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I need URGENT help!

3K views 42 replies 12 participants last post by  Here Fishy Fishy Fishy 
#1 ·
Well I had this little terra cotta pot in my bettas tank, it was on it's side, and it was meant to be a cave.. but Venus never really went in it... he normally liked to stay on the top and hide in plants. Well... today when I got home from school I was looking all over for him in his tank, and I found him by the plant pot, with his head stuck in the hole that was on the bottom of the pot. I honestly thought he would never manage to get himself stuck there, and I thought it was pretty big of a hole, enough for him to slip through.. anyways... I got my sister to come up and I was crying because I thought he was dead... but my sister saw he was moving a bit, and I noticed he was puffing his gills in and out and his mouth was opening and closing. Since he hates fishnets we took it and put it near him thinking maybe if he saw it he would try to swim right away and pull himself free. He moved out a little, and I think when he did he rubbed off some of his scales... so then he squirmed back to how he was before...
My dad helped us out and broke open the pot with some pliars... So Venus was free, but my dad told me he didn't look too good... well I just wasn't ready to see him suffering so bad... so I stayed away. Later my dad told me he was lying on his side, and he thought he was toast... we had the airstone on, thinking that would help him breathe or something.
Well... I finally worked up the courage to go see him and he was lying on his side, still, but to my surprise he was still alive... his gills are slowly rising and falling. He has a patch of scales missing above his head... I'm keeping on his airstone so he can get a bit of oxygen since he can't go get air from the surface... and I'm doing a half water change tomorrow, that way I won't have to move him out of the tank... Hopefully it'll be enough and it has to wait til tomorrow since it's late tonight...
do you have any other advice? if he survives the night that is...
 
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#4 ·
His main source of oxygen is the labrynth organ, not the gills. So the best way is to lower the water level by a lot, so he can reach the top much easier. Keep his water very clean as well.
 
#7 ·
Thank you! He's still hanging in here. I gave him some aquarium salt because it's supposed to help gill function, I don't know if I can lower the water level. The airstone tube goes inside a large riser tube, and when I've tried putting it outside of the tube, it seems to bother him a lot. And he's in really sensitive condition right now... so I'm a bit worried, and the water level has to be above the riser tube for it to work... Otherwise I would do that.. Oh he looks so awful, the only way I can tell he's still alive is his gills puffing out and occasionally he'll move around his tail... it looks like he's trying to swim but he can't get his head off the ground... I don't know why. But around his head is where a ton of his scales are gone, and since that's around the area he was trapped I think he has some gill damage.
Just now I noticed a sliver of the pot still left behind in the tank, that my dad had left behind, and while I was trying to scoop it up with the net, Venus, who was right near by, was wriggling around.
Oh yeah, and this morning I found him in the same position , lying on his side.
When I was changing his water this morning I didn't move him out of the tank, I just let him be and used a cup to scoop out half the water, then dumped in the new water. He wiggled around and I honestly thought he was about to die. He can't move! I don't know why he can't lift his head. I'm hanging on to my money does anyone know what medicine might help? I don't know what else will work... =[
I've never felt so hopeless...
 
#8 ·
I'm so sorry! It does sound like you're doing everything you can. If it were me I'd find some way to help him get to the top to get air here and there. Maybe by lifting him in your cupped hand rising him to the surface? Is he afraid of hands at all? I don't know if this would stress him. It's just an idea.
 
#10 ·
Well, I don't know if I wanna move him, I'm so scared of hurting him because he has so many missing scales... I'd rather leave him in his tank with shallow water, if I move him I'll only stress him out more and possibly hurt him.
I may not know better (probably I don't) but I think he's only living on the air pump right now... I could just be full of it o.o
So I'm in a dilemma right now... is the air pump even helping him? Because right now, I don't want the water shallow because the airpump doesn't work in shallow water. But if he doesn't need it, then I can lower the water level.
I'm still unsure though cause Venus couldn't swim to the top if he wanted to. Like I said, he's on his side and he'll try moving but he can't raise his head.
But he must get around because almost every time I check on him, he's lying in a different spot.
Another worry of mine is he might starve if this carries on too long. I limited his feeding to once every 2 or 3 days because he was getting a little fat and I feed him flakes and it's hard to control how many you feed him and I normally end up giving way too much. I was supposed to feed him this morning, but he can't swim, so yeah..
Does anyone know of a medicine or something I could give him?
 
#11 ·
Lowering the water level or moving him to a shallower container is a MUST. If he can't get to the surface he WILL die of suffocation. Don't worry about stressing him out.. just get the water level lower. Raise his temp to 82-84*F and put some aquarium salt in the tank.

The most important thing is that he gets air.. there is no medicine that will help him right now.. he needs oxygen, heat, and very clean water.
 
#12 ·
Don't worry about the airpump. If you're worried about the oxygen level within the shallowed water, just do water changes very very slowly. Llike take out water from the opposite end of the tank with a cup (not a siphon), and then replace slowly as well. New water brings in fresh oxygen within water. I'm more concerned with shallow water that he can reach directly, for his labrynth organ, than the airstone (again, gills are only the secondary method for air).

Good luck with him!
 
#13 ·
But... he still can't even swim though... I mean, he's moved to different spots in the rock, but he can't even swim upwards because he can't raise his head. I have gave him salt... ummm I don't have a heater from him but I think I might buy one. His water is room temperature... maybe even a bit lower because we just had a snowstorm.
If I can I'll buy a heater tomorrow, wish me luck with that... my family thinks he's dead already. I have like, 20 bucks hopefully it's enough.
If I get a submersible heater, how could it go underwater though, if I make the water shallow?
I've heard of undertank stick on heaters but those only raise the water a few degrees which won't be enough.
And I'm worried about heaters because I have a plastic tank and I'm always scared of the plastic getting melted. Does anyone recommend a filter I could buy for under 20 bucks, specifically at Big Al's, PetSmart, or PJ'S Pets?
And I've been adding salt, I normally do anyways to add electrolytes.
On another site someone recommended giving him Stress Coat. Would that be a good idea?
And thanks sooo much guys for all the help :)
 
#15 ·
So does that mean it would be above or below the surface though? Also I'm worried about having the cord under the lid because then if the lid's opened a crack one of our cats might be able to open it up...
 
#16 ·
But... he still can't even swim though... I mean, he's moved to different spots in the rock, but he can't even swim upwards because he can't raise his head.
Why is why I'm recommending lowering the water. It's definitely in his instincts to go up for air, or he will suffocate... there was this one experiment where a betta's (or perhaps multiple, as it was an experiment) labrynth organ was removed, and there was plenty and plenty of oxygen within the water. It still suffocated to death. Your bettas last bits of strength probably include swimming to the top for air.

Unless I read that wrong?


Here's what I've found so far, in a few seconds of google:
http://www.tropicalfishforum.net/showthread.php?t=2382
http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/anabantids2/p/betta.htm (near the middle of the page).

Hope those help explaining about the organs a bit.

I also agree with at least having enough water to completely cover the to-be heater. It will short-fuse (?) if it's not fully submerged. I use Tetra Whisper, it's pretty cheap, and it does its job. ALthough it will probably help in the long run to go get an adjustable heater for a few extra bucks.

Yes, it will mean cracking the lid, however MOST lids come with "holes" to allow the wires to run through without any cracks. And this means the physical bulky heater itself must be UNDER, or COVERED with water.
 
#17 ·
You can also get a heavy book(s) and put on top of the tank so the cat can't knock the top off (or just not let the cat into the room where the fish is).

If he has lived 24 hrs since the incident more than likely he will pull through.
 
#18 ·
OK, but I also realized something, I can't put it horizontally with the riser tube there, I could remove the riser tube, but last time I tried it was really hard and I had to tug a lot and I don't wanna hurt Venus, but I can try. Only if the heater is lying horizontally, it might block his way to the surface? I have a kinda tall skinny-ish tank, so that might be a problem.
Sorrryyy, you guys are probably so fed up with me xD
 
#19 ·
Heaters aren't THAT bulky lol. I know the Walmart tetra ones are pretty short, and the adjustables are pretty long. What tank is it? 5 gallon hex? Heaters will definitely not block his way up. If they were that bad, pshh, I live in Texas, I can deal with 80F all year long. Haha.
 
#20 ·
It's a 3 gallon tank. Okay well I'll look but a question, will the heater be like, touching the gravel? And what if Venus like, happens to go and lie on the heater, would he burn himself?
 
#22 ·
As long as the heater is properly plugged in and fully submerged (if directions say so).

Heaters are made for aquariums, so no, they will not physically burn your fish. To play safe, don't allow the heater to touch the gravel. There IS a rubberguard, but that's on the bottom for when it stands vertically. You don't need to put the water level THAT low if you need to push down the heater.
 
#23 ·
Well, I just took out about half his water and I'm keeping his plants in so he's not stressed and feels secure but I pushed them away so the water surface is open for him to get to. So I'll see about the heater. What kind would you recommend and can you give a link so I can see what it looks like?
 
#25 ·
GUYS GUYS GUYS!!!!!!!!!! !
I can't believe this!
For the first time since the accident Venus is up and swimming! I cannot believe it! And the best part? My dad and I made a bet, my dad thought he'd never be up and swimming again, and 5 minutes after making the bet, my dad went to the tank and tapped on the outside, and he got up and started swimming. So for winning the bet I got 20 bucks! So now I have 40 bucks so I could buy him a heater to help him feel better.
I'm confident he's gonna stay alive but his injuries are concerning, like his patch of scales missing on his head. I'll keep the water clean to so there's no infection. He seems a little clumsy right now, and when I tried feeding him it took a bit to get the food down.
But I can't believe this, this is surely a blessing. It was perfect timing for him to get better ^^
 
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