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Help with Walmart Rescue

826 views 9 replies 8 participants last post by  alexlohaus 
#1 ·
I just rescued a betta from Walmart last night - he was only in a 1/2 inch of water :( I'd like some advice on how to best rehab him, so here's my form:

Housing
What size is your tank? 1 gal bowl
What temperature is your tank? 78 degrees
Does your tank have a filter? No
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? Gave him a few Hikari pellets last night
How often do you feed your betta fish? I fed him last night but he didn't eat anything

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? I'm planning on daily until he gets better
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? Most likely 100%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? BettaSafe and something that has the word stress in it...StressZyme or StressCoat, I can't remember

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters? Don't have a test kit, but my other betta is fine in his water so it's not a problem with mine since I just put it in last night, it was the nasty water in his cup that was the problem.

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

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? He's sort of pale and dull colored with some stress stripes, and he has this weird darker patch over half his face. Doesn't appear fuzzy but I'll attach a couple pictures.
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? He hangs out at the bottom all the time, and when he comes up for air he struggles quite a bit.
When did you start noticing the symptoms? He's been this way since I brought him home last night.
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? No, I haven't started treatment
Does your fish have any history of being ill? Not that I know of, I haven't even had him a full day :)
How old is your fish (approximately)? Not sure



 
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#2 ·
Sounds like he was just suffering from poor water quality and if I am not mistaken it looks like the start of mild fin rot on his fins.

I would start 100% daily water change with Aquarium salt 1tsp/gallon for ten days, but you should see improvement in his activity within a couple of days. It also would be good to feed him some frozen blood worms too!

Sure is a pretty guy : )

If I am missing anything I am sure one of the experts will chime in : )
 
#4 ·
Kiere, thank you so much!

And Jrf456, I know it's technically not a rescue. But honestly, he was in the worst cup I've ever seen. There was a 1/2 inch of extremely dirty water full of food/poo particles. I opened the lid when I got home and the smell was terrible.
 
#5 ·
Well, don't feed him RIGHT AWAY. And, don't feed him A LOT. Just take it slow. Tap water isn't good, so no tap water. Keep him relaxed. Don't startle him. Good luck, and I'm so sorry if I didn't help much! I'm new with bettas! :)
 
#8 ·
Stress coat will help, keeping it dim around him for a couple days as well. He's most likely just really stressed out and needs time to get comfortable. Sounds like you are doing everything right. If he is still struggling to swim up to get air, you can lower the water level until he is better. It may take up to a week or two before he starts eating regularly. Try to add in some hiding places, or more plants, will make him happy.
Good luck to you, continue giving him your care and I'm sure he'll be a happy, healthy boy soon :)
 
#10 ·
Thanks for all the support! He did so much better today :) He's starting to get a little more color and is swimming around more. I added a little aquarium salt and also some BettaFix (yes, I know it can damage they're labyrinth organ; I'm not putting in the full dose) and his only problem is that his gills seem to be moving a lot. That sounds weird I know, but my other betta Albus barely moves his so maybe there's just variations among bettas? I guess as long as Cedric is healthy and happy it doesn't matter!
 
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