BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish Fish Journal - BETTAS ONLY

Don't feed him for few days BG...he'll be fine, don't worry..it will do him good actually.

Hi gals!! I am in big trouble! I have had my betta Azreal for about 3 months now and have never had a problem with him until now. I have noticed that he has been rubbing himself against the rocks at the bottom of his tank and lulling over onto his side!! I do not know what is wrong with him as he is my very first betta!! I could really use some help to know what I can do for him!! Please help!!

Thanks! Amber

So I went to the store to buy a tank so I have somewhere to keep my little guy when I'm cleaning his home, and a gravel vaccuum, when I notice WalMart had a new shipment of bettas!!
I couldn't resist looking at them all, and what do you know, I fell in love with yet another!!

I sat in the aisle contemplating whether or not to take him home with me, finally caving in! He's a beautiful blue, happy little guy!!

So I picked up the vaccuum, a nice aquarium for cleaning, a smaller one for cleaning (since I have two now <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> yikes!! my mom thinks I'm crazy) a pretty yellow plant to give to my red fish so I can see him better, and some bloodworms!!!!!! YAY <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> I hope they like them!!

Well I have to go set up their homes and think of names!! I can't have fishie 1 and fishie 2 :| Mind you, Red Fish, Blue Fish seems cute... Too bad Dr Seuss isn't Disney <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />


Can you tell I'm excited? <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Also picked up two small pots for them to use as caves <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Ok!! Now I am getting really scared!! I am sitting here watching Azreal and he just went to the surface and layed over on his side, just floating there! He was fine before I had to change his water and he started doing this when I put him back this afternoon after I got home from work! He will lay down on the bottom of the tank, leaning against the plant roots for about 30 seconds to 45 seconds and then shoot to the surface, float for about 10 seconds and then fall to the bottom again and do it all over again!!

I am afraid he is going to die right here in front of me!!
-is devistated, loves her betta- <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Can anyone please tell me what is going to happen and if I can save him? <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Is there anything else you've noticed? Any change in his eating or fins or scales? Rubbing himself on rocks etc. to me means that he is irritated. My first betta did that when he was sick. Yikes, I know how awful it is to sit there watching them not knowing what to do. Hopefully someone else will come along to tell you what the problem is Isaac. Keep checking back. I hope Azreal is ok. Sorry I don't know much. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Congratulations on your new baby Mashi, sounds like you're hooked now too! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

He is eating just the same as he has been, and there does not seem to be any growths that I can see, nor any fungus and like I said, it happened right after I put him back in his tank. But he just seems really weak, like his is fighting for breath and like I said, this is my very first betta so I feel so helpless cause I don't know what to look for! What is normal and what isn't! but I know that rubbing himself on the rocks and laying on the bottom like that is deffinitly not normal.

He has never acted like this before and I am just terrified to leave his side in fear he will die right here in front of me and I just want to cry! I love Azreal more than anything and I just don't want to see him die when I know I did something wrong and it is my fault.

It sounds like you are a very goos betta Mom Isaac, don't feel bad about that. Sometimes even experienced betta owners have fish that get sick for no apparent reason. This is obvious, but did you add the water conditioner/stresscoat when you put him back in the tank?

-in tears- yes I did. I added it and made sure that there was enough there for when I put him back and about five minutes later is when he started acting like this. I tried so hard and it is breaking my heart to watch him suffering.

I'm so sorry, I know how helpless you feel. Our first betta had really bad fungus and I had no clue what to do. He was a gift for my son which made it harder. I have to go now, but hang in there, one of the hopefully will pop in.