I think he has Velvet?

[JumperGirl117]

He was my first Mother's Day present and the husband got him for me from Walmart. Not the best idea but I am trying to make it work with what I have. He actually gave me two a female and a male and put them in the same tank. They were fine for about 5 hours than at 3:30 in the morning when i woke up to feed our 8 week old son, I checked on her and saw her tail all bit up. She is in the smaller tank now. Yesterday I noticed that the males color is fading, it keeps getting lighter and lighter. Its moving from his head towards his tail, I am by no means a betta expert but I have had bettas before (4 years ago) and I remember the basics. I separated them and broke out my old betta stuff that I kept. Bashful (male) is alot calmer and he cant expand any of his fins, he can still get air by swimming up to the top and I dont think it is labored. the tank we have has a "fish guard" so they dont go down a tube and he has been resting on that until I started taking pictures of him.

I know I am lacking stuff but today he got payed for the first time since we got the fish and tonight we will go to an actual aquarium shop and petco to get other supplies.

Housing
What size is your tank? 3 Gallon
What temperature is your tank? Dont know
Does your tank have a filter? No
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? Yes
Is your tank heated? Yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? None

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Once a day
How often do you feed your betta fish? Tetra Min flakes

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? every day
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 10%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Tetra water conditioner

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters? n/a

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH: 7.5
Hardness:
Alkalinity:

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? He is turning white wont/cant "frill up"
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? No
When did you start noticing the symptoms? Yesterday at 8 pm
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? No
Does your fish have any history of being ill? No
How old is your fish (approximately)?no idea.

Now I gave the picture more of a contrast then is normal so you can see the difference. He hasnt opened his tail since Monday but he can still swim around. I will try and post more to show why I think he has velvet on his head but as you can see I am not very good at taking pictures of fish.

Is there anything I can do for now to help him out? He is still in the three gallon tank I am reluctant to take him out since I only have one net and I doing 100% water changes for the small tank which has the bitten female in it. Baby is now asleep so if there are any suggestions that require me putting Bashful in a cup and taking pictures speak now or forever hold your piece.

[JumperGirl117]

Now this is the front of his head



Here is a picture of the side of his body, the discoloration is about even on both sides.

[JumperGirl117]

Like I said I dont really have alot of stuff for them especially since I had to seperate both of them but I will be getting more stuff tonight. Also I would like suggestions on good brands of food, medicine, and water conditioner. We live in a small apartment so getting anything more than a 3 gallon tank is asking for trouble especially when our son starts to walk. We are keeping them on the counter now and they both seem to enjoy it. Her more than him since he is defineatly sick.

Last time I had a betta, he survived 2 years, I fed him bloodworms and pellets not flakes. I read that since their mouths are turned up its easier for them to eat worms and pellets. I think they were frozen but they looked like they were dehydrated to be honest. Is it hard to raise your own betta food? Like I said I have a 7 week old son and I dont want to bite off more than I can chew

[Burd]

The pictures are rather fuzzy and I'm no expert on fish diseases but I can recommend two things...

If he's eating the flakes, that's good. But bettas prefer pellets and frozen food to flakes and what's more, they make far less mess. Flakes tend to sink, rot and dirty your tank, making ammonia.

You said you have aeration? Bettas don't need aeration in their tanks so if you have an air stone and a pump or something, you could return them and get other much needed supplies.

This site has some useful info: http://www.bettatalk.com/betta_diseases.htm

Hopefully someone else with more knowledge than I have will come along and try to help. I hope he makes it. :(

Also... you'll -have- to keep both the male and female separate. Females can be kept together but males cannot be kept with females or males. Some people have successfully done so, but they've done it in HUGE tanks. For now, you've got probably the best solution and a 3 gallon will do your boy just fine.

[PewPewPew]

Originally Posted by JumperGirl117

He was my first Mother's Day present and the husband got him for me from Walmart. Not the best idea but I am trying to make it work with what I have. He actually gave me two a female and a male and put them in the same tank. They were fine for about 5 hours than at 3:30 in the morning when i woke up to feed our 8 week old son, I checked on her and saw her tail all bit up. She is in the smaller tank now. Yesterday I noticed that the males color is fading, it keeps getting lighter and lighter. Its moving from his head towards his tail, I am by no means a betta expert but I have had bettas before (4 years ago) and I remember the basics. I separated them and broke out my old betta stuff that I kept. Bashful (male) is alot calmer and he cant expand any of his fins, he can still get air by swimming up to the top and I dont think it is labored. the tank we have has a "fish guard" so they dont go down a tube and he has been resting on that until I started taking pictures of him.

I know I am lacking stuff but today he got payed for the first time since we got the fish and tonight we will go to an actual aquarium shop and petco to get other supplies.

Housing
What size is your tank? 3 Gallon
What temperature is your tank? Dont know

This is a problem, and apotentially serious one. Please purchase a thermometer so you can tell if the tank is too hot or cold(edit). Bettas are tropical fish that need 76-82' water. If this need is not met, they will often become very ill, stressed or die.

Does your tank have a filter? No
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? Yes
Is your tank heated? Yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? None

Btw, males and females should never be housed together like you had them. This is why she was hurt. Please never put them together again.

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Once a day
You could probably give him a bit more. Try for a small pinch twice a day.

How often do you feed your betta fish? Tetra Min flakes

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? every day
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 10%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Tetra water conditioner

I sense a problem. While it is good to have frequent water changes, this isnt the best method of doing it. Opt instead to change the water two-three (ideally) a week, two 50% changes and a 100% change or at least one 50% change and a 100% change. You must have a 100% change in the week because your tank is not filtered.

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters? n/a

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH: 7.5
Hardness:
Alkalinity:

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? He is turning white wont/cant "frill up"

I have a feeling he is cold, since you dont know/cant tell us the temp, I feel like he could be(edit) in water under 74', which makes him chilly and clamped. Raising the temp using a heater will improve this and likely cure this issue.

How has your betta fish's behavior changed? No
When did you start noticing the symptoms? Yesterday at 8 pm
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? No
Does your fish have any history of being ill? No
How old is your fish (approximately)?no idea.

Now I gave the picture more of a contrast then is normal so you can see the difference. He hasnt opened his tail since Monday but he can still swim around. This is good.I will try and post more to show why I think he has velvet on his head but as you can see I am not very good at taking pictures of fish.

I dont think your fish has velvet. Velvet isnt "turning white", its like a coppery/yellow dusting over the fish's body. This is velevt:
http://www.aboutfishonline.com/articles/velvet.html
looks like: http://www.howtocareforfish.com/wp-c.../02/velvet.jpg

Is there anything I can do for now to help him out? He is still in the three gallon tank I am reluctant to take him out since I only have one net and I doing 100% water changes for the small tank which has the bitten female in it. Baby is now asleep so if there are any suggestions that require me putting Bashful in a cup and taking pictures speak now or forever hold your piece.

Ok, this is what I think is wrong with your fish.

I do not think the fish has velvet. I think your fish is cold(? dont know the temp, didnt read that it was heated**) and needs more/better water changes. Being cold will make his fins clamp/not fluff out and can make him pale. This is stressful for them, which makes them lose color, which is probably whats happening to his head.

Please tell us the temp of the tank asap to help us give better opinions.

BOTH of your fish need heaters. Both! please get the female a home of at least a gallon (bigger is better, females are fast and need space), best yet another 3 gallon or a 2 gallon. Same heater recommended, try for 10w in a 1-2 gallon.

Warming your fish up will likley net you the results youre looking for. He'll be cozier and will unfurl. Also, please do a 100% water change for him once you get your heater. Please do this:
put him in his cup, with the old tank water. Do the water change, do not use soap. Replace with water that feels a little coolish to the touch, but is NOT WARM OR HOT (which would indicate its over or around 95'), add in conditioner.

Place the cup into the water to bob. Let the cup float for 5 minutes. Once 5 minutes is up, add in a little (like a tbsp) of new water every 5 minutes for at least 10 minutes. After at least 15 minutes, add him gently back in, avoiding getting the old water into the tank. This is acclimation, and is very important. If not done, your fish can go into shock and die.

I hope you're able to get what you need. The heater is necessary for all betta fish, and I think will solve his issues.

[Burd]

Just saw your additional post lol... hehe!

Good foods for bettas are exactly what you say you were feeding your old fish. Petsmart has frozen food for tropical fish in a freezer case by the live fish and usually they have coupons right on the door, too. They love bloodworms, brine shrimp, baby brine shimp... pellets are fine and are perfect for their staple diet.

You'll definitely need some kind of medication for your boy. Your girl's fins will grow back in due time, though, if you take proper care of her. ^^

[PewPewPew]

http://www.bettatalk.com/betta_diseases.htm

Some of the information on this website is inaccurate. I sort of suggest not using it. The article on velvet is ok, but they push hard to sell something and modify treatments to sell more of their product.

[Burd]

Originally Posted by PewPewPew

http://www.bettatalk.com/betta_diseases.htm

Some of the information on this website is inaccurate. I sort of suggest not using it. The article on velvet is ok, but they push hard to sell something and modify treatments to sell more of their product.

I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thanks (3)pew :P

[PewPewPew]

Originally Posted by Burd

Just saw your additional post lol... hehe!

Good foods for bettas are exactly what you say you were feeding your old fish. Petsmart has frozen food for tropical fish in a freezer case by the live fish and usually they have coupons right on the door, too. They love bloodworms, brine shrimp, baby brine shimp... pellets are fine and are perfect for their staple diet.

You'll definitely need some kind of medication for your boy. Your girl's fins will grow back in due time, though, if you take proper care of her. ^^

Actually, I dont they they need medications.This isnt velvet.

If youre going to buy anything, buy aquarium salt. Dose 1 tsp/gallon in both tanks for both fish. Do this for 10 days max (MAX!) and it will help heal the female's fins and keep infection at bay.

Please purchase a thermometer so we can figure out what the temp is an provide better opinions.

[JumperGirl117]

I have a ton of human thermometers, would that work for the moment so I can tell you guys the temp. When I changed her water yesterday I used it to check the temp. before I put her in, it gave me a temp. She doesnt have the heater and is doing fine active and uncurling and recurling, he has the heater and its plugged in. Since he is cold with the heater and she is doing better than he is would that just mean that she is heartier than he is? Or could it be because she is getting fresh water everyday?