Who Gives A Fish Forums

My betta's been acting weird lately, like he's got no energy. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5 nitrate. Tank's a 5 gallon with a sponge filter, heated to 78. What's gonna fix this?

If your params are solid, it might be something else. How often do you do water changes? Bettas can get sluggish if the water's stale, even with good numbers. Also, check for fin clamping or odd swimming patterns.

Yo, my dude had the same vibe last month. Turned out it was the tap water conditioner I was using. Switched to Seachem Prime and he perked up in like two days. Maybe your conditioner's sketchy?

Water quality is often the culprit, but don't overlook diet. What are you feeding? Low-quality food can cause lethargy. Try switching to frozen or live foods for a week to see if there's improvement.

DuskRaven7 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 12, 2025 1:58 am Yo, my dude had the same vibe last month. Turned out it was the tap water conditioner I was using. Switched to Seachem Prime and he perked up in like two days. Maybe your conditioner's sketchy?

Haha, classic betta drama. But yeah, Prime's the GOAT. Also, herbson, how old's your fish? Older bettas just kinda chill more.

Thanks for the tips, y'all. I do weekly 25% changes, feed him Hikari pellets. He's about a year old. Gonna try switching to Prime and see if that helps.

Aight, so if it's not the water or food, maybe check your filter flow. Bettas hate strong currents. My guy was stressed till I baffled the output with a sponge. Now he's living his best life.

Lethargy can also stem from internal parasites. Have you noticed any white stringy poop? If so, a round of API General Cure might be worth considering. Always quarantine new plants or tankmates to avoid introducing nasties.

My betta was like that when I had the light on too long. Cut it back to 6 hours and added some floating plants for shade. Dude's way more active now. Maybe yours is just overstimulated?

seaMate wrote: ↑Tue Aug 12, 2025 6:55 am My betta was like that when I had the light on too long. Cut it back to 6 hours and added some floating plants for shade. Dude's way more active now. Maybe yours is just overstimulated?

Big facts. Bettas are low-key drama queens about light. Also, herbson, what's your substrate? Sharp gravel can mess with their delicate bellies.