OK, bettas are sensitive to the active ingredient in Melafix. You can kill a betta with full strength doses, so stop and count yourself lucky. Pop some carbon in your filter and do a 50% water change.
All is not lost, however:
There is a product called Bettafix that is actually Pimafix mixed at 20% strength. This is safe for bettas. Which means that using 1 ml/10 gallons of melafix is also safe for bettas.
That being the case, once you've baselined the water to get rid of the harmful concentration, take out the carbon and continue the melafix regimen with 1 ml in 10 gallons rather than the 5 the bottle recommends. If you want to use Pimafix as well, use the same amount.
See if that helps.
I'm very glad you told me aboutt his! I'll do a 50% water change right now, and see if I can get a hold of bettafix.
Don't waste your money on bettafix!!! It's just melafix diluted to 1 part in 5. You can use melafix at the rate of 1ml per 10 gallons (rathr than 5/10) and get the same effect.
Thanks for the information tophat. I've changed 50% of the water and I won't dose with melafix for a few days, then I'll go with the dose you suggested. If all else fails would you recommend treating for finrot, just in case?
If the melafix by itself doesn't start to obviously work in about 5 days, start doing Pimafix as well. They work better together than separately. Now I have never used pimafix on a betta, so I would keep the dose the same as with melafix. On the other hand, I have read some folks saying that you can use a half dose of pimafix (5ml/20 gallon) without a problem.
Male bettas when broaded will eat there own tail fin. Some are just fin eatters from the start. I've had them eat there own tail til it's be on any type of regrowth.
Male bettas when broaded will eat there own tail fin. Some are just fin eatters from the start. I've had them eat there own tail til it's be on any type of regrowth.
He does seem to be getting better now. Is there anything I can do to stop him being bored, if this is the case? He isn't with the cories anymore, he's in a 7g to himself.
One of the best ways to stop fin nippers is to place another male close enough for themto see each other and flare. Flaring helps fight boredome and keeps fin nippers from doing it. Also it's good for them. Keeps them health and active. Some people even me beleaves,it makes them live longer. I've done it for yrs. now. I have 50 bettas over 5yrs old and still spawning.
One of the best ways to stop fin nippers is to place another male close enough for themto see each other and flare. Flaring helps fight boredome and keeps fin nippers from doing it. Also it's good for them. Keeps them health and active. Some people even me beleaves,it makes them live longer. I've done it for yrs. now. I have 50 bettas over 5yrs old and still spawning.
I don't have any other unfortunately. I could give him a mirror now and again so that he thinks he sees another - that would hopefully have a similar effect?
Is it possible in fact that he misses the cories he was once housed with? He used to watch the cories a lot, though he never bothered with them, just liked to watch. Perhaps he is not bored because he has nothing to watch?
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