HappyClammy
- #1
My betta's name is Bette Midler. She's blue and I think a half moon tail. I've had her for about six-eight weeks. She's been growing, so I figure she's pretty young.
For the first few weeks after I got her, she was happy and energetic. She responded to my voice and studied my face. She wiggled and played--and ate well. She loved to eat. I gave her 2-4 pellets twice daily, and she chewed them enthusiastically. Every few days I thawed bloodworms for her. She went nuts for those. I'd put some on the tip of my finger and hold it about a quarter inch off the water. She jumped out to get her worms. Sometimes she grabbed my finger and held on for a little wriggle.
She's become lethargic in the last couple of weeks. She used to have such energy, but now she just sits on the sand or between her coconut and the wall of the tank. She comes up when I open the lid. I drop in a pellet just over her mouth. She ignores it and drifts. I push it over to where she is but she's not interested. If I push it around so much it sinks, sometimes she'll chase it down. She'll grab it and hold it in her mouth for a couple secs, not chewing, then spits it out. Goes and gets it again, spits again. She'll do this until the pellet is on the sand. I try again with a new pellet and get the same result. I doubt she swallows much at all--if anything.
I tried bloodworms. She acted excited at first, but did the same thing: held them in her mouth for a bit, then spit them out.
It's been a couple of weeks of this and I'm worried. She's starting to look pretty peaked, and she's wearing stripes all the time.
I've tested the water several times since she stopped eating, and it's good (numbers below). I got a small piece of mopanI wood to decorate with, but it turned the water the color of tea, so I took it out. (I haven't been able to change the water for about three weeks as I have a sprained ankle.)
Here's the template.
Tank
What is the water volume of the tank?
Five gallons
How long has the tank been running?
Four months
Does it have a filter?
Yes
Does it have a heater?
Yes
What is the water temperature?
78 - 79.5
What is the entire stocking of this tank?
Only Bette Midler
Maintenance
How often do you change the water?
Every two-three weeks
How much of the water do you change?
Depends on how long it takes me to vacuum the sand. Usually up to 75%.
What do you use to treat your water?
Prime
Do you vacuum the substrate or just the water?
Vacuum the substrate (gravel so fine it's like sand)
*Parameters - Very Important
Did you cycle your tank before adding fish?
Yes
What do you use to test the water?
API master kit
What are your parameters? We need to know the exact numbers, not just “fine” or “safe”.
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
pH not tested
Feeding
How often do you feed your fish?
Twice daily, occasional fasting for one day
How much do you feed your fish?
Two-four pellets or a bit of bloodworms
What brand of food do you feed your fish?HikarI Betta Bio-Gold and Aqueon Betta Food (both pellets). Don't know the brand of the frozen bloodworms.
Do you feed frozen or freeze-dried foods?
Frozen or pellets, never freeze-dried
Illness & Symptoms
How long have you had this fish?
Six-eight weeks
How long ago did you first notice these symptoms?
About two weeks ago
In a few words, can you explain the symptoms?
She won't eat. She seems to play with her food, but she's not playing, and even though she takes food into her mouth, I think she swallows precious little. She is lethargic, looks and seems weak, her color has dulled, and her stripes are on all the time. She seems skinny--I think she is skinny.
Have you started any treatment for the illness?
No
Was your fish physically ill or injured upon purchase?
No
How has its behavior and appearance changed, if at all?
She's become lethargic and sits all the time. Her color is off and her stripes are on. She's skinny.
Explain your emergency situation in detail.
I think with all I've written, it's all covered.
Thanks for whatever advice you can offer.
For the first few weeks after I got her, she was happy and energetic. She responded to my voice and studied my face. She wiggled and played--and ate well. She loved to eat. I gave her 2-4 pellets twice daily, and she chewed them enthusiastically. Every few days I thawed bloodworms for her. She went nuts for those. I'd put some on the tip of my finger and hold it about a quarter inch off the water. She jumped out to get her worms. Sometimes she grabbed my finger and held on for a little wriggle.
She's become lethargic in the last couple of weeks. She used to have such energy, but now she just sits on the sand or between her coconut and the wall of the tank. She comes up when I open the lid. I drop in a pellet just over her mouth. She ignores it and drifts. I push it over to where she is but she's not interested. If I push it around so much it sinks, sometimes she'll chase it down. She'll grab it and hold it in her mouth for a couple secs, not chewing, then spits it out. Goes and gets it again, spits again. She'll do this until the pellet is on the sand. I try again with a new pellet and get the same result. I doubt she swallows much at all--if anything.
I tried bloodworms. She acted excited at first, but did the same thing: held them in her mouth for a bit, then spit them out.
It's been a couple of weeks of this and I'm worried. She's starting to look pretty peaked, and she's wearing stripes all the time.
I've tested the water several times since she stopped eating, and it's good (numbers below). I got a small piece of mopanI wood to decorate with, but it turned the water the color of tea, so I took it out. (I haven't been able to change the water for about three weeks as I have a sprained ankle.)
Here's the template.
Tank
What is the water volume of the tank?
Five gallons
How long has the tank been running?
Four months
Does it have a filter?
Yes
Does it have a heater?
Yes
What is the water temperature?
78 - 79.5
What is the entire stocking of this tank?
Only Bette Midler
Maintenance
How often do you change the water?
Every two-three weeks
How much of the water do you change?
Depends on how long it takes me to vacuum the sand. Usually up to 75%.
What do you use to treat your water?
Prime
Do you vacuum the substrate or just the water?
Vacuum the substrate (gravel so fine it's like sand)
*Parameters - Very Important
Did you cycle your tank before adding fish?
Yes
What do you use to test the water?
API master kit
What are your parameters? We need to know the exact numbers, not just “fine” or “safe”.
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
pH not tested
Feeding
How often do you feed your fish?
Twice daily, occasional fasting for one day
How much do you feed your fish?
Two-four pellets or a bit of bloodworms
What brand of food do you feed your fish?HikarI Betta Bio-Gold and Aqueon Betta Food (both pellets). Don't know the brand of the frozen bloodworms.
Do you feed frozen or freeze-dried foods?
Frozen or pellets, never freeze-dried
Illness & Symptoms
How long have you had this fish?
Six-eight weeks
How long ago did you first notice these symptoms?
About two weeks ago
In a few words, can you explain the symptoms?
She won't eat. She seems to play with her food, but she's not playing, and even though she takes food into her mouth, I think she swallows precious little. She is lethargic, looks and seems weak, her color has dulled, and her stripes are on all the time. She seems skinny--I think she is skinny.
Have you started any treatment for the illness?
No
Was your fish physically ill or injured upon purchase?
No
How has its behavior and appearance changed, if at all?
She's become lethargic and sits all the time. Her color is off and her stripes are on. She's skinny.
Explain your emergency situation in detail.
I think with all I've written, it's all covered.
Thanks for whatever advice you can offer.
