Poorly Siamese fighting beta

Maevin · Mar 6, 2021

Hi,
I have a Siamese fighting beta called Steve. 4 days ago his behaviour changed, he usually swims around the tank and seemingly plays with the other fish but now he’s very lethargic and is lying on the bottom of the tank only moving to the surface to get air. When he does this he struggles to swim up to the top and sinks back down rather than swimming down. He has no interest in food and we haven’t seen him eat for 3 days. He’s in a 7.7 gallon (35 litre) tank with 5 of his babies, he’s been with these babies since they were born which varies between 2-3 months. His tank is fully planted and has a marina i25 filter. The water is crystal clear and has never been an issue. He recently swallowed a whole algae pellet which we thought might have caused this but googling it suggested not. We don’t know what medicine to give him as he has no aesthetic symptoms, no colour change, no bulging, his fins are normal etc. We’ve done a part water change in case there was too much food in the water or a ammonia spike but this hasn’t changed his behaviour. We can’t believe this is the end of the road for him as we’ve only had him for just over a year, however he as bought from a large pet shop, but we still figured he has at least another year of life left. We are at a loss of how to help him and we don’t want to give him medication that he doesn’t need as it might kill the shrimp/babies in the tank. Please give any and all advice TIA, two very worried fish parents

Fred2482 · Mar 6, 2021

Welcome! Is there enough oxygen in the tank?

MERKEY · Mar 6, 2021

Hello and welcome to R2R lots of helpful people here!

+1 to oxygen

Clownshow · Mar 6, 2021

Maevin said:
Hi,
I have a Siamese fighting beta called Steve. 4 days ago his behaviour changed, he usually swims around the tank and seemingly plays with the other fish but now he’s very lethargic and is lying on the bottom of the tank only moving to the surface to get air. When he does this he struggles to swim up to the top and sinks back down rather than swimming down. He has no interest in food and we haven’t seen him eat for 3 days. He’s in a 7.7 gallon (35 litre) tank with 5 of his babies, he’s been with these babies since they were born which varies between 2-3 months. His tank is fully planted and has a marina i25 filter. The water is crystal clear and has never been an issue. He recently swallowed a whole algae pellet which we thought might have caused this but googling it suggested not. We don’t know what medicine to give him as he has no aesthetic symptoms, no colour change, no bulging, his fins are normal etc. We’ve done a part water change in case there was too much food in the water or a ammonia spike but this hasn’t changed his behaviour. We can’t believe this is the end of the road for him as we’ve only had him for just over a year, however he as bought from a large pet shop, but we still figured he has at least another year of life left. We are at a loss of how to help him and we don’t want to give him medication that he doesn’t need as it might kill the shrimp/babies in the tank. Please give any and all advice TIA, two very worried fish parents

Can you list the parameters?

Peace River · Mar 6, 2021

Welcome to R2R! I have kept and bred Bettas in the past and I have noticed that buoyancy can sometimes be an issue. I don’t have a solution to offer other than lowering the water level to provide a chance for recovery.

fishguy242 · Mar 6, 2021

@Jay Hemdal @vetteguy53081 ?

fishguy242 · Mar 6, 2021

hi welcome to the reef going to love it here!!
lots of fun/info/fun/help/fun....

WIReefer · Mar 6, 2021

Welcome to R2R!!!

Jay Hemdal · Mar 6, 2021

Betta are labyrinth fishes, so the dissolved oxygen in the water is on no real consequence, as they are capable, and actually prefer, to breath from the surface through their modified swim bladder.

Betta are not very long-lived, and if they were sold as an adult, a year in captivity may put them at close to old age.

I agree with @Peace River - you describe a fish that is struggling to get to the surface to breath. Lowering the water level will make that easier for it. You might be able to hang a net basket on the side of the tank to get it in a position that it doesn't have to rise so far to get air. That won't cure it of course, but it will help with that symptom.

You mention having babies - was there a female in the tank with it? Is that fish still there?

Can you post a picture of Steve?

Jay

Jimbhoy13 · Mar 6, 2021

Welcome to R2R. Sorry to hear about Steve. Hope he pulls through. Lots of knowledgeable and helpful people here who will support and advise you when needed.

vetteguy53081 · Mar 6, 2021

Clownshow said:
Can you list the parameters?

Parameters ??

vetteguy53081 · Mar 6, 2021

As a fish that are generally raised in rice patties, they require a ph of around 7.0 (acidic). Did you add water that may have been more alkaline ? They generally live 2-3 years and it may be approaching its captive lifespan (up to 5 yrs in the wild).
Good water quality is essential for any aquarium and I assume you use a quality liquid water conditioner to remove chlorine and chloramine from tap water before adding it to your tank ?
I would test the water source you are using for its' tank and see if it is alkaline, high on chloramines and if any traces of nitrate.
It is normal for some Siamese fighting fish to ‘hang out’ or rest in one area or for a while, with some fish being more active than others. However, a healthy fish is always responsive, moderately active and inquisitive. Any fish which is constantly hiding or appearing lethargic and unresponsive to its owners is likely to be stressed or suffering illness

vetteguy53081 · Mar 6, 2021

OlderManSea · Mar 6, 2021

I raised Bettas for years. They tend to live 1.5 to 2.5 years (once in a while longer). He may just be at the end of his time. I actually recently had a very elderly breeder female that was nearly 3 years old when she died. Is it possible that the tank water is cold given that this is a cold time of year (sounds more like old age though). They do best at 80-84 degrees or so - but you likely have nice warm temperatures since he has spawned sucessfully. Try some live blood worms or live adult brine shrimp from your LFS. If he does not go after those, he is probably just old.

lstmysock11 · Mar 6, 2021

One thing a 7 gallon tank for a betta is a bit small. I keep a couple catfish and a female Better in a 20 gallon long with live plants. Betta's really need places to hide and the plants help control nitrates as well as giving hiding places.

vetteguy53081 · Mar 6, 2021

lstmysock11 said:
One thing a 7 gallon tank for a betta is a bit small. I keep a couple catfish and a female Better in a 20 gallon long with live plants. Betta's really need places to hide and the plants help control nitrates as well as giving hiding places.

For a single betta, even 5 gallons is adequate. For males and females in the same tank which territory issues may occur- 10 gallon would be good. larger tank will reduce chances of aggression and/or stress between the species though.