I've had 2 male bettas for 2 weeks. They're in the same tank that has a divider so they can't get to or are each other. Tonight when I gave them dinner I noticed that the blue fish's head has turned a blackish color. I don't are any white anywhere on him but his fins look almost wilted like they're closed. He's still swimming around but not as actively as he was even this morning. The other fish doesn't seem to have anything wrong with him but I want to get the possibly sick guy out of the same tank so the other one doesn't catch it. It wasn't time for a water change yet (I did sit water out for it to get to room temperature) so I don't have anywhere else for either of them to go right now. What should I do for now and after the water has been sitting long enough for a change?
Thank you!
Meanwhile, change them into smaller vases/pots take a photo of them if possible, and, that's important, make a 100% water change daily to see if they get better.
Like SillyCone, I'm no expert either, but if you have anything else to temporarily move him to, like a deep bowl, bucket, vase or any kind of container really, with the clean water (if it's the same temp as the previous water) you might want to try that asap and see what that does.
Sounds like he just isn't thriving too well in that tank he is in. I'm sorry that I can't help you more with a diagnosis! I hope some people who are more knowledgeable than myself can help you with that. Best of luck though and I hope he gets better!
Thanks for both of your advice!
When I noticed it I say some water out to get room temp but there's still about 7 hours until it'll be warm enough. On that subject, I've never heard (until I found that site) that bettas need a heater. I have one from an old tank should I put that in to keep the water warmer once I get him feeling better and back in his tank?
Ok, I'm sure it doesn't need extra stress anymore than I do! Lol.
I'm here - am I replying correctly or should I be replying directly to your reply..if that makes any sense. I'm still trying to learn my way around.
Pft, don't mind me much, I know just a tiny bit about bettas to be honest, I'm doing my research part though, and it's getting positive results towards my betta haha, I might even get a female one and put it with a divider on my 10G tank is yet to come with my male! XD
Anywaaaaay! Returning to the topic, reply to this quote here:
Quote:
Housing
What size is your tank?
What temperature is your tank?
Does your tank have a filter?
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?
Is your tank heated?
What tank mates does your betta fish live with?
Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish?
How often do you feed your betta fish?
Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change?
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change?
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change?
Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed?
How has your betta fish's behavior changed?
When did you start noticing the symptoms?
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how?
Does your fish have any history of being ill?
How old is your fish (approximately)?
And move them to smaller pots/vases/aquariums and if possible upload a photo for us.
Housing
What size is your tank? 1gal
What temperature is your tank? room temp..dont know exactly
Does your tank have a filter? no
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? no
Is your tank heated? no
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? the tank is divided and there is another betta on the other side
Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? tropical fish flakes
How often do you feed your betta fish? twice a day
Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? once a week..ive only had him for one water change so far
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 100%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? i just got a dissolving tablet to start using
Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? his head has gotten brownish blackish and his fins arent open
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? he hasnt changed much..he isnt eating as much as he was
When did you start noticing the symptoms? about 12 hours ago
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? I have water sitting out to get to room temp to get him into a different bowl
Does your fish have any history of being ill? no..ive only had him 2 weeks though
How old is your fish (approximately)? i have no idea
I definitely recommend this thread if you haven't gone over it yet. I check it constantly and it has helped me a lot in starting out with my new fish. :D
In case you decide to go with a heater, the tips that are there are really helpful and the method in which you acclimate the fish to a new temperature. It's really important to take caution with that. Having a thermometer and being ready to take some time to wait for everything to adjust. Sort of a lot of work, but I do think it's totally worth it for the water to be at least 5-10 degrees above room temp.
The tank looks similar to the one I had my last fish in. Is it from Walmart? I can't remember the brand name, but it had a blue and clear divider.
Regardless, the one I had was too small for even one fish. So maybe yours is as well for two fish. :( Mine was already sick when I bought him (I think), and your situation sounds similar to the one I was having! Maybe a more spacious tank is in order.
Welcome to the forum!
Fortunately, there isn't much wrong with them apart from your set up. If you correct that, they'll be healthy in no time!
Okay, firstly with two bettas in a 1 gallon tank, water quality will be deteriorating quickly. You should be doing 100% water daily. Everytime a betta breaths out, it releases ammonia. The ammonia builds up really quickly in those sized tanks.
You need a heater to keep it at 78-80* F, bettas come from tropical areas.
You need to feed them properly, tropical fish flakes are not for bettas, they probably don't have the proper ammounts of protein the bettas need.
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Each betta needs a minimum of 2.5 gallons. This is to help with the water quality as well as to give them room to explore.
The clamped fins and brown edges are typical signs of stress and poor water quality. The ammonia in the water burns their gills and is breeding grounds for bacteria that rot their fins. Unfortunatly not many people know this when they get their bettas, and LFS (local fish store) employees either don't know about proper tank requirements, or they don't care.
Once you have a better set up, I advise returning the tank or using it to hold your bettas during brief water changes... though apart from that, it has no true practical use. Speaking of water changes, if you get a 2.5 gallon tank for each of them, to keep the water acceptable and clean, you'd have to do two 50% and one 100% water changes a week. :)
Check out the eBook Betta Fish Care Made Easy
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