[Camilleh]

I got this Betta three months ago. Everything was fine up until about two weeks ago. After some research I determined that he probably had ammonia poisoning. I’ve since done many water changes and done as much as possible to help him. He has some burns on the outside part of his gills. I just have some questions about his behavior/appearance that I would like to know if are related to his previous ammonia poisoning.

here are the parameters:
-2 gallon tank (I know it’s small but I live in a dorm room)

• it’s heated and filtered. Usually around 77-78 degrees
• he has lots of decorations and places to hide
• there is one mystery snail in the tank. He never flares or bothers the snail so I don’t think they stress each other out at all
• ammonia is 0
• ph is about 7.5-8
• nitrates and nitrites are 0
• he eats a mixture of flakes, pellets, bloodworms, daphnia, and mysis (all dried)

He seems very bloated and I haven’t seen him poop in over a week. He isn’t pine-coning at all so I don’t think it’s dropsy. I have been doing epsom salt soaks daily for 4 days. No poop.

also, his tail looks sparse and a bit pink. I feel like this is related to the ammonia poisoning. Should this go away?

help!!

 

[betta4ever!]

Hi, and welcome to the forum! I am sorry your baby is not feeling well! Can you please fill this out so everyone can give the best advice possible? Thank you and I hope we can figure out what is happening with your baby!

Many illnesses can be traced to water conditions. Your water-changing schedule is the most important element in diagnosing. Please be honest.

Housing:
How many gallons is your tank?
Does it have a filter?
Does it have a heater?
What temperature is your tank?
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?
Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind?

Food:
What food brand do you use?
Do you feed flakes or pellets?
Freeze-dried?
How often do you feed your Betta? How much?

Maintenance:
Before your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change?
What percentage of water did you change?
What is the source of your water?
Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water?
What additives do you use other than conditioner? What brand of conditioner?

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

Symptoms and Treatment:
When did you first notice the symptoms?
How has your Betta’s appearance changed?
How has your Betta’s behavior changed?
Is your Betta still eating?
Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how?
Does your Betta have any history of being ill?
How long have you owned your Betta?
Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased?

PLEASE PROVIDE CLEAR PHOTOS

NOTE: EMBED YOUR PHOTOS. PLEASE DO NOT LINK. Click on the paper clip in the toolbar.

 

[Gbay]

Hi, try not feeding him for 3 days, then giving him an overcooked pea, it should help

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

As betta4ever! noted, we ask that members seeking help in this section fill out the form. Not only does it ask for the most important questions, it presents them in a quick-reference form. For instance, we need to know the brand of food because some are so full of fillers they can contribute to bloat.

Hope you will fill it out so we will have what we need to help you. Until you do, all any of us can do is guess and possibly do more harm than good. Thank you.

 

[Camilleh]

Hi, and welcome to the forum! I am sorry your baby is not feeling well! Can you please fill this out so everyone can give the best advice possible? Thank you and I hope we can figure out what is happening with your baby!

Many illnesses can be traced to water conditions. Your water-changing schedule is the most important element in diagnosing. Please be honest.

Housing:
How many gallons is your tank? 2 gallons
Does it have a filter? yes
Does it have a heater? yes
What temperature is your tank? 77-78 degrees F
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? no
Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind? yes, one mystery snail

Food:
What food brand do you use? A mixture of Omega One (Betta Buffet Flakes), Zoo Med (Dial a Treat), and Tetra BettaMin
Do you feed flakes or pellets? both
Freeze-dried? no
How often do you feed your Betta? How much? Usually twice a day 2-3 flakes/pellets and occasional treats

Maintenance:
Before your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change? not often enough, less than once every two weeks
What percentage of water did you change? 20%
What is the source of your water? tap water with water conditioner
Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water? dip out before he got ill and vacuum after
What additives do you use other than conditioner? What brand of conditioner? Topfin Betta water conditioner

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: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 7.5-8
Hardness (GH): very soft
Alkalinity (KH): about 200

Symptoms and Treatment:
When did you first notice the symptoms? two weeks ago
How has your Betta’s appearance changed? he is pale in the face and belly, he is bloated, and he has pink undertones on his anal fin
How has your Betta’s behavior changed? he swims erratically. he darts back and forth around the tank sometimes and I notice him glass surfing very frequently
Is your Betta still eating? yes, but he spits out the food sometimes
Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how? yes, I do epsom salt soaks at least once a day for approx 20 minutes. I have also been doing bi-daily water changes of about 15 percent
Does your Betta have any history of being ill? no
How long have you owned your Betta? three months
Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased? seemingly no

PLEASE PROVIDE CLEAR PHOTOS

NOTE: EMBED YOUR PHOTOS. PLEASE DO NOT LINK. Click on the paper clip in the toolbar.

 

[Camilleh]

As betta4ever! noted, we ask that members seeking help in this section fill out the form. Not only does it ask for the most important questions, it presents them in a quick-reference form. For instance, we need to know the brand of food because some are so full of fillers they can contribute to bloat.

Hope you will fill it out so we will have what we need to help you. Until you do, all any of us can do is guess and possibly do more harm than good. Thank you.

Housing:
How many gallons is your tank? 2 gallons
Does it have a filter? yes
Does it have a heater? yes
What temperature is your tank? 77-78 degrees F
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? no
Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind? yes, one mystery snail

Food:
What food brand do you use? A mixture of Omega One (Betta Buffet Flakes), Zoo Med (Dial a Treat), and Tetra BettaMin
Do you feed flakes or pellets? both
Freeze-dried? no
How often do you feed your Betta? How much? Usually twice a day 2-3 flakes/pellets and occasional treats

Maintenance:
Before your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change? not often enough, less than once every two weeks
What percentage of water did you change? 20%
What is the source of your water? tap water with water conditioner
Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water? dip out before he got ill and vacuum after
What additives do you use other than conditioner? What brand of conditioner? Topfin Betta water conditioner

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: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 7.5-8
Hardness (GH): very soft
Alkalinity (KH): about 200

Symptoms and Treatment:
When did you first notice the symptoms? two weeks ago
How has your Betta’s appearance changed? he is pale in the face and belly, he is bloated, and he has pink undertones on his anal fin
How has your Betta’s behavior changed? he swims erratically. he darts back and forth around the tank sometimes and I notice him glass surfing very frequently
Is your Betta still eating? yes, but he spits out the food sometimes
Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how? yes, I do epsom salt soaks at least once a day for approx 20 minutes. I have also been doing bi-daily water changes of about 15 percent
Does your Betta have any history of being ill? no
How long have you owned your Betta? three months
Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased? seemingly no

 

[Camilleh]

Hi, try not feeding him for 3 days, then giving him an overcooked pea, it should help

Thank you! I will try it

 

[betta4ever!]

Thanks for filling the form!

Housing:
How many gallons is your tank? 2 gallons It is small, but ok for a single betta
Does it have a filter? yes
Does it have a heater? yes
What temperature is your tank? 77-78 degrees F
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? no
Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind? yes, one mystery snail Mysteries are way too big for your tank, i think you'll need to rehome it...

Food:
What food brand do you use? A mixture of Omega One (Betta Buffet Flakes), Zoo Med (Dial a Treat), and Tetra BettaMin
Do you feed flakes or pellets? both Try frozen daphnia, it really helps with bloat
Freeze-dried? no
How often do you feed your Betta? How much? Usually twice a day 2-3 flakes/pellets and occasional treats

Maintenance:
Before your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change? not often enough, less than once every two weeks Please change the water once a week!
What percentage of water did you change? 20%
What is the source of your water? tap water with water conditioner
Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water? dip out before he got ill and vacuum after Plese vacuum even when he rocovers
What additives do you use other than conditioner? What brand of conditioner? Topfin Betta water conditioner

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: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 7.5-8
Hardness (GH): very soft
Alkalinity (KH): about 200

Symptoms and Treatment:
When did you first notice the symptoms? two weeks ago
How has your Betta’s appearance changed? he is pale in the face and belly, he is bloated, and he has pink undertones on his anal fin
How has your Betta’s behavior changed? he swims erratically. he darts back and forth around the tank sometimes and I notice him glass surfing very frequently
Is your Betta still eating? yes, but he spits out the food sometimes
Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how? yes, I do epsom salt soaks at least once a day for approx 20 minutes. I have also been doing bi-daily water changes of about 15 percent
Does your Betta have any history of being ill? no
How long have you owned your Betta? three months
Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased? seemingly no

So, you can try the daphnia and keep doing the salt baths... I hope your baby starts feeling better soon! Keep us updated

 

[Camilleh]

Thanks for filling the form!

Housing:
How many gallons is your tank? 2 gallons It is small, but ok for a single betta
Does it have a filter? yes
Does it have a heater? yes
What temperature is your tank? 77-78 degrees F
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? no
Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind? yes, one mystery snail Mysteries are way too big for your tank, i think you'll need to rehome it...

Food:
What food brand do you use? A mixture of Omega One (Betta Buffet Flakes), Zoo Med (Dial a Treat), and Tetra BettaMin
Do you feed flakes or pellets? both Try frozen daphnia, it really helps with bloat
Freeze-dried? no
How often do you feed your Betta? How much? Usually twice a day 2-3 flakes/pellets and occasional treats

Maintenance:
Before your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change? not often enough, less than once every two weeks Please change the water once a week!
What percentage of water did you change? 20%
What is the source of your water? tap water with water conditioner
Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water? dip out before he got ill and vacuum after Plese vacuum even when he rocovers
What additives do you use other than conditioner? What brand of conditioner? Topfin Betta water conditioner

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: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 7.5-8
Hardness (GH): very soft
Alkalinity (KH): about 200

Symptoms and Treatment:
When did you first notice the symptoms? two weeks ago
How has your Betta’s appearance changed? he is pale in the face and belly, he is bloated, and he has pink undertones on his anal fin
How has your Betta’s behavior changed? he swims erratically. he darts back and forth around the tank sometimes and I notice him glass surfing very frequently
Is your Betta still eating? yes, but he spits out the food sometimes
Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how? yes, I do epsom salt soaks at least once a day for approx 20 minutes. I have also been doing bi-daily water changes of about 15 percent
Does your Betta have any history of being ill? no
How long have you owned your Betta? three months
Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased? seemingly no

So, you can try the daphnia and keep doing the salt baths... I hope your baby starts feeling better soon! Keep us updated

Noted about the snail! I’m attaching images of my betta during his epsom salt soak so everyone can get a better look. His belly is white but doesn’t look super bloated anymore. I’m guessing he pooped while I wasn’t watching.

What I’m worried about how is his gills. I know that ammonia poisoning does damage to the gills but I can’t tell if this is a consequence of that. He pushes them out (NOT like when he flares) and blows big bubbles (NOT like when he used to make bubble nests). Also, his tail seems to get more pink by the day. It’s all the way up to his bottom fins on his belly. The ammonia isn’t bad anymore so why does it look like it’s getting worse?

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

I hope I have some news that will ease your worry a bit And I know as a college student $$ don't run like water; except for changing his food, everything else is pretty much "as can."

I do not believe he has had Ammonia poisoning. From the photos it looks as if your boy is getting more red pigment. This is not uncommon in blue Betta. I've seen it many times in Betta I've owned; it isn't anything to worry about.

When did he start blowing bubbles from his gills? Was it before or since the ES baths? Is there much current in his tank? If the flow is too low you might want to try a bubble wand to oxygenate the water. Betta are facultative which means their gills are their main breathing organ with the labyrinth for emergencies. If water is well-oxygenated, they seldom breathe from the surface. They sometimes blow excess oxygen (sorta like we belch).

As far as glass surfing, give him some time to recover from the ES baths (which are a good idea). Did he just start? Has he always been this way? Are the lights in his tank on for more than eight hours? Is your room bright while you study or just hang out in the evening? If so, cover part of his tank when you cut off his light. I have to use timers.

Stop the ES baths. Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. And when they are used it should be no more than 15 minutes at a time; one tablespoon ES to one gallon of water. And never more than a week.

While Omega One is a good food, the other two aren't. You want a food with fish, whole fish species and/or whole fish meal in the first five ingredients. Wheat flour is fine in the first five is acceptable because it is used as a binder. New Life Spectrum, NorthFin Betta Bits, Fluval Bug Bites and Aqueon Betta and Color formulas (not Betta Pro) are such. I feed Devour Grain-Free Bug Crumbles made by a small company. It has 51% protein and no fillers. However, must be purchased online. I can give you a link if you are interested. The more fillers in the first five ingredients the more likely is constipation.

Freeze dried Daphnia is fine but I'd ditch the others for now. Fish cannot digest the carapace of the Daphnia which makes it work as a laxative. If you try frozen, the best time to feed is at least an hour before a water change so you can vacuum up any uneaten.

A smaller tank is more difficult to cycle but if you want to try, here's the Forum's tutorial CYCLING: the two-sentence tutorial For two gallon, filtered tanks 2 x per week quart water changes are good. If you can cycle it then one quart once per week works.

I believe if you get him a better food with fewer fillers, give him only the freeze-dried Daphnia (2 x per week) and keep his water clean he should be okay. Vacuum with every water change. If you think there detritus shove the vacuum deep into the substrate (unless it's sand) and vacuum that one spot until water runs clear. Repeat in a different section with each water change. Make sure you move decor and get under them. I have been truly embarrassed more than once at seeing how much gunk I let accumulate under driftwood.

I apologize if this is TMI. Sometimes I get started then something else occurs.

FWIW, as long as you do regular water changes, a two gallon is not too small for a Mystery Snail. I belong to several Mystery Snail breeder groups and this is what they recommend.

 

[Camilleh]

Thank you!

 

[Camilleh]

I hope I have some news that will ease your worry a bit And I know as a college student $$ don't run like water; except for changing his food, everything else is pretty much "as can."

I do not believe he has had Ammonia poisoning. From the photos it looks as if your boy is getting more red pigment. This is not uncommon in blue Betta. I've seen it many times in Betta I've owned; it isn't anything to worry about.

When did he start blowing bubbles from his gills? Was it before or since the ES baths? Is there much current in his tank? If the flow is too low you might want to try a bubble wand to oxygenate the water. Betta are facultative which means their gills are their main breathing organ with the labyrinth for emergencies. If water is well-oxygenated, they seldom breathe from the surface. They sometimes blow excess oxygen (sorta like we belch).

As far as glass surfing, give him some time to recover from the ES baths (which are a good idea). Did he just start? Has he always been this way? Are the lights in his tank on for more than eight hours? Is your room bright while you study or just hang out in the evening? If so, cover part of his tank when you cut off his light. I have to use timers.

Stop the ES baths. Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. And when they are used it should be no more than 15 minutes at a time; one tablespoon ES to one gallon of water. And never more than a week.

While Omega One is a good food, the other two aren't. You want a food with fish, whole fish species and/or whole fish meal in the first five ingredients. Wheat flour is fine in the first five is acceptable because it is used as a binder. New Life Spectrum, NorthFin Betta Bits, Fluval Bug Bites and Aqueon Betta and Color formulas (not Betta Pro) are such. I feed Devour Grain-Free Bug Crumbles made by a small company. It has 51% protein and no fillers. However, must be purchased online. I can give you a link if you are interested. The more fillers in the first five ingredients the more likely is constipation.

Freeze dried Daphnia is fine but I'd ditch the others for now. Fish cannot digest the carapace of the Daphnia which makes it work as a laxative. If you try frozen, the best time to feed is at least an hour before a water change so you can vacuum up any uneaten.

A smaller tank is more difficult to cycle but if you want to try, here's the Forum's tutorial CYCLING: the two-sentence tutorial For two gallon, filtered tanks 2 x per week quart water changes are good. If you can cycle it then one quart once per week works.

I believe if you get him a better food with fewer fillers, give him only the freeze-dried Daphnia (2 x per week) and keep his water clean he should be okay. Vacuum with every water change. If you think there detritus shove the vacuum deep into the substrate (unless it's sand) and vacuum that one spot until water runs clear. Repeat in a different section with each water change. Make sure you move decor and get under them. I have been truly embarrassed more than once at seeing how much gunk I let accumulate under driftwood.

I apologize if this is TMI. Sometimes I get started then something else occurs.

FWIW, as long as you do regular water changes, a two gallon is not too small for a Mystery Snail. I belong to several Mystery Snail breeder groups and this is what they recommend.

Thank you so much!!

He has been blowing bubbles from his gills since before the ES baths. When he does it, it looks like he is going to flare but instead he blows a singular bubble.

As for water flow, my betta is very weird about it. I have my tank set up so that there is a tall plant in front of the outflow of water from the filter because I felt that the flow was too high. What he then chooses to do is sit in the plant with his face directly in the outflow of water. I can't tell why he does it. I assumed that he just liked how the rushing water felt on his body but now I am worried it is something else.

Lastly, his tank is illuminated for more than eight hours a day. My classes go from 7:30am to 5pm three days a week, so he gets quite a bit of light. I also live on the top floor which means my room gets a lot of undisturbed sun. Should I start turning his tank light off halfway through the day so that he only has the sunlight?

Thank you so much for your help!

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

Can you get a timer for the lights? Otherwise, I'd leave them off until you get home on the days you have classes.

The bubbles from his gills don't really worry me. I'll do some more research, though. As long as his belly goes down within a couple of hours of eating he's not bloated; just full. For feeding, on days you're in class, before and after class and before you retire. He is good weight so that's not an issue.

Give us updates, please. If something isn't working we want to find something different to try ASAP.