betta help

S

slake

AC Members
Aug 28, 2005
6
0
0
I just got a betta I took from a friend who kept him in a filthy bowl. I put him in 5 gallon eclipse tank he seems a lot happier there I have a few questions tho. The water in the bowl was so bad it damaged his fins it looks likes they're ripped, will they grow back and is there a medicine I can use? I have flakes, betta bites, bloodworms, and tubeiflex worms he wont eat anything but the betta bites, is it ok for him to eat the betta bites all the time? Everytime i trun the light on he trys to attack his reflection in the glass I've been leaving the light off, is it ok to turn it on and do you think he will hurt himself?

Thanks for your help.
 
Is he by himself int he 5 gallon? If so I would try a salt treatment to help heal his fins. It could be damage or a fungus but salt will help either way. Mix up 2 gallons of water and add 2 tsp of salt to it (any form of NaCl will do, not KCl). Then do a water change with the 2 gallons of water (which should be dechlorinated of course). If you have a heater and thermometer then I suggest raising the temp to around 80F. Bettas like warm water and do best init, this will help promote healing as well. Over the next few days do more water changes until you get the salt level up to a full 5 tsp. I would continue the treatment for a couple of weeks in case there is a fungus present. Every couple of days remove some water (say 2 gallons or roughly half of the water) and add back only as much salt as you take out (so add back 2 tsp for a 2 gallon change).

When you are done the treament stop adding the salt to the water and it will gradualluy be reduced through weekly water changes. I suggest a 50% a week water change. Adding some silk or live plants will be a good idea as well. Bettas liek to explore and to rest on plant leaves. try to avoid plastic plants as they can rip the betta's fins.

As for food, a varied diet is best but for now let him eat what he wants. Betta Bites are pretty nutritious. As he gets stronger and tougher try adding in the other foods and nothing else. A healthy fish can go for a few days without eating. he will learn to take the new food and then you can offer him a variety with ease.
 
Oh and he will get used to the reflection thing quicly enough, no need to worry about that.

Good luck and congrats on saving the betta.
 
OR you could try melafix. It is an herbal remedy you buy in a fish store or pet store. I have found that it works well on damaged fins. For a betta, use the minimum recomended dosage, no more.
I second everything else TKO said. :thm:
 
I 3rd TKOS.
I was going to say melafix too, I have used it with success for fin regrowth (or either just time healed it), but if your fish is coming from such bad conditions, it may have problems you can't determine now, but can show up in the future. the salt/heat increase treatment might cover other problems you don't know are there.

Awsome fish rescue, and good luck!
 
I went to the pet store before i read this, they sold me melafix. When i got home from work the temperature was 84 is that too hot? I don't have any way to cool it down so I hope it's ok.
 
their temp range is 75-86 F (24-30 C) Bettas thrive on heat, and will become increasingly listless when the water temperature falls below 75 degrees F
 
I wouldn't use any meds on the fins yet......wait and see if the clean water and extra salt does the trick...it just might....meds are harsh on fish and can weaken them so that they come down with some other illness.

Meds are always a last resort for me.....the only med that is really safe to use is bettafix....though I believe melefix is the same thing only more concentrated......just try the clean water and salt thing first though....
 
84F is fine, I only said 80F as I didn't want to tell you to jack the heat all the way up. Anything below 86F is acceptable for now. Higher heat speeds up the life cycle of fungus' and bacterias and other pests in the tank, that allows for the salt to kill it off quicker.
 
I don't beleive that melafix,or betafix are the sort of "medication" that weaken fish.
I wouldn't suggest any other type of "meds".
I agree that clean water is the best thing for them.
Melefix seems to speed healing which (IME and according to their clinical trials) so I like it because the stronger the tissue the more resistant it is to additional infections.IME with the active ingredient in melafix it seems to be an effective antifungal agent. It is listed in herbals as a mild antibiotic as well. ( it doesnt hurt the good bacteria) In any case, I think you can be just glad to have it around, and dont need to feel that you have wasted your money. I use it only when adding fish, in case they have been scraed up in transport/netting, Or when I inherited some fish with very rotted fins, Or when I notice an injury on a fish.
I didnt know that salt worked against fungus, TKO. Is this something you have had sucess with before? or can you point me to some more info?
Thanks!
Slake, I hope your betta feels betta soon.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom