[Audet.mm90]

Hi,
I recently adopted a betta from someone who was not taking care it. Small filthy bowl etc.
I have bought a 5 gallon tank and trying to offer this guy a second chance at a good life.
I’ve had trouble using two filters I have tried as they are stressing him out. I’m waiting on a third, sponge filter.. I was told they don’t create as much current.
When he came to me he had a very swollen belly and I’m trying to figure out if it’s constipation or something more serious. His fins also seem to have black spots.
I am a first time owner and would appreciate anyone’s input. I’ve attached pictures
Thanks 🙏

 

[BettaloverSara]

Do you know what they were feeding him. He looks bloated but also thin. The spots on his fins look to be his natural colouring. He seems pale, probably with some tlc his colour will come out more. I think he requires some better food and if you are at the pet store you could get some frozen daphnia, it may help with the bloating.

 

[MaGiC74]

Is your tank cycled? Can you please fill out this form so we can have more information? Thanks

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING: Fill out this form so we can...

Many thanks to BF/TFK Member Mike for developing this questionnaire. It is the same form with a few additions. Please copy and paste into a new message and fill out this form when seeking help for your Betta. This information and a clear photo posted directly into the thread will help us give...

www.bettafish.com

 

[Audet.mm90]

Do you know what they were feeding him. He looks bloated but also thin. The spots on his fins look to be his natural colouring. He seems pale, probably with some tlc his colour will come out more. I think he requires some better food and if you are at the pet store you could get some frozen daphnia, it may help with the bloating.

thank you.
He was eating betta bug bites which were given to me. I asked my local pet shop and they said they were good.

I will go look for frozen daphnia this evening.
For the bloating should I fast him, they mention that on many sources.
I am very new to this and want to make sure I set him up properly. I am having trouble with all filters, they seem to drag over the place, even when using a 3 gallon filter.

thank you 😊

 

[Audet.mm90]

Is your tank cycled? Can you please fill out this form so we can have more information? Thanks

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING: Fill out this form so we can...

Many thanks to BF/TFK Member Mike for developing this questionnaire. It is the same form with a few additions. Please copy and paste into a new message and fill out this form when seeking help for your Betta. This information and a clear photo posted directly into the thread will help us give...

www.bettafish.com

I’m sorry for sounding uneducated. What does cycling the tank mran

Housing:
How many gallons is your tank? He is currently in a 5 gallon tank
Does it have a filter? I am on my third filter, both nano/mini filters drag him around and gets him upset.

Does it have a heater? Yes
What temperature is your tank? 79 degrees
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No
Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind? No

Food:
What food brand do you use? Bug bites
Do you feed flakes or pellets? Pellets
Freeze-dried? Tried blood worms and didn’t eat
How often do you feed your Betta? How much? 2 times a day

Maintenance:
Before your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change? Unknown - take in from another person - I suspect rarely
What percentage of water did you change? 25% when I took him in
What is the source of your water? Tap water with conditioner
Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water? No
What additives do you use other than conditioner? What brand of conditioner? Nutrafin betta plus

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.

Ammonia: unknown
Nitrite: unknown
Nitrate:unknown
pH:unknown
Hardness (GH):unknown
Alkalinity (KH):unknown

Symptoms and Treatment:
When did you first notice the symptoms? When I got him
How has your Betta’s appearance changed? Same as when I got him
How has your Betta’s behavior changed? Same as when I got him
Is your Betta still eating? Yes
Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how? No - I don’t know how to
Does your Betta have any history of being ill? Unknown
How long have you owned your Betta? 1 week
Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased? He was bloated/ pale when I got him

thanks 🙏

 

[MaGiC74]

I’m sorry for sounding uneducated. What does cycling the tank mran

Housing:
How many gallons is your tank? He is currently in a 5 gallon tank
Does it have a filter? I am on my third filter, both nano/mini filters drag him around and gets him upset.

Does it have a heater? Yes
What temperature is your tank? 79 degrees
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No
Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind? No

Food:
What food brand do you use? Bug bites
Do you feed flakes or pellets? Pellets
Freeze-dried? Tried blood worms and didn’t eat
How often do you feed your Betta? How much? 2 times a day

Maintenance:
Before your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change? Unknown - take in from another person - I suspect rarely
What percentage of water did you change? 25% when I took him in
What is the source of your water? Tap water with conditioner
Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water? No
What additives do you use other than conditioner? What brand of conditioner? Nutrafin betta plus

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.

Ammonia: unknown
Nitrite: unknown
Nitrate:unknown
pH:unknown
Hardness (GH):unknown
Alkalinity (KH):unknown

Symptoms and Treatment:
When did you first notice the symptoms? When I got him
How has your Betta’s appearance changed? Same as when I got him
How has your Betta’s behavior changed? Same as when I got him
Is your Betta still eating? Yes
Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how? No - I don’t know how to
Does your Betta have any history of being ill? Unknown
How long have you owned your Betta? 1 week
Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased? He was bloated/ pale when I got him

thanks 🙏

Hi, your fish is probably sick because the tank is not cycled. You need to buy some beneficial bacteria and a testing kit asap. Cycling basically means you need to establish a good colony of bacteria in the tank to eat Ammonia, a toxic waste. Since you already have your fish, you will need to perform a fish-in cycling. You need to change the water way more often. For fish-in cycling, here are the steps.

1. Add some extra tetra flakes or something like that everyday (2-3). Make sure your betta doesn't eat them and they sink to the bottom!

2. Add some beneficial bacteria every day too, following the instructions on the bottle.

3. Test the water everyday. If there is an Ammonia spike, that's progress! But change the water right away to avoid poisoning your fish.

4. Change the water twice a week and vacuum the substrate well. Do you have a vacuum?

5. Test the water and repeat steps above until the parameters are

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 10-20 ppm.

From then on, if your nitrate is above 20, you need to change the water.

 

[KekeTheBettaDoc]

Hi! Follow this tutorial for cycling

CYCLING: the two-sentence tutorial

Change half the water when either ammonia or nitrite approach 0.50ppm (alternately, 25% at 0.25ppm), or weekly, whichever comes first. Add Seachem Prime at 2-drops per gallon of tank size every day until cycled. That’s all you have to do. You can stop reading now. But there’s a lot of...

www.bettafish.com

 

[BettaloverSara]

thank you.
He was eating betta bug bites which were given to me. I asked my local pet shop and they said they were good.

I will go look for frozen daphnia this evening.
For the bloating should I fast him, they mention that on many sources.
I am very new to this and want to make sure I set him up properly. I am having trouble with all filters, they seem to drag over the place, even when using a 3 gallon filter.

thank you 😊

Are the bug bites freeze dried? Freeze dried food is for treats only, I would suggest fluval bug bites or northfin betta bits. Yes you may want to fast him for a couple days. If you find the daphnia it might help him poop so you could give him some. He may need a little while to recover from his poor living conditions. He is not sick because your tank is not cycled, fish in cycling is perfectly safe if you follow the tutorial posted above. You will need prime for your water conditioner and you should get a test kit. API master test kit is the best. I have 4 tanks 10 gal and under and I didn't pre cycle any of them.

 

[Audet.mm90]

Do you know what they were feeding him. He looks bloated but also thin. The spots on his fins look to be his natural colouring. He seems pale, probably with some tlc his colour will come out more. I think he requires some better food and if you are at the pet store you could get some frozen daphnia, it may help with the bloating.

yes, that is exactly what I was given-

Are the bug bites freeze dried? Freeze dried food is for treats only, I would suggest fluval bug bites or northfin betta bits. Yes you may want to fast him for a couple days. If you find the daphnia it might help him poop so you could give him some. He may need a little while to recover from his poor living conditions. He is not sick because your tank is not cycled, fish in cycling is perfectly safe if you follow the tutorial posted above. You will need prime for your water conditioner and you should get a test kit. API master test kit is the best. I have 4 tanks 10 gal and under and I didn't pre cycle any of them.

Yes, that’s exactly what I was given Fluval bug bites. I haven’t fed him today, I won’t again tomorrow. Hopefully that helps. I wasn’t able to find frozen daphnia at my local pet store, I will try out of town tomorrow. I will also look for the API master test kit.
As for Prime conditioner, I have ordered some, it is arriving tomorrow. How often do I use this? Only when changing water?
The sponge filter arrives tomorrow as well, I have bought a air stone to incorporate. Will this be sufficient to keep water clean? I’m running out of options for filters. Over the edge (tetra whisperer) was a fail, I bought a underwater filter and it’s also frightening him and dragging him around ( It makes me very nervous that he’s struggling with current - the last thing I want is him getting sucked into intake). I’m hoping the sponge filter with air stone works better.

thank you for your help! 😊

 

[BettaloverSara]

Ok fluval bug bites are a good food. Try fasting for a couple days and if he doesn’t appear any less bloated there are some other things you can do.
the sponge filter should be fine but they don’t remove large particles so make sure you have a good syphon. Once he is feeling better You might find he is able to tolerate the whisper filter. I have two of them in my 10 gal divided and they aren’t too strong. There are also ways to baffle the water flow so it is not so strong.
Until your tank is cycled use two drops per gallon of prime every day. Read through the cycling tutorial that was linked above, it’s very simple. Best of luck!

 

[Audet.mm90]

Hi, your fish is probably sick because the tank is not cycled. You need to buy some beneficial bacteria and a testing kit asap. Cycling basically means you need to establish a good colony of bacteria in the tank to eat Ammonia, a toxic waste. Since you already have your fish, you will need to perform a fish-in cycling. You need to change the water way more often. For fish-in cycling, here are the steps.

1. Add some extra tetra flakes or something like that everyday (2-3). Make sure your betta doesn't eat them and they sink to the bottom!

2. Add some beneficial bacteria every day too, following the instructions on the bottle.

3. Test the water everyday. If there is an Ammonia spike, that's progress! But change the water right away to avoid poisoning your fish.

4. Change the water twice a week and vacuum the substrate well. Do you have a vacuum?

5. Test the water and repeat steps above until the parameters are

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 10-20 ppm.

From then on, if your nitrate is above 20, you need to change the water.

Hi there,
I got the test and this is my second 25% water change and the ammonia is still at 2 ppm.
Help?! Should I be doing bigger water changes?
🙏 thanks

 

[BettaloverSara]

Hi there,
I got the test and this is my second 25% water change and the ammonia is still at 2 ppm.
Help?! Should I be doing bigger water changes?
🙏 thanks

Are you using prime? I would do 25% water change every 4 hours 4 times. 2ppm is very high so you want to do 100% water change without shocking him. Can you test your tap water and see if any of that ammonia is coming from the tap?

 

[Audet.mm90]

Are you using prime? I would do 25% water change every 4 hours 4 times. 2ppm is very high so you want to do 100% water change without shocking him. Can you test your tap water and see if any of that ammonia is coming from the tap?

it’s the first thing I did. The tap water shows 0 ppm and yes I’ve been using prime as shown in cycling video. Two drops per gallon. I have a 5 gallon tank.

i will do as suggested. 🤞

 

[Audet.mm90]

it’s the first thing I did. The tap water shows 0 ppm and yes I’ve been using prime as shown in cycling video. Two drops per gallon. I have a 5 gallon tank.

i will do as suggested. 🤞

I have completed my 2nd 25% water change and it’s still green.😞 I will follow through with the last two but I’m so demoralized.
🤞

 

[Audet.mm90]

Hi, your fish is probably sick because the tank is not cycled. You need to buy some beneficial bacteria and a testing kit asap. Cycling basically means you need to establish a good colony of bacteria in the tank to eat Ammonia, a toxic waste. Since you already have your fish, you will need to perform a fish-in cycling. You need to change the water way more often. For fish-in cycling, here are the steps.

1. Add some extra tetra flakes or something like that everyday (2-3). Make sure your betta doesn't eat them and they sink to the bottom!

2. Add some beneficial bacteria every day too, following the instructions on the bottle.

3. Test the water everyday. If there is an Ammonia spike, that's progress! But change the water right away to avoid poisoning your fish.

4. Change the water twice a week and vacuum the substrate well. Do you have a vacuum?

5. Test the water and repeat steps above until the parameters are

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 10-20 ppm.

From then on, if your nitrate is above 20, you need to change the water.

do you have any recommandations in beneficial bacteria products?

 

[BettaloverSara]

Are you vacuuming the substrate when you do water changes? I’m a bit perplexed but I would double the prime dose until it’s cleared up if it were my tank.
Most of the ammonia on tanks comes from the gunk in the substrate. So if you are dipping out and not seeing much change than I suspect it needs a really good vacuum.

 

[MaGiC74]

do you have any recommandations in beneficial bacteria products?

I use API Quick Start Nitrifying Bacteria. If you already have an old, cycled tank, you can also use the old filter there. It has filter media that has colonies of bacteria in it. You can ask a friend for some!

 

[Abettabreeder]

Hi,
I recently adopted a betta from someone who was not taking care it. Small filthy bowl etc.
I have bought a 5 gallon tank and trying to offer this guy a second chance at a good life.
I’ve had trouble using two filters I have tried as they are stressing him out. I’m waiting on a third, sponge filter.. I was told they don’t create as much current.
When he came to me he had a very swollen belly and I’m trying to figure out if it’s constipation or something more serious. His fins also seem to have black spots.
I am a first time owner and would appreciate anyone’s input. I’ve attached pictures
Thanks 🙏 View attachment 1024803 View attachment 1024804 View attachment 1024805

Hello, that looks like one beautiful betta, unfortunate that people think that they can just put their betta in a bowl, right? right away, I can see that the previous owner has been over feeding the fish and I recommend to give the fish a couple epsom salt baths, (Salt Baths) you should throw away the “glow in the dark” gravel and try using a planted tank, other wise, I love the choice of tank size.

 

[Audet.mm90]

His belly is looking a lot better... I think.. I’m a newbie to bettas...

 

[Audet.mm90]

Is it normal that he has changed since I got him. When I got him he was very pale white/pink and his fins were smaller. His fins seem bigger and darker. 😳I’m attaching a before and after? I just want to make sure it’s not alarming.