[Skwirlygurl]

I am not a betta "fancier" or a "hobbiest" or even an "enthusiast". I have a sweet boy who is smart, funny, affectionate... and sick. He's a member of the family, not a pet.

I have had bettas before and love them. My first... died around age 4 but I don't think it was is age. It was because we moved and he had to deal with a 2 day drive (I assume, because he was fine before that). My son aged 15 asked for a betta and I did my best but he was supposed to 90% take care of him. He (Juanda/betta) got sick 2 years later. Probably poor water quality and I was devastated when I tried to help him and he died quicker (I think a case of killing him with kindness).

Son asked for a new betta aged 17. I honestly looked at every one as a potential family member and was disappointed by the one he chose because there was this big, hulking boi I fell in love with. He got the silver one (Banshee) and I...

Put my Boi in the back. Stupid 8 oz cups. He didn't deserve to be caged. I hate pretty stores. Sent my daughter back the next day to bring him home.

He wasn't pretty in a modern sense. He airway had the beginnings of fun root even though the employees said, "Oh, no, the white on his fins is just variation of color." It wasn't, because one month in my care and he went from black and Dusty rose to blue and red (and no white).

If I remember, he is a "Half-Moon". Maybe a "Veil Tail"? But I think the latter was my son's fish.

Anyway... I'm here because my dear Beast (AKA Hank, I'm a comic book geek) had lost his beautiful fins and is as dark as he was when I adopted him. We had to move across country again (3 nights, 4 days drive) and he seemed to tolerate it. He is so strong and resilient! But he has slowly declined over the last 2 months since the move no matter what I do.

10 gallon tank. Planted (except I'm no better at keeping aquarium plants alive than house plants, but I trim and try). All water tests are perfect. I cycled the 10 gallon before putting him in it (he had to deal with a 1/2 gallon in the car... which I called his travel carrier... basically same as my cats having to deal with theirs, but I monitored his water and heat as best I could). I thought maybe my test strips were compromised by the trip so I took a sample to Petsmart (don't judge me, they do free water test) but everything is in good shape, perfect.

Except for an oily residue on the surface of the water. I skim it with a glass beaker every day and replace the water. But that should affect his fins.

Imma crazy with worry, now. Every day I wake up and turn on his light and say, "Thank God! You're still alive!" And I don't know how he is...

So I'm here for advice.

Thank you

 

[Feanor]

Welcome and hello!

I‘m sorry your Betta is ailing.

This form would cover all necessary information. Could you copy & paste it back here and fill in your answers to the best of your ability:
Diseases and Emergencies Form

A side photo and one from top down would be helpful as well, if possible.

He is a sweet, blue Veil Tail by the way.

 

[Skwirlygurl]

Ha! Yes, I thought my son's (Banshee) was a half moon. I just... couldn't remember which came from which cup. Thank you! And he was beautiful within a month of adoption but now... I wake up every morning and go right to his tank to make sure he's still kicking.

He IS active. He eats as much as I give him. He is recently improving in energy even if... in my desperation, I dosed bettafix. I know how dangerous it is. That is how Juanda died. I did 1 gallon exchange (with 2.5 ml) for 2 days, then one gallon exchange with 5ml for two days. I did partial water change with full dose 7 gallon (17.5 ml) yesterday. All of a sudden the film on the surface I have had to manually suck out each day is gone. Today, just did a 1 gallon exchange with one gallon dose because I don't want to lose him and despite the state of his fins, he's active, eating, so I'm only slightly desperate. But it will become desperate soon, judging by his fins.

Housing:
How many gallons is your tank?
10 (planted[ish], Fluorite substrate under gravel, so probably 7-8 gallon water volume).

Does it have a filter?
Yes, standard bottom-intake with better sponge/carbon Acurel filter.

Does it have a heater?
Yes. Kept between 78-79 (before we drove cross country, he only had a 76 degree heater, the new one is more efficient, and he started declining when I added that so I worried it was too warm and turned it down from 80-81).

What temperature is your tank?
78-79. See above.

Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?
No.

Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind?
He is an only (fish) child. His tank is just for him.

Food:
What food brand do you use?
I can't remember. Blue tube with red lid. I left half with my son for Banshee. He has the original container.

Do you feed flakes or pellets? Pellets.

Freeze-dried?
I tried giving him freeze-dried shrimp once or twice. He was all, "you're trying to poison meeeeee!" So... just pellets.

How often do you feed your Betta? How much? Fed him 3 pellets daily before the move. Reduced to 2 pellets when he started ailing. Fasting 1 day/week.

Maintenance:
Before your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change?

1x month, 30% exchange (10 gallon tank, only one fish). When the bio-film started a month or so ago, I started a 1/2 gallon exchange daily (skimmed the film and replaced water loss daily) in addition to regular water change. He was already "sick" before the film started.

What percentage of water did you change?

Still doing about 30% exchange monthly plus 3/4 gallon daily for biofilm. He has been perkier since the surface is cleaned daily.

What is the source of your water?
I tried RO because i worried the move and change in tapwater was to blame. Didn't make a difference. Went back to tap.

Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water? Dip out water daily to suction film. Use a gravel vac for regular cleaning 1-2x month.

What additives do you use other than conditioner? What brand of conditioner? I didn't pay attention at first. Might have been Jungle. Might have been API. His illness started about the time that I ran out. I switched him to Prime. The guy at the Pet Store Which Shall Not Be Named recommended Prime when I went back to buy more. I waited a month after the move to switch (as long as I could) so he wouldn't be extra stressed.

I have been adding 1/2t/gallon aquarium salt to reduce tap water hardness when I change water.

I also add 2 almond leaves when changing water. I did both of those things before the stress of the move, and continue.

Water Parameters:
What are your water parameters? Please give exact numbers. If tested by pet store please get exact numbers. "Fine" or "Safe" won't help us help you. Important: Test your water before the regular water change; not after one.

I use test strips. I test his aquarium water as well as new water before i add it. They give a "safe" range, but I try to monitor high, mid, low.

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: "safe" (low)

Will have to double check the below when I test tomorrow

pH:
Hardness (GH):
Alkalinity (KH):

Symptoms and Treatment:
When did you first notice the symptoms? Started around December, mild, only a Mom would see it, at first.

How has your Betta’s appearance changed?

He's lost his pectoral fins; lost 2/3 of his ventral; lost 2/3 of his caudal; lost half of dorsal. His body has always been deep purple, but once he was healthy after adoption, his fins were bright blue and red. Now only the tips of his fins are blue (after much effort to get him healthy again), the rest of his blue is now is blackish and his red is Dusty rose/grey.

How has your Betta’s behavior changed?
When this first started, he was hiding behind his sandstone rock most of the time. I wonder if that chewed his fins up? After constant care and trying to fix his habitat after the move, he is now back to normal behavior, energetic, touchy-feely, alert, always out when his light is on and I'm awake to check.

Is your Betta still eating? Very well.

Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how?

So many ways... 1) bigger tank 2) switched filter media so there isn't as much surface movement 3) muted tank lights into violet range 4) salt 5) skimming surface 6) Aqueon Pure (enzyme balls) to help cycle the tank before i out him in (and weird, over 2 months later, that ball is still in there) 7) metronidazole 8) desperation measure, bettafix (given with one gallon water exchange, only one gallon treated for 2 days, then given @ 3 gallon dose for a day, then given @7 gallon dose for one day, then given at one gallon dose today). (I'm desperate, I'm not an idiot. )

I plan to do regular water change tomorrow with full treatment again (7 gallon dose) and then leave off. He had been more energetic, friendly, hiding less, less "confused" and he's seeking out interaction again with the bettafix but it scares me a lot to use it. Biofilm is gone today. It might have helped a little.


Does your Betta have any history of being ill?
He had very mild fin rot when he was adopted. He seemed blind as well, and not very smart but that all changed when I cared for him. Eyesight better. Intelligence better. Fins bloomed... now back to the drawing board.

How long have you owned your Betta? 15 months

Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased?

See above.

 

[Skwirlygurl]

Pictures today.

OP shows how beautiful he was after I adopted him and got him healthy. This is top and side view of what he's currently going through 😢

 

[Crayawns]

I can assure you it wasn’t the Prime contributing. That is a good product and probably the most commonly used conditioner/ dechlorinator. You can take that question off the back of your mind.
I am sorry he is sick.

 

[Skwirlygurl]

Bettafix hasn't contributed to illness either. That's only last 4-5 days and only from desperation, and I have been very careful with it, dosing low. I don't like it. I'm just not sure what else to try.

 

[Chummus]

I'm sorry you are having to deal with these issues. Your betta reminds me a lot of my first betta.

From the looks of things, your betta is suffering from malnourishment. I would assume that this is the root issue. The effects of Malnourishment are slow to manifest themselves and can include a lot of secondary issues, including the fin rot (weakened immune system) and general decline. Your feeding schedule is not adequate and since you don't know what brand of food you are feeding him, we can't know its nutritional composition. I've attached a picture of a weight visual for bettas. Healthy fish should be a smooth taper from the head to end of tail.

Another reason I say he reminds me of my first betta is because I underfed him for the first while I had him. He became malnourished and then acquired serious fin rot.

I would be most worried about correct nutrition and helping him gain weight. Frozen bloodworms are a great food to help put weight on (FROZEN, NOT freeze dried), and frozen mysis shrimp and daphnia are also great nutritious foods (again, not freeze dried). It is also important to get a quality pellet food, especially since you don't know exactly what you are currently feeding him. My go to is Fluval Bug Bites, however New Life Spectrum and Omega One are also quality foods. And I'm sure there are more that I'm not aware of.

Start feeding him multiple times daily, 3-5 times seems reasonable. You'll want to offer him larger meals then you are now. Alternate between the quality pellets and the frozen foods. It's difficult to say how much to feed him per meal since every pellet/frozen food is a different size. Try to feed until the stomach is gently rounded but not bloated. Just watch closely and be careful not to cause constipation or bloat.

It would also be a good idea to acquire a fish vitamin such as Vitachem and dose it to the water column/soak pellets in it.

Hopefully a good diet will solve the problems in the long run, but here's for treating his fins directly. I've had good luck/heard good things about both API Stress Coat and Seachem StressGaurd/ Stress Coat helps build the slime coat of the fish which is its first layer of protection. StressGaurd is another slime coat product that is meant to bind to exposed proteins on wounds, to help them heal and avoid infection.

I know you are being careful and are aware of the risks but personally I would still be extremely wary about using Bettafix. If it were my fish I would not use it at all, but I know there are differing opinions. I've never used medication to deal with fin rot but I heard KanaPlex is effective and it's considered safe. Other members may be able to inform you in more detail regarding medication but I would strongly encourage you to try something else as opposed to Bettafix.

You're doing good by adding the Indian Almond Leaves. I can't exactly tell the color of the water from the photos but you want the water to be tinted brown from the tannins coming out of the leaf. If it's not that color yet, you can add more leaves or unflavored rooibos tea. Make sure there are no ingredients other than rooibos. The leaves and tea have antibacterial properties which should help, not to mention the fact that it is generally beneficial to your betta.

That's all. Sorry for writing such a long response, I just don't want to leave anything out. Best of wishes to you and your fish, I'm sorry he is not doing well. Good luck and I hope you start seeing improvement.

 

[Skwirlygurl]

I believe this is the food I purchased from that big box store.

I've decided to leave off adding any more bettafix. I don't like how it made the pH and stuff go through the roof. I'll do a partial water change today and anther one in a few days to try to get it back in balance.

The water is pretty clear. My research said one leaf per 10 gallons but I add 2 and it doesn't really change the color much. Big Box store was surprised that the pH and Alkalinity didn't "match" but I assume that's the tannins in the leaves, and have heard bettas like it that way.

Big box told me only feed him one pellet every other day which was ridiculous. When I got him, I started feeding him 3-4 pellets a day and he blossomed. His pump broke during the move and he was stuck in a 3 gallon so I reduced his feeding to control ammonia/ nitrates better while I purchased and cycled a new tank for him. I guess... I don't remember why I didn't go back up in portions.

The shrimp I tried was frozen cubes. Might have been brine. I thawed before giving it to him. He chewed on it a little and spit it out every time.

I bought API conditioner last week in case it was the Seechum. Originally, his conditioner had aloe in it (API) and I was allergic so I got the seechum. I think at least for now, I'll switch back to the API for the aloe.

I will start feeding him more frequently. 3 pellets is generally all he wants at a time so I will spread it out and feed him more frequently.

Thanks for the advice. It's a good place to start, which is more than I had yesterday!

 

[TropicalFlow3]

Your betta buddy does seem to have finrot. Finrot Is more less caused by a bacteria or fungus. More often than not, you will be dealing with bacteria, but it’s important to know what to look for when diagnosing fin rot in your betta fish. Fin rot is normally reconized by degrading, tatered fins, whcih your boy doesnt seems to have.The main cause of fin rot is poor water quality, and with the fat that your changing the water once every week or two weeks in a 2.5 gallon, could create a problem. 2.5 gallon is a wonderful size for a betta, but it requries more maitenence as the smaller space lets poop, and other water parameters bulid up quite quickley. From now on i reccomend changing your betta's water once a week. I think this would provide benifical clean water parameters for your beautiful boy.

i undertand your using test strips, but they don't seem to reconize nitrite or nitrate in smaller tanks. I do think that your boy is definetly being underfed, as you siad you were feeding him less. whatever amount your feeding need to be more. In totlal, i feed my boys twelve pellets in a whole day, six each time. For the eating issue. I would go to the nearest local fish store and buy some frozen bloodworms. I would also get a paire of tweezers and thaw some of the bloodworms, grab them with the tweezers, and put that right near him. If he still won't eat, you can try dipping the forzen bloodworms in garlic juice and then dangle them in front of his faceWhen betta fish don't get fed enough (or infact many animals and even humans) they do' not get much energy. This would be why you don't see him zipping arund like he used too.

Okay, more on the finrot. Poor water quality isn’t the only cause of fin rot. On top of this, fin rot can occur due to overfeeding or underfeeding. Inconsistent feeding can stress your betta fish out, causing their immune system to weaken and increasing the possibility of fin rot occurring. You can start treating the fin rot with extra water cahnges, like once or twice a week.. I think you should also add Indain almond leaves.
I think i should also say that the Frozen bloodworms arent a permanate food, but assuming that he is underweight, they should fatten him back up. I also think that once and if your betta starts acting normal again, you should start feeding him 5-6 pellets twice a day if he can catch them. Have you tried flakes?. I thnk he needs a more nutritional food, i would try Fluval bug bites or something like that.

 

[TropicalFlow3]

Oh, im sorry. just notice @Chummus aready helped you with this. He did an amazing job!

 

[Skwirlygurl]

Until I can get to the store, I will keep feeding him the ZooMed food I have but will increase frequency. He does look emaciated according to the chart. I knew he was thin but thought it was from illness. Knowing that I've been starving him changes things.

I worry that suddenly tripling frequency and doubling portions might cause digestive issues. Wouldn't it be better to increase slowly? Keep him at 2 pellets but today feed him twice? Tomorrow go up to 3 pellets for one feeding... etc. I don't have medical or vet training, but it is said that starving people can die from suddenly eating a normal portion...

Let's confirm how much a normal veil tail should eat daily: 3-5 pellets, 2x daily (for total of 6-10)? Is that in addition to frozen snacks? Or is it 3-5 pellets daily? (I remember the instructions on the bottle were vague and just said, "Feed 2-4 pellets, 1-2x daily, no more than can be consumed within 15 minutes".) Are bloodworms and other frozen snacks a daily thing?

Once his weight is balanced, should I go back to weekly fasting day?

Just trying to figure out a routine. I don't want to overfeed him, either. While not as dangerous a starving, obesity can compromise health, too (although it would take a year to get this poor, scrawny fella that fat).

 

[TropicalFlow3]

Until I can get to the store, I will keep feeding him the ZooMed food I have but will increase frequency. He does look emaciated according to the chart. I knew he was thin but thought it was from illness. Knowing that I've been starving him changes things.

I worry that suddenly tripling frequency and doubling portions might cause digestive issues. Wouldn't it be better to increase slowly? Keep him at 2 pellets but today feed him twice? Tomorrow go up to 3 pellets for one feeding... etc. I don't have medical or vet training, but it is said that starving people can die from suddenly eating a normal portion...

Let's confirm how much a normal veil tail should eat daily: 3-5 pellets, 2x daily (for total of 6-10)? Is that in addition to frozen snacks? Or is it 3-5 pellets daily? (I remember the instructions on the bottle were vague and just said, "Feed 2-4 pellets, 1-2x daily, no more than can be consumed within 15 minutes".) Are bloodworms and other frozen snacks a daily thing?

Once his weight is balanced, should I go back to weekly fasting day?

Just trying to figure out a routine. I don't want to overfeed him, either. While not as dangerous a starving, obesity can compromise health, too (although it would take a year to get this poor, scrawny fella that fat).

Yes, i shouldve metioned to graduly increse his meal. Feed him 3 pellets twice today. Same tommorow. Then on wednesday give him 4 pellets twice a day. friday give him 5 twice a day. For a good weighted betta, i would make sure he gets at least 10-12 pellets a day. zits very hard to get a betta over wetght without killing him so i wouldnt worry. Bloodworms shoudl be given right now to 6 daily to fatten him up an off the verge of dying. i would do this for t least 2 weeks but three wouldnt hurt. The you can start switching him to pellets. Bloodworms could be a treat once a week once he is a healthy weight. Once his weight is back oo normal, you could fast him once a week.

 

[Skwirlygurl]

Oh, im sorry. just notice @Chummus aready helped you with this. He did an amazing job!

Actually, he was only in a 3 gallon tank during the move and while I cycled a new 10 gallon tank for him (the old one broke in the move). During his stay in that sub-standard tank that had no filter, I did a 25% water change 1-2x weekly. It is the only time I've ever had problems with nitrites. They were still within "safe" parameters but the nitrates were also on the high end of safe so I struggled to keep that tank balanced while I got the new tank set up and cycled.

He has been in a 10 gallon since mid-December. That's when the decline began. Before putting him in it, I ran it for about a week, then added (warm, damp) substrate and his hiding-rock from his old tank to help hurry the process. Week 3 added his plants, then week 4 added him. I know it was a short cycle but I didn't like him in that little tank.

Regarding water quality, I did worry about the tap water in our new home. It smells... sour and forms a film if left in a glass more than a day. That's why I took a sample to the Big Box store, just in case my test strips were messed up from the move. I had them test the tank water in the 10 gallon as well as conditioned tap water that hadn't been used, yet. Both were "fine."

I have been battling that film in his tank. I keep a gallon of conditioned water handy, and when it's time to feed him, I siphon it from the surface with a beaker and top off his tank (usually about 1/2 gallon daily). I do this so he isn't getting all coated in the film or eating it with his dinner.

 

[TropicalFlow3]

Actually, he was only in a 3 gallon tank during the move and while I cycled a new 10 gallon tank for him (the old one broke in the move). During his stay in that sub-standard tank that had no filter, I did a 25% water change 1-2x weekly. It is the only time I've ever had problems with nitrites. They were still within "safe" parameters but the nitrates were also on the high end of safe so I struggled to keep that tank balanced while I got the new tank set up and cycled.

He has been in a 10 gallon since mid-December. That's when the decline began. Before putting him in it, I ran it for about a week, then added (warm, damp) substrate and his hiding-rock from his old tank to help hurry the process. Week 3 added his plants, then week 4 added him. I know it was a short cycle but I didn't like him in that little tank.

Regarding water quality, I did worry about the tap water in our new home. It smells... sour and forms a film if left in a glass more than a day. That's why I took a sample to the Big Box store, just in case my test strips were messed up from the move. I had them test the tank water in the 10 gallon as well as conditioned tap water that hadn't been used, yet. Both were "fine."

I have been battling that film in his tank. I keep a gallon of conditioned water handy, and when it's time to feed him, I siphon it from the surface with a beaker and top off his tank (usually about 1/2 gallon daily). I do this so he isn't getting all coated in the film or eating it with his dinner.

sorry for the miss type. I was thinking about other threads so not quite all the info was meant for you (eg; 2.5 gallon etc)

 

[Skwirlygurl]

Finally caught on to how to reply to person (I think).

1) this morning, he seemed to have trouble eating the pellets (kept spitting then out and trying again). He only took 2. This afternoon, he chased them around a little but wouldn't put them in his mouth.

2) I ran to the Big Box. They had frozen blood worms but literally the only betta food they carry now is Aqueon (and Zoo Med dried snacks). Bug bites, only flakes. Omni, just flakes.

3) I offered him a bloodworm. He "sniffed" it but wasn't interested even when I dragged it around the surface so he would chase it. He was less interested in it than the frozen shrimp I tried back in July.

Why do the Big Box stores insist that we should only feed them 1-2 pellets every other day? They kept telling me I was over-feeding because I gave him 3 every day (with only one day/week fasting). This really seems like criminal negligence and I wonder how many bettas actually die from starvation and it just looks like another illness?

I'm sorry you are having to deal with these issues. Your betta reminds me a lot of my first betta.

From the looks of things, your betta is suffering from malnourishment. I would assume that this is the root issue. The effects of Malnourishment are slow to manifest themselves and can include a lot of secondary issues, including the fin rot (weakened immune system) and general decline. Your feeding schedule is not adequate and since you don't know what brand of food you are feeding him, we can't know its nutritional composition. I've attached a picture of a weight visual for bettas. Healthy fish should be a smooth taper from the head to end of tail.

Another reason I say he reminds me of my first betta is because I underfed him for the first while I had him. He became malnourished and then acquired serious fin rot.

I would be most worried about correct nutrition and helping him gain weight. Frozen bloodworms are a great food to help put weight on (FROZEN, NOT freeze dried), and frozen mysis shrimp and daphnia are also great nutritious foods (again, not freeze dried). It is also important to get a quality pellet food, especially since you don't know exactly what you are currently feeding him. My go to is Fluval Bug Bites, however New Life Spectrum and Omega One are also quality foods. And I'm sure there are more that I'm not aware of.

Start feeding him multiple times daily, 3-5 times seems reasonable. You'll want to offer him larger meals then you are now. Alternate between the quality pellets and the frozen foods. It's difficult to say how much to feed him per meal since every pellet/frozen food is a different size. Try to feed until the stomach is gently rounded but not bloated. Just watch closely and be careful not to cause constipation or bloat.

It would also be a good idea to acquire a fish vitamin such as Vitachem and dose it to the water column/soak pellets in it.

Hopefully a good diet will solve the problems in the long run, but here's for treating his fins directly. I've had good luck/heard good things about both API Stress Coat and Seachem StressGaurd/ Stress Coat helps build the slime coat of the fish which is its first layer of protection. StressGaurd is another slime coat product that is meant to bind to exposed proteins on wounds, to help them heal and avoid infection.

I know you are being careful and are aware of the risks but personally I would still be extremely wary about using Bettafix. If it were my fish I would not use it at all, but I know there are differing opinions. I've never used medication to deal with fin rot but I heard KanaPlex is effective and it's considered safe. Other members may be able to inform you in more detail regarding medication but I would strongly encourage you to try something else as opposed to Bettafix.

You're doing good by adding the Indian Almond Leaves. I can't exactly tell the color of the water from the photos but you want the water to be tinted brown from the tannins coming out of the leaf. If it's not that color yet, you can add more leaves or unflavored rooibos tea. Make sure there are no ingredients other than rooibos. The leaves and tea have antibacterial properties which should help, not to mention the fact that it is generally beneficial to your betta.

That's all. Sorry for writing such a long response, I just don't want to leave anything out. Best of wishes to you and your fish, I'm sorry he is not doing well. Good luck and I hope you start seeing improvement.

 

[Chummus]

Finally caught on to how to reply to person (I think).

1) this morning, he seemed to have trouble eating the pellets (kept spitting then out and trying again). He only took 2. This afternoon, he chased them around a little but wouldn't put them in his mouth.

2) I ran to the Big Box. They had frozen blood worms but literally the only betta food they carry now is Aqueon (and Zoo Med dried snacks). Bug bites, only flakes. Omni, just flakes.

3) I offered him a bloodworm. He "sniffed" it but wasn't interested even when I dragged it around the surface so he would chase it. He was less interested in it than the frozen shrimp I tried back in July.

Why do the Big Box stores insist that we should only feed them 1-2 pellets every other day? They kept telling me I was over-feeding because I gave him 3 every day (with only one day/week fasting). This really seems like criminal negligence and I wonder how many bettas actually die from starvation and it just looks like another illness?

I'm pretty sure the spitting behavior with the pellets is related to them trying to chew. You can try soaking them in water first and see if that softens them up enough for him. You can also try to break them up before adding them if that doesn't work. Sometimes that causes them to sink, though, so be sure to pick up any sunken food so it doesn't decay.

The Bug Bite flakes are actually pretty good, but the pellet form is better. I had a betta who I could never get on pellets and I used the Bug Bite flakes to feed him. Also if you can't get him to chew pellets, flakes may be easier for him. That being said, I would check if you could get the normal Bug Bites or other quality food on Amazon or another online retailer, providing they would arrive reasonably quickly.

It's odd that he didn't take the bloodworms, I've found personally/heard from others that bloodworms are the most enticing treat for most bettas. Sometimes when animals (including humans, for that matter) are malnourished they can actually lose interest in food. Since he is eating the pellets it might not be related this, but it should be considered. As @TropicalFlow3 previously stated, you can try dipping the bloodworms in garlic juice, which is an appetite stimulant.

Dragging the worm on the surface was a good idea, you can also try tapping it on the surface of the water to create ripples. It would be really great if you could get him on the bloodworms because they are the most fattening. In his current condition feeding him pellets only doesn't sound good. It'd be great to get him on other frozen foods, too. After he successfully eats a pellet could you offer a bloodworm so he associates it more with food?
F.Y.I I wouldn't feed him more than 2, maybe 3 bloodworms at a time. They can constipate bettas.

I don't know why big box stores and other sources guide people to underfeed their bettas so often. It is kind of ridiculous, I've seen many underweight bettas and yet I can't recall if I've ever seen a betta I thought was genuinely overweight. Most sources warn about overfeeding but underfeeding is a far more prevalent issue. Yes, I'm sure many bettas die because of starvation or secondary issues from underfeeding.

Also, I should mention that it would be smart to keep a closer eye on the water quality through all this. Not only is it generally very important to recovery, but you feeding him more will cause him to produce an equivalent amount more waste.

Good luck again and keep us updated on how he continues to do.

 

[Skwirlygurl]

I'm pretty sure the spitting behavior with the pellets is related to them trying to chew. You can try soaking them in water first and see if that softens them up enough for him. You can also try to break them up before adding them if that doesn't work. Sometimes that causes them to sink, though, so be sure to pick up any sunken food so it doesn't decay.

The Bug Bite flakes are actually pretty good, but the pellet form is better. I had a betta who I could never get on pellets and I used the Bug Bite flakes to feed him. Also if you can't get him to chew pellets, flakes may be easier for him. That being said, I would check if you could get the normal Bug Bites or other quality food on Amazon or another online retailer, providing they would arrive reasonably quickly.

It's odd that he didn't take the bloodworms, I've found personally/heard from others that bloodworms are the most enticing treat for most bettas. Sometimes when animals (including humans, for that matter) are malnourished they can actually lose interest in food. Since he is eating the pellets it might not be related this, but it should be considered. As @TropicalFlow3 previously stated, you can try dipping the bloodworms in garlic juice, which is an appetite stimulant.

Dragging the worm on the surface was a good idea, you can also try tapping it on the surface of the water to create ripples. It would be really great if you could get him on the bloodworms because they are the most fattening. In his current condition feeding him pellets only doesn't sound good. It'd be great to get him on other frozen foods, too. After he successfully eats a pellet could you offer a bloodworm so he associates it more with food?
F.Y.I I wouldn't feed him more than 2, maybe 3 bloodworms at a time. They can constipate bettas.

I don't know why big box stores and other sources guide people to underfeed their bettas so often. It is kind of ridiculous, I've seen many underweight bettas and yet I can't recall if I've ever seen a betta I thought was genuinely overweight. Most sources warn about overfeeding but underfeeding is a far more prevalent issue. Yes, I'm sure many bettas die because of starvation or secondary issues from underfeeding.

Also, I should mention that it would be smart to keep a closer eye on the water quality through all this. Not only is it generally very important to recovery, but you feeding him more will cause him to produce an equivalent amount more waste.

Good luck again and keep us updated on how he continues to do.

I was thinking the same thing about water quality. When getting ready to do the post-bettafix water change today (I ended up not giving him a second full dose) I was shocked to see the pH (which was around 7.0 before I started the bettafix) was through the roof-- so dark it didn't even register a color on the guide. I didn't want to shock him too quickly, so I split the 50% water change into 25% at noon and another 25% at 5 pm. I'm going to have to watch that very closely and possibly do a dip exchange daily until it's back to normal.

Whoever said a 10 gallon tank is easier than a 3 gallon never met me 😂

Regarding the feedings: I managed to get (I think) 4 pellets into him today although it took 5 feedings to do it. I think... I wonder if his stomach has just shrunk so much that he's regurgitating if he has no room? Today is the first time he's ever had that problem. It's almost like Something is blocking his throat. I tried soaking them this afternoon and unfortunately that made them sink and he wouldn't follow them down. I broke one up. That helped a little. I might have to order the flakes. The Bug Bites weren't betta flakes.

I'm trying to decide if maybe I should just attempt to give him one pellet 6x daily instead of trying to get him to eat more at a time: just offer him one whenever I'm walking by. I also might have more luck with the bloodworms if that's the first food I offer in the morning, when he's expecting food and his stomach is completely empty.

He is still active and alert today, though. He greets me whenever he sees me.

This all began with "fin rot" BUT I don't think it was bacterial or fungal: after the move, and going from the small to larger tank, he started hiding a lot and his favorite hiding spot was a sandstone rock. I think it is too rough and he was rubbing against it too much, wearing his fins down. I dimmed the tank lights, got a thicker filter to slow the water flow, and moved the rock further from the corner and planted behind it, thinking he would use the plant to hide. Instead, he just quit hiding and became downright chipper for a fish on death's doorstep. He looks worse every day but his energy and mood is still good!

I don't have garlic oil but I have fresh garlic. Would that work for the bloodworms, do you think?

 

[Chummus]

I was thinking the same thing about water quality. When getting ready to do the post-bettafix water change today (I ended up not giving him a second full dose) I was shocked to see the pH (which was around 7.0 before I started the bettafix) was through the roof-- so dark it didn't even register a color on the guide. I didn't want to shock him too quickly, so I split the 50% water change into 25% at noon and another 25% at 5 pm. I'm going to have to watch that very closely and possibly do a dip exchange daily until it's back to normal.

Whoever said a 10 gallon tank is easier than a 3 gallon never met me 😂

Regarding the feedings: I managed to get (I think) 4 pellets into him today although it took 5 feedings to do it. I think... I wonder if his stomach has just shrunk so much that he's regurgitating if he has no room? Today is the first time he's ever had that problem. It's almost like Something is blocking his throat. I tried soaking them this afternoon and unfortunately that made them sink and he wouldn't follow them down. I broke one up. That helped a little. I might have to order the flakes. The Bug Bites weren't betta flakes.

I'm trying to decide if maybe I should just attempt to give him one pellet 6x daily instead of trying to get him to eat more at a time: just offer him one whenever I'm walking by. I also might have more luck with the bloodworms if that's the first food I offer in the morning, when he's expecting food and his stomach is completely empty.

He is still active and alert today, though. He greets me whenever he sees me.

This all began with "fin rot" BUT I don't think it was bacterial or fungal: after the move, and going from the small to larger tank, he started hiding a lot and his favorite hiding spot was a sandstone rock. I think it is too rough and he was rubbing against it too much, wearing his fins down. I dimmed the tank lights, got a thicker filter to slow the water flow, and moved the rock further from the corner and planted behind it, thinking he would use the plant to hide. Instead, he just quit hiding and became downright chipper for a fish on death's doorstep. He looks worse every day but his energy and mood is still good!

I don't have garlic oil but I have fresh garlic. Would that work for the bloodworms, do you think?

When you say the pH went through the roof, do you mean it went up or down? Either way the drastic change in water parameters is probably contributing to his issues. It may be worth investing in a way to test the KH (buffers pH). As you know, stable water parameters are very important.

Hopefully as you go on you can get him to take more food. Maybe garlic would help with that too. I've never heard about a stomach "shrinking" however I guess it sounds possible. Either that or he doesn't have too strong an appetite.

I've also not heard of fins being worn down gradually by a rough object, although it too sounds plausible. It is also likely that he damages his fins on something, and bacteria takes advantage of the wound area. If you believe that the fin damage is not caused by bacteria, stop any medications. They are just designed to end bacterial/fungal infections. However, keep a very close eye on his fins so if they continue shrinking you can respond. I would buy some Seachem StressGaurd, in my experience it has helped my bettas fins heal faster.

The regular Bug Bites are sort of a "crumble" rather than a formed pellet. I think your betta might have an easier time getting them down, especially if you only give him the smaller fragments. That being said, you know the current feeding situation best and if you think he will only be able to eat the flakes, feel free to go with them. Although I would still go with the regular if you think it is possible for him. And while you're at it, I would consider purchasing a fish vitamin such as Vitachem to make what meals you can get into him more nutritious.

Yes you can use fresh garlic. You just want to get the scent of the garlic onto the food and juice is the easiest way to. You could probably even juice it yourself to make it easier and more consistent.

His attitude/energy is quite encouraging. Hopefully that will stay with him and you can keep him on the path of recovery.

 

[Skwirlygurl]

When you say the pH went through the roof, do you mean it went up or down? Either way the drastic change in water parameters is probably contributing to his issues. It may be worth investing in a way to test the KH (buffers pH). As you know, stable water parameters are very important.

Hopefully as you go on you can get him to take more food. Maybe garlic would help with that too. I've never heard about a stomach "shrinking" however I guess it sounds possible. Either that or he doesn't have too strong an appetite.

I've also not heard of fins being worn down gradually by a rough object, although it too sounds plausible. It is also likely that he damages his fins on something, and bacteria takes advantage of the wound area. If you believe that the fin damage is not caused by bacteria, stop any medications. They are just designed to end bacterial/fungal infections. However, keep a very close eye on his fins so if they continue shrinking you can respond. I would buy some Seachem StressGaurd, in my experience it has helped my bettas fins heal faster.

The regular Bug Bites are sort of a "crumble" rather than a formed pellet. I think your betta might have an easier time getting them down, especially if you only give him the smaller fragments. That being said, you know the current feeding situation best and if you think he will only be able to eat the flakes, feel free to go with them. Although I would still go with the regular if you think it is possible for him. And while you're at it, I would consider purchasing a fish vitamin such as Vitachem to make what meals you can get into him more nutritious.

Yes you can use fresh garlic. You just want to get the scent of the garlic onto the food and juice is the easiest way to. You could probably even juice it yourself to make it easier and more consistent.

His attitude/energy is quite encouraging. Hopefully that will stay with him and you can keep him on the path of recovery.

The only "medications" I was recently trying was bettafix and 1/2 t/gallon aquarium salt (the latter during water changes or exchanges) (for the sake of description, what I call an "exchange" is a small dip-change, usually done because I had to suck the bioflim off the surface and a "change" is full-on gravel suction and 25-50% refill). I quit any bettafix yesterday and I'm going to quit salt on changes because it seems to be killing what few, puny plants I've managed to keep alive 😂

They didn't have the stresscoat or stressguard at the store.

Also-- I misread the test, regarding pH because I panicked at all the bright colors lol. Yes, it was high (around 8.0) but it was actually KH that was through the roof @+300, I think, and Alkalinity close to 300. Those have got to be a side effect of the bettafix, since my tap water reads normal range (I like to test the water before putting it in, to make sure it's safe).

After the change, I added 3 catappa leaves, waited 2-3 hours and tested the tank again. It is now reading around 120ish on TAL and maybe slightly above 120 on KH. GH is 150ish (maybe 140). Nitrates and nitrites still 0.

My strips don't test ammonia. I always assumed I would know if there was an ammonia spike by raised nitrates and nitrates levels.

I will never, never, NEVER try bettafix again. It nearly blew all my hard work cycling the new tank and I hope I can balance it before it kills my good bacteria or hastens Hank's demise 😢 The only good affect I see from it is that the biofilm has finally mostly gone away... but it wasn't worth it.

I'm wondering, if I add 20% RO to 80% conditioned tapwater for one 4-gallon change, if it will help lower hardness and KH without being too intrusive?

 

[Chummus]

The only "medications" I was recently trying was bettafix and 1/2 t/gallon aquarium salt (the latter during water changes or exchanges) (for the sake of description, what I call an "exchange" is a small dip-change, usually done because I had to suck the bioflim off the surface and a "change" is full-on gravel suction and 25-50% refill). I quit any bettafix yesterday and I'm going to quit salt on changes because it seems to be killing what few, puny plants I've managed to keep alive 😂

They didn't have the stresscoat or stressguard at the store.

Also-- I misread the test, regarding pH because I panicked at all the bright colors lol. Yes, it was high (around 8.0) but it was actually KH that was through the roof @+300, I think, and Alkalinity close to 300. Those have got to be a side effect of the bettafix, since my tap water reads normal range (I like to test the water before putting it in, to make sure it's safe).

After the change, I added 3 catappa leaves, waited 2-3 hours and tested the tank again. It is now reading around 120ish on TAL and maybe slightly above 120 on KH. GH is 150ish (maybe 140). Nitrates and nitrites still 0.

My strips don't test ammonia. I always assumed I would know if there was an ammonia spike by raised nitrates and nitrates levels.

I will never, never, NEVER try bettafix again. It nearly blew all my hard work cycling the new tank and I hope I can balance it before it kills my good bacteria or hastens Hank's demise 😢 The only good affect I see from it is that the biofilm has finally mostly gone away... but it wasn't worth it.

I'm wondering, if I add 20% RO to 80% conditioned tapwater for one 4-gallon change, if it will help lower hardness and KH without being too intrusive?

Ok good, the pH jumping like that would have me worried so I'm glad it's not that. Unless your water is tinted pretty brown already from the leaves, you should get some rooibos tea at the grocery store (unflavored, no ingredients except for rooibos). I know I mentioned it before but combined with the leaves it seems to put my bettas in a generally better state even if already healthy, and has multiple positive properties for recovery.

Honestly, I think anyone who owns an aquarium needs a way to test for ammonia. Looking for raised levels of other nitrogen compounds isn't enough in an emergency, because ammonia either isn't being converted fast enough or being converted at all. Also be aware ammonia is more toxic in raised pH.

You can buy StressGaurd on Amazon for $9. I'm not trying to shill for products and I'm not saying its even critical for his recovery, just trying to let you know what is out there for your consideration.

I think a water change with 20% RO water to 80% tapwater would be perfectly fine. At that point I would be more concerned about the temperature difference than the alkalinity difference.