Hi, all.
I'm new to the forum and new to fish keeping. I've had my first aquarium just over 24 hrs. now. Here's my story.
My daughter came home from college a couple of weeks ago with a royal blue betta in a small 1/2 gallon fishbowl. Her roommate moved back home and abandoned it. The betta looked just pitiful.
We started studying everthing we could find on the internet and started trying to do right by "Fysh" (the betta's name). We cleaned the gravel and began changing out about 30 to 40% of the water each week. We thought maybe the Fysh was a female because it didn't have the big fancy fins and bright color as the ones we saw online and at the stores. However, now I think the fins may have just rotted off. The two bottom hangy-down ones are just stringy and ragged. The tail stays flopped down to one side most of the time. The top fin never moves and just looks like a spike pointing backwards.
Then, to make matters worse, about 5 days ago we noticed something growing on both sides of Fysh, back a little past half way of his length. It is white-ish and fluffy.
Well, we finally went out to Wal Mart yesterday and bought a 10 gallon aquarium kit for Fysh. The nice lady at the store has been there for years and was very helpful with suggestions and advise. She told us that the growths were most likely fungus.
Here is what we got and what we've done so far. The tank is 10 gallon glass. It came with filter but we are not using the charcoal element since it would remove the medications from the water. We don't have a heater but the temperature has stabalized at about 76 degrees (in the green zone of the thermometer). We treated the water going into the new tank with Aqua Safe (it was in the kit), 2 rounded tablespoons of aquarium salt, and one fizzy tablet of Fungus Clear. We've also started a treatment of one teaspoon of Melafix once a day for 7 days. After 4 days we are supposed to change out 25% of the water and put in another tablet of the Fungus Clear.
I was a little hesitant to use the filter since Fysh seemed so sick and lethargic and was not used to having to deal with a current. My wife didn't agree and seemed to think Fysh needed the exercise; so we turned on the filter. As far as food and feeding, Fysh sucks in the little betta pellets we got him but immediately spits them back out. I've gotten him to eat a few betta flakes, the same food he had in the fishbowl.
Now we are just waiting to see what happens. I just added the second day's treatment of Melafix. Fysh is moving about pretty well but spends a lot of time hiding in his castle ornament. I'm still concerned that he is looking for a place with no current.
That's my story. We've adopted this orphan betta and would welcome any advise from the experts.
Oh, and about me. I'm an engineer. We have a dog, a cat and now a sick fish.
I'm new to the forum and new to fish keeping. I've had my first aquarium just over 24 hrs. now. Here's my story.
My daughter came home from college a couple of weeks ago with a royal blue betta in a small 1/2 gallon fishbowl. Her roommate moved back home and abandoned it. The betta looked just pitiful.
We started studying everthing we could find on the internet and started trying to do right by "Fysh" (the betta's name). We cleaned the gravel and began changing out about 30 to 40% of the water each week. We thought maybe the Fysh was a female because it didn't have the big fancy fins and bright color as the ones we saw online and at the stores. However, now I think the fins may have just rotted off. The two bottom hangy-down ones are just stringy and ragged. The tail stays flopped down to one side most of the time. The top fin never moves and just looks like a spike pointing backwards.
Then, to make matters worse, about 5 days ago we noticed something growing on both sides of Fysh, back a little past half way of his length. It is white-ish and fluffy.
Well, we finally went out to Wal Mart yesterday and bought a 10 gallon aquarium kit for Fysh. The nice lady at the store has been there for years and was very helpful with suggestions and advise. She told us that the growths were most likely fungus.
Here is what we got and what we've done so far. The tank is 10 gallon glass. It came with filter but we are not using the charcoal element since it would remove the medications from the water. We don't have a heater but the temperature has stabalized at about 76 degrees (in the green zone of the thermometer). We treated the water going into the new tank with Aqua Safe (it was in the kit), 2 rounded tablespoons of aquarium salt, and one fizzy tablet of Fungus Clear. We've also started a treatment of one teaspoon of Melafix once a day for 7 days. After 4 days we are supposed to change out 25% of the water and put in another tablet of the Fungus Clear.
I was a little hesitant to use the filter since Fysh seemed so sick and lethargic and was not used to having to deal with a current. My wife didn't agree and seemed to think Fysh needed the exercise; so we turned on the filter. As far as food and feeding, Fysh sucks in the little betta pellets we got him but immediately spits them back out. I've gotten him to eat a few betta flakes, the same food he had in the fishbowl.
Now we are just waiting to see what happens. I just added the second day's treatment of Melafix. Fysh is moving about pretty well but spends a lot of time hiding in his castle ornament. I'm still concerned that he is looking for a place with no current.
That's my story. We've adopted this orphan betta and would welcome any advise from the experts.
Oh, and about me. I'm an engineer. We have a dog, a cat and now a sick fish.
)
