My Fighter is acting very different???

Question

I have had a fighter fish for about 9 months now.
Latley he is acting very sad, and i don't really know what to do with him.
He is not moving very much and no longer will follow my finger on the outside of the tank.
He floates on the top of the bowl at the side of the tank,and just looks still.
Every now and then he lyes on the bottom.
He looks a little bloated i think and his head looks blacker than normal.
Sometimes he has a birst of energy and swimes around fine.
His tail looks a little ratty but i think that is the type of fighter he is it has been like this always.
He still eats fine but sometimes floates onto his side but not for long.
Does anyone know what may be wrong with him and how i make him better.

Answer 1

He probably doesn't like living in the bowl that much. They should have warm water (76-80o) and you an't put a heater in a bowl. A small filter is a good idea for them as well.

The tail, not being very active, and floating on his side shows his water quality isn't as good as it should be. He should be getting the water in his bowl changed every 2-3 days. And you may have been overfeeding him - they should only get about 2-3 of the little betta pellets twice a day. If his water isn't kept clean, he's likely to get fin rot (why the tail can look ratty) and an internal infection (which causes air to build up inside his body and makes him float - kind of what you feel like when you've eaten too much).

I would suggest you try changing his water tonight. Put him in another clean container (like a disposable plastic drink cup that's been rinsed out well - no soap!). while he's in the cup, empthy his bowl and wipe the inside with a paper towel, Add some water, swirl it around, and dump it out in case there's any dust left from the paper towel. Then fill it up with water that's about the same temperature to just slightly warmer than what he's in now. Make sure you add whatever you use to take out the chlorine, too. Then use a net to pick him up and put him back into the bowl. Once he gets settled in, you might try feeding him a pea with the skin taken off. You can use a frozen one, just put it into some hot water for a few minutes. You might need to break it up into bite-sized pieces for him, and don't expect him to eat a lot of it but this could help him with his bloating and floating.

In the near future, I would try to get him a real tank with a heater. If you don't have a lot of space, WalMart sells 2 1/2 gallon tanks called Mini Bows that come in different colors. This is what I keep my bettas in. They have gravel, a heater, a filter, a light, plants, and a piece of driftwood. I never see my fish not swimming around.

Answer 2

know how kittens are always playful then turn into fat lazy cats seems to me you're fighter fish is simply growing up, however he shouldnt be bloated at all this could be a symptom of overfeeding, how if its not at most pets store they sell "betta fix" its the basic medicine your fish needs for MOST ailments, but since it is always easier to explain problems in person as the rep. in store what they reccomend also most store will do free water test for you if you ask althrough fighter fish dont technically NEED to have their water changed as often as other fish a 10% change every 2-3 days for maybe...a total of 5 times every so often wouldnt hurt cause no one likes swimming in poo

Answer 3

maybe it's a she..... maybe SHE is pregnant :]
check with the vet!