The Puffer Forum

Hi all,
PH - 6 Ammonia - 0 Nitrite - 0 Nitrate - 20

My poor male Betta Lucifer is poorly! It started with his fins, they aren't ragged but more clamped up, and now he hangs listlessley at the top of the tank on his side, he looks dead I think it may be a swimbladder infection. Ive been treaing him with Melafix, but today is day 7 and he hasnt improved. He still eats but he looks so sick. I dont know what to do or what to use to treat him any ideas? I dont want him to suffer but I dnt want to euthanise him while he is still eating and there may be a chance he could pull through....

Please help! I hate to see him look so sad

That pH is extremely acid! What is the pH of your tap water? How big is his tank? How old is he?

re tested the PH to be sure, must have mis read its actually 6.5. the tap water is 5.5. Im unsure how old he is, Ive had him for about 1 month and he is in a 96 litre with some cory cats, the tank has been running for about 2 years.

He could have swimblader infection if he's laying on his side. Every time one of my male bettas builds a bubble nest, his stomach gets realy big and he does what your's does.

You need to talk to your water supplier. I don't think your water is fit for human consumption!

Really?? well I feel fine lol! but my poor betta obviouly doesn't.....any treatment ideas?

Find a better water source. I'd start doing WC with 1/2 RO water & 1/2 tap, for starters.

Pufferpunk wrote:You need to talk to your water supplier. I don't think your water is fit for human consumption!

Uhm...It depends where its from my filtered water from the fridge is 6.6 and my tap water is 7.0
What does the betta look like?any pics?

The pH shouldn't be that low. I'm surprised the water suppliers allow it to be that low, as it will affect the flocculation stage of their treatment, and lead could be dissolving into your water from the pipes. Definitely sounds odd. Is it always that low?

Stop treating him with Melafix immediately! Melafix will make labyrinth fish lethargic and sickly! It messes with the labryinth organ and makes it very hard for them to breathe.

I now do remember reading that somewhere.

If the only symptom before using melafix was clamped fins, which is how I understand it, then removing all Melafix from the water should probably help, although it's hard to know how much damage it's done already...
mysifier, what else was there before treatment besides clamped fins? If he's still eating I wouldn't resort to euthanasia. Was there any bloating, pineconing, lethargia, etc?

here are some piccies to show what his fins are like....
Before

After

The pics r terrible I know! But you can see the difference in his fins.
Ive added carbon to the filter and am about to do a water change to get rid of the Melafix. I can't believe it's bad for him I never heard that before, everybody raves about the stuff. Now I feel terrible. is that why he floats or do u think he has something wrong with his swimbladder? he can swim but not very well and seems to struggle swimming down. I read that constipation is common in bettas and this can affect the swimbladder....but that doesnt explain the fins...
Ahhhhh help!!!

Try a teaspoon of salt or a tbsp/10g.

If you're concerned about constipation, feed him some bits of shelled peas or daphnia.
Is he biting his fins, or are they disintegrating?