Hi

My brother has been caring for a friends Betta because the friend went away and asked him to look after it and now doesnt really want him back because he doesnt like doing the work and doesnt seem that interested in the betta. He still likes to tell my brother what to do with it though and hasnt given it to him, hes just "letting" him look after him.

The betta is really small still and he's in one of those plastic betta kit containers which I really dont like because they are too small to keep a betta in but my brothers friend wont change it and wont let us put him in something else either because he thinks he's happy in there. Ever since the betta has come to us he has seemed to be starting to get sick and its just been getting worse. He lies on the bottom and has even dug a bit of a hole. My brother says the other day he was even upside down with his head in the hole and his back tail up so he was vertical. I've noticed his fins also seem to be stuck together, he always kept them flattened against his body but when he occasioanlly swam they would move and flow whereas now they stay stuck together and dont move like they should. I've looked for any sort of fungus or something else that would explain whats wrong but cant find anything. We've tried putting him on better food and when we do water changes we have even put water from my healthy fishtank in his "tank" thinking the good bacteria would be good for him but it has made little or no difference.

I feel sorry for this lil guy and would like to try to make him feel better so any ideas on what this could be would be great. I'll try to post pics on sunday night/monday but I dont have time right now to go take some unfortuantly as I am very busy this weekend. Sorry this ended up being such a long read I was just trying to give as much info as possible. Thanks.

oh and he is still quite young i think, the kid got him for his birthday in the end of June 2010 and he had just been bought then from Spechts. (spelling??)

Hello

Betta's like old water, the problem with your fish is that you have probably looked after it to well, town water if you have used that contains lime, which this variety of fish can't tolerate. If you lived in Australia you could try my products which apart from taking out lime and other ions also removes chlorine and ammonia.
Your next best alternative is to get water from an unpolluted river or stream and change all the water in it's tank. Don't allow the tank to dry out just remove the water and replace it with river water.
Failing that, buy bottled water. There are few manufacturers in the world that make products specific to lime chelation, this apart from ammonia is the primary disease causer of all aquarium fish, and is largely misunderstood .

Regards Graham

Great info
adding on top of that. Try some IAL Indian almond leaves
they make him feel better, and healther and happy, try it.
do a google serch on it to find out more about the IAL and all it can do for the beta and tell yor brothers friend to go clime up a pole or some thing becuse one he wont tke good care of the poor fish and two he wont let you guys take good care of the fish! Your right on th fact that he acatually need more space a betta really needs about 5 gallons of water, aleast one plant, and like Graham said some treated water.
Really just look in to it an some searching around and you find out what a betta needs is to be happy becuse from what you said he is just depressed.
So the first thing you must do is get things straight ether the guy gives you the fish or he take it back becuse you dont want to spend money only until the friend see that the betta is really thriving he'll want him back
keep us posted on your results and remember IAL will do wonders on him.
Try this site it has lots of info Indian almond leaves and Betta fish

- Nathan

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ignore the "friend" that "lent" your brother the fish. Get him in a bigger tank, with good water. That will probably solve most of your problems...

I've never had a betta but from what I read they tend to be quite still in a small bowl, When put in a larger tank they perk up.

so youdont think its an actual sickness of some sort?? Its just the "glued" looking fins that worry us mostly, the other part we think is like a depression. I'm just waiting for my 10 gallon to finish cycleing for him but its still going to be a little while I think. i really dont care what my brothers friend thinks!! Thanks for everyones input!

I think it's because in the wild they live when other fish can't. They breath air so can survive in a very small amount of bad quality water. In a small bowl It's the same as a small puddle to them and they go into a kind of suspended animation waiting for the rain to come and free them.

Show him a mirror and see if he flairs his fins. If he doesn't there is some thing wrong with him. Don't leave the mirror for too long because he will wear himself out trying to get at the 'intruder'. Some betta keepers do this for 5 or 10 mins a day to give exersize, others don't like to but I'd try it at least once to see the fins, like that you will know that he can flair them.

I just had a couple of questions.
Dose he come out of his hole to eat?
How much dose he eat dose he change shape any after eating?
What water are you using is it from the tap or distilled maybe ?

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Rennuke Atrowes