filter, I check my parameters every other day. Treated him for finrot. Do weekly waterchanges. No tank mates. So idk. I'm struggling with the same issue.

You might want to open a new thread if you wish to talk about your Betta.