please help my fish!!!

[mtdewlover]

posted earlier about my betta. He got wrapped around the filter and got stuck. He has been sucked by it all day, for like four five hours. I found him when I got home. I turned the filter off to let him free. He fell to the ground and that is where he lay. He is slowly breathing and badly hurt. His fins look like they are disinigrated, white and fuzzy around where the filter was. He is trying to move and stuff. I turned the filter back on, but turned it all the way down on low. (Since he is having touble breathing) I put two teaspoons of Stress Coat in the tank (10G) What else can I do if anything!? The other fish are seeming to leave him alone. I'm so sad :( Is there any hope for my little fishy? I just got him on Sunday :(

[OrionGirl]

Unless you are using a massively inappropriately sized filter (ie, an AquaClear 500 on a 10), I have never had a healthy fish get stuck on the intake of my filters. Fish that can be captured by a normal filter are usually struggling and sick.

As for your betta, don't add more Stress coat. That's just adding to the soup, not helping at all. If he's able to eat, try soaking the food in garlix extract. This will promote general health. Make sure he can get to the surface--bettas can't get enough oxygen from the water to survive. Provide a low current area, preferably with some plants, for him to rest.

[mtdewlover]

ph~7.6
amonia 0
nitrites 0
GH 13
KH 6
temperature about 78

[demon_surfer]

im sorry to say but if the betta is to weak to get away from the filter then it is in a bad way.

i have a few suggestions that i think may help.

consider the other fish in the tank, are any of them semi aggressive?. even normally passive fish can get mean if the wrong fish is introduced, i lost a whole tank this way including 2 beautiful bettas. If you cant think of anything obvious keep tabs on the tank for a while see what fish does what.

second test your water see what the ph and hardness are at. if you dont have a test kit then just take a baggie/tupperware container full into the best fishstore in your area and ask them to test it, should be free of charge.

do a small water change about 20% or less

check the temperature, bettas can live in slightly cooler waters than most tropical fish but it is better to keep them in the 70s range i have found. Also a very slight increase in heat, say 2 degrees can kill alot of bacteria in tanks so try turning up your heater a couple.

i know a sight that has a good 7 step plan for this sort of thing it is http://www.*****************/information/signs_of_stress_and_disease.htm#top2

if the link doesnt work just copy and paste it into your address bar.

I hope this helps your betta, please let me know how it turns out

[mtdewlover]

I can't get him to the top. I have a Aqua Clear mini filter, he was in good condition when I left this morning. Umm....I turned the filter on high last night after my water change b/c they were having trouble breathing, and I was trying to get more oxygen into the tank. They were all fine yesterday and today.

[demon_surfer]

just looked back at my post and realized the only things i said that were even remotly useful (i missed oriongirls post). where check for agression and turn up the temperature a degree or two and do a water change.

[mtdewlover]

My betta fish has died. :( I'm devastated. So is my tank to big for a betta? My filter to powerful? Do these fish need special tanks? Special conidtions or what?

[OrionGirl]

As I tried to suggest before--the fish was likely sick. I have kept bettas in my 40 with very high filtration and never had a problem with them getting stuck to the filter. Excluding fry, the only fish I have ever seen stuck to an intake were ones that were sick.

Bettas are usually hardy fish, when healthy. I don't recommend buying one that comes in the cup. Find a store that keeps their fish in their tanks, or find a local breeder. Better stock, IME.

[wetmanNY]

You said that you turned up the filtration (not compatible with bettas) because the fish in the tank were having trouble respiring. Heavy breathing is one symptom of gill parasites.

[Faramir]

...but more often of poor oxygenation, often caused by a high bioload or something rotting like a dead fish or uneaten food.

[mtdewlover]

I just put these fish in the tank. I did have six danios. I got rid of them and got two swords, one betta and five neons. I was told maybe my filter wasn't use to the large bioload. And that's why they had respiratory problems. But they are all doing fine now :) My CAE kind of chases everyone around a little though :mad: bad fish!

[Faramir]

You increased the bioload quite considerably. It would take a little time for the bacterial flora in the filter to expand to cope. During this time, you would have an increase in ammonia and then nitrite which would lead to respiratory difficulties.

Glad everything's now OK.

[goldfries]

strange that your betta got caught in such a way. AC's sucking mechanism that powerful?

i usually use sponge filter with my betta tank. minimal water movements. i like my tank to have the betta alone.