Rescue

[vevice]

Hey guys, I just wanted to share what I found today.
Wal-Mart really doesn't take care of their fish, and I don't buy any from them on principle but I stumbled upon this guy tonight and it was bring him home or let him suffer.
I thought if you guys could give me any advice or pointers it was worth posting here. (Please be gentle, I haven't owned a betta in over ten years, or any fish for that matter. I also am a newly single mom of two, so I can't really spend money on heaters and fancy stuff, I just wanted to help.)

I bought a little 1.5 gallon tank, no heater, has a filter and an aerator. I used distilled water and added a water conditioner tab, some drops of start right (they sounded essentially like the same thing, but the drops added the slime and said it promoted healing) And one drop of the QuIck Cure. I let him hang out in the container he came home in, and floated that in his new tank for a while. Then I put him in the tank with some of the water he had been in, and he even ate a little bit.

His color is a lot better than it was. He was pretty pale, but he's been home for several hours and he looks already like he's got some more color to him. Though I could just be wanting it so bad, that I'm imagining it.
Under his jaw doesn't look quite so normal, it's black and looks like some of it may be missing (?) but that could just be his coloring or the fact that I'm not used to bettas these days.
He's got what looks like some whiteness right where his fin (the one directly behind his head) connects to his body.
He's got white spots on his head and face, but it looks like many of his scales have fallen off, so it could just be that.
I just read about adding aquarium salt, so I might try to do that if it's not too expensive. If I add AQ, do I HAVE to do a water change daily? I'm a full time college student/mom/getting a divorce/insert other excuse here/am exhausted and my financial means are limited.
Will he improve if I just stay the course we're on now? daily water treatments? Will the QuIck Cure help, just not as quickly? Sorry, I really do want the little guy to succeed, just am limited to my options.

[vevice]

Here's more pictures of the little guy.

[Capricorn]

Well, depending on where you live, how cold your winters are, and how warm yours house is, you're going to need a heater sooner or later. Bettas thrive in temperatures from 78-82 degrees. I know Petco carries a small heater that I use in my five gallon for about $12. It might seem like a pain to you to have to buy one, but your fish can live for three years given the proper care, and would be much healthier an comfortable in a heated tank.

If you have water conditioner that removes chloramines and metals, use your tap water instead of distilled water. Distilled water doesn't contain the same electrolytes and composition as regular water, so otherwise you'd have to purchase something to return those to the distilled water.

For the aquarium salt, yes, it can be fairly cheap. However, most often the best thing for healing damaged fins is clean, warm water. I'm not sure about the spotting or his face, you'll have to wait for a more experienced member to stop by your thread. With a tank your size water changes should take less than fifteen minutes.. I keep a ten and a five gallon and can clean both in under an hour.

What are you feeding him, also?

I'm not a mother, but I am a college student with a small budget. It can be easy to keep him on your budget (you can check at local dollar stores for things like mugs to hide in and fake plants), but there are certain things you just have to bite the bullet and buy. Like I said, you will probably need to purchase a heater. "Room temperature" is usually much too cold for a betta, he'll live much longer if you can keep him warm.

Sorry for the long post, hopefully some of this is helpful.

[peaches3221]

poor guy. he 1. is a tail biter 2. has fin rot 3.was fought with another betta. i would put aquarium salt in the tank, it's not too expensive and it will help his fins heal. the the black under his face is normal, that's his beard. when they see another betta, they puff it out to look big and scary. pot a mirror in front him and see what happens!

[NEWBEE FISH]

You did the right thing...

[Romad]

awwwww.... poor little thing. he's a cutie :)

his coloring on the face might just be normal for him. i have one that has the same look (like a freckled sunburn)

in 1.5 gallons, you're going to have to change the water constantly to keep him healthy - especially when you're trying to get him healthy to begin with.

adding AQ salt helps boost their electrolytes which helps them to fight infections etc. salt does not dissipate so only add a small amount to the water when you replace it. after he's looking better, don't use it any more. just keep up with daily water changes.

keep your eye out on CL deals for a 2.5 gallon (minimally) or even a 5 or 10 gallon tank.

Good luck and welcome to the forum.

oh, does he have a name yet?

[vevice]

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys! I've been changing his water, I'll pick up some AQ. He looks about the same, his fins are not doing any better, but hopefully the AQ will help that.
He made a bubble nest today, so at least he's happy. :)

My 5 year old has been calling him Raph, after the ninja turtle. XD
Which is a little fitting, I guess. He was the red one, and when he got hurt they tossed him in a tub. /nerd