[Spectrefishy]

I just got Spectre about a week ago and he hasn't been eating for the past few days. I noticed that his water was a little cold so I put a heater in and now the temp is around 75°F. Just this morning I was looking at him and I noticed two very small holes in his fins. One hole in the middle of his dorsal fin and one on the bottom fin. He is now in a one gallon bowl. He is as active as ever the only difference is he's not eating. Is he sick, and if so what should I do?

 

[jadaBlu]

It would be best if you fill out the fish emergencies form and post a picture so we can help you better. I am glad you got a heater. The water is still too cold and he is like to get sicker if you don't at least get it up a few degrees. Turn it up one degree per day until it's at least 78 degrees you can go up to 80.

 

[Spectrefishy]

Okay, so I've taken another look and I've noticed that he has a few more small holes in his tail fins, they can only be seen when they are spread out, so it's hard to get a good picture.

Right now he is in a one gallon bowl, but i have bigger tanks available
There is no filter
I do have a heater, but I can't control the temperature on it? (might buy a new one)
Right now, the water is somewhere around 73 F
I have three live plants in the tank if that means anything...

I have been feeding him 2-3 Aqueon betta food pellets twice a day (he hasn't been eating them anyway)

I haven't changed the water yet because I have had him for less than a week, but I was planning on changing all the water today
I use the recommended amount of Tetra BettaSafe water conditioner to treat tap water

The only differnce I've noticed physically is the small holes, and sometimes when he rests on the bottom of the tank, he leans to the side against something (plant, edge of tank, cord of heater)
He is swimming around actively and getting air from the surface normally.

Here are some pictures, you can kind of see most of the holes especially in one of the photos.

 

[NickAu]

Heres what you should be doing.

I remove uneaten food pieces every 5 days.

You should be doing that every day, What sort of food are you using?

I feed my fish Atisons pellets one at a time so there is no left over food, At $25 for 75 grammes its to expensive to waste.

I change a quarter of the water every sixteen days.

With a 1 gallon unfiltered bowl you should be doing daily 50% water changes and treating the water with 2 drops of Seachem Prime.

I also take me fish out for every one of those water changes! ^o^

There is no need to take the fish out of the bowl in fact its counter productive because it just stresses the fish.

Right now, the water is somewhere around 73 F

That is too cold for a betta bump it up to 80F

The reason your fish fins are getting holes in them is because of poor water quality, He will develop fin rot and start to suffer from ammonia poisoning if you do not keep his water clean warm and treated with prime.

I also think you need a bigger tank 2.5 gallon is ok 5 gallon is better.

 

[Spectrefishy]

Thank you for the advice, I will be making a few changes to my routine. Also I have one question because my sister claims that distilled water would be better for him. Is this true or is treated tap ok?

 

[jadaBlu]

No---- distilled water has minerals removed from the water which fish need for good health. In almost all areas tap water that is dechlorinated with Prime preferrably but at minimum another brand of dechlorinator. If you live in area where water contamination is a problem the best alternative is Spring water. Tap water is cheaper and normally fine. They sometimes sell water for bettas in the store it's a marketing ploy to get your money. If you notice gouramis in pet stores don't get special water and many of them come from similar water conditions as bettas they come from a similar family of fish.

 

[jadaBlu]

BTW cute fish hope he gets well soon!

 

[NickAu]

Thank you for the advice, I will be making a few changes to my routine. Also I have one question because my sister claims that distilled water would be better for him. Is this true or is treated tap ok?

No straight distilled water is no good. You would have to reminerilise it, and that can be complex. Some bottled spring type waters are also not safe.

Tap water is usually the best option.

If you want to find out your tap water parameters you can check your city/town water companies web site or take a sample to a pet/fish shop and get them to test it for you, But dont let them just say " Its Fine" get the actual numbers.

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

NickAu! Do you really use the same schedule as me? Because i made that up from scratch. BTW TopFin betta bits are what my betta eats, He loves them My betta, Luna has fin rot, he has ripped fins in various places>.< And no he's not a crown tail! He's a blue veil tail. Just search "Blue betta fish" and you will see a picture of him! CYAA

I believe you misread Nick's post. Your maintenance is not good for your Betta. It may well be why Luna suffers from fin rot which is 99% environmental resulting from a dirty habitat which allows bacteria to take hold.

To reiterate:

1. A one-gallon bowl needs a 50% water change every or every other day;
2. Waste and leftover food should be removed every day

To Spectrefishy:

Sometimes Betta come to us with problems resulting from poor care either at the pet store or even before then.

A heater is more important than a filter but a filter makes the heater run more efficiently because it circulates the water. If you have the budget, PetSmart has a 2.5 Grreat Choice tank with lid for around $14.00. Or, the tanks I like, PetCo has an empty 5.5 gallon for the same price. The larger the tank the easier to maintain a healthy habitat.

For instance a one-gallon unfiltered bowl requires a 50% water change every day or every other day and daily removal of waste and leftover food. On the other hand, a filtered 5.5 or 2.5 only needs a 25% water change once or twice a week.

Good luck! He's a lovely boy. And.... Welcome to the Forum! :wave:

 

[Spectrefishy]

Thank you everybody for helping me with all my questions. I thought I would give an update as to how Spectre is doing. I changed his water last night and moved him into a slightly bigger bowl (2.5 gallon) and left the heater in. He still hasn't eaten, but from what I've read that's normal especially when stressed. The only problem I have is the water is not getting as warm in the larger bowl. I've noticed that he will sit on or stay by the heater at the bottom most of the time. I will be making a trip to the petstore soon. My sister thinks I should leave him in the smaller bowl because the water will stay warmer, but I was thinking about just buying a new heater. My sister had a betta a few years ago, and was using the same heater and bowl that I am but she was living in a much warmer climate. Does anyone have any suggestions for making my fish as happy as possible? Money is not an issue but, I can get busy with school and other commitments so I would like a set up that I can maintain easily.

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

Do you know the wattage of the heater? It might be too low or it might be it's taking a while to heat the tank. I bought a 25 watt Theo Hydor adjustable from www.drsfostersmith.com. But I believe PetCo has them, too. They are smaller in length than some other brands.

At some time I would look into the PetCo 5.5 gallon. I think you would be pleased. It is 16" x 8" x 10" H which gives Betta a lot of horizontal swim room. I have four. :roll:

Plants are always good. Anubias can be floated or tied to something like a rock or piece of driftwood. They don't even need fertilizer. And they are low-light plants so you don't need special lighting.

Have fun! I'm working on two 5.5 for two new boys...no names yet.

 

[NickAu]

Money is not an issue but, I can get busy with school and other commitments so I would like a set up that I can maintain easily.

What I would do is go to wallmart and buy a new 10 aquarium they are only about $20 and the heater RussellTheShihtzu suggests some pea gravel and a few plants including some floating ones.

 

[jadaBlu]

Eheim is my favorite brand of heater at 25 watt runs about $20 some places offer free shipping. They have a long warranty. Big Als sells a 50 watt for about the same price.

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

I prefer Eheim, too. Here's a link:

http://www.kensfish.com/aquarium-supplies/aquarium-heaters/jager-heaters.html

 

[Spectrefishy]

I bought a new heater and a new filtered tank for Spectre. It's a pretty big difference. The water is slowly getting warmer and I am tempted to put the old heater in as well so the water can get to around 80. He still won't eat and I'm worried because his fins aren't looking so good. They seem to be deteriorating around the ends and the holes may be getting bigger. Here are some photos.

 

[Spectrefishy]

I have good news (well at least I think it's good news). I was changing the water and decided to crush a pellet and put it in the water. Spectre didn't pay much mind, until one piece started sinking. Guess what? He ate it! I'm so happy he's starting to get his appetite back because needs strength to fix his fins. Guess I'll have to buy some sinking pellets.

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

You don't need to buy sinking pellets. Placing pellets in the water so they get wet will cause them to sink. I actually "throw" Betta pellets so they'll sink and feed the other fish.

I am so glad he is eating. I guess not all Betta like their food floating. ;-) Keep us updated.

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

BTW, how do I start a new thread? It said they can be ordered, thats weird?

At the top of each section is a little box that says "New Thread." There is a box with a + next to it. There's also a blurb above it. In the "Care" section the blurb says: "Betta fish are relatively hardy, but like any aquarium fish, they need to be taken care of. Discuss betta fish care here."

Other sections will have differing blurbs.

As far as water changes: A 2.5 filtered aquarium should have at least a 25%-50% water change with vacuuming once a week; unfiltered 50% twice per week with daily removal of excess food and waste. There is no need to do 100% water changes even in an unfiltered aquarium. Betta should not be removed from the aquarium for water changes as that is extremely stressful.

You should post a photo of Luna in the Pictures section.

 

[Spectrefishy]

Final update

I just thought I'd give my final update on Spectre. I went to the petstore and bought some API Bettafix. Now, the holes are completely gone in his fins. He is eating and loves it. Thank you everyone for your help, without it I wouldn't have known what to do. Spectre thanks you too!

 

[jadaBlu]

I am glad your fish is betta stick around and talk with members on the other boards.