Who Gives A Fish Forums

My betta's been super lazy lately, just floating near the surface. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate. Tank's a 5 gallon with a sponge filter, heated to 78F. Feeding him fluval bug bites twice a day. Any ideas what's up?

How often are you doing water changes? Even with good params, buildup can happen. I'd try a 20% change every 3 days for a week, see if that perks him up. Also, check if he's bloated, might need to fast him for a day.

yo, my dude was like that too. turned out the light was too bright, freaked him out. cut the lighting to 6 hours a day, now he's zooming around. maybe try that?

stellar wrote: ↑Tue Aug 26, 2025 5:30 am yo, my dude was like that too. turned out the light was too bright, freaked him out. cut the lighting to 6 hours a day, now he's zooming around. maybe try that?

Lighting's a good point. Bettas can get stressed if it's too intense. Also, warrior1, what's the flow like? Sponge filters are usually gentle, but if it's too strong, they might avoid moving.

mine was chillin' like that when the temp dropped. heater was sketchy, had to replace it. double-check yours is working right, could be a sneaky issue.

lol maybe he's just vibing. my last betta was a couch potato, ate like a king and did nothing. some are just lazy, man.

Thanks for the tips, everyone. Gonna try the water changes and check the heater. Didn't think about the light, I'll adjust that too.

warrior1 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 26, 2025 11:09 am Thanks for the tips, everyone. Gonna try the water changes and check the heater. Didn't think about the light, I'll adjust that too.

Keep us posted. If he's still sluggish after a week, might be worth checking for parasites. Sometimes they're sneaky.

Yeah, parasites can be a pain. I've had good luck with aquarium salt for mild cases, but don't go overboard. 1 tsp per gallon max, and only for a short time.

also, how old is he? older bettas slow down, just like us. might not be anything wrong, just his vibe now.