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Is BettaFix Hurting or Helping?

2K views 25 replies 9 participants last post by  Maura 
#1 ·
We have had our Betta, Francis, since Christmas 2011. He has always seemed a little sickly- he was a gift from PetSmart. He is looking a little worse lately & I got some BettaFix but he seems more lethargic. There is a rainbow like sheen on the surface of his water. The directions for the medicine tell me to keep treating the water for a week, then change it. Should I give up on the BettaFix?

Container size: 1 gallon
I change his water weekly
He has a light that is on during the day & off at night
He has a little plastic leaf that he spends most of his time on

I have attached a picture & would appreciate any advice.

Thanks!
 

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#2 ·
With a 1 gallon tank you should be doing at least two 50% water changes a week to keep ammonia down if you don't have a filter. Do you have a heater ?
 
#4 ·
No, we don't have a heater. We did have one along with a water filter but Francis would hide at the bottom of the tank all the time & so I took them both out & he seemed more relaxed.

I have been perusing some of the other posts on this site & it has helped. I have gone to PetSmart a couple of times for advice but they don't seem to know much at all.

I will start doing a 50% change twice weekly. Should I stop the BettaFix?
 
#5 ·
I've never used BettaFix, but I doubt it will hurt him if you keep using it. Also, you're right - the kids in PetsMart/PetCo aren't given any good information on the animals they are supposed to caring for and educating people on :( You don't need a heater if the room is warm; try to keep him at about 78 degrees. They don't like to be cold.
 
#6 ·
If there seems to be no external damage for now I think he should be fine. It would be really good if you could get at least a 3 gallon for Francis along with a heater and thermometer as their water needs to be between 28-30 degrees (not sure what that is in Fahrenheit.) As for the filter, try and get one with adjustable water currents, as Betta's prefer a slow, gentle current. If you can't theres a great sticky thread up on here showing you to make your own filter baffle.

Another question, what do you feed him ?
 
#8 ·
Try soaking the pellets in some tank water before you give them to him, he may prefer them then. You should also try to feed him some frozen chopped up bloodworms, which might increase his appetite.
 
#10 ·
I agree with calypso. Also, from the picture it looks like he is clamped up. Does he flare?
 
#12 ·
My betta's are little pigs! They follow my fingers around for food, even when I've just fed them. Another question! Sorry for so many, but how many pellets are you feeding him?
 
#14 ·
Hahaha! Ace (my smallest) always jumps out of the water like a maniac. Even if I'm feeding Spike across the divider, he will attempt to attack the glass until I feed him or walk away!
 
#16 ·
He has never flared or had flowy fins & tail. I think he was pretty sick when we got him. He hung out near the bottom a lot & didn't move much. We tried the filter & heater but they just made him paler. He perked up when I took out the heater & filter & got a tank with a light in the top. It warms the water up & then we got the little plastic leaf & he LOVEs that thing.
 
#21 ·
i would giv the little guy some lov and a little hope. then some for SERIOUS BUSINESS ok first giv it as much of a tank u can afford!! AS MUCH!!!!!! and then giv it nutritious food. i wouldnt giv it live food that are swimming all over the place while the betta eats cuz like thats k---illing animals and life is value. btw it CAN hav parasites all over the place. i would giv it these moss ball things that are now availible at petsmart! they are easy to care just simply giv it clean fresh water. ANYWAYS back the BUSINESS. if its sick giv it KOSHER salt or AQUARIUM salt k? good. now for the real real real stuff. dont bother it too much or else hes just gonna ignore ya. k? got it? gr8 now for my ques. how do u start out a forum?!!?!!? ;) thnxxxxxxx <3 and i hope u had a great day with the fish! remember dont K I LL IT if its sick k? PPL DO THAT !!!!! no lie.
 
#23 ·
Bettafix is basically just an antiseptic. I personally think it's useful if used sparingly to help with things like torn fins or a missing scale...but it's not the "cure anything betta related" that pet store people present it as.
 
#24 ·
No one has corrected this yet so I'll advise you on smaller containers since I seem to specialize in those right now. lolol

with 1 gallon do 50% half weekly water change and 100% at the end of the week. you need the 100% to prevent ammonia build up, or you can do back to back 90% instead of 100%( leaving just enough water for fish to swim comfortably in).

5pellets a day is more fitting for a fish. but for a fish that is sick I would recommend less. maybe around 3 1mm pellets a day until he recovers.
 
#25 ·
First off, Bettafix can harm his labyrinth organ. Even Melafix can. I wouldn't suggest anything with fix as the suffix. Make sure to use nothing with tea tree oil. For feeding, it depends on your pellets. 6 should be the maximum for a day if your pellets are micro sized.
 
#26 ·
For feeding, it depends on your pellets. 6 should be the maximum for a day if your pellets are micro sized.
Agreed, 10 pellets a day is way too much for a normal-sized fish. Even my giant only eats 8 per day total (and sometimes less than that).

Get the temperature up to around 80º, ditch anything "medication" ending in -fix, and up your water changes to make sure his water is pristine. Oh, and don't forget to add water conditioner!

If you can, take a sample of your tank water to a pet store and ask to have your water tested. If they test it and just say "Looks alright," please ask for specific levels (pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, hardness, alkalinity) and let us know what they are.

To me, the photo, along with the description sounds like a combination of overfeeding and poor water quality. Once you get both of those under control, you should be good to go.
 
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