Housing
What size is your tank? 5 Gallon
What temperature is your tank? 79 degrees F
Does your tank have a filter? Yes
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No
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? Mix of Betta pellets, Brine Shrimp, and Blood Worms
How often do you feed your betta fish? 3 times a day
Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? At least once a week, although I have no control over water changes when I am at college, and I don't think my mom does them as often as I ask her to.
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 25-50% depending on situation.
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Conditioner, Stress coat, and salt(when sick or has torn fins)
Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
Ammonia:0
Nitrite:0
Nitrate:0
pH:8
Hardness:0
Alkalinity: 300
Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Drastically since the beginning of last semester. Gaunt, curved spine, short fins, scales falling off, heaving breathing
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? Lethargic, easily spooked, hangs out at top of tank.
When did you start noticing the symptoms? Christmas break
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? I have been treating him since last June for chronic finrot, but nothing seems to work permanently.
Does your fish have any history of being ill? Chronic Finrot and one brief bacterial infection last year.
How old is your fish (approximately)? 2 and a half to 3 years old.
I know there is no real excuse for Touchstone's condition, but I have been away at college and when I got back for Christmas, his fins were basically gone and he looked as if he were at death's door! I feel as if I have tried everything. This poor boy has a history of chronic fin rot, and I have tried treating it in the past, but it never seems to go away completely. The Ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite levels are all fine, so I don't understand why he keeps getting worse. He looks as though he is about to die, so I went into a local petstore for Maracyn 2, but they didn't have any. The lady there said that the meds actually hurt the fish, and that the best way to treat fin rot is to slice an aloe vera leaf and squeeze the jelly into the tank. Would this work? This sounded kind of suspicious, and I don't want to hurt my fish anymore than I already have. Also, I don't always trust petstore people. Anyways, I value any advice and opinions.
What size is your tank? 5 Gallon
What temperature is your tank? 79 degrees F
Does your tank have a filter? Yes
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No
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? Mix of Betta pellets, Brine Shrimp, and Blood Worms
How often do you feed your betta fish? 3 times a day
Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? At least once a week, although I have no control over water changes when I am at college, and I don't think my mom does them as often as I ask her to.
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 25-50% depending on situation.
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Conditioner, Stress coat, and salt(when sick or has torn fins)
Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
Ammonia:0
Nitrite:0
Nitrate:0
pH:8
Hardness:0
Alkalinity: 300
Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Drastically since the beginning of last semester. Gaunt, curved spine, short fins, scales falling off, heaving breathing
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? Lethargic, easily spooked, hangs out at top of tank.
When did you start noticing the symptoms? Christmas break
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? I have been treating him since last June for chronic finrot, but nothing seems to work permanently.
Does your fish have any history of being ill? Chronic Finrot and one brief bacterial infection last year.
How old is your fish (approximately)? 2 and a half to 3 years old.
I know there is no real excuse for Touchstone's condition, but I have been away at college and when I got back for Christmas, his fins were basically gone and he looked as if he were at death's door! I feel as if I have tried everything. This poor boy has a history of chronic fin rot, and I have tried treating it in the past, but it never seems to go away completely. The Ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite levels are all fine, so I don't understand why he keeps getting worse. He looks as though he is about to die, so I went into a local petstore for Maracyn 2, but they didn't have any. The lady there said that the meds actually hurt the fish, and that the best way to treat fin rot is to slice an aloe vera leaf and squeeze the jelly into the tank. Would this work? This sounded kind of suspicious, and I don't want to hurt my fish anymore than I already have. Also, I don't always trust petstore people. Anyways, I value any advice and opinions.