Rescue Betta

RazzleFish

RazzleFish

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Oct 28, 2009
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So I just rescued a betta from a tiny bowl that he couldn't even turn around in and he is in QT right now but I have a few questions.

-He has a few tears in his fins, so is there anything I can treat them with?
-Will he kill my white skirts? He seems very clam and I know they can probably outswim him which leads me to my next question......
-Will my white skirts kill him?
-He seems like he has some debris stuck to some of his fins and also on his back but they don't come off even when he swims through the thick plants.
-His fins also seem clamped expecally his tail and dorsal fins. Does this just come with old age or is there something deeper. Oh, he's about 3 years old and lived his whole life in a bowl.
-I am also concerned that he wont be able to outcompete my tetras for food. Do you think this could be a problem?

He is getting daily 75% water changes in an effort to help him but I am really worried that he wont be able to handle the tetras in his old age. I wish I could keep him in QT but I don't have another tank to have as a hosptital tank and don't have room for one............. :1zhelp:
 
water changes will help the most for his ripped fins.
3 years old is definitly an old betta. There may not be much life left for him. Good for you for trying to make what time he has left better.
I don't know the answers to the other questions. Good Luck!
 
Be very careful and very gradual with those water changes. The last thing he needs is any sort of shock.

I'm not sure that a betta who lived his whole life in a bowl is fit for life in an active aquarium. In fact I'm very sure that he is not.

If he is going to recover, he'll do it on his own in nice conditions.

What I would do is get him a nano sized tank, at least 3g and up to 10g with no mechanical filtration. Let him live out his final days in peace.
 
Thank you guys! I wish I could get him another tank but I don't have ANY space and money is very tight. For an update, he is swimming around and flared up at has reflection. I didn't mean for him to see his reflection but I just set my mirrior there and when I came back he was flaring up and spreading his fins fairly wide. I want to leave him in QT but I don't think he will be going anywhere any time soon and I fear the only other option would be a slightly bigger bowl......................... I'll see if I can get my camera working to get a pic.
 
Bettas can live 5+ years so I doubt it's old age.

I would keep him in a very large plastic tub (such as a very large Tupperware) (I would get one that is at least 2.5 gallons)and leave him in the tub until you find out whether or not he is healthy enough to be put in the community tank.

Contrary to popular myth Bettas can be great fish for a community tank, it all depends on the temperament of the Betta and the tank mates. You already said that he is pretty laid back so his temperament won't be an issue but I am unsure about compatibility with the white clouds.

Don't give up on him! Remember, Bettas can live 5+ years.
 
I had a similar story to yours! I work at Petco and one day I found a cup with two male bettas in it. Yes, someone dumped them together. One was fine and the other was really messed up. I ended up taking him home since the store couldn't sell him anymore. His fins were really tattered and pale looking. I started him off in a 2.5 gallon tank where he lived for about 3 months. Once I got my 10 gallon planted up and going, I placed him in there with his new white cloud buddies. Surprisingly he is doing really well and searches the bottom of the tank for food. I would say, fix him up and get him ready for a community tank. My betta seems much happier than by himself.
 
betta help

the best thing you can do for him,any betta for that matter,is keep them in a filtered tank at 78-80 degrees.with heat and clean water the fins will repair very quickly.people would be amazed at how lively bettas will become if given heat.you said there were white skirt tetras in the tank already.im assuming this is a color morph of the black skirt tetra.these fish can be on the nippy side among each other and other fish,so keep an eye on them if you put them together.good luck
 
I wouldn't suggest a filtered tank for a sick betta who has been living for several years in a bowl. The currents will stress him far too much. I feel it would be better to allow him time to get well before entering him into any sort of exercise program. Living in a large, filtered tank - especially with other fish that he will have to compete with for food, is not something that a betta in his condition is ready to handle.

Think about it this way - if you're really sick and out of shape from being bedridden for a long time, the last thing you're ready to do is go out on the town. He needs to heal.

So while it is true that a betta will be much happier in a large filtered tank than in a bowl or small tank without filtration, in this particular situation I dare say it would be detrimental to him until he fully recovers from his current issues.
 
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