Betta not doing well at all...What happened?

[clockworkgreen]

I've had him for probably 3 weeks now, and I can safely say, I've never seen him eat once. I've tried everything I can think of and seen on this board - flakes, pellets, bloodworms, shrimp, peas, etc. He just won't eat. At least I haven't seen him eat, and the food never goes away until I scoop it out after it being in there for a little while, just to give him some time.

Anyway, now he's not doing good at all. He stays completely still unless there's movement in the tank, like the net or something. Then he'll try to get away, and after that, he goes back to just laying there. Or floating almost straight up. He doesn't have any spots, I've tested the water, all checks out ok. I just don't think this one knows to eat. Or doesn't like my many attempts at food.

I've had fish before, but I've never had a fish that the act of eating was completely lost on. That's my confusion.

He's obviously on his last legs or fins as may have you, just wondering if anyone else has gotten a betta that had a hard time adjusting. He was fine at the beginning, strong swimmer, active, then all of a sudden he just became, well, near death. Any ideas?

I even quarantined him to a different tank for a couple days to see if it's possible something was wrong with his water, but that didn't help. Added some medication stuff, didn't work. I tried. No luck.

 

[420Loach]

ive had the exact same thing happen to one of my bettas. honestly i think hes just lazy...when i first put him in, he swam around the tank, to all four sides, touched all four corners, swam back to the middle and plopped down on a rock and sat there. he didnt eat for a couple of days, so i tried some blood worms. he swam up to the top of the tank, ate them and sat back down on his rock. he never got sick and i had him for three years and hes still going, sitting on his rock...

 

[catfishmike]

yea i've had he same problem.try rubbing his food on a clove of garlic just before feeding him.also i have hand fed my bettas wene the don't eat good i just use a clean eyedropper and frozen bloodworms.stick half of the worm out of the eyedropper and move it to attract the betta.that should work.as for meds try bettamax,i like and use bettamax when my bettas act funny.

 

[clockworkgreen]

It's just weird that he acts almost paralyzed most of the time, then he'll just get spurts in him where he swims around and goes up to the top of the tank and almost looks like he "gets air", but then the other 90-95% of the time, he's just lathargic.

And he wasn't this way 7 days ago. It just started up. Dunno, I'm at a bit of a loss. But I'll try the garlic thing and hand feeding, though like I said, I've never seen him eat at all. So we have to cross that bridge first to get anywhere.

 

[420Loach]

he does get air, bettas are labrynth fish and thats how they breath which is why they can survive with no air pump. mine also only goes up to take a breath and eat.

 

[Leopardess]

as far as his eating, try what catfishmike said. but as for his lethargy, give him some time, his muscles are probably weakened/deteriorated from living in half a cup of water for most of his life...btw, how big is the tank?

 

[Coyote]

Could you tell us more about your set up? (Temp, tank size, etc)

 

[clockworkgreen]

It was a room temp, 2 gallon tank.

I came home from work this afternoon, and he was dead. But thanks for your help guys.

 

[Leopardess]

I'm sorry, clockworkgreen Gotta hate it when that happens. Sometimes you just can't help it. Now he's gone to fishy heaven where he can swim in wide open water