BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish HELP FISHY IS ACTING REALLY WEIRD!!!!!

Ok, so I've had Alpha (he's a betta) since september. And He's always seemed happy and healthy until recently. He's in 1/2 gallon bowl that I got with a betta kit (I know it's small, but I'm waiting til I go home before I try and get something bigger, just for transportation reasons). I change his water with tap water. Before a was using a bowl condition that came with his bowl, but when that ran out at Christmas and I couldn't buy more in the pet store near me I started using Stress Coat in his water instead. I feed him sometimes pellets and sometimes flakes (he wouldn't eat the pellets when I first got them, but eats them now) but I will be honest, my feeding schedual is a little erratic because I get busy with school and sometimes forget. Also I try to keep the water at least 75. Its hard because my res room gets stuffy so I like to keep the window open, I keep a light on him during the day, but at night the temperature drops some. I tried using the little light the goes on top of his bowl (the bowl has a lid) at night, but if thats the only light on, he flares up and starts defending, I guess he sees a reflection or something...

ANYWAY, after all the back ground... I THINK ALPHA IS SICK!!!!!!

A few days ago his belly was looking a little bloated, so I fasted him for a little while and changed his water, and he was fine again in a day or two. I was worried that maybe it was his pellets constipating him, but I couldn't find his flake food so I just only fed him one for a few nights (and because of a midterm and 2 labs I think I also forgot a night or two) and now his stomache is looking slightly bloated again. I don't think I'm over feeding because I seriously don't think I'm even feeding enough, but when I give him more than one pellet he seems bloated again. Anyway today he seems to be not swimming around as much and kinda just sitting on the bottom, but occassionly he seems to freak out and go crazy, and digg at the bottom and swim funny. I cam back from lunch, and he was sitting there, so I tapped on the side to make sure he was still alive and he went nuts swimming all around the bowl and kinda spinning as he did and looking really frantic. I'm worried. When I told my friend, she said that thats what her betta did before he died... I DON'T WANT ALPHA TO DIE!!!!! I tried putting a bit of a pea in just in case it's constipation, but so far he hasn't touched it, and I don't know what else to do. Right now I've got a lamp near him to heat up the water a little more. The only medication I have on hand is Betta Fix, but I don't know if I should add that. I also have the stress coat I use in his water, and a tablet that another friend bought when her fish had fin rot and gave me in case mine ever got it, but I'm not sure what it is... all I know is the dosage to use it...

I'm a university student who currently doesn't have a lot of money to spend on expensive fish stuff (actually at the moment really don't have much money at all) and have alot of end of semester project and exams that I'm studying for and stuff, so I don't have a lot of time to babysit him, I'm trying to today while I'm just studying in my room, but I don't know what to do.

PLEASE HELP

Ok, no one has replied yet, but I do want to note that it's been about an hour since I got back from lunch now and Alpha seems to be swimming around a little more. His water is now at 76 which is up about 6 degrees from what it was this morning at about 9 (it's now 2, so thats about 5ish hours ago) and I've also noted that in the last half hour he did poo too, so maybe it was just constipation. He still looks kinda bloated though. I took a couple pictures, but its hard to see it in them:

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Hi, How often do you change the water? In a 1/2 gallon tank - you need to do a complete water change every 2 days. Also, did you say that you put something in the water to take the chlorine out? Also, if you are using tap water, please give a call to your local water department and ask if they also put chloramine in the water (usually done in the winter.) If the water department also puts chloramine in the water, you have to use a product from the pet store that says on the label that it not only takes chlorine out of the tap water, but also chloramine. If your local tap water just has chlorine in it and not chloramine, then you can just keep a couple of buckets of tap water set aside for 3 days and the chlorine will evaporate out and then you can safely use the water to change Alpha's tank water and clean his tank and decorations.

Betta fish don't like drafts and 75 degrees is a little cold for him. If he's sick, a little warmer water temperature is useful - like about 78 -80 degrees fahrenheit - while he's getting well. He's a tropical fish so they like warmer water.

Sometimes if they are constipated from freeze-dried food, feeding them live food is useful. They have this at Petsmart and petco - which pet store is near you? It's very inexpensive. They like worms - which seems gross - but well to them it seems delicious. Can you study in your room so you can babysit him? How is he doing? Can you send a picture and post it in the forum? It's so great that you knew about the pea - He does need a regular feeding schedule, though. Please give us an update - I sincerely hope the dear little guy is o.k.

Wow! These photos of Alpha are awesome! I don't know what he looked like before, so it's hard to say for sure, but in these photos he doesn't look bloated to me. If you think he is compared to how he looked before, though - I'd say he must be. But, if, like you said, you are very busy at school (good job!) maybe you just haven't noticed that he has gotten bigger. They can grow quite fast sometimes. I'd say as soon as possible for you - Alpha needs a bigger tank because he is bigger than when you purchased him at the pet store. Seriously, though - what kind of camera did you take these photos with? It can be tricky photographing fish sometimes, but these photos are clear close-ups. Alpha is a very handsome little guy! Beautiful! I hereby give you the unofficial prize of the month for the most beautiful Betta fish photography! Wowza!!!

Wow! These photos of Alpha are awesome! I don't know what he looked like before, so it's hard to say for sure, but in these photos he doesn't look bloated to me. If you think he is compared to how he looked before, though - I'd say he must be. But, if, like you said, you are very busy at school (good job!) maybe you just haven't noticed that he has gotten bigger. They can grow quite fast sometimes. I'd say as soon as possible for you - Alpha needs a bigger tank because he is bigger than when you purchased him at the pet store. Seriously, though - what kind of camera did you take these photos with? It can be tricky photographing fish sometimes, but these photos are clear close-ups. Alpha is a very handsome little guy! Beautiful! I hereby give you the unofficial prize of the month for the most beautiful Betta fish photography! Wowza!!!

It does look like he might have a little bit of fin rot, though. You can just give him some Betta Fix Remedy for that, though. It's inexpensive and they have it at PetsMart and Petco and other aquarium and pet stores in the fish section. It's natural and Betta fish like it and it's not a drastic kind of medicine like some of the other ones you see in the pet store. It helps heal up fins pretty quickly usually. You do need to follow the directions on the bottle, though- which will take consistency on your part. Have you thought of keeping a fishy journal for Alpha? Or even a large calendar just for Alpha so you can keep track of when you feed him, change his water, and give him medicine, etc.? This is a helpful organization and time management tool that many of us use.

Thanks for all the help... but unfortunatly, my fish to not longer be moving :'( . . . He really seemed to be doing better, but he didn't eat his flakes this morning, and when I came back tonight, he wasn't swimming around anymore but sitting behind his shells not moving. I tapped the glass but he didn't respond, so then I nudged him with the thermomter... ya... poor Alpha...

Thanks for likeing my photos, I took them with a digital SLR.

Mary, I'm new to the betta family. what does the pea do for them?

Peas seem to have a laxative effect on fish who are constipated and having digestive problems.