uses of epsom salt vs. aquarium salt

[KcSaf]

my new halfmoon that ive had for 2 weeks wont really eat anything. well thats not entirely true, i dont know if he has been eating or not :P. i feed him one crushed up pellet of tetrabetta+ in the morning, before i go to swim practice every other day. i have been only feeding him every other day to test and see if he eats at all. today, i fed him and came home from practice to see that the food i fed him was gone. im pretty sure he ate it but then thats weird because he didnt eat the last time i fed him. he seems to be eating the one pellet every other time i feed him, so once every 4 days. i am wondering if you think that he is either a picky eater, or constipated. or anything else.

i dont have any aquarium salt, but i have three pint cartons of epsom salt. nor do i have a hospital tank to treat him in. i am going on a petco run tomorrow, and i am thinking of buying frozen bloodworms to see if he will eat those, plus some more plants for him to swim in.

a friend of mine (from this website) says that he might have fin rot, or might develop it soon. due to a smallish rip in his anal fin.

with his eating thing, and fin rot, which salt do i use to treat him? what does each salt do, and how much of it do i put in a tank?

[teeneythebetta]

If he has a rip in his fin- that does not mean he will get fin rot. Its just a rip.

Clean, warm water will do him good. what size tank is he in? is it heated?

Aquarium salt helps treat some external problems.
Epsom salt helps with internal problems.

I would not put anything in his water unless he has fin rot. Theres not point in treating him if he is okay. can u post a pic?

[KcSaf]

i currently have him in a one gallon, not heated.



that is him, but i just checked and he has no rip in his fin, its just a clear stripe that looks like a rip at certain angles :P sorry bout that...

here is his tank:



And this was when i first got him so i didnt have any plants yet. what about feeding? what do you think i should do about his eating habits?

[teeneythebetta]

He Defenitely doesn't have fin rot.
What temperature is his water at?

Warm water will keep him healthy, cold water makes them more prone to illness.

You could do at least 2 water changes per week for a 1 gal- 1 50% change and 1 100% change, although preferably 3 times a week so 2 50% and 1 100%.

hes very pretty! as for the feeding, some bettas wont eat for weeks at a time upon coming home. unless he is acting lethargic and being lazy, i wouldnt worry.. Maybe try soaking the food in garlic juice, this might entice him to eat and it is 100% safe for the fish.

Are you feeding pellets or flakes? maybe he prefers the opposite type, i like people to feed pellets though because its less likely to bloat him.

[KcSaf]

pellets, crushed up. ive been wanting to check the water temperature, but i dont think we have a thermometer, i will probably get one tomorrow. ive moved him up to the living room where it is warmer. i will also do a 100% water change tomorrow i think so i can add plants and stuff for him to hide in.

i have flakes, they are for tropical fish. i havent tested them on him, but i might unless told otherwise.

[LebronTheBetta]

Tropical flakes are fine IMO, I feed some to Lebron for variety. Just feed 2 small flakes or 1 big flake to him so no bloat. :)

[KcSaf]

hmmm, ok i think i might try that in a few days, after he gets settled from the water change (probably not neccesary, but oh well)

[Basement Bettas]

Originally Posted by KcSaf

pellets, crushed up. ive been wanting to check the water temperature, but i dont think we have a thermometer, i will probably get one tomorrow. ive moved him up to the living room where it is warmer. i will also do a 100% water change tomorrow i think so i can add plants and stuff for him to hide in.

i have flakes, they are for tropical fish. i havent tested them on him, but i might unless told otherwise.

Why do you crush pellets? Get some sized that he can eat. New life spectrum Grow or Small fish are perfect for bettas. I like the smaller size as don't have bloat issues. And Hikari makes some good betta food the right size too. And feed till the belly is slightly round. Add some and give him a chance to eat. Then add a few more.. and continue to till slightly round. Got a nice fish.. needs a quality food to stay looking that good. And get something to heat that water. Can put the bowl on a heat pad on low too.. but test first without fish to make sure stays between 78-82*.

[Basement Bettas]

Bettas should have healthy appetites. If he is off food don't let him go too long that way. That is often a first sign of sickness.. and I prefer feeding meds. When they stop eating you drastically reduce what you can do to make them better.

[Pitluvs]

I agree with BB on this one, get him some good small pellets you don't have to crush and heat up that bowl :) No need for salts with this guy :) He's beautiful!!