Is my betta fish sick? It won't eat, changes color, and spits food.

Check the water temperature first. Bettas are tropical fish and do best between 78 F and 80 F. Next, check water quality. This can be done by using a home test kit or by submitting a water sample for testing. The local pet store may do this for free or for a small fee. Aim for an absence ( 0 ppm) of ammonia and nitrites with nitrates at 20 ppm or less. Perform partial water changes if necessary. Use only conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent stress or shock. Offer an appropriate diet as well. Bettas are carnivorous, so make sure the flake or pellet is not mainly vegetable matter. Hikari makes a great Betta diet in pellet form. You can also offer blood worms, shrimp or Daphnia to add variety to the diet.

Hello, I recommend checking water quality parameters first for any fish displaying abnormal behavior. For starters, I'd recommend keeping your fish in a larger tank as it is much easier to keep the water clean over time. This website is a good reference for basic betta fish care: https://bettafish.org/care/ I hope this helps. Thanks for using PetCoach.

The ideal water temperature for bettas is between 78 F and 80 F. Check water quality and perform a partial water change if necessary. Used aged or conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent shock or stress. If he won't eat pellets, try soaking them in a bit of garlic juice. This can serve as an appetite stimulant as well as an immune system booster. You can also offer freeze dried (or live) bloodworms, brine shrimp or tubifex worms. The "wiggling" when he swims may be normal for him but check his fins for signs of fin rot which can make swimming more difficult.

Thanks for reaching out about Kiho. How often do you change out your food source. By the pictures, there seems to be a spinal curvature which is often associated with scurvy (vitamin C deficiencies). Vitamin C is not stable in foods. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostics/treatment plan. Anti-inflammatories could help mobility. Improving vitamin C at this point will not reverse changes. Check and correct water quality and pristine water is needed to recovery. Betta Fix does nothing but delay proper treatments. Good luck.

Thanks for your question, and I’m sorry that Oscar isn’t feeling well. Thank you for the photos as well - they are very helpful. I agree with you - it looks like his fins are shortened and I can appreciate the color changes you are seeing. Both of these changes can be caused by infections, including bacterial, fungal, and parasites. When these infections occur, the first thing that we evaluate is the water quality. I am not sure if you have done this or not yet, but you can take a sample of your water to a pet store for evaluation if you don’t have a kit at home. If the parameters are not ideal, this can make Oscar susceptible to diseases that he would normally be able to fight off. Once you have determined this, then you can either try to treat empirically with an over the counter medication, or you can seek veterinary advice for Oscar. Your veterinarian would take a sample from the skin surface and maybe the fins to evaluate for what is causing the changes. They would then prescribe medications that are tailored to what they find. I hope that gives you a place to start, and that Oscar feels better soon!

Check the water chemistry and water temperature. Aim for 0 ppm ammonia and nitrites with nitrates 30 ppm or below. Water temp should be between 78 F and 80 F. Add only plain aquarium salt (NOT table or Epsom salt). Add no more than 1 teaspoon per gallon and treat for 10-14 days. Lower the water level by half to make it easier for her to reach the surface. Bettas can breathe room air if necessary. Soak pellets in some garlic juice to stimulate her appetite.

Thanks for reaching out about Felix. Any chance of ingested rocks or other material that can block the throat? Enlarged organs (goiter, heart) can also make swallowing difficult. A veterinary visit is probably needed to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Good luck.