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Betta keeps eating fertilizer!

916 views 13 replies 2 participants last post by  Sakura8 
#1 ·
so i just got my new bettas today. and when i put him in his new tank he started finding little white fertilizers from one of the plants and eating them. i tried distracting him with some pellets (he ate those) but he keeps looking around and eating those white fertilizer thingies.. will he be okay??:shock:
 
#5 ·
he only ate maybe like 3 because i would always catch him eating it before its too late. and my betta seems to be a bit lethargic, always hiding and staying in one spot.. is there any laxative or medication to get that crap out of his system??? please contact asap
 
#7 ·
okay thanks for the feedback im going to buy somme asap. but i was wondering mean while would peas be good for a laxative?? i ve been hearing mixed things about peas so i would like to know your guys experiences with them. and also how do i feed the pea?
 
#8 ·
I personally haven't had a problem feeding pea. I do recommend brine shrimp and daphnia first but for me, pea works in a pinch. I use frozen NO SALT ADDED peas and I blanch it by putting it in boiling water for 3 minutes, then ice water for 1 minute. Then you cut it in half and take a tiny, pellet-sized piece from the middle and feed that. I recommend only feeding it once or twice maximum, though.
 
#9 · (Edited)
alright i tried feeding the pea cause i dont have money for frozen brine shrimp or epsom salt at the moment but after eating his gills were flaring a tide bit. about 10 min later he threw up the pieces of pea. i immediately took it out he seems to be okay but still hiding a lot.. im going to try to get some epsom salt later today, how often do i do the eposm salt baths? and do i just throw him in a epsom salt tank or do i let him adjust to it? i dont know what do im a complete noob. im getting really worried :-(
 
#10 ·
Don't worry, you're doing fine, SwayLocks. :) For epsom salts, mix up a gallon of dechlorinated water and 2 tsps of epsom salt. Let the salt dissolve, then add your betta in, letting him adjust to it. Leave him in the water for 24 hrs, then do a water change and redo the salt mixture. Repeat this every day for maybe 3-4 days. Epsom salt shouldn't cost too much, maybe $4.00 at the most at Wal-Mart.
 
#11 ·
thanks Sakura8 your awesome! the Epsom salt did the trick. i guess it raised the temp and his colors are coming out and he's swimming around now happy. i also think its cause i moved him from his plastic bowl to a 2.5 gallon glass tank so he looks great now! i ll show a pic
 
#12 ·
I'm so glad he perked up! Yay! *does happy dance* The epsom salt should help to move out any fertilizer still in his system. Out of curiosity, what kind of fertilizer was it? Since your guy likes to eat things (silly betta), you might want to try a liquid fertilizer like Seachem Flourish or API Leaf Zone.
 
#13 · (Edited)
thanks a bunch Sakura8 seriously. anyways i ll take a look into those liquid fertilizers. im not really sure what kind i just know that it came with the plant. sometimes you could see them in fertilizer for yards like little tiny white rocks. my betta will seriously eat anything that can fit in his mouth so i gotta be careful with him.

but yeahh he seems to love the epsom salt. is thier any side effects if i use the epsom salt for long term? or should i only use it for when he's constapated??


this is how he looked like before i bought him and let me tell he did not look anything like this when i got him. but he's slowly getting his color to this. i should've taken a pic of how he looked like before
 
#14 ·
Wow, sounds like the fertilizer may not have been the right kind for aquatic plants. Kind of irresponsible of whoever sold it with the plants. But I'm really glad you got it out before he got really sick. He's waaaaay too handsome to be sick!

As far as I know, you can use epsom salt long term. It's often used for bettas who have a genetic swim bladder problem. That said, I'd advise you only keep him in the epsom salt for maybe a week more. Then if he needs it again, you can always put him back in it.

I'm really glad he's doing better and glad I could help you. :)
 
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