Community Betta stressed out?

Tank
What is the water volume of the tank?--29 gallons
How long has the tank been running?--Tank established 10/25/2021. I combined a 5 gallon and an 11 gallon and moved the filter (Cascade canister for up to 30g), media, and plants to the 29 gallon with new substrate (Seachem Flourite with Sea Carib sand layered on top). Fish in cycle with frequent water changes and testing as the tank adjusted.
Does it have a filter?--Yes. I just upgraded to the Fluval 307 Canister. I use various foams which I purchase in bulk and cut to size, Seachem carbon, Phosguard (as needed), and Seachem Matrix Bio media.
Does it have a heater?--Yes. Fluval E100
What is the water temperature? 77.5 F
What is the entire stocking of this tank? (Please list all fish and inverts.)-- 1 male plakat Betta, 4 Peppered (paleatus) Corydora, and 9 Harlequin Rasbora.

Maintenance
How often do you change the water?--I alternate cleaning the filter and rinsing the media with my water changes. So this month I changed water on the 10th, then I cleaned the canister, topped off the tank with fresh RO water, and rinsed media on the 14th and did another water change on the 17th.
How much of the water do you change?--anywhere from 5-1- gallons depending on the need. I'm still fighting some residual algae (just changed lighting settings yesterday) so the amount that I remove tends to vary based on the algae. *sigh*
What do you use to treat your water? I make RO water with an RO buddy and add Seachem equilibrium as needed. I test my GH, KH, and PH to determine when I need to add it.
Do you vacuum the substrate or just the water? I concentrate on the substrate when I vacuum (that and not sucking up a fish) and I make sure to get around the bases of plants, driftwood, and decorations. Basically any place that gunk likes to settle.

*Parameters - Very Important
Did you cycle your tank before adding fish?--I did use filter, media, and plants from combining two smaller tanks, but I did not wait until the cycle settled in the 29 gallon before adding the fish. Instead I did frequent testing (twice weekly, then down to once weekly) and large water changes.
What do you use to test the water?--API Freshwater Master Kit
What are your parameters? We need to know the exact numbers, not just “fine” or “safe”.
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm
pH: 7.2
kH: 71.6 ppm
gH: 71.6 ppm
Phospate: 2.0 ppm

Feeding
How often do you feed your fish? I feed the Betta twice daily. The Rasboras and Corydoras once daily.
How much do you feed your fish? 1-2 pellets at a time for the Betta. A pinch for my Rasbora which they devour in like 30 seconds (occasionally the Betta steals a bite of their food but he is easy to distract most of the time). One sinking tablet for the Corydoras after lights out and the Betta falls asleep.
What brand of food do you feed your fish? Aqueon Pro Betta Formula floating pellets. Fluval bug bites for the Rasbora. TetraMin tropical sinking tablets for the Corydora. I recently started giving the whole tank blood worm on some mornings rather than their usual food (its a hit). I have to buy it frozen but I put some in tank water in a small salsa bowl to defrost it before I feed it to them.--I could definitely use some advice on how much to feed when I do this. Thanks!
Do you feed frozen?--no. I defrost first.
Do you feed freeze-dried foods?--No.

Illness & Symptoms
How long have you had this fish?--I got my Betta Chino around August 2021. He originally lived in a 5 gallon by himself with sand substrate, live plants, heater, sponge filter, and driftwood. Moved him to the 29 gallon in October 2021. He was a community tank fish when I bought him from LFS.
How long ago did you first notice these symptoms? A few weeks ago for the bloat, and this week for the stress stripe.
In a few words, can you explain the symptoms? About once or twice a week Chino gets bloated. Its been happening for about 3-4 weeks now. This week I noticed a horizontal line (stress stripe?) on his torso (it would be his right).
Have you started any treatment for the illness? I changed his diet to the pellets and I am working out how/when to feed my other fish so that my Betta does not steal their food (he's insatiable I swear). A few days ago I installed a Tetra Whisper for up to 60 gallons with two small air stones and a regulator on each line to control the flow. I have them set near lower end. I also turned down my filter flow rate to between the third and fourth tally mark on the intake/outtake control.
Was your fish physically ill or injured upon purchase? No
How has its behavior and appearance changed, if at all? He rests frequently in various low flow places in the tank and lays on the sand sometimes. However, he also swims around throughout the day and most feedings he appears to effortlessly swim for the food (not this morning because he is bloated). The change in diet resulted in no more bloat for two weeks, brighter color, and he has started to add red where he was previously solid white on his torso. However, this week I noticed the horizontal line. I also need to work on my timing with feeding the Corydoras because this morning Chino is bloated and he was still awake last night when I fed them...

Explain your emergency situation in detail.
I think that my Betta is stressed out. His fins and scales are healthy, clear bright eyes, and glorious beard, but he has what appears to be a horizontal line on the right side of his torso. He also gets bloat on occasion. Diet change seemed to help, but needs some fine tuning.

Include pictures
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Photo 1--Stress stripe? This was Thursday
Photo 2--Also Thursday to show his color change.
Photos 3 and 4--Bloated Betta.

 

I don't really have any advice but you're not the only one. I also moved a betta from his own small tank to a larger community tank and it did not end well. I guess it depends on the fish, it stressed mine out way too much.

 

After doing extensive research on this wonderful forum, I have decided to re-home all of my fish except my Betta to my LFS (I'm hoping to get a large Mopani wood piece in exchange) and turn my 29 gallon into a Betta dream home!! I ordered a Flow Tamer intake splitter that comes with intake sponges and the spray bar for my Fluval 307 canister. It should all arrive next week. Also I will be removing the sand from my tank and layering smooth pebbles over the plant substrate instead. Any other suggestions for Chino's remodel?? I'm actually really excited because I feel this is the best solution for all fish involved.

 

Your betta is very beautiful!!! Love those colors!!

Wow, a 29 gallon all to himself! You'll be spoiling him rotten, lol!

Since he is bloated off and on, I would suggest feeding him frozen daphnia once or twice a week to keep him regular. And Fluval bug bites are good, too - lots of protein and not so many fillers. New Life Spectrum makes a line of foods called Therra A+ that have pellets (various sizes) that are laced with garlic. The garlic is an immune booster, so that's a good food, too.

I would suggest adding more live plants, and adding something to create tannins, if you can stand the tinted water. Indian almond leaves are good, but if you do add some new drift wood, that may add tannins, too. The tannins provide some slight antibacterial and antifungal properties, and bettas just love the stuff.

Post a few pics when you are done! Would love to see his new home!

 

Your betta is very beautiful!!! Love those colors!!

Wow, a 29 gallon all to himself! You'll be spoiling him rotten, lol!

Since he is bloated off and on, I would suggest feeding him frozen daphnia once or twice a week to keep him regular. And Fluval bug bites are good, too - lots of protein and not so many fillers. New Life Spectrum makes a line of foods called Therra A+ that have pellets (various sizes) that are laced with garlic. The garlic is an immune booster, so that's a good food, too.

I would suggest adding more live plants, and adding something to create tannins, if you can stand the tinted water. Indian almond leaves are good, but if you do add some new drift wood, that may add tannins, too. The tannins provide some slight antibacterial and antifungal properties, and bettas just love the stuff.

Post a few pics when you are done! Would love to see his new home!

Pictures! Chino's a little shy right now because he's mad about being in a bucket during the remodel, but what do you think?? I scored a pretty sweet piece of Mopani at LFS and used a file to remove sharp edges.

 

You could probably have the Corydoras with your Betta. Maybe even Otos. Nerite/Ramshorn snails would probably work as well. I had a betta that even ignored shrimp but that's not common.

 

Your betta is very beautiful!!! Love those colors!!

Wow, a 29 gallon all to himself! You'll be spoiling him rotten, lol!

Since he is bloated off and on, I would suggest feeding him frozen daphnia once or twice a week to keep him regular. And Fluval bug bites are good, too - lots of protein and not so many fillers. New Life Spectrum makes a line of foods called Therra A+ that have pellets (various sizes) that are laced with garlic. The garlic is an immune booster, so that's a good food, too.

I would suggest adding more live plants, and adding something to create tannins, if you can stand the tinted water. Indian almond leaves are good, but if you do add some new drift wood, that may add tannins, too. The tannins provide some slight antibacterial and antifungal properties, and bettas just love the stuff.

Post a few pics when you are done! Would love to see his new home!

I'm really happy with the remodel. His new intake will not arrive until Friday and I installed a spray bar that I was able to get at a local big box pet retailer. I also ordered some Indian Almond Leaves to lower the PH just a bit (7.2 atm).

Rose of Sharon, you seem VERY knowledgeable about Bettas what type of baffling on the spray bar should I use? Right now I just have the bar positioned the flow is directed at the glass and slightly up to create surface agitation.

Pictures! Chino's a little shy right now because he's mad about being in a bucket during the remodel, but what do you think?? I scored a pretty sweet piece of Mopani at LFS and used a file to remove sharp edges.

Ok, I made a few slight changes again. My Fuval E100 always seems to be more efficient when it is placed horizontally below the filter outtake... I know the directions say to place it vertically though. I wonder if other people have had similar issues...

I also did a quick and dirty foam baffle on the existing intake. The new one will be much prettier once I install it

You could probably have the Corydoras with your Betta. Maybe even Otos. Nerite/Ramshorn snails would probably work as well. I had a betta that even ignored shrimp but that's not common.

Thank you. After doing a bunch of research on this forum, and having seen him do it before I understood why it would be bad, Chino has a sand eating habit... So no Corydora friends for him. Haha!

I like your snail idea though. I am moving very soon, but when I get settled in to my new house I may look into some Nerites.

 

Thanks for the compliment!

I have not had a chance to use a spray bar. I like to use smaller air stones instead. They allow me to move them around easier, and add them or take them out as needed. My tanks are smaller, so I don't have a lot of room for spray bars!

But I am sure that many other members do use them, and could help you out!

 

Thanks for the compliment!

I have not had a chance to use a spray bar. I like to use smaller air stones instead. They allow me to move them around easier, and add them or take them out as needed. My tanks are smaller, so I don't have a lot of room for spray bars!

But I am sure that many other members do use them, and could help you out!

Thank you! I will definitely make a post tomorrow about the spray bar. For now Chino seems pretty relaxed. He ate a pinch of Bug Bites for breakfast and blood worms for an afternoon snack, then three pellets for dinner. Also I was home all day so I was able to see that he was swimming around his tank and enjoying his new driftwood. He's taken to resting on one of the perches created by the holes in the wood.

I managed to get a few pics of him looking quite pleased on his new perch.

 

Thank you! I will definitely make a post tomorrow about the spray bar. For now Chino seems pretty relaxed. He ate a pinch of Bug Bites for breakfast and blood worms for an afternoon snack, then three pellets for dinner. Also I was home all day so I was able to see that he was swimming around his tank and enjoying his new driftwood. He's taken to resting on one of the perches created by the holes in the wood.

I managed to get a few pics of him looking quite pleased on his new perch.

OMG he looks so cute I can't stand it!!!