am i fretting over nothing?

[FallenMessiah]

is this a healthy tail?



did a 50% water change today (first change ever) and nothing was added to the water as i used Puratap water

[Tsuhei]

His fins are fine. However, you said you got this guy last Tuesday and this is your first water change? Only 50%? I would say (I'm not really knowledgable about filters since I prefer not to use them..they upset my bettas) you'd need to do at least 50-75% once a week for a 12 liter (3 US gallon) filtered tank!

Plus, even though Puratap is filtered, it still can have chlorine in it...and you say you didn't add anything to the water. You need a water conditioner to take out chloramines, chlorine, and heavy metals that even puratap can't always take out. It's probably why he's acting strange as you discussed in your other thread in betta care.

I would get some water conditioner immediately.

[FallenMessiah]

Ahh thank you :D im very new to fish keeping and tried to stray away since my last experience and will get the right testers ASAP!

[Tsuhei]

Cool! Welcome to the forum. A lot of users suggest using Prime as a water conditioner by the way - you need very few droplets for your water and it saves you money in the long run.

Just make sure not to get anything like Ph stabilizers (Ph up/down), anything with "beneficial bacteria" in it, and stray away from Melafix/bettafix if your betta comes down with an illness!

If you want, along with purchasing your water conditioner (which should eliminate chlorine/chloramines), you can purchase something that helps eliminate stress...I prefer Kordon Fish Protect - it lowers stress level, gives vitamins, helps damaged fins, and eliminates heavy metals from the water. However, I think prime eliminates chlorine, chloramines, and heavy metals, so getting a "stress coat" supplement is up to you.

Since your tank is filtered, did you properly cycle your tank before adding your fish? If you didn't, the spike in nitrates from the new carbon filter can actually poison your fish to death...there's a lot of information on the forums on how to cycle a tank if you are unsure.

[ACHVOY]

I have my betta (which I've had in a 1 gallon for a year) in an upgraded tank (12 gallongs) I just started the other day. I've only been running my filter 50% of the time so he can become adjusted to the currents. I decided to ignore the idea of cycling bc with his filtered one gallon it just never seemed to be an issue. He's been acting fine and dandy but he's had a white spot in front of one eye forever and now a new one is growing in same exact spot on head in front of eye. I posted a picture in a previous post that led me to believe it was a cyst. I noticed at first after I moved him he'd flair his gills (black looking which I guess is the normal) at random. And somehow they seem more visible than I'm used to. I've also noticed a pin sized indention in his abdomen. Probably a missing scale. He's seemed a little itchy scratchy lately but nothing terribly unusual. And he has pretty much been his usual self. But as of late he's seeming a little bloated (not disabled by it though, and really only slightly chubby. lol. But at his largest I'd say) He seems fine but I just can't help but feel like something is going on I don't know about. I've added 2 tsps of uniodized salt to his new 12 gallon, and also bought some quick cure at walmart which I'm not sure about using yet. I also keep live plants in this tank, and I would hate to kill them or even moving him into yet another different body of water (no salt currently in 1 gallon) just for treatment. I have a heater on the way from hong kong. Could this be parasites? What really makes me think he's sick is how he was using his gills randomly (not showing off) yesterday but doesn't seem to be doing it at all today. He's been in this tank about 3 days I'd say. The water in his 1 gallon was poorly maintained (I'm ashamed to say) up until about a week before I moved him. I thought possibly his gills had been affected by ammonia poisoning but I'm not sure. Could it be the new filter?