Betta fish and lethargy causes

[Auric12]

My betta's been super lazy lately, just floating near the top. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5 nitrate. Tank's a 5 gallon with a sponge filter, heated to 78F. Any ideas what's up?

[sSjey]

Lethargy can stem from a few things. First, check if they're eating. If they're refusing food, it could be internal parasites. Also, how old's the fish? Older bettas slow down naturally. Lastly, any recent tank changes, like new decor or water conditioner?

[kaylornix]

Mine did that once, turned out the heater was sketchy and temps were swinging. Maybe double-check your heater's consistency? Also, what's the lighting like? Too much light can stress them out.

[bloom4]

Lethargy can stem from a few things. First, check if they're eating. If they're refusing food, it could be internal parasites. Also, how old's the fish? Older bettas slow down naturally. Lastly, any recent tank changes, like new decor or water conditioner?

Adding to this, have you tried fasting for a day or two? Sometimes overfeeding messes with their digestion.

[Jazzie]

Mine got lazy when I added a new plant. Turns out it was leaching something weird. Maybe test for contaminants if you've added anything new?

[breezin]

Yo, my fish did the same thing last week. I did a 50% water change and added some aquarium salt, and he perked right up. Maybe try that?

[Vigor7]

How often you doing water changes? If it's less than once a week, buildup could be the issue. Also, what's the flow like? Too strong and they get tired fighting it.

[darkness]

Yo, my fish did the same thing last week. I did a 50% water change and added some aquarium salt, and he perked right up. Maybe try that?

Salt's a band-aid, not a fix. If it's a water quality issue, you gotta find the root cause. Otherwise, you're just masking it.

[briarx]

Mine was like that when I had a bacterial bloom. Cloudy water, lazy fish. Fixed it by reducing light and adding more filtration.

[Auric12]

Thanks for the tips, everyone. Gonna check the heater and try a water change with salt. He's about a year old, so hopefully not age-related.