Do her gills seem to stick out as well, like do they appear swollen? Is it possible any chemicals, perfumes, etc got into the water? I'd say clean water with aq salt until you know whats going on with your water. Any signs of parasites in/on her gills?
It's likely it's just ammonia burn from too few water changes.
They don't appear to be "swollen." They just have the "burn" appearance.... on both sides. No, not a chance. She's away from all of that kind of stuff. Alright. Thank you for all of your help! So, I should do water changes 2 x a week? 50%? I'll definitely change her water more. I originally wanted to, but my family kept saying that it was too much and that I was "getting rid" of valuable bacteria. I'm not an expert, so I just tried the once a week... :/ Do you think she can recover okay though?
That's silly they said that...Strange to be giving advice on something they know nothing about. There will still be bacteria on her decor in the tank, as well as the tank walls (even if you rinse them, which you should every once in awhile.) There will also be bacteria in the water you're changing, so when you put her in the new clean water, the bacteria on her, her decor, and in the water in the cup she's in will be introduced to the new tank and there will be beneficial bacteria.
She should be fine, and no, not two 50% changes.
Twice a week changes, one of them 50%, one of them 100%, (making sure you clear the gravel of poop and decaying food/other waste) every week and she should be fine. Until her gills clear up though, I'd do daily 50% changes with a pinch of aquarium salt to keep infection away and stress down.
If you are ever unsure of what to do, please read the stickys here and other disease and disorder threads, there is lots of valuable information members give all the time.
Good Evening, I'm sorry to hear your girl is not well. For that size unfiltered, I recommend one or two 50% changes a week, and a full 100% change on the weekend. Just as Green Tea said :)
I have a guide in my sticky that is generally very easy to read! Let me know if you have further questions.
Aw thanks a lot bahamut! I definitely appreciate everyone's help! She's doing fine today. She's swimming around like a nutcase, and I bought a new testing kit!!! .....ALL OF THE levels are safe after I did a water change. I'm gonna throw some salt in there for her, just to help with the tiny burns. I also called the dumb company that made the faulty tester that I have in my tank, they're sending me a new one, so, I guess I'll use it in emergencies or something, lol. Also, found a tiny filter at meijer :)
I'm beginning to wonder if the red spots could also be burns from the heater? She reallyyyyy likes to hang around the heater. I have one of these http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.co...408-heater.jpg .....does anyone have any input?
Yes! I have that same heater in my 2.5 gals and it has worked great for me!
I know some people have not had it heat their water properly, but I actually have one in my 10 gal with my giant and it keeps the water at 76, so they've worked for me. They have never overheated my smaller tanks or burnt me or my fish.
They have a limited warranty too, you could probably get it replaced if it malfunctions???
Petsmart sells a small heater that has no glass, so less of a risk to burning fish, however in my experience it IS a little faulty and leaves something to be desired in consistency. I just use it occasionally in my hospital tank.
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