Betta rabies?

Ok so I’ve got a 5 gallon Walstad method aquarium. One half moon blue mustard betta. He’s been so happy and calm and has grown to be the most beautiful betta I’ve ever had and I’ve had ALOT of bettas over the past 20 years but this is the first I’ve ever seen this problem. I have driftwood in my tank so the tannins get pretty strong pretty much to black water status. One day out of the blue, my betta became extremely aggressive towards the two nerite snails and my itty bitty bumblebee catfish. Like literally NON STOP aggression and detering. I thought tannins calmed and relaxed bettas? Now it’s to the point that he’s seeming exhausted, he’ll randomly float into a plant and just lay there or start drifting weirdly and his fins seem tore all along the radius of his fins which leads me to think they’re tearing from constantly spreading them so wide for detering at the snails and catfish. He won’t stop being beyond aggressive and it seems like he’s stressing himself to death. Tannins prevent and heal betta fin rot correct? And I don’t see any other signs of illness, just pure psychotic aggression and now his fins looking ragged and his exhaustion. Also he’s working his gills like he’s struggling to breathe but being a labyrinth fish he’ll still go breathe from the surface like normal. The water has plenty of oxygen from plants and the circulation. I am at a loss for what’s happened. It almost seems like rabies or a brain tumor. Although rabies in fish isn’t possible. Also he eats just fine. Any ideas?

 

If you’re parameters are good try changing the tank decorations around and see if it gets him to relax a bit or if you have another cycled tank put him in there alone for a few days and rearrange the tank then add him back in to see if that helps. Do you have pics?

 

I'm sorry but this had me laughing so hard. But yes as above said move things around and see what happens. If not that's why they call them fighting fish and he flipped his lid.

 

Check your parameters.

 

before and after. Thee before was the day his switch was flipped and the after is just now. He looks ragged as all get out. It’s depressing. I need to get a test kit or some quick dip strips or something. Water should definitely be on the softer side and a slightly lower than neutral ph due to the coconut coir in the organic potting soil and the drift wood. It’s just weird how he was calm and cool and had not a care in the world and then one day he snapped and won’t chill. I’m assuming the extreme fin damage is connected to his constant aggression and detering but I can’t be for sure. And since it’s a planted aquarium with a soil substrate and gravel soil cap, I can’t really go mucking with the arrangement of stuff.