Please help my Liberty...

[Bettaluver4evr]

I havn't gotten any aquarium salt yet, that is why it is 50% per day, just to keep the water cleaner. And I just got pellet food today, it says it is very good for bettas and fins, so I will start him on that tomorrow morning because today is fasting day. This should help, right? I am starting all of my bettas on it, I got 2 big packets. My HM is flaring right now after eating 3 pellets as a snack, I think he likes them. Hopefully Liberty will too. I am praying his fins get better. So basically, I am preforming 50% water changes still and am going to start pellets tomorrow morning and forever after. I don't think I can get aquarium salt. It is kinda expensive where I live, and I don't need a lot, and my betta seems a little better, so I won't get it if I don't have to. But I am giving him much more nutritious food and cleaning his tank more. That sound okay? Sorry bout the salt thing, but it sounds complicated. Don't want that much stress on me and him with 100% daily water changes.

[LucyLoofa]

Shew! That's a relief! :) I thought I'd forgotten to tell you about the 100% changes.
And the 100% dailies can be less stressful if done as smoothly as possible.
When I helped my sister we took it reeeaaally slow. Cupped the fish gently, let them float for about 5 minutes, lifted them out slowly and set them down gently. Then we cleaned everything. Once cleaning was done it was back to the counter tops. We filled the water back up (water that had been sitting with the conditioner in it in gallon jugs while all this was going on) and let the little guys float for about 10 minutes. The we let a bit of the new water in just a tid bit at a time and continued doing this over 45 minutes until it was almost all new water and no old water. Then we let the guys out as gently as we could.
they didn't seem stressed at all. :)
Not a single stripe.
And the 100% changes really helped the water quality and their health.
They were also in 1 gallons (well, one and 3/4 gallons. so almost 2)

[ansalong]

Amazon has aquarium salt in varying sizes for a couple bucks:
http://www.amazon.com/Mars-Fishcare-...6239071&sr=8-4

I don't mean to harp on it, you'll do what works for you, just thought I'd give you that option since there are smaller containers out there for cheap. I don't know what the shipping is like.

Hope he continues to feel better!

[LucyLoofa]

Heck. I can buy some and ship it to you if you need it. haha.
I agree that it's a good thing to have.

[turtle10]

Nobody else mentioned this..

At the beginning of the thread you said you had a one gallon that you cleaned whenever it got dirty… it is very very important that you don't do that.

Water changes should be made regularly, regardless of the water's appearance. And especially in such a small tank, daily water changes should be a regular thing.

[Bettaluver4evr]

Thanks so much for your help guys! I reeeeeally appreciate it. Lucyloofa, you made me LOL. Hehe. Don't worry, he does look a little better today. An itty bitty bit of growth. Plus I just started him on his "Nutritious and perfect for bettas, this will give your fish all of the nutrition he needs and help promote beautiful fins" pellets. Hehe. I will see what that does for him before I do the salt thing. But I promise I will if I have to.
This tank has a wonderful filter, and I do 50% water changes every day. His water is always crystal clear and his fins are doing better. I don't want to stress him out with another water changes so soon. I did one a few days ago. He is doing better, I promise. And haha, he loves sleeping with his head peeping out of the pineapple door, LOL. It's so adorable. Please believe me, if his tank needs cleaning, I'd know. :P

[Bettaluver4evr]

He's acting a little better today. It's his 3rd day with pellets and he has loads of energy. He enjoys eating the bubbles that come out of the filter. That's new. Fins growing a tiny bit more. Hope he gets some more growth soon. Tank is still very clean and clear. I did 20% water change this morning. 70% yesterday.

[LucyLoofa]

Originally Posted by Bettaluver4evr

He's acting a little better today. It's his 3rd day with pellets and he has loads of energy. He enjoys eating the bubbles that come out of the filter. That's new. Fins growing a tiny bit more. Hope he gets some more growth soon. Tank is still very clean and clear. I did 20% water change this morning. 70% yesterday.

If I were you I would keep it at regular intervals, similar amounts, similar times of day.
The reason for this is so that he can be ready for what's happening and easily adapt.
It's way less stressful on him that way.
Like another member posted on here:
Don't clean whenever it's dirty.
Just keep it on a regular schedule.
Like if you're doing it every day do it at a time you know you're free. For Me that's turned into nine o'clock since I'm going to work at night on the weekends now.
I'm also doing daily water changes, but mine are daily 100% water changes for the snails.
This way they know cataclysmic Armageddon is coming and to prepare for the worst at nine. They've also learned that feeding time is right after that and then lights out.
A fish will be the same way.
Cleaning whenever it's dirty or making sporadic water changes will stress the fish and inhibit the repair of its fins and weaken the immune system.
I would stick with the same amount in a water change for at least 4-5 days before switching to a different amount. That seems to work well for other fish I've seen and leaves them less stressed.

[Bettaluver4evr]

Yeah, I usually balance out my partial water changes to 50% daily, but he didn't look so great yesterday so I gave him a little more fresh water. And I do water changes regularly, I didn't mean I wait for cloudy water to clean the tank. I just meant at that time of week it starts lookin a lil messy. Still totally clear water, but he could us a cleaning. That is usually how I do it.
Today he is seriously spunky! My other bettas aren't as energetic, but I think it is the new food. It said it was great for bettas and it was a whole complete diet thingy, plus a few bloodworms here and there. He is flaring on one side, then trying to eat the filter bubbles, then a nap on his pineapple. Rotate. Hehe. He says hello! (Well, actually he said "blub" but I'm a pretty good interpreter.) :P After putting my other bettas on it they have more energy to, but lil Bertie is most spunky. :)