[bettamommy42]

Hello! This is sort of an emergency...
I just got back from college and my betta is sick... Really sick...
I just found out that though my parents cleaned his tank and used salts and slime coating stuff, they didn't de chlorinate the water! So he's been in chlorinated water for 3 months. His name is klaus and he is 3 years old so he's pretty resilient...
I have him in a temporary tank with bottled water and purifier but he's laying on the bottom not moving. If he tries to swim he goes in circles like his left fin and back fin aren't working. Please please help. I feel so bad and he's the smartest fish i've ever seen. (he flares whenever my ex comes by or he follows me when I walk by him... So smart!)
Please tell me there's something I can do

 

[TheCheese909]

Oh my gosh! I had no idea they could survive that long without any dechlorination. Try getting him some Stress Coat, I know PetCo and PetSmart sell it, it's by API and if it can't wait until morning you can try getting some at WalMart, though I don't know the brand they carry there or how effective it is. It should help him feel a little bit better, it also helps restore the slime coat.. You can also try getting some Bacteria Supplement which is made by Top Fin... API Quick Start might even help too, but i'm not sure. For sure though Stress Coat and the Bacteria Supplement should atleast make him feel better.

I hope he pulls through and that someone else can give you some more advise!




--Can you get any pictures of him?

 

[bettamommy42]

I put him in done clean water with the closest thing to stress coat I have... But i'm going to find that and add it. I checked this morning and he's doing better... I'm stratus he's blind and something is seriously wrong with the lower half of his body... He's not using his back fin and its like dragging him down.. I put him in a shallow tank so he can reach the air but i'm afraid its irreversible. I'll try to get pictures up asap thank you so much for your help!

 

[TheCheese909]

Pictures always help and i'm glad he seems perked up.

Lowering the water is also a good idea, generally Bettas need more swimming room horizontally rather then vertically.

 

[Tikibirds]

Any water conditioner will do, it doesn't have to be stress coat. Although I do recommend it over any other. It helps with torn fins and fin regrowth too.

Do you know what they fed him and how much.
Also, how often did they change his water?

If it were me, I would put him in fresh, clean, conditioned water with some aquarium salt if you have any. It's 1 teaspoon per gallon of water. If you have a milk jug, clean it and then add the salt and water. Mix it up good and then add it to the tank. make sure the salt is disolved before adding the fish. slowly aclimate the fish to the new water. Do daily 100% water changes and do not use the salt for more then 10 or so days.

If he was overfed, he may have issues with swimming - maybe hold off on the salt until we know if he has been overfed. If he has swim bladder disease - which can cause a fish to swim/float funky - you want to use epsom salt and not aquarium salt. However the treatment is the same for both.

3 years is a pretty good run for a betta - he may just be getting old.

 

[bettamommy42]

Sorry for some reason I can't upload the pictures! I'll figure this out...
In the mean time klaus is doing a lot better... Though still on his side. I have him in about 4 inches of water so he can reach the air. My patents clean the tank I think every 2 to 3 Weeks and feed him every day about a half a pinch of flakes. I tried feeding the pea to him but he wouldn't go for it.
I'll be transferring him into his normal tank tomorrow which had stress coat, aquarium salt and a broad spectrum antibiotic mixed in. I just want to get the antibiotics started if it is a bacterial infection. Why is Epsom salt better than aquarium salt? Where would I get it too? Haha
Thanks for all your help!

 

[Silverfang]

epsom salts come from the pharmacy, or pharmacy section. Plain, unscented, dye free

 

[TheCheese909]

Personally, i think if you're going to do Epsome salt baths only do them for 20 minutes at a time, hence the "bath" part. It can make your fish sick if you do it any longer (in my experience anyway). You can add Aquarium salt to his home tank of course. I would try doing an Epsome salt bath first, then place him in an Aquarium salt tank for a week with daily water changes to see if that helps. 1 teaspoon per gallon for both salts.