I recently purchased 2 new bettas from my lps. I got each a 1 gallon aquarium and came home set it up put each fish in their respective new homes and the first one Bert is doing great. A beautiful sherbet colored fish (hence the name). The other Ernie has had a bad go of it. He up until 2 days ago had not eaten. On Sunday his color started going from a dark blue to a greenish white so I knew he was in trouble. I took all of the ornaments out of the tank, cleaned it really well, added a small heater and some penicillin that I got from another lps ( couldn't find any betta max). He still is not moving very much around the tank but has been eating some bloodworms that I gave to him. Is there anything else that I can do for this fish to make sure he survives. I think that he has a case of fin rot, but I can't be sure.
Betta Problems
- Thread starter brewsue
- Start date
Your tank has not cycled yet and this makes you fish far more suseptable to disease and the stress of changing location alot makes it even worse
you will need to no a 60% or more water change 1 or 2 times a day until he's recovered
at that point you can wirry about getting his tank cycled
it is VITAL for both of your tanks to cycle read up on it (if you do a forum search you'll get more than enough info to be an expert on it)
i most cases excelent water conditions are more effective than medications for curing fishy ailments
if you can find it buy some biospira- it is a bacterial culture that instantly cycles your tank
you will need to no a 60% or more water change 1 or 2 times a day until he's recovered
at that point you can wirry about getting his tank cycled
it is VITAL for both of your tanks to cycle read up on it (if you do a forum search you'll get more than enough info to be an expert on it)
i most cases excelent water conditions are more effective than medications for curing fishy ailments
if you can find it buy some biospira- it is a bacterial culture that instantly cycles your tank
Next time, don't take everything out of the tank to clean. Your fish needs the bacteria growing in the gravel, on the ornaments, and on the side of the tank--these bacteria convert the harmful ammonia produced by the fish into nitrite and then nitrate.
Don't feel bad, I used to clean everything like that before I learned about cycling.
Since this is a new tank, you don't have enough bacteria yet so you will have too much ammonia in the water. Do partial water changes every day, maybe twice a day. (Get ammonia and nitrite test kits to see what the levels are.) Ideally the level of ammonia and nitrite should be zero.
Aside from the colour loss and lethargy, does Ernie have any other symptoms?
Don't feel bad, I used to clean everything like that before I learned about cycling.
Since this is a new tank, you don't have enough bacteria yet so you will have too much ammonia in the water. Do partial water changes every day, maybe twice a day. (Get ammonia and nitrite test kits to see what the levels are.) Ideally the level of ammonia and nitrite should be zero.
Aside from the colour loss and lethargy, does Ernie have any other symptoms?