Is my beta fish sick?

Question

My beta fish hasnt been acting right for the past week. He isnt eating and swimming around like usual. Also today he has a long yellow/green string of something coming from right underneath his chin. I think my water is too cold. I will be putting a lamp over him to see if that helps. But what about that stuff coming out of him?

Answer 1

I really, really need for you to describe this yellow/green string a little bit better for me. How long was it? How big around? If it is still there, look close and see where it is attached or if it is coming out of his gills. Add as much info as you can to this post or message it to me, either way I'll get back to you. There is no way to know if it is a problem or not and what to do about it without more info.

The lack of eating and swimming could well be from a cool temperature and will be fine when you warm him up a bit.

MM

Answer 2

Bettas (pronounced bet-tah, not bay-tah) are "tropical" fish from southeast Asia and need temps in the range of 76-82 degrees. Keeping them at anything less than that causes stress and the stress will compromise their immune system. With a malfuntioning immune system, eventually, they die...

A "lamp" will not do any good. Even if you leave it on all the time, it will not regulate the temperature, all it will do is help the algae to grow. Your fish needs at least a 5 gallon tank with a filter and a heater to keep him healthy.

You say this string is "underneath his chin", does this mean just below his eyes or further back. If it is further back, it is probably feces. The color suggests that he is not getting the proper food.

Bettas are carnivores in the wild and need food with high protein (45-50%). The best food I have found is BettaMin by Tetra. It comes in a small yellow can and is 48% protein. It should be supplemented with small portions of frozen brine shrimp and bloodworms. Feed only once a day and siphon out any food remaining on the bottom after about 10 minutes. The feces should then be dark and brown or reddish and thick and short.

A couple of these answers suggest that he is constipated.... I don't know how that could be possible if the string of feces is as long as you say. It is pretty obvious to me that if he is having a bowel movement, he is "not" constipated!

Bettas can live for up to 7 years if cared for properly. Many people "brag" about having a betta that lived for "3 years." My response to that is, he only died 4 years early and not 5 or 6?

I hope you are doing regular (weekly) partial (25-30%) water changes for your fish. Partial water changes, to remove ammonia, nitrites and nitrates, are the most important thing you can do to keep your fish healthy and happy (aside from the proper temperature).

Good luck. Email me if you have more questions. Be sure to enter your address "twice" in the Yahoo site so you can be replied to....

I have two exceptional "crowntail" males right now (one red, one blue) that are waiting to find out if I can locate a crowntail female to help one of them make little bettas.

Answer 3

Buy a heater and a slightly larger tank, like 5 gallons (since a bowl is really too small for a heater.). Warming him up to 75-82F will help him no matter what's wrong with him.

It does sound like constipation, although green sounds odd. Maybe he was eating algae in his bowl? He will be bloated or slightly rounded in the stomach area if he is constipated. If it's not coming from his rear end, but actually from the chin like you said, I don't know what to say...

Answer 4

He could just be getting up there in years. I have one too and I also got him from Wally World, but I read that their life expectancies are only about 2-3 years. Once you buy them in the store they are usually a little older so that their tails get developed properly and are more appealing to buy. But I say just keep doing what you are doing cause obviously you did something right if you have already had him for 2 years now. Hope that helped!

Answer 5

How old is your fish? The betta's life span is only 2-3 years.

• sometimes fish just act like that....as for the string coming from it's chin, I don't know what that could be.

•As for the water, unless it is super cold bettas can handle pretty cool temps. Although, warming the water couldn't hurt.

Answer 6

I would raise the temp in his bowl and perhaps add a touch of aquarium salt. But a trip to your fish store is in order. There are illness that can attack a fish that you will need medication for. It is rarely an expensive thing, but of course you want to address it quickly.

Answer 7

Find out what the long green thing is. It sounds like you may have a worm. If
How old is your fish, if he is more than a year and 1/2 old he is nearing the end.
Anyway if you find out it is a worm they sell medications of pet shop that will get rid of them.
Good luck
Eric.

Answer 8

sounds like he might be constipated and that stuff could be poop. their little betta butts are inbetween the bottom fin or anal fin and the longer front bottom fins called ventral fins. they aren't way in the back like on other fish. try feeding him some frozen daphnea if hes not eating -- he should eat that and it will help his constipation too.

Answer 9

i had a beta fish well2 but they died one acted like that like 2 weeks befor it died but that mite be where it poops because my new fish poops from its chin but i honestly dont know

ps. try going to ask.com and just ask that quetion it might help
:)