Sick Betta, lethargic & clamped fins

So I’ve had this betta for nearly a year. I rescued him from Walmart where he was suffering fun rot, I took him home and he’s done great. He’s in a ten gallon tank with mystery snails. For the past couple weeks I’ve noticed he’s been kinda lethargic and his fins have started to become clamped. I’m treating with betta fix as of 4 days ago which seems to be helping. I’m not sure if it’s velvet, ich or just fin rot. His coloring seems to be the same though. I’m not sure what’s going on. Is this the right source of action? Any preventative I can do that won’t hurt snails? Video is him a few months ago .

 

Are you familiar with the nitrogen cycle? What are your water parameters? Temperature? Water change schedule? Does the tank have a filter? If so, do you replace the filter cartridge?

Images are blank and I see no video...

 

Video wouldn’t load so I used blank photos to hopefully draw attention. The last time I checked my perimeters were all in the clear. My tank is cycled or was, it could need to be re-cycled. My tank has a filter I just recently changed it. I don’t do complete water changes. I do gravel vacuum a few times a month atleast once depending on how busy the month is. Which includes partial water changes.

 

Hi, to post videos you first need to upload it somewhere like YouTube then share the link here

 

Are you familiar with the nitrogen cycle? What are your water parameters? Temperature? Water change schedule? Does the tank have a filter? If so, do you replace the filter cartridge?

Images are blank and I see no video...

 

Parameters "all in the clear" isn't quite as useful as telling us what the exact numbers were. Did you get your water checked at a store? If so, the workers often don't know how to interpret the results correctly and end up misinforming the people bringing in water samples. If you did your own testing, please re-test now (water can change drastically in a very short period of time and old tests won't tell you much about current issues) and post the numbers here.

Please don't change your filter media! That is where beneficial nitrifying bacteria live. When you replace your filter media, you re-start your entire cycle. Instead, swish the media in a bucket of tank water and put it back in. It will last a lot longer than you think. Only replace if it gets to the point where the media is physically breaking down (not just dirty), and instead of swapping them out, put the new one in with the old one for a week before throwing out the old one so the bacteria have a chance to colonize the new surface.

I suspect your recent filter media change crashed your old cycle and you are now doing a fish-in cycle. Keep up daily water changes of 50%-75%. Check your water parameters as often as you can (ideally, once a day) to make sure ammonia and nitrite, added together, stay below 1. Ease up on the water changes once the ammonia and nitrite come up zero for multiple tests and there are nitrates present.

What is the temperature of your tank? If it's not heated (or if it is heated but the heater is weak or broken), it is possible that your betta is acting lethargic because it's getting colder heading into winter.

 

I tested myself I don’t remember the exact parameters. But they were all in the safe zone. I changed the filter cartridge (it was overdue) but I have filter media in the filter as well. He began to get better after the new filter and Betta fix. We are on our way to a fast recovery. I’m waiting on my API kit to arrive and then I will be testing. My tank is heated and my temperature sits at about 75* Fahrenheit

Parameters "all in the clear" isn't quite as useful as telling us what the exact numbers were. Did you get your water checked at a store? If so, the workers often don't know how to interpret the results correctly and end up misinforming the people bringing in water samples. If you did your own testing, please re-test now (water can change drastically in a very short period of time and old tests won't tell you much about current issues) and post the numbers here.

Please don't change your filter media! That is where beneficial nitrifying bacteria live. When you replace your filter media, you re-start your entire cycle. Instead, swish the media in a bucket of tank water and put it back in. It will last a lot longer than you think. Only replace if it gets to the point where the media is physically breaking down (not just dirty), and instead of swapping them out, put the new one in with the old one for a week before throwing out the old one so the bacteria have a chance to colonize the new surface.

I suspect your recent filter media change crashed your old cycle and you are now doing a fish-in cycle. Keep up daily water changes of 50%-75%. Check your water parameters as often as you can (ideally, once a day) to make sure ammonia and nitrite, added together, stay below 1. Ease up on the water changes once the ammonia and nitrite come up zero for multiple tests and there are nitrates present.

What is the temperature of your tank? If it's not heated (or if it is heated but the heater is weak or broken), it is possible that your betta is acting lethargic because it's getting colder heading into winter.