[aquarez]

My crowntail suffers from chronic SBD, most likely genetic as I've tried literally everything on the list for the past month and a half other than daphnia. (Peas, epsom salt, bacterial/parasitic medication, fasting.) My last resort is daphnia before I ultimately may have to put him to sleep (he's lethargic all day because of it.)
Anyway I have this powdery freeze dried daphnia he ignores. I'm thinking about dampening his regular pellets, caking them in daphnia powder, let them dry and feed them to him. Would that work? He tends to spit out raw daphnia when I do get him to eat it.
If you have any suggestions please let me know. I also cannot get any other kind of daphnia as it is nowhere near my university, and shipping frozen daphnia is expensive and untrustworthy since my college processes packages for 24 hours before opening them up for pickup.

 

[ThatFishThough]

Freeze dried will not help you. Go to a local dollar store and pick up a carton of unscented espom salt. Move him to a smaller 1G tank with a heater. Set the heater to 80*F, add 1 tsp of espom salt. Go a 50% water change every two days, replacing 1/2 tsp. of salt. Make sure the salt i fully dissolved before adding him.

 

[aquarez]

Freeze dried will not help you. Go to a local dollar store and pick up a carton of unscented espom salt. Move him to a smaller 1G tank with a heater. Set the heater to 80*F, add 1 tsp of espom salt. Go a 50% water change every two days, replacing 1/2 tsp. of salt. Make sure the salt i fully dissolved before adding him.

i have been giving him multiple epsom baths as well as dosing his tank with it. i'm pretty experienced. like i said, i tried everything.

 

[ThatFishThough]

Yes, I did see that. I'm saying you should take him out and keep him in the salts, I've found that 100% of the time, esp. baths don't help. The only time I've ever had anyone recover from dropsy/SBD/etc, was the one time where I did a salt-in-tank treatment.

 

[aquarez]

Yes, I did see that. I'm saying you should take him out and keep him in the salts, I've found that 100% of the time, esp. baths don't help. The only time I've ever had anyone recover from dropsy/SBD/etc, was the one time where I did a salt-in-tank treatment.

oh, ok. my apologies for coming off as impatient. i'm not denying that i'm not impatient though, haha. his condition is driving me slightly insane. so you're suggesting a type of permanent epsom dosage? in which case, i'm all ears. someone on reddit informed me that a "permanent" epsom bath miraculously turned his betta's life around

edit: i'm such an idiot. i actually have a second 1.5 gallon filtered tank that was his initial tank (hes now in a 2.5, planted, filtered and heated) but i brought the 1.5 gal home from college. do you think i could just dose the 2.5 gal? his current tank is always at 80F exactly. i don't think epsom salts will hurt my nerite snail/plants

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

Have you tried dips (@1tbs per gallon for 10-15 minutes) or baths (@1tsp per gallon with 100% daily water changes for no more than 10 days) or both?

Because Epsom Salts raises water hardness I wouldn't add to the main tank if your water is already hard. It can also alter pH. Can't remember which direction.

 

[ThatFishThough]

^ That's what I meant. Almost like a "bath", in a hospital tank for a week. XD I do apologize, because I'm bad at explaining things. I'm also pumped with energy. I drank a Red Bull and have now convinced myself that I need a 20G Nano Reef tank. Thank the Lord that RusselL is here to help.

 

[aquarez]

^ That's what I meant. Almost like a "bath", in a hospital tank for a week. XD I do apologize, because I'm bad at explaining things. I'm also pumped with energy. I drank a Red Bull and have now convinced myself that I need a 20G Nano Reef tank. Thank the Lord that RusselL is here to help.

oh, well i don't have a hospital tank but the current tank he's in has plants and a nerite snail, other than that its at 80F and meets all the standards for dosing i think. i think i read somewhere theyre actually good for plants?

 

[ThatFishThough]

Does the 1.5 have anything in it?

ETA: Salt is not good for plants. I learned that the hard way, LOL.

 

[aquarez]

Does the 1.5 have anything in it?

ETA: Salt is not good for plants. I learned that the hard way, LOL.

no, but its at home, 3 hours away. i won't be back there for over a month, and i really wouldn't rather spend money on an another 1.5 gal considering i didn't have much of use for it to begin with. or maybe could i buy a 1 gallon container or a substitute for a tank that holds a gallon of water? i don't think any heater will be sufficient for a tank that small though

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

You can get any one-gallon container or glass bowl. If there's a Wal-Mart near they have this little jobbie for around $6.00.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hawkeye-1-Gallon-Fish-Bowl-Drum-Shaped-Shatterproof-Plastic/54980586

I'm sure you could find something in a "Everything's a Dollar" store.

Epsom Salts aren't bad for plants; Aquarium Salt is. ES has an ingredient used in fertilizers. I *think* it's magnesium but I'd have to Google.

Here's an article you might find interesting:
Water Hardness and pH in the Freshwater Aquarium - Tropical Fish Keeping - Aquarium fish care and resources

Caveat: It is against Betta Fish rules to link to other forums. However, TFK is acceptable because it is our sister site.

 

[aquarez]

You can get any one-gallon container or glass bowl. If there's a Wal-Mart near they have this little jobbie for around $6.00.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hawkeye-1-Gallon-Fish-Bowl-Drum-Shaped-Shatterproof-Plastic/54980586

I'm sure you could find something in a "Everything's a Dollar" store.

Epsom Salts aren't bad for plants; Aquarium Salt is. ES has an ingredient used in fertilizers. I *think* it's magnesium but I'd have to Google.

Here's an article you might find interesting:
Water Hardness and pH in the Freshwater Aquarium - Tropical Fish Keeping - Aquarium fish care and resources

Caveat: It is against Betta Fish rules to link to other forums. However, TFK is acceptable because it is our sister site.

alright sounds good, ill go out and buy one tomorrow. no substrate necessary right? also, do i still need a heater because i don't think i'll find one. also one more thing, he's had swim bladder for a bit over a month now so does that mean its beyond fixable? i read somewhere that its time sensitive

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

Can you use your current heater in the hospital tank? And, no, you don't need substrate; it will be much easier without.

Wish I could help you with your question on SBD. Maybe someone who's had a Betta with it can help.

 

[aquarez]

Just got a bowl that's either 1 or 1.5 gal. Dosing about 1 tsp of epsom salt (slightly more cause I think the bowl isn't a little more than 1 gal) and starting his bath for 10 days starting today.

 

[aquarez]

i meant that the bowl i think is slightly more than 1 gal*

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

Good luck and please keep us posted on how he's doing.

 

[aquarez]

Good luck and please keep us posted on how he's doing.

thank you! he's doing alright so far. yesterday he slept at the bottom of the bowl instead of floating to the top. hopefully this will work. it's all i have left

 

[aquarez]

AMAZING NEWS!!!! Since about two days ago I decided to change things up and go back to feeding him HexShield (anti-intestinal parasitic food that I tried feeding him about twice before deciding intestinal parasites weren't causing the bloat.) Yesterday I could have sworn he was starting to act a bit more normal. He wasn't floating as much anymore, and he was spending a lot more time below the surface, even when I wasn't there to stimulate him. This morning I saw him chilling at the bottom of the bowl, which he has never done before. I noticed a couple days ago that when I get him to follow my finger, he couldn't turn left (he could turn towards his right without problems). He would always try follow my finger left, but end up twitching and turning very awkwardly. Today upon testing him, I was shocked to see he was able to turn towards his left a lot better. There was not a single time today that I caught him idly floating at the surface like he has always been doing.

I have no idea whether it was the HexShield pellets or if coincidentally the epsom salts finally made him better, but either way I am confident that I have not seen this level of recovery before. However, he has always tricked me into thinking he is recovering, before going straight back to his lethargic ways. I can't confirm that he is fully recovered for sure, so I'm not sure what to do. Should I keep him in the quarantine bowl for the whole 10 days, or should I start preparing to return him into his actual aquarium? Thanks!!