[Feanor]

Congratulations for getting those worms into his mouth!

And very good advise by @TropicalFlow3 and @RussellTheShihTzu so far!

His fin issues could very well be a symptom of a lack of nutrients, so they should improve with the water changes, tannins and food intake.

How do daily water changes affect the impact of the leaf?

The tannins from the leaves will get diluted with water changes.
Therefor, I would either get more leaves and replace every second or third day (cut in quarters and use 3-4 quarters) or use bags of plain, unscented Rooibos Tea and let a new one float, whenever the water‘s color gets too diluted.
You could also brew a tea of the big leaves:
Crush 10 leaves a bit, boil them for 20 min, let sit over night, boil again for 20 min and use the dark liquid from next day on using a strainer.
You can store the rest in the fridge and use it for further changes.

In my opinion, water changes of not more than 50% every other day would be sufficient.

Since I'm doing daily water changes for now, will it be safe to keep the filter off until he's stronger?

A bubbler would be enough in general with the current changing schedule.

But I‘d keep the filter running to have it on hand in case you wanted to buy him a new tank one time and just in case, you miss a water change later on.

Unless it is not possible to adjust the flow and it pushes him around.

If you could show us the filter, someone might know how to baffle it a bit.

Keep on the good work!

 

[TropicalFlow3]

Thank you Betta06 and RussellTheShihTzu!!

He definitely seems he could some fattening up from the bloodworms if he'll eat them! Once his appetite is back and he's eating regularly I'll scale the bloodworms back to a treat.

The fin rot has only been visible for about a month. In late December he looked fine. Hard to recall if it was over a matter of days or weeks or more sudden. I don't think it was overnight.

I have an almond leaf. It's pretty big... If I put in too big a chunk it will get in the way of trying to feed him. Proportional to the surface of a hexagonal tank, what's a good size piece to put in? Do you replace it after X days/weeks?

I've read the leaf can lower pH. His pH has been very stable at 7.0 (or sometimes a smidge less) which seems good and not something I'd want to change. I'll just keep an eye on that then?

How do daily water changes affect the impact of the leaf? I have a big ol' thing of treated water that I'm keeping replenished and doing replacements from - I could put a piece of it in there too?

Question about the filter: The current makes it hard for him to eat right now, since he's being so slow about it. And if he's weak right now I imagine he must be physically tired. Since I'm doing daily water changes for now, will it be safe to keep the filter off until he's stronger?

I'm afraid I fell victim to the 'don't overfeed' narrative. I feel absolutely awful this may have happened due to my ignorance. 😢 I love him so much...

I also was worried that indian Almond leaves would lower my ph, but it never seemed to make a dramatic diffference in my Ph. You can feel free to put a sponge, or some panty hose in front of the fiter to slow it down until he starts strengthning up. THe indian almond leafs should sink. I usuall replace them after 2 weeks. Don't be to hard on yourself. Their is so much misinformation floatin around about betta fish feeding and just all around about fish care. It's not just you falling into misinformatin. Everyone has a learning point, and theres honestly so much to learn in the first place in fish keeping. You are trying your hardest to help him, and it shows.

He just ate 3 bloodworms!!!!! 🥳 I'm so proud of him I'm crying! 😃

Thats's great he is eating. Just make sure to not over whelm is little body with to much food.

 

[TropicalFlow3]

Congratulations for getting him on getting those worms into his mouth!

And very good advise by @TropicalFlow3 and @RussellTheShihTzu so far!

His fin issues could very well be a symptom of a lack of nutrients, so they should improve with the water changes, tannins and food intake.




The tannins from the leaves will get diluted with water changes,
Therefor, I would either get more leaves and replace every second or third day (cut in quarters and use 3-4 quarters) or use bags of plain, unscented Rooibos Tea and let a new one float, whenever the water‘s color gets too diluted.
You could also brew a tea of the big leaves:
Crush 10 leaves a bit, boil them for 20 min, let sit over night, boil again for 20 min and use the dark liquid from next day on using a strainer.
You can store the rest in the fridge and use it for further changes.

In my opinion, water changes of not more than 50% every other day would be sufficient.



A bubbler would be enough in general with the current changing schedule.

But I‘d keep the filter running to have it on hand in case you wanted to buy him a new tank one time and just in case, you miss a water change later on.

Unless it is not possible to adjust the flow and it pushes him around.

If you could show us the filter, someone might know how to baffle it a bit.

Keep on the good work!

Oh, just saw feanor posted as well. Thanks feanor, i guess we both put information out lol.

 

[Betta06]

Woohoo! He ate! Yes I did too fall into “overfeeding” if you fed more than 3 a day back in 2010.

 

[SaraBG]

Got three more! I have to find fairly firm worms that will hold shape in the water enough to really put into his mouth directly, rather than him trying to find it on the surface in front of him. He doesn't want to work for it.

That's six worms now, 3+3 worms 6 hours apart.

Should I stop for today, since his tummy might be tiny from days of not eating much? As mentioned above, I wouldn't want to overwhelm him too much too soon.

He's moving around a lot more today. Not sideways at all! And dipping down a little bit further into the water than before.

 

[Feanor]

Amount is fine for today, I would say!

 

[SaraBG]

The happily fed lad resting on his leaf, which is also an improvement. He used to spend a lot of time there, but since falling ill he was just hugging the edges of the tank.

And that's the filter back there. The intake is that column going down, and water comes out in a trickle from above. Uses an activated-carbon filter cartridge that I replace at the first of every month.

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

I am glad he ate the Bloodworms. Hope he keeps it up!

What kind of filter? Is it one that hangs over the tank rim? If so, you can put a soap dish under the output to act as a baffle.

 

[SaraBG]

Is it one that hangs over the tank rim? If so, you can put a soap dish under the output to act as a baffle.

It is, and worth a shot, thank you!

He ate his breakfast again today! :-D

I think the next challenge will be getting him to eat pellets again after being spoiled with all these tasty worms!

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

Keep feeding the Bloodworms until his weight is back up. Then you can try soaking the pellets in the liquid from the Bloodworms. Or, you go go to all frozen.

 

[SaraBG]

I have some pellets soaking too and alternating the offering between the two, but he's only going for the worms. Worms it is then until he decides to diversify.

He's had 3 + 3 worms again today. I may try an extra worm in the evening if he'll take it.

He's spending some time sideways today which is concerning. Not nearly as much as when he was at his worst, but yesterday he didn't do it at all. :-/

 

[TropicalFlow3]

I have some pellets soaking too and alternating the offering between the two, but he's only going for the worms. Worms it is then until he decides to diversify.

He's had 3 + 3 worms again today. I may try an extra worm in the evening if he'll take it.

He's spending some time sideways today which is concerning. Not nearly as much as when he was at his worst, but yesterday he didn't do it at all. :-/

That’s either because he is still quite weak, which makes sense. But it always reminds me of swim bladder too. Then again, there will probably be up and down days with him too.

 

[SaraBG]

The swim bladder concern feels like a catch-22: from what I've read, it often comes from overfeeding, and now I'm feeding him more and richer food than he's had before, but I have to do that because he'd been underfed.

I wonder if it (the sideways floating) may be because his pectoral fins are asymmetrical at the moment until his fins heal more? It is always the one side that he floats on...

He did eat that extra worm yesterday. And this morning he readily ate 3 for breakfast; didn't have to follow him around with them as much!

Gave him an extra heater today because it's very cold here and his temperature dipped down to 72 last night! 😨 It's back up to 78 now.

 

[TropicalFlow3]

The swim bladder concern feels like a catch-22: from what I've read, it often comes from overfeeding, and now I'm feeding him more and richer food than he's had before, but I have to do that because he'd been underfed.

I wonder if it (the sideways floating) may be because his pectoral fins are asymmetrical at the moment until his fins heal more? It is always the one side that he floats on...

He did eat that extra worm yesterday. And this morning he readily ate 3 for breakfast; didn't have to follow him around with them as much!

Gave him an extra heater today because it's very cold here and his temperature dipped down to 72 last night! 😨 It's back up to 78 now.

That's good its back up. I don't think it's SBD anymorE, i just think he is weak and rebuilding his strength. Im glad he's eating for you, it makes me hope more that he will make a good recovery. Off topic, but how chilly is it at your area? Right now where i live, its -42 but with windchill -56!! I had to put my tanks at 85 on their thermometers ofr the night so the temp stays stable. In the morning around 6am i turn it back to 77 and its stay at 78

 

[SaraBG]

It's currently 4 with wind chill around -20, so, relatively warm, yikes! 🥶

Our low last night was -11. Today, our high will be 17. Tomorrow, our high will be 45!

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

It's really a fish overeating but for some reason they put the onus on the owner and call it "over feeding?" If a fish eats too much food at once the swim bladder can be compromised or crowded. Eating nine Bloodworms per day in several meals 3-4 hours apart is not overeating. It's eating nine at once that would cause an issue.

To set your mind at ease, it has nothing to do with richness of food; it's the amount.

 

[SaraBG]

That's good to know, thank you!

 

[SaraBG]

Update on the boy, whose name is Hwi, by the way!

I've been giving him 3 worms every ~4 hours, roughly 8a, 12n, 4p. His aim is still pretty bad even when I hold it at or near his mouth, but we always get there eventually.

The almond leaf is giving his water a rather lovely weak tea color. I think he enjoys the water changes because he always swims more actively afterward. I see his personality coming back.

He's not improved his up-and-down swimming yet - he's still just at the surface, but moving around, darting here and there, and visiting his leaf hammock regularly, rather than clutching the corner most of the day like he was. There's one corner where his thermometer is that he likes being in though.

I see some translucency at the edges of his fins which I think is regrowth?

So, seems recovery is slow but happening.

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

Sounds good. Glad you're seeing improvement. And, yep, clear tissue is regrowth.

Recovery can seem awfully slow. You might try taking a photo from above once per week. Then you can compare and see his progression.

And, please do update us whenever you wish. We really like knowing.

 

[SaraBG]

Thank you.

Feeding is a struggle. We both need practice! I think he might be blind and/or very uncoordinated. And it's hard for me because I'm holding the worm with tongs and touching his mouth with it, and if I hold on too tight, he can't pull it free, but if I hold it too loose and he goes for it and he misses, it falls off the tong and starts descending to the bottom of the tank unless I manage to capture it. He gets the worm when there's the perfect balance of light grip on my part and good aim on his. I'll be as patient as necessary for as long as necessary, but hopefully his coordination improves over time. It must be so frustrating for him!

I love watching him chew; it's so cute (om-nomnomnomnom...) And sometimes he gets these little burp bubbles from his gills.