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Clamped Fin/ Fin Rot- Now no appetite?!

1K views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  Canuck Fins 
#1 · (Edited)
Housing
What size is your tank? 1 Gallon

What temperature is your tank? Room Temperature- 78-80

Does your tank have a filter? No

Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? I keep some Anacharis which helps provide oxygen & some absorption of waste.

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? Mix of pellets & Tropical Flakes
How often do you feed your betta fish? morning & night

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? every 24-36 hrs

What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 50-100%, depending on condition of water

What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Stress Coat, AQ salt, and fungus treatment (for the fin rot)

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?

Has not been tested for his tank, but use the same water with all my fish. Don't think the problem is water related...

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? at first clamped fins, after treatment he is skinny, a little pale

How has your betta fish's behavior changed? still active, but has refused to eat since fin rot

When did you start noticing the symptoms? the day I took him home from the pet store (with complaints...lol)

Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? Treated with 1 tsp of AQ salt, & anti fungus treatment. Also 100% water changes every 24 hrs

Does your fish have any history of being ill? Unkown

How old is your fish (approximately)? Fairly young, probably around 5-6 months


Concern:

He has not eaten since I brought him home last week, although the fin rot/clampage has recovered quickly. I have tried 2 kinds of pellets, 3 kinds of flakes, freeze dried bloodworms, and even live mosquito larvae, which have ALWAYS worked for me when dealing with picky fish...

I can't get to the store until tomorrow (maybe frozen bloodworms or something else would help?), any other suggestions to coax him to eat?
 
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#2 ·
Well with regards to testing the water, just because you use the same water for all the fish doesn't mean it will remain the same when you add a fish to it! Since ammonia is produced from waste and decaying food in the water, it can spike sharply especially in a 1 gallon tank very quickly. I would recommend testing your water params in between changes and see how fast your ammonia and nitrites are going up... and think about upgrading the size of your tank. The smaller the tank, the faster and more severe toxic elements can spike!
 
#3 ·
Also, are you feeding just general tropical flakes? You should really just feed betta food, and some freeze dried bloodworms every once in a while. Tropical flakes aren't really formulated necessarily for the dietary needs of a Betta, and those flakes tend to produce a lot of waste causing ammonia issues if not removed promptly after not being eaten.
 
#4 ·
I don't generally feed bettas tropical flakes, but as he wasn't eating... I decided to try those & see if he was used to a flake-like food as opposed to pellets. My bettas all recieve freeze dried bloodworms at least once a week. As I said, he isn't eating those either. :(

I will get a water tester tonight, but do you really think the nitrates spike that much with 24 hr water changes? Most of my bettas are kept in 1 to 2 gallon tanks, except the sorority, and I do daily water changes. I haven't had any problems with anyone else. I am assuming this lack of appetite came from being kept in a teeny tiny cup & dirty water at the pet store.

Thanks for the suggestions! :)
 
#5 ·
He could also be clamped because of the water temperature. Without a heater, the water is not likely to stay at room temperature unless you live somewhere fairly warm. If room temp is 78*, I'd guess his water will be 75 or 76*.

Your betta may not be eating simply bc he is still adjusting to the new conditions. They can go up to a week without eating. I hope you can get his fin rot under control. :)
 
#6 ·
The fin rot & clamping has already reversed itself. He's getting better every day! :D He's in my fishroom, with all my other tanks, & I keep it quite warm in there @ around 80. I'll put him in between two of the heated tanks, which should bring up his temperature a bit.

Nebraska...Is quite warm during the summer. The past few days have been in the 80s to 90s. A couple of weeks ago, it was @ 100 for three days straight. Of course, during the winter it's freezing... -10s isn't too unusual. But during the winter, I keep the fish room even warmer... mostly because I like to sit & absorb the warmth as I watch my fishies. :)

I am concerned mostly because it has been more than a week, and all he's taken is a couple of nibbles. :( but I'll just keep trying to tempt him with live foods for now, & give him a bit more time...
 
#7 ·
That's great to hear he's improving. I knew Nebraska got quite warm, but I mentioned it anyway bc sometimes people need the reminder that as it gets colder/winter, arrangements may need to change.
 
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