General Aquaria Discussion • URGENT HELP: PERFECTLY HEALTHY BETTA SEEMS TO BE DYING

[KILLERROBOT73]

My betta lives in a 10 gallon tank with 1 Sword tail and 5 Rummy nose. I do 50% water changes bi-weekly and last one was 1 week ago. I know that the parameters are perfectly fine. One day he got himself stuck in the space between the back of the tank and my heater. I got him out and he was pretty pale. (Hes a vibrant dark blue). He wont accept food now (I gave him some freeze dried blood worms his favorite and he wouldn't take it out of my hand or just from the water column) He's been a little bloated recently but I thought nothing of it. He is no longer swimming around too much and prefers to rest on my substrate in the shade of a plant. Thanks in advance!

-Billy

[DJRansome]

How many days ago did this happen? Being stuck?

The test results for ammonia and nitrite are zero and nitrate is < 20ppm?

[KILLERROBOT73]

How many days ago did this happen? Being stuck?

The test results for ammonia and nitrite are zero and nitrate is < 20ppm?

Hes been a little bloated for a month or two now. he got stuck a day ago when i noticed as i hadn't seen him in a day (So he was stuck for a dAy) and zero zero 5. My pH is less than 6 and I've been keeping good with water changes idk what to do to raise that to safe lvls and keep it there. Crushed coarl? i guess i have super soft water.

[DJRansome]

IDK what pH is good for bettas so that could be fine. Do don't want to change it now.

What happened a month or two ago when he became bloated? Was he eating up until the day he was stuck?

[KILLERROBOT73]

He's never denied food his entire life, he ate the day I put him in the tank (last August) to right now

[DJRansome]

Seems getting stuck gave him a shock. I think there is a good chance he will recover on his own, but if not I don't know of anything you can do to make him better.

Maybe someone else will chime in.

What happened to cause him to become bloated?

[KILLERROBOT73]

No clue he just is bloated, I was worried it was dropsy but I have no clue. Should I add some salt (just a light dose 1 tbsp to 3 gallons)? Do u think that might help out any infections he may have or will it stress him out more? I know this is a chichlid fourum so I’m sorry for being annoying about a betta and thanks so much for your help! (Btw any cures for bloating in case it isn’t dropsy?)

[DJRansome]

Is he better today, the same or worse?

As you mention, I would know what to do for a cichlid, but not a betta. I would not add salt or meds if you don't know what illness he has.

[KILLERROBOT73]

Sorry I can’t see the tank today as I’m at my dads but I’ll text my mom!

[KILLERROBOT73]

Update, the betta died I'm thinking of tearing down that tank and switching to more aggro fish any ideas?

[DJRansome]

Sorry for your loss. Will you be keeping the rummy nose and/or the swordtail? From my research either would need a bigger tank than a 10G.

With a PH of 6 you don't want African cichlids.

[KILLERROBOT73]

I'm gonna emd up moving them to a 20 soon, I'm just gonna have to get some crushed coarl bc I'm 7.4 out of the tap. Just sorta a question about a different tank. It's a 90 with a giant sump that used to be saltwaer. I have a spare fluval 404 (100 gal it's rated) and a aqueon 50 hob filter. At what point does the cost exceeded the benefits for say a tank with peacocks that's relatively highly stocked ?

[DJRansome]

A 90G would be good for peacocks. I would not pay more than $90 for it and only that much if there are no scratches. This size is good for 12 individuals.

[KILLERROBOT73]

Yeah, I already have the 90. I'm just wondering at what point does filtration ease maitnecnce and the cost of running the filters catch up? I'm gonna be loading the sump with bioballs that I have lying around and I'm thinking of using the fluval 404 mainly for carbon and mechanical filtration.

[DJRansome]

If you want minimum filtration and don't mind debris accumulating on the substrate (for you to vacuum weekly) you can get away with 4X GPH.

I like between 8X and 10X GPH.