[mergan25]

I've just joined this forum because I'm looking for help. The nearest pet store to me is a petco and I get very different opinions about fish care depending on who I ask.

I've had my Betta, Anguel for a year and 9 or 10 months. He's the first fish I've ever owned. He lives in a one gallon tank, no filter, a couple of fake plants and some rocks.

About a week and a half ago I noticed Anguel's fins starting to recede. I did a full water change, and for the first time I added aquarium salt and API bettafix to the water in addition to the usual API Betta water conditioner. I continued to use the API bettafix every day for a week. I have since done another full water change, and a 50% water change. I also added a thermometer and small heater to his tank which keeps the temp 76-78. Before the water was around 62-64. It seems his fins have stopped receding, but his gills are swollen and red, his head has become splotchy red, and his front fins have turned red and white. His eyes are also red. He is dark blue/purple originally. I've been thinking maybe he as ich, because he darts around the tank and makes contact with the plants and whatnot. But he doesn't have the "covered in dust" look. If I shine a flashlight on him, I do see some sporadic white spots on his fins. He is still very active and not lethargic, but there is obviously something wrong. I can't figure how to treat him. Please let me know if you have any idea what this could be or how I could treat it.

Thank you!

 

[Laki]

Velvet is what you're thinking of if you're shining light on him. Ich, on the other hand, is a contagious disease in which the fish is covered in white spots. It doesn't sound like your fish has either to me.

Bettafix is actually a dangerous product for bettas. It's marketed towards them but it contains tea tree oil which burns the labynth organ and they can die. So if that's in your bowl now, do a 100% change like after you read this post. And then throw out the bottle!! It's like Russian Roulettte, some fish are affected by it others aren't. I choose not to risk it!

The heater is good. It sounds as if the receding might have been fin rot. :/ A 1g bowl needs to be cleaned fully once a week AS WELL AS once 50% mid week. That's something you might not have known, that's okay. 1g is poisoned easily with 1 fishes ammonia etc.

Do you have any pictures? That might help, you have a lot going on in your post. I suggest you remove the bettafix and get him in some plain clean de-chlorinated water with the aquarium salt (the red eyes, gills sounds like ammonia burns) and hopefully someone else here knows the symptoms as something to treat! Good luck!

 

[Oldfishlady]

Welcome to the forum and sorry your Betta isn't well....

By the sounds of things it may be age related compounded by long term possibly poor water quality and low temp that have caught up with him....

The 1gal unfiltered tank is fine to keep this species long term IMO/E-provided that the needed water changes are made to maintain water quality and temp.

While there is not a lot we can do about the aging out and sadly often internal damage can be done from long term water quality issues...it never hurts to try....what I would recommend at this point....Epsom salt (not aquarium salt) with tannins along with water changes while in his tank-normally you would want to QT in a small bare container-but I think he may do better in his 1gal for now

I would lower the water level to about half or less and cover the top with plastic veggie wrap to retain heat/humidity for the labyrinth organ-maintain water temp in the 76-78F range-turn off lights.

Premix some treatment water in a 1gal jug of dechlorinated water-Add Epsom salt 3tsp/gal and a tannin source if you have one-Let this water sit and steep for 30min-Then using this premixed water make 25% water changes every 15min for 1 hour today.

Tomorrow start 50% daily using this premixed treatment water-and if you added tannins this water should look darker each day-the longer it steeps the more tannins released the darker the water the more the Betta like it.

Tannins-IAL (Indian almond leaf) usually you have to get this on-line or
Oak leaf-if you have any pesticide free Oak trees near by-gather about 20 naturally dried and fallen from the tree Oak leaf-crush and add to the 1gal jug. The tannins can help with stress, toughen scales/fins, has antibacterial/fungal properties

The Epsom salt- it has antibacterial/fungal properties to help with any secondary infection and can help toxic conditions as well as work to reduce edema and constipation.

Nutrition is really important-good quality varied diet fed in small frequent meals and if you have any mosquito larva-offer several rinsed for one meal a day....

Good luck and keep us posted.....

 

[mergan25]

Thank you, this is helpful. I'm preparing for a 100% water change now- sans bettafix. Here are a couple pictures. He really is not looking good. I feel like I've caused damage that is beyond repair at this point, but I'm going to try my best to keep him happy.

 

[Laki]

Follow OFL's advice. She really helped me out on Lakitu and Ludendorff. Hope your fish gets better

 

[mergan25]

A few questions OFL,

I am not really familiar with tannins, is the Indian oak leaf the only kind I should use? Are there other things I could use? I have no idea if the oak trees around here are treated with pesticides or not. And most leaves are mulch now after being under ice all winter.

Also, thanks for the suggestion but I definitely don't have any mosquito larvae. Are there any other things that would be good for him to eat? He just eats Aqueon Betta Food...This is my first fish, and I'm just now learning how to take care of him properly. And you're right he has suffered from long term poor water quality. I didn't do the research and I didn't take good care of him. And he has had to live in my 64-or whatever degree room. sigh... poor guy has to suffer because of my negligence. But hopefully I can do what you're suggesting and have a healthier fish, and can become a competent fish keeper!

I appreciate your help

 

[Laki]

Indian Almond Leaves can be bought online in large amounts for very cheap!! But in the meantime, most pet stores sell the tannin. I found the only brand here is in a yellow bottle. It might be "tetra aqua" brand. And I don't know how to use them.

 

[gbose]

Can I suggest moving to a bigger tank? I think it's really hard to keep up water quality in a 1G; I hope you're doing DAILY 50% water changes?

I suggest at least a 3G, preferably 5G

GBose

 

[mergan25]

I know 1g is not ideal. I have been researching and would like to get him one of the large petco pet keepers. In his old fragile condition, do you think it would be too stressful to move him in to a new home? Or would it only benefit him?

 

[Bombalurina]

I don't think a move would be any more stressful for him than the 100% changes you have to do at the moment. As long as all his old hiding spots (and maybe some new ones so he doesn't feel overwhelmed by the extra space) are in place, the water is the same temperature and you acclimatise him properly, I don't think he'd have a problem with it.

Good luck with your little boy! He's very pretty.

 

[Laki]

How is he doing? You can move him when you feel comfortable about doing so.

 

[mergan25]

How is he doing? You can move him when you feel comfortable about doing so.

Thanks, and he's still alive!

He seemed to be doing a little better, more active, brighter color. But still has inflamed gills. Although today I see his fins are rotting again. I have IAL coming in the mail, and I just found some epsom salts. Though I'm a little confused about which steps to take exactly. Do I change out the tank water to add the epsom water in gradually? Should I do a full change? Should I leave the tank half full and cover with plastic wrap? If so, for how long? And is that with or without the empsom water?

Haha... I'm trying to do what I can, but now I'm just getting confused on the execution.

If you have any advice let me know, and thanks for checking up on us!

 

[Laki]

Mix the epsom salt in its own bowl of dechlorinated water and mix it well. THEN do a water change, and make that his tank water. It helps if you have a small quarentine tank that's easy to clean (like those .5g betta bowls most stores sell as kits) because you might change it everyday with a fresh solution and cleaning a 2-3gallon everyday can get annoying! Or you can acclimate him to the bowl of salt water. Put clingwrap over the top of whatever he's in so he can breathe better and it will evaporate and get humid in there, which is good for his gills.
Don't forget some of his toys or caves in the treated water so he feels familiar.

 

[mergan25]

Okie dokie, I have him all set in his little saltwater sauna. Hopefully it helps him feel better. And I'll add some IAL as well when it comes in. I'll keep posting. Thanks for the help

 

[Laki]

^.^ Great news! You'll find having IAL all the time helps in general to strengthen their scales and they love it. Hope it arrives soon

 

[mergan25]

Update: He still has most of the same visible ailments/injures (red gills, white/gray splotches on head, same red streaks) BUT his fins are growing back, and I think his gills may be slightly less swollen. Also, besides all of the recent discoloration his original blue is looking pretty good. This has been with using epsom salt water, doing daily changes, and keeping him in half tank with cling wrap for the past six days.

The IAL came in today! I put a 1/4 large leaf in a gallon jug of dechlorinated epsom salt water. I'm now doing 25% water changes over the course of an hour as OFL suggested. When I've used all the water in the jug, do I keep the same portion of leaf in the jug and fill up with more water mixture? Or do I put new leaf in with each new gallon mixture? I've also read many people just put a leaf portion right in the tank. Any advice? Also, how long do I continue the use of epsom salt in the water, and the cling wrap top?

 

[Laki]

If you're grinding up the IAL in a processor like a magic bullet, the tannins are released so much quicker= matter of minutes almost.

I would keep making new mixes with new leaves. I don't think you can overdose on IAL so you can drop some leaf in the water as well and leave it there through the changes.

I hope he pulls through with the IAL!

 

[Oldfishlady]

I would place the used IAL in the tank and start with a fresh IAL crush in the 1gal jug of dechlorinated water with the Epsom salt-to use for the 50% daily water changes.....Epsom salt and tannins can be used long term...and so use it as long as needed.......

 

[mergan25]

Well it's only been a few days since I started using the Indian Almond Leaf in Anguel's tank. He looks the same, but he's definitely more active, has a better appetite, and has even been making little bubble nests! It's been a long time since I've seen him do that. So yay! I'm just going to keep on doing what I'm doing. Thanks for all the help.

I am wanting to see about getting him a 3 gallon petco critter keeper in the next couple of weeks. Are there any real plants or moss that could go in that size of container? I really don't know anything about plants- but I'm thinking it would be nice to try and make his tank kind of "natural". Anyone have any ideas?

 

[Laki]

Well, marimo moss balls are popular. Most stores stock them now but they're cheaper to buy online. And I think the nano ones are only available online.

Java moss and java fern are good beginner plants too