Yes, better to do complete water change, eliminating the Melafix, just clean warm water, and let her rest keeping fairly low for easy access to surface..then tommorow..see how she is and if alert and responsive, you may not need Salt treatment.
Just the water conditioner for now, check on her every hour for alertness, and breathing:) offer food, if she has not eaten..if she refuses, it's ok, give some time, check again in another hr or so..I hope this helps:) Please keep us updated with her progress~
I don't think I can mess up this problem any more: She fell on the floor when I was changing her water.
I did a COMPLETE water change, (minus the inch of water I used to transfer and acclimate her to the new water with). I cleaned out her tank and scrubbed off any excess Melafix.
So now, she's in about 4 inches of water in height. (She has a lot of room to swim horizontally.) She's got clamped fins and she's breathing heavy, but she's moving a little bit more. I'm not sure if white spots are starting to form or if it's her regular color being surrounded by red spots. (She turns red/grey/brown when she gets stressed out.)
I'm actually surprised she is still alive at this point. I can't help but to think that the Melafix did a LITTLE help to her. (I'd rather have a fish with a damaged organ that is able to live happily than a dead fish altogether.)
I'll see if I need to get that salt. I'll probably pick it up, just in case. Please keep me updated on what I need to continue to do, and when.
Edit: I just saw her take 3 HUGE gulps of air at the top, all in a row. :/ Her gills have also turned reddish brown. Fins aren't quite as clamped anymore, but she's still breathing very heavy and not swimming much.
The gulps are anything to worry about, I see mine do that. I dont think Melafix hurts them. I have never found a reason why, and mine are always fine when I have used it.
The gills are prob from ammonia problems, could you test the water again? Adding live plants should help with the ammonia. Duckweed and anacharis suck up everything.
I would say you have not been doing enough water changes, with a 3 gallon you need to do 3 a week to stop the ammonia from buliding up which I believe is your Bettas problem. I would do two 50 percent and 1 80 or or so percent you can leave enough water to cover her so you dont have to take her out... be sure the water is close to the same temp she is in to prevent shock. Live plants so help but do not depend on them, I have live plants too but only a few and I just finished cycling my 5 gallon tank and still had ammonia even with the plants.
If you could get the API Master fresh water test kit it would be a big help to you in knowing what the levels are of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Do you have a filter on her tank and if so how long has it been up and running ?
Ifs it been awhile your tank could be starting to cycle and you are starting to get nitrite along with the ammonia and both are bad for your fish and toxic.
Last edited by Perseusmom; 08-31-2012 at 01:39 PM.
I'm getting SO MANY mixed messages here. I DO have a freshwater testing kit. I change her water at 100% weekly, and was told before by someone else that this was too much change. I HAD a filter, but was told to remove it. My poor girl is still hanging on, but still not doing well.
Should I just go ahead and add the Melafix again? It SEEMED to help her a little bit at first, but it was only in the tank for an hour or so. Then I did the water change which is where I'm at now.
She has gone back to just barely swimming and still has not eaten. I'm so confused.
A day or 2 in Melafix or Bettafix won't hurt her. It helped my fish also. If she did well with it I think it's OK to use it again, just for a day or 2.
Sorry for the mixed messages, everyone has their own opinions on the subject
Okay, still have her in about 4 inches of water, added 1/8 teaspoon of Melafix again. I think she may have a bacterial infection. I just can't seem to figure out exactly what to do. Should I follow the instructions on the bottle of meds exactly? Or should I do some water changes? (Which the bottle doesn't say to do until later...) She's doing about the same now even WITH the meds. :(
I think I will do the Melafix for a day or two, and then go with the Salt if it's not working.
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