BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish Sick betta - Old betta

Hi, I am new here. I don't know if I can get much help, but I have a sick betta, Mr. Peoples. One day he was swimming around, greeting me when he saw me, and the next day he is barely making it. I don't know if he is sick, or just old enough to be on his last fins. Mr. Peoples is 3 years old. I don't know a lot about fish, but I looked him over as best I could and could not find anything different looking on his body, any suggestions? I lost my other betta, Charlie a couple of months ago, he was almost 3, got him and Mr. Peoples at the same time.

Hi Kay. Your bettas made it three years - that's wonderful! You are a good betta parent. :love:

I would get some BettaFix, just in case it's something treatable. Follow my lead in my article about treatment for sick betta. Follow the link in my signature below to find this piece.

In the meantime, keep your betta in peaceful, warm conditions, talk to him each day, and hang in there. Everything has it's own season, and you gave him a good life. :angel:

Thanks for the reply, following some of the advice from other posts, I did put a light by his aquarium and a towel around it to warm him up. I checked him this morning and he seems to be doing a little better. I am going to get the medicine you recommend, but I have what is probably a silly question. How much do I feed him while he is sick? I have been giving him just a couple of pieces of betta bites at night, is that about right? Kay

I would feed him a few bites in the morning and a few in the evening. Try to make feedings as regular time-wise as possible. It would also be nice to get a little live food - choped earthworm bits or brine shrimp, tubifex worms. A little live food should be a GREAT pickmeup for a tired old fighter. try you rlocal fish shop or petsmart, and easy does it on the amounts.

Ok, I will look for the live food. Petsmart was out of BettaFix, is MelaFix ok?

MelaFix is a good all-over tonic, so give it a shot. Did you find aqua salt?

But call around to your local fish shops and see if anyone has BettaFix. I think I could make a mint if I sold some in my Fish Addicts Shop, but I have yet to find an affiliate that keeps enough of it in stock! <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

I did get the aqua salt. Haven't had time to look for the live food yet, had to get to work. Mr. Peoples was looking better when I got home from work, but he would not eat anything. He did act glad to see me though. Gave him is first dose of meds, kinda funny, had him 3 years and this is the first time I've every had to buy meds cause it's the first time he's ever acted sick....I must have got some pretty tough little fighters when I got him and Charlie. I will keep you posted on how he is doing.

Hi Kay. I am glad he's looking perkier. Three years is a ripe old age for a betta, so if he isn't sick, the medication won't help. But I don't think it will hurt either, so it's worth a shot. Just don't do a med that requires too many water changes. Water changes = stress.

I have heard some anecdotal stories about bettas living to seven years, so with good care (warm water that doesn't fluctuate in temp, peace and quiet, partial water changes, limited food intake, plus live food supplements) you could have Mr. Peoples around for quite a bit longer. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the input Jill, Mr. Peoples is still holding his own. I will probably not post every day as I work a swing shift (as you can probably tell from my crazy posting hour). I will get back periodically and let you know how things go, and to learn more. I really do like this site.

Thanks so much Kay! :love:

Don't worry about not posting regularly - everyone's got a life outside the Internet - I think! :angel:

Why don't you move your updates on Mr. Peoples over to the Fish Journal thread? That one is now officially just for bettas~