Hi! Fred's 5 gallon chi is currently cycling(nitrite levels just shot up! ) so I'm hoping that the ammonia will go down soon and I will test for nitrate soon(I'm doing the shrimp cycle, fishless).
Anyways, this morning I freaked out because I thought he was dead. He was just lying at the bottom of the tank on his side! I thought he got stuck underneath the new porcelain stone 'leaf' i made for him but he was not at all stuck. I tapped his food to the rim(like I always do before feeding time) and he shot up to the top and started eagerly swimming around. The water was a little cold this morning, maybe 76. I didn't have time to mess with him(I had class) so when I came home, I tested ammonia levels. I just did a 75% water change about two days ago, but the ammonia was high! .75ppm :/ (I'm still learning how to be a good fred caretaker) So I did a full change and took the temp of the water before changing it. It was 78.3 (or .1 or 77.9 don't exactly remember. It stays within that 76(rarely)-80 zone, usually 78-79). I'm getting a heater for the chi.
When I was looking at him in the 'holding' jar, it looked like he had this missing slime/'fracture' white lines on him. It doesn't look like fungus or anything. Just if you coated something with jelly and then scraped some of it off.. there's nothing in the tank that could scratch him. I don't know what that's about or if it's some sort of disease...I really hope there's nothing actually wrong with him but I'm scared I put in some stress coat the other day for the water. I think I just did a teeny bit too much? a little more than double the dose D: My water is pretty good straight from the tap(I put it through the Pur filter before filling his tank up though). So the water doesn't really need stress coat. I was just making sure that he had an adequate slime coat But I feel like now that probably did him more harm than good if he's sick.... I also put a little aq salt in(just the right amount, a little less than the recommended dose).
After I changed the water, I put the correct dose of aq salt and stress coat in and he is still sitting at the bottom sort of 'gasping!' I don't know what's wrong, there is no ammonia in my water. OH also, I just bought some freeze dried blood worms and fed them to him the other day (in small parts). I don't know if that could have done anything to him? I noticed the missing 'slime' a few days ago but it wasn't as excessive as it was today
I attached pictures. I can take a video if that would help? The lighting kind of sucks, I had to use a led flashlight.
Housing
What size is your tank? half gallon, the 5 gallon is still cycling.
What temperature is your tank? 76-80. It just was 78. It usually sits 77-78, no colder than 76, no warmer than 80.
Does your tank have a filter? no
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? no
Is your tank heated? no.
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? none
Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? omega one pellets, freeze dried bloodworms(just started, only a little bit like two pieces), hikari pellets(sometimes)
How often do you feed your betta fish? usually twice a day with a fast about once a week. Or I'll feed him only once a day for one day. 3-4 pellets.
Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? full h20 change, about every 3 days. I tried to do a 75% but obviously, with this small of a tank it is ineffective. Going to stick with a full change every three days.
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 100% except for the 75% time.
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? aq salt, stress coat although the water doesn't need it.
Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite:-- I don't have a cycle going so I don't bother testing it
Nitrate:--^
pH: 7.4
Hardness: our water isn't hard.
Alkalinity: slightly alkaline because alkaline=basic.
Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? weird slime coat parts missing on his body and tail look like 'fractures'
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? he is still very active if I talk to him/tap the rim for food. He's laying at the bottom of the tank when he usually sits towards the top He will sometimes sit at the bottom(temp is not cooler/hotter at bottom than it is at the top), but never on his side
When did you start noticing the symptoms? this morning i noticed him laying on his side at the very bottom! I noticed the slime a few days ago.
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? I haven't
Does your fish have any history of being ill? not that I know of. Totally healthy when I bought him.
How old is your fish (approximately)? don't know, got him from petco november 1 2012.
UPDATE ** right now(just changed the water literally 10 min ago** he's not gasping like he was before. Just breathing at the bottom moving his gills and not laying on his side. I'm assuming that was the ammonia that was making him gasp? Now just to figure out why he's all slimy and weird looking
Thank you so much I really appreciate it. So does fred.
Anyways, this morning I freaked out because I thought he was dead. He was just lying at the bottom of the tank on his side! I thought he got stuck underneath the new porcelain stone 'leaf' i made for him but he was not at all stuck. I tapped his food to the rim(like I always do before feeding time) and he shot up to the top and started eagerly swimming around. The water was a little cold this morning, maybe 76. I didn't have time to mess with him(I had class) so when I came home, I tested ammonia levels. I just did a 75% water change about two days ago, but the ammonia was high! .75ppm :/ (I'm still learning how to be a good fred caretaker) So I did a full change and took the temp of the water before changing it. It was 78.3 (or .1 or 77.9 don't exactly remember. It stays within that 76(rarely)-80 zone, usually 78-79). I'm getting a heater for the chi.
When I was looking at him in the 'holding' jar, it looked like he had this missing slime/'fracture' white lines on him. It doesn't look like fungus or anything. Just if you coated something with jelly and then scraped some of it off.. there's nothing in the tank that could scratch him. I don't know what that's about or if it's some sort of disease...I really hope there's nothing actually wrong with him but I'm scared I put in some stress coat the other day for the water. I think I just did a teeny bit too much? a little more than double the dose D: My water is pretty good straight from the tap(I put it through the Pur filter before filling his tank up though). So the water doesn't really need stress coat. I was just making sure that he had an adequate slime coat But I feel like now that probably did him more harm than good if he's sick.... I also put a little aq salt in(just the right amount, a little less than the recommended dose).
After I changed the water, I put the correct dose of aq salt and stress coat in and he is still sitting at the bottom sort of 'gasping!' I don't know what's wrong, there is no ammonia in my water. OH also, I just bought some freeze dried blood worms and fed them to him the other day (in small parts). I don't know if that could have done anything to him? I noticed the missing 'slime' a few days ago but it wasn't as excessive as it was today
I attached pictures. I can take a video if that would help? The lighting kind of sucks, I had to use a led flashlight.
Housing
What size is your tank? half gallon, the 5 gallon is still cycling.
What temperature is your tank? 76-80. It just was 78. It usually sits 77-78, no colder than 76, no warmer than 80.
Does your tank have a filter? no
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? no
Is your tank heated? no.
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? none
Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? omega one pellets, freeze dried bloodworms(just started, only a little bit like two pieces), hikari pellets(sometimes)
How often do you feed your betta fish? usually twice a day with a fast about once a week. Or I'll feed him only once a day for one day. 3-4 pellets.
Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? full h20 change, about every 3 days. I tried to do a 75% but obviously, with this small of a tank it is ineffective. Going to stick with a full change every three days.
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 100% except for the 75% time.
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? aq salt, stress coat although the water doesn't need it.
Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite:-- I don't have a cycle going so I don't bother testing it
Nitrate:--^
pH: 7.4
Hardness: our water isn't hard.
Alkalinity: slightly alkaline because alkaline=basic.
Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? weird slime coat parts missing on his body and tail look like 'fractures'
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? he is still very active if I talk to him/tap the rim for food. He's laying at the bottom of the tank when he usually sits towards the top He will sometimes sit at the bottom(temp is not cooler/hotter at bottom than it is at the top), but never on his side
When did you start noticing the symptoms? this morning i noticed him laying on his side at the very bottom! I noticed the slime a few days ago.
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? I haven't
Does your fish have any history of being ill? not that I know of. Totally healthy when I bought him.
How old is your fish (approximately)? don't know, got him from petco november 1 2012.
UPDATE ** right now(just changed the water literally 10 min ago** he's not gasping like he was before. Just breathing at the bottom moving his gills and not laying on his side. I'm assuming that was the ammonia that was making him gasp? Now just to figure out why he's all slimy and weird looking
Thank you so much I really appreciate it. So does fred.