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Betta fish and health issue diagnosis
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2025 1:26 pm
by sharpfin12
My betta's been acting weird lately, kinda lethargic and not eating much. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate. Tank's a 5 gallon with a sponge filter, heated to 78. Any ideas what's up?
Re: Betta fish and health issue diagnosis
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2025 2:53 pm
by FiShyPet
How often do you do water changes? Sometimes a buildup of dissolved organics can mess with them even if the params look fine. I'd try a 30% change and see if that perks them up.
Re: Betta fish and health issue diagnosis
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2025 3:54 pm
by finleyo
yep, same thing happened to mine last month. turned out the heater was sketchy, temp was swinging. check if yours is steady.
Re: Betta fish and health issue diagnosis
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2025 4:31 pm
by deep_tide
FiShyPet wrote: ↑Sun Aug 24, 2025 2:53 pm
How often do you do water changes? Sometimes a buildup of dissolved organics can mess with them even if the params look fine. I'd try a 30% change and see if that perks them up.
That's solid advice. Also, have you added anything new to the tank recently? Plants, decor, or tankmates? Sometimes they stress out over the smallest changes.
Re: Betta fish and health issue diagnosis
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2025 6:20 pm
by JUSTICE
Lethargy and loss of appetite can point to internal parasites. Have you noticed any white stringy poop? If so, might be worth treating with an anti-parasitic med. Also, what's your feeding routine like? Overfeeding can cause issues too.
Re: Betta fish and health issue diagnosis
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2025 8:11 pm
by finleybay
my dude had the same vibe when i was using tap water without conditioner. switched to RO and he chilled out. maybe check your water source?
Re: Betta fish and health issue diagnosis
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2025 9:04 pm
by sharpfin12
JUSTICE wrote: ↑Sun Aug 24, 2025 6:20 pm
Lethargy and loss of appetite can point to internal parasites. Have you noticed any white stringy poop? If so, might be worth treating with an anti-parasitic med. Also, what's your feeding routine like? Overfeeding can cause issues too.
No stringy poop, but I've been feeding pellets twice a day, about 3-4 each time. Could that be too much?
Re: Betta fish and health issue diagnosis
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2025 9:32 pm
by FiShyPet
Yeah, that might be overdoing it. Bettas have tiny stomachs, about the size of their eye. Try cutting back to 2 pellets twice a day and see if that helps. Also, fasting them one day a week can prevent bloating.
Re: Betta fish and health issue diagnosis
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2025 11:22 pm
by deep_tide
finleybay wrote: ↑Sun Aug 24, 2025 8:11 pm
my dude had the same vibe when i was using tap water without conditioner. switched to RO and he chilled out. maybe check your water source?
Good point. Even with conditioner, some tap water has high chloramine or heavy metals. A water test for those might be worth it if the other fixes don't work.
Re: Betta fish and health issue diagnosis
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2025 11:59 pm
by JUSTICE
sharpfin12 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 24, 2025 9:04 pm
JUSTICE wrote: ↑Sun Aug 24, 2025 6:20 pm
Lethargy and loss of appetite can point to internal parasites. Have you noticed any white stringy poop? If so, might be worth treating with an anti-parasitic med. Also, what's your feeding routine like? Overfeeding can cause issues too.
No stringy poop, but I've been feeding pellets twice a day, about 3-4 each time. Could that be too much?
Definitely too much. Overfeeding can lead to constipation, which can cause lethargy. Try fasting for a couple days, then switch to smaller portions. You can also add a bit of daphnia as a laxative.