Newbie Read Tons & Still Have a Few ???'s

[sunnylover]

Okay, I am new here and I'm LOVING all the help-thanks to everyone who contributes. Hoping one day I can help some people as well. :)

I recently made a beautiful red male VT betta, named Sunny, or newest family member...just yesterday in fact. I have a few questions- Since some of the information I am reading is conflicting and I want to know specifically for my circumstances some of your opinions on what to do.

A little information on Sunny and his setup. We just got him yesterday. He was sitting in the back of the row of cups at Petsmart and my son was determined this fish would be his. The cup he was in had tinted blue water (ugh)...so it was hard to see some things until I got him moved in his tank this morning.

*He has what looks like the start of fin rot-very mild I think; just a handful of small holes in his fins. I have AQ salt and API Stress Coat on its way (overnighted from Amazon it will be here tomorrow). The part I am confused about is do I just add the salt and stress coat to his water as is and then just change with his normal water changes? Or do I need to do a daily change 100% until the holes improve?

*For regular water changes- he is in a 3.5 gallon tank with heater (has been a steady 78 degrees since he has been in there), thermometer, silk plants and a filter (mini-might AQ-0800).

How often do I need to change his water and at what percentages? I see some do 100% weekly, some only do 50% weekly?

Do I always add the API Stress Coat along with his regular Water Conditioner when I do these changes?

And...(sorry long winded lol) do I add the conditioner and stress coat amounts based on what I am adding to the tank (if I remove 2 gal do I tread just the 2 gal) or do I put in the new water treatment for the full 3.5 gallons?

*Last Question-he hasn't eaten since bringing him home. Should I be overly concerned or is he probably just getting used to his new home? He otherwise seems happy, just a little shy for now.

THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR HELP AND ADVICE!!!

[Mavi]

Hi, welcome to the forum.
I dont know much about AQ salt and API stress coat and exactly how they work but I would recommend adding them in straight away.
As for water changes while he is recovering, I know I am going to get slammed for saying this but the 100% water changes every day are probably too much and you don't want to stress an already sick fish.
People may find this weird but I would do two 50% changes a week to control the ammonia but each time I would remove him from his bowl so it can be wiped out, the gravel and plants rinsed (if you have any) and then I would take the 50% of his old water which you're going to outback in and I would run it through a coffee filter.
I'm not saying this is the way you should do it, this is just the way that it works for me.

[Mavi]

Outback was supposed to be "put back".

[BettaMommy531rip]

API stress coat+aquarium salt are great choices for mild fin rot elimination as well as your betta's overall health. He isn't extremely sick so water changes should be about every 4-5 days. Only do partial water changes so you don't stress him out in his new home. As for the eating (or lack of it) I've had that issue with every betta I bring home from the petstore. He's probably just stressed give him a little while to settle in. Hopefully stress coat/aquarium salt will make him healthy and kick his appetite back on. If he still isn't eating try bribing him with freeze-dried bloodworms. But don't keep feeding him those as his main food, because they lose nutrients when they are freeze-dried. Try later to get him to eat flakes/pellets. Overall he sounds pretty good. You are doing the right thing.

[sunnylover]

Originally Posted by Mavi

Hi, welcome to the forum.
I dont know much about AQ salt and API stress coat and exactly how they work but I would recommend adding them in straight away.
As for water changes while he is recovering, I know I am going to get slammed for saying this but the 100% water changes every day are probably too much and you don't want to stress an already sick fish.
People may find this weird but I would do two 50% changes a week to control the ammonia but each time I would remove him from his bowl so it can be wiped out, the gravel and plants rinsed (if you have any) and then I would take the 50% of his old water which you're going to outback in and I would run it through a coffee filter.
I'm not saying this is the way you should do it, this is just the way that it works for me.

Thanks for your response! I live a bit from the store but as soon as I noticed the pin holes in his fins, I got right on amazon and had the salt and stress coat overnighted. Will add it as soon as it comes tomorrow!

Does anyone have any recommendations on the amount of salt to use for his 3.5 gal tank? Also, do I take him out for a bit, add it and the stress coat to his tank, let it do its thing for a minute and then add him back...or?

[sunnylover]

Originally Posted by BettaMommy531rip

API stress coat+aquarium salt are great choices for mild fin rot elimination as well as your betta's overall health. He isn't extremely sick so water changes should be about every 4-5 days. Only do partial water changes so you don't stress him out in his new home. As for the eating (or lack of it) I've had that issue with every betta I bring home from the petstore. He's probably just stressed give him a little while to settle in. Hopefully stress coat/aquarium salt will make him healthy and kick his appetite back on. If he still isn't eating try bribing him with freeze-dried bloodworms. But don't keep feeding him those as his main food, because they lose nutrients when they are freeze-dried. Try later to get him to eat flakes/pellets. Overall he sounds pretty good. You are doing the right thing.

Thanks! I am thinking I will continue to use the API stress coat for all his water changes since I have read such good things about it. Is that normal to use it all the time as a regular conditioner for the water?

Glad to hear it is a "normal" thing for him not to be eating. I am just hoping this other stuff will help him feel better too. Glad I was able to bring him to a good home and hope I can get him fixed up soon.

[sunnylover]

Originally Posted by Mavi

Outback was supposed to be "put back".

So you don't use new water or treat it, or? I am confused, sorry. You take out half the water, leaving the old water in the tank. Then you treat new water and what water was left in the tank you run through a coffee filter and then add that "old" water back in with "new" and treated water?

[Mavi]

Originally Posted by sunnylover

So you don't use new water or treat it, or? I am confused, sorry. You take out half the water, leaving the old water in the tank. Then you treat new water and what water was left in the tank you run through a coffee filter and then add that "old" water back in with "new" and treated water?

Sorry if I wasn't clear before.
I scoop my betta out with a container of water.
I run his old water through a coffee filter.
I put half of it back in his bowl.
I fill the other half with clean, treated water.

Hope that helped! :)

[sunnylover]

Gotcha, thanks! :)

[Mavi]

No problem :)