I'm fairly new to keeping fish. I bought a 5 gallon tank with the filter and hood, light and all that a couple of months ago and read up on how to begin a tank. I was at Walmart looking at some supplies and took a look at the bettas. One in particular kept swimming around and looking at me as if to say "take me home!" I know some people think you shouldn't buy fish from there, but I saw him and I couldn't resist.
Long story short, he's been living with me in his new tank for about three weeks now. This morning I got up and I couldn't find him! My boyfriend and I looked closer and saw that he was stuck to the bottom of the filter. Luckily he wasn't dead, but the large fin in the back is almost completely gone. Now he's kinda laying at the top on his side and seems to be breathing heavily. If you open the top or put a finger in the tank, he will react and swim around normally and look at you, but he won't eat.
I just want to know what his chances are and what I can do for him to help him heal. I've become very attached to the little guy. It would break my heart if he died. I've completed the information I saw on another thread.
Housing
What size is your tank? 5 gallon
What temperature is your tank? 78 degrees
Does your tank have a filter? Yes
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No
Is your tank heated? Yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? None, just him
Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Tetra BettaMin, occasionally freeze dried blood worms
How often do you feed your betta fish? A little of the BettaMin daily, the blood worms maybe once a week.
Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? Weekly
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 25-30%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Tetra BettaSafe
Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters? No
Ammonia: N/A
Nitrite: N/A
Nitrate: N/A
pH: N/A
Hardness: N/A
Alkalinity: N/A
Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? His back fin is mostly gone
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? Before he was happy and romping around, always swimming to the side when I came into the room, now he's lying at the top of the tank, sometimes on his side
When did you start noticing the symptoms? This morning after we got him out of the filter
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? We put some aquarium salt in it and a little more of the BettaSafe. I was also going to do a water change
Does your fish have any history of being ill? Not that I'm aware of - he seemed perfectly fine before this. Healthy appetite, very active
How old is your fish (approximately)? I have no idea
Thanks for any help or suggestions.
Long story short, he's been living with me in his new tank for about three weeks now. This morning I got up and I couldn't find him! My boyfriend and I looked closer and saw that he was stuck to the bottom of the filter. Luckily he wasn't dead, but the large fin in the back is almost completely gone. Now he's kinda laying at the top on his side and seems to be breathing heavily. If you open the top or put a finger in the tank, he will react and swim around normally and look at you, but he won't eat.
I just want to know what his chances are and what I can do for him to help him heal. I've become very attached to the little guy. It would break my heart if he died. I've completed the information I saw on another thread.
Housing
What size is your tank? 5 gallon
What temperature is your tank? 78 degrees
Does your tank have a filter? Yes
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No
Is your tank heated? Yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? None, just him
Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Tetra BettaMin, occasionally freeze dried blood worms
How often do you feed your betta fish? A little of the BettaMin daily, the blood worms maybe once a week.
Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? Weekly
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 25-30%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Tetra BettaSafe
Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters? No
Ammonia: N/A
Nitrite: N/A
Nitrate: N/A
pH: N/A
Hardness: N/A
Alkalinity: N/A
Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? His back fin is mostly gone
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? Before he was happy and romping around, always swimming to the side when I came into the room, now he's lying at the top of the tank, sometimes on his side
When did you start noticing the symptoms? This morning after we got him out of the filter
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? We put some aquarium salt in it and a little more of the BettaSafe. I was also going to do a water change
Does your fish have any history of being ill? Not that I'm aware of - he seemed perfectly fine before this. Healthy appetite, very active
How old is your fish (approximately)? I have no idea
Thanks for any help or suggestions.