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Betta fish and health recovery tips
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2025 12:01 pm
by Hawaiiano
My betta's been acting sluggish lately, fins clamped most of the day. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate, temp at 78. Tank's a 5 gallon with a sponge filter, no tankmates. Been feeding him fluval bug bites twice a day. Any ideas what's up?
Re: Betta fish and health recovery tips
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2025 1:11 pm
by Aurorix
Sounds like stress or maybe early signs of fin rot. How often you doing water changes? Even with good params, buildup can mess with them. I'd bump temp to 80, add some indian almond leaves if you got 'em. Also, cut feeding to once a day for a bit, see if he perks up.
Re: Betta fish and health recovery tips
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2025 2:51 pm
by lightrun
Hawaiiano wrote: ↑Mon Aug 18, 2025 12:01 pm
My betta's been acting sluggish lately, fins clamped most of the day. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate, temp at 78. Tank's a 5 gallon with a sponge filter, no tankmates. Been feeding him fluval bug bites twice a day. Any ideas what's up?
Clamped fins plus sluggishness could be bacterial. I'd do a 30% water change, add aquarium salt (1 tsp per gallon), and monitor. If no improvement in 3 days, consider erythromycin. Also, check for any sharp decor—sometimes they get microtears we miss.
Re: Betta fish and health recovery tips
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2025 2:56 pm
by noviceguy
My fish did this last month! Turned out the filter flow was too strong. I stuffed extra sponge in the output, and he chilled out in a day. Maybe try that?
Re: Betta fish and health recovery tips
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2025 4:03 pm
by willno
Yep, flow's a sneaky culprit. Also, how old's the guy? Older bettas just vibe slower sometimes. If he's over 2, might just be age. But def tweak the flow first, that's free and easy.
Re: Betta fish and health recovery tips
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2025 4:30 pm
by talonix
Aurorix wrote: ↑Mon Aug 18, 2025 1:11 pm
Sounds like stress or maybe early signs of fin rot. How often you doing water changes? Even with good params, buildup can mess with them. I'd bump temp to 80, add some indian almond leaves if you got 'em. Also, cut feeding to once a day for a bit, see if he perks up.
Seconding the almond leaves—tannins help a ton. If you don't have leaves, rooibos tea (unsweetened, obviously) works in a pinch. Steep a bag in tank water, then add the cooled tea. Just don't overdo it, water shouldn't look like coffee.
Re: Betta fish and health recovery tips
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2025 5:16 pm
by Hawaiiano
Thanks for the tips, gonna try the flow tweak and almond leaves. Forgot to mention, he's about 1.5 years old. I'll update in a few days.
Re: Betta fish and health recovery tips
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2025 6:11 pm
by Wildboy
Had a similar scare last winter. Turned out my heater was sketchy, temp swings were stressing him. Grabbed a new one with a guard, problem solved. Maybe double-check your heater's consistency?
Re: Betta fish and health recovery tips
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2025 7:52 pm
by kodex1
If all else fails, fasting for a day or two can help reset their system. Sometimes they just overeat and feel blah, like us after Thanksgiving. Keep us posted!
Re: Betta fish and health recovery tips
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2025 8:29 pm
by dunka
Lol @ the Thanksgiving comparison. But yeah, my dude gets like that if I overfeed bloodworms. Now I stick to pellets mostly, with worms as a treat. Less messy too.