Water Conditions

[AngelicScars]

I'm new to the board so bare with me please. :)

I got my first Betta almost a month ago. We've been doing everything to take care of him. When we first bought him, he seems extremely happy and made the biggest bubble nests!
Not too long after that his fins were damaged from netting him. I felt terrible about it and ran out to get some Betta Fix. I don't know if that was a good idea or not. He didn't seem to like it at all. I treated him with that for almost a week and cleaned his tank from that stuff. I then went back to the way I took care of him and he hasn't really seemed happy since before the Betta Fix.
I found Betta Spa recently and thought it would be perfect for him. I was hoping it would make him happy again. Well, we got it in the mail recently and we changed his tank today and used it. He's been acting odd ever since. He's been hanging out in his rock cave and I notice cloudy stuff around his body.
Is the Betta Spa irritating him? I think I've read that if the Betta Spa "crystallizes" it can irritate him. I have no idea if it has an expiration date because there isn't one on the bottle.

Any help would be great, I want my Betta, Rex, to be happy again!

[Nataku]

Well the betta fix is something I wouldn't recommend. In my attempts at using it it hasn't done crap. Some other members have even said that it is harmful to a betta. Who knows, it may be, I didn't notice any adverse effects while using it, but I also noticed it sure didn't help either.
Never tried this betta spa stuff. Looked it up and it appears to just be a tannin concentrate? Eh, well, I'll admit I stick dried banana leaves in my betta's tanks for them on occasion, those contain tannins, and they seem to like it, but I've never tried this betta spa stuff. I think the bettas prefer the dried banana leaves as its something they can push around the tank and blow bubble nests under just as much as any tannins that come from it.

As far as growing fins back, I find the best medication for that is simply clean water. Maybe a little aquarium salt in that water, but clean water. I don't really add anything just for torn fins, they come back fine in a clean environment on their own. As a future note, you may have better success when trying to catch your betta by simply using a cup (like the one they came in) to scoop them up. This is method I use, and you don't really tear fins that way, nothing to really get caught in.

[Twistersmom]

I have not used betta fix or betta spa.
What size tank is the fish in?
Usually the best meds for fish is just clean water. Maybe try daily partial water change for a while and see if he starts to heal up.
Perhaps if you had a gravel syphon, you would not have to remove the fish during water changes, or maybe try catching the fish in a cup rather than using a net.

[LaniBaby]

I haven't heard anything about tannins and bettas. Can someone explain more?

[LaniBaby]

i just did some quick research. it looks like you can use indian almond leaves to soak in your bettas tank to give him tannins and it's antibacterial, to a degree. i have never heard about this before and i'm somewhat intrigued by it.

[dramaqueen]

I've heard of IAL but didn't know much about it except that it has tannins and that a lot of breeders use it.

[AngelicScars]

I'm not too worried about his fins because they look 100% better as of now. I'm just worried with how he's been acting.

Right now he is way more active and is swimming around more. Maybe he was just trying to adjust to the change?

I have been using a cup recently and it has been working way better for me. I think I'm going to stick with that from now on . Thank you!

My Betta is in a 5 gallon tank. We've been doing regular cleanings for the tank, so if that's a big part of healing then I'm glad!

I used Betta Spa because it is suppose to be a great water conditioner and have antibacterial qualities and the like. I've read really positive reviews on it as well. I figured someone here would know something about it.
Here is a link with a little info about the Betta Spa.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...m?pcatid=15464

[MarieBettaMom]

Are the Indian Almond Leaves something you only use when fish are sick or when they are breeding? Or can you use it all the time? (All the time like how some of you always use Aquarium Salt in your tanks)

[dramaqueen]

I think you can use it all the time.