Disease?

[emmane]

OK. So do you think he just needs the help recovering then?

[callistra]

I'm glad he's acting normal again. Maybe he was just constipated.

Any time you don't want to do weekly 100% changes you should own a drops kit for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. I would get them tested. I would also increase water changes to 50% weekly with siphon.

Exactly what pellets are you feeding and how many a day? The blood worms should only be fed once a week in replace of pellets as a treat, and he needs one fast day a week.

Are the fins getting worse or are they just not growing? If they're just not growing I would treat with stress coat at 1 ml per 1 g and vitachem at 2 drops per gallon.

[emmane]

Originally Posted by callistra

I'm glad he's acting normal again. Maybe he was just constipated.

Any time you don't want to do weekly 100% changes you should own a drops kit for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. I would get them tested. I would also increase water changes to 50% weekly with siphon.

Exactly what pellets are you feeding and how many a day? The blood worms should only be fed once a week in replace of pellets as a treat, and he needs one fast day a week.

Are the fins getting worse or are they just not growing? If they're just not growing I would treat with stress coat at 1 ml per 1 g and vitachem at 2 drops per gallon.

Unfortunately, normal isn't at all different from how he has been. He just isn't getting any better or worse.

He gets Hikari Micropellet. He gets a small sprinkle, no more than he can eat in a couple minutes. He also gets betta flakes that he came with and blood worms. He usually ends up with a fast day, but I will ensure that happens now.

Yeah, the nitrate and ammonia have been 0 both times he's been tested.

They simply aren't growing back. They went away September of 2011 and now they won't grow back.

[callistra]

It sounds like you're over feeding. I would feed no more than 4-5 a day, split up into two meals of the Hikari. I would not feed the flakes at all. The blood worms I would feed once a week in replace of a pellet meal. I would go ahead and fast the next 3 days or so and see if he doesn't start swimming better.

All that overfeeding will muck up your water a lot faster. The fins should regrow all on their own with clean water, so it sounds like your water hasn't been clean enough for them to regrowth. New fin growth is very sensitive and can't happen unless the water is pristine.

[emmane]

Originally Posted by callistra

It sounds like you're over feeding. I would feed no more than 4-5 a day, split up into two meals of the Hikari. I would not feed the flakes at all. The blood worms I would feed once a week in replace of a pellet meal. I would go ahead and fast the next 3 days or so and see if he doesn't start swimming better.

All that overfeeding will muck up your water a lot faster. The fins should regrow all on their own with clean water, so it sounds like your water hasn't been clean enough for them to regrowth. New fin growth is very sensitive and can't happen unless the water is pristine.

He's also had 3 day fasts with clean water without any change after my husband suggested it (I can't see how it could harm him to try again as it's been a while, though).
I will decrease his food, then.

The Vita-Chem would be a little pricier and no one nearby carries it. Do you think I can just start with the stress coat and see if that helps?

[emmane]

I just realized I have this
http://www.petco.com/product/12062/N...nditioner.aspx

Would it be at all helpful versus his usual Tetra water conditioner?

[callistra]

You can fast with epsom salts - pure 100% magnesium sulfate with no additives. Predissolved at a rate of 1 tsp per gallon and added slowly over an hour to avoid shock. You only need to readd along with water changes and then only add ad much as water you change. Leave them on them a week and see how he does.

Your tetra conditioner is fine.

[emmane]

Awesome. I'll pick some up then. Should I do 50% water changes again, just to ensure his water is clean enough for the effort?

[callistra]

Since you're not able to test the water quality I would do an extra water change and up your changes to twice weekly until you can test.

Also that ick treatment won't leave the water until you do enough water changes to remove it so that's another reason to up changes.

[emmane]

Originally Posted by callistra

Since you're not able to test the water quality I would do an extra water change and up your changes to twice weekly until you can test.

Also that ick treatment won't leave the water until you do enough water changes to remove it so that's another reason to up changes.

Will do! Sorry, been a LONG weekend. I will pick up Epsom salt tomorrow if I can (I'm supposed to temporarily inherit 3 dogs for the week to make 5, so I will try to go out before this).
The ick treatment should hopefully be long gone, that was back when he was in one of those tiny cubes. He was placed in new, clean water about a year after that.