My betta is turning black and rusty. He has rusty gold patches on his head which are spreading to his body and white:gray on his face and gills. He has trouble breathing because he is always at the top of the tank gasping for air. He has been yawning a lot. I got him from Petco about two weeks ago. He has been less active for the past two days. I am adding aquarium salt to his water but doesn't seem to be helping much. What should I do to help him?
Does my betta have velvet?
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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?
Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:
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)?
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?
Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:
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)?
Housing: 5 gallon bowl
What size is your tank? Small bowl
What temperature is your tank? 70-75
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? None
Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Pellets
How often do you feed your betta fish? 4 pellets everyday
Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? Every 3 days
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? Water conditioner
Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters? No
Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:
Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Yea became darker and rusty
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? Yawning a lot, not as active, and stays at top of the bowl the get air
When did you start noticing the symptoms? 2 days ago
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? Took fish to petco and they will treat it with bettafix and I will bring fish back in a week
Does your fish have any history of being ill? No bought it 2 weeks ago
How old is your fish? It is adolescent
What size is your tank? Small bowl
What temperature is your tank? 70-75
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? None
Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Pellets
How often do you feed your betta fish? 4 pellets everyday
Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? Every 3 days
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? Water conditioner
Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters? No
Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:
Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Yea became darker and rusty
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? Yawning a lot, not as active, and stays at top of the bowl the get air
When did you start noticing the symptoms? 2 days ago
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? Took fish to petco and they will treat it with bettafix and I will bring fish back in a week
Does your fish have any history of being ill? No bought it 2 weeks ago
How old is your fish? It is adolescent
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426 Posts
The tank size needs clarification as you stated a 5 gallon bowl (which I haven't heard of one this big) followed by small bowl. Did you mean a 1/2 gallon bowl?
Okay, first things first - he needs a heater. His water is too cold even for a healthy betta to be at optimum health, and certainly not one with compromised health. And that is compounded by the fact that one of the key elements in successfully treating velvet (if he indeed does have velvet) is higher than normal temps, in the mid 80's. The normal temperature range for a healthy betta is 78-82. The most important factor about proper temperature is it being stable with no fluctuations. Velvet is treated with with Cupramine (or Coppersafe I believe), high temperatures, and blackout (keeping the tank covered and blocked from light). If you have a 1/2 gallon bowl I honestly don't know if it is even possible to safely treat for velvet in such a small volume of water. The meds for velvet need to be used with extreme caution as a slight overdose will kill the fish.
Okay, first things first - he needs a heater. His water is too cold even for a healthy betta to be at optimum health, and certainly not one with compromised health. And that is compounded by the fact that one of the key elements in successfully treating velvet (if he indeed does have velvet) is higher than normal temps, in the mid 80's. The normal temperature range for a healthy betta is 78-82. The most important factor about proper temperature is it being stable with no fluctuations. Velvet is treated with with Cupramine (or Coppersafe I believe), high temperatures, and blackout (keeping the tank covered and blocked from light). If you have a 1/2 gallon bowl I honestly don't know if it is even possible to safely treat for velvet in such a small volume of water. The meds for velvet need to be used with extreme caution as a slight overdose will kill the fish.
Sorry it's a 1 gallon tank and even the employees at petco weren't sure if it was velvet or fungal infection but they will treat it with bettafix. I hope he gets better. But when I bring him back I will buy a big tank with filter and heater. When I initially bought him I wanted to buy a heater and filter but petco employee said there is no need for it. But I will get everything now. Is there anything else I can do to better take care of a betta? How often do they need water changes with a filter and should it be 50% or 100%? Should I add aquarium salt in the water with the conditioner as well? Thanks!!
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426 Posts
The employees at your Petco know nothing about fish care and I would never leave a fish in their "care". Bettafix shouldn't even be used on bettas because the tea tree oil in it damages the sensitive labyrinth organ in bettas. First your fish needs to be diagnosed with what is actually wrong with it, then it needs the appropriate treatment. Petco isn't going to help your fish, for crying out loud they don't even think they need a heater.
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