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Worried new Batta mom...

2K views 29 replies 9 participants last post by  BETTACHKALOVE 
#1 ·
I am worried about my fish. He is a rather large orange Betta and I just got him from a friend who had him nearly a year. I named him "Guppy" and already am in love with the little guy.

He came to me in a tiny half gallon tank, he has been accustomed to a one gallon bowl.

I had noticed he was unhappy, his sister is still in her gallon tank and she is happily building bubble nests and eating eagerly.

yesterday I noticed Guppy swiming erratically, he spit out his food ones, then ate very little later on. His fins are folded close to his body not spread out much.

I thought he was mad because he was in a small house, so I got him a larger 2.5 gallon tank. I got a PH monitor, thermometer and single LED light. A filter is on the way.

He took to the larger tank right away, the temperature of the water is exactly as it has been in his tiny tank (just under 80F).

After reading about it I figured he might be simply trying to scratch because of external parasites, namely velvet. I shone a light but I don't see a gold dust. I do see a few tiny gold stripes over part of his fins but I am not sure this is the same thing.

I am thinking to add some salt to the water just in case but not sure if that is enough, or too much. I only had the fish for a few days.

Any advice?

I am worried this might get worse, I would really hate for anything to happen to him.
 
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#2 ·
Try and answer as much of this as possible... you've already answered some of it but it keeps me from forgetting to ask something, also photos can be very helpful as well.

Housing
What size is your tank?
What temperature is your tank?
Does your tank have a filter?
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?
Is your tank heated?
What tank mates does your betta fish live with?

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish?
How often do you feed your betta fish?

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change?
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change?
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change?

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed?
How has your betta fish's behavior changed?
When did you start noticing the symptoms?
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how?
Does your fish have any history of being ill?
How old is your fish (approximately)?
Salt us usually added pre dissolved at a ratio of 1tsp per gallon. Make sure it's the right salt. Tablesalt is bad. And if you're not sure what he has, just don't use it.

Is he still clamped (his fins) in his new tank?
 
#3 ·
I am worried about my fish. He is a rather large orange Betta and I just got him from a friend who had him nearly a year. I named him "Guppy" and already am in love with the little guy.

He came to me in a tiny half gallon tank, he has been accustomed to a one gallon bowl.

I had noticed he was unhappy, his sister is still in her gallon tank and she is happily building bubble nests and eating eagerly.

yesterday I noticed Guppy swiming erratically, he spit out his food ones, then ate very little later on. His fins are folded close to his body not spread out much.

I thought he was mad because he was in a small house, so I got him a larger 2.5 gallon tank. I got a PH monitor, thermometer and single LED light. A filter is on the way.

He took to the larger tank right away, the temperature of the water is exactly as it has been in his tiny tank (just under 80F).

After reading about it I figured he might be simply trying to scratch because of external parasites, namely velvet. I shone a light but I don't see a gold dust. I do see a few tiny gold stripes over part of his fins but I am not sure this is the same thing.

I am thinking to add some salt to the water just in case but not sure if that is enough, or too much. I only had the fish for a few days.

Any advice?

I am worried this might get worse, I would really hate for anything to happen to him.

For external parasite like velvet, do a formalin or salt water dip every day. just use the tank water and put it in a jar or container, add the formalin or/and salt according to the manual. do it for around half an hour, remove the fish if it feels stressed.


do constant water change and remove the substate.
 
#4 ·
Thanks!

Thank you for the help.

Before I treat I would like to make sure he is actually sick and I am not just panicking for no reason, he has been very stressed with the new home, small tank, large tank and so forth. I am not sure if this could be a symptom of the recent move to his new home or if he has an illness.

Housing
What size is your tank? 2.5 gall (just moved from .5 gallon)
What temperature is your tank? just under 80
Does your tank have a filter? not yet (ordered one, but the fish has never had one before)
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? black fishtank stone in the new tank, natural color gravel in the old one.

Is your tank heated? not yet, again, never had a heater before.

What tank mates does your betta fish live with? none, he is an only fish.

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Betta pallets, 3 pieces 2 times a day. Does not like bloodworm.

How often do you feed your betta fish? 2 times a day

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? 50% every day, just got the new tank where I submerged the old tank to help him move, so he got 2 gal. new water to 2 old.

What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? haven't done one yet.

What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? I use filtered water from tap with water conditioner

Water Parameters: ??

Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
I have a water monitor on the tank and it is showing "safe"

Could not find a test kit at my local petstore, figuired the little monitor would do the trick, it is supposed to last a year.

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? not much, I think he arrived sick if he is sick. He turns more dull in color in the evening.

How has your betta fish's behavior changed? Swims more rapidly wiht periods of rest in between. Was eating fin on day one, got more reluctant on day 2 and 3. Still eats his food, but spit one pallet out eysterday on the morning feeding.

When did you start noticing the symptoms?2 days ago, but I thought he just did not like the tiny space.

Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? not yet. don't want to do anything to hurt him.

Does your fish have any history of being ill? I had it for 3 days, I don't think the old owner had any trouble with him, if she did I am not sure she would notice.

How old is your fish (approximately)?I am guessing about a year. He is significantly larger than the fish at the pet store. Probably 80% larger.
 
#7 ·
Thank you for the help.

Before I treat I would like to make sure he is actually sick and I am not just panicking for no reason, he has been very stressed with the new home, small tank, large tank and so forth. I am not sure if this could be a symptom of the recent move to his new home or if he has an illness.

Housing
What size is your tank? 2.5 gall (just moved from .5 gallon)
What temperature is your tank? just under 80
Does your tank have a filter? not yet (ordered one, but the fish has never had one before)
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? black fishtank stone in the new tank, natural color gravel in the old one.

Is your tank heated? not yet, again, never had a heater before. He will definitely need a heater. This keeps the temperature constant. Fluctuations in temperature can be harmful to your betta.

What tank mates does your betta fish live with? none, he is an only fish.

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Betta pallets, 3 pieces 2 times a day. Does not like bloodworm.

How often do you feed your betta fish? 2 times a day

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? 50% every day, just got the new tank where I submerged the old tank to help him move, so he got 2 gal. new water to 2 old.

What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? haven't done one yet.

What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? I use filtered water from tap with water conditioner Actually, it is better to use straight tap water with a water conditioner put in before adding to the tank. Filters can filter out minerals that are good for your betta.

Water Parameters: ??

Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
I have a water monitor on the tank and it is showing "safe"

Could not find a test kit at my local petstore, figuired the little monitor would do the trick, it is supposed to last a year.

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? not much, I think he arrived sick if he is sick. He turns more dull in color in the evening.

How has your betta fish's behavior changed? Swims more rapidly wiht periods of rest in between. Was eating fin on day one, got more reluctant on day 2 and 3. Still eats his food, but spit one pallet out eysterday on the morning feeding.

When did you start noticing the symptoms?2 days ago, but I thought he just did not like the tiny space.

Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? not yet. don't want to do anything to hurt him.

Does your fish have any history of being ill? I had it for 3 days, I don't think the old owner had any trouble with him, if she did I am not sure she would notice.

How old is your fish (approximately)?I am guessing about a year. He is significantly larger than the fish at the pet store. Probably 80% larger.
It may just be that he is adjusting to a new space, if you see no physical symptoms. Try adding some stress coat and let us know if new symptoms arise.
 
#5 ·
Correction...

That's 2 gal. new water to .5 old.
 
#6 ·
#8 ·
Thank you so much. I will get some stress coat tomorrow at the pet shop on my way back from work.

He seems better today. I only changed two cups of water, did not want to stress him more by changing more of the water.

He is swimming in what I would call a more normal pattern. This is only day 4 and I am still learning about his behavior.

He ate vigorously this morning, and in the evening. He rests now not only on top of the light but also in the leaf hammock I got him and at the bottom of the tank.

This eveing he displayd a behavior I have not seen before, I came up to his tank ( tend to talk to him) to see if he was ready to turn his light off for the night. He was resting at the bottom of the tank, he swam right up to me with his gills widely spread (It made his head look really big!). Is this a greeting, was he happy to see me or was this an attack or defensive behavior. Did I startle him? or is this another sign of sime kind of illness?

I am so confused, people at my local pet store are not much help, they think I am already nuts for wanting a filter and 2.5 gal. tank and now a heater. Ugh. It is so frustrating.

Do Betta's do this often and does anyone know what it means?

I still have not added salt or anything else to the water. The poor little guys has been through so much in the past few days he needs a break, I don't want to do anything until I am sure of what is wrong.
 
#9 ·
Question about the stress coat, do I add this to the water that already has the conditioner, or use it instead of the conditioner?

Will I need to do another water change?
 
#10 ·
This a photo of him resting on his leaf hammock today... He is so pretty. :)

 
#11 ·
sounds like he was flaring at you. Defending his territory. I haven't had any of mine flare at me (mostly they try and eat me) but it's pretty normal for them to flare. Check on my website (in my signature) in the videos section there are a few videos of flaring.

pet store people tend to be ignorant about bettas (just look at how they keep them)

Stress coat is itself a water conditioner. you can use one or the other, some say it's ok to use both. I would just use the stress coat personally.
 
#12 ·
He is pretty :) I am not good at ID-ing colors but I think he would be considered a dalmatian orange? Can't see really good in the picture but he looks ok I think? He definitely looks to be on the older side. :)

Since you just got him it will take him a little bit to adjust to his new home and to you.

What kind of filter did you order for him? His fins are SUPER long and he might have a really hard time in a current. There are a few threads here on how to baffle a filter.

If
it has an intake tube that sticks down into the water you probably want to cover that part with a sponge (Fluval Edge 1 sponges work wonderfully on most intake tubes) or a nylon stocking over the intake or he could get sucked up into it.

Welcome to the forum if you have questions and can't find the answers don't hesitate to ask :)
 
#13 ·
Thanks EvilVOG, I was not able to get stress coat today, they did not have it. I will switch to it as soon as I get some. Hopefully before the next water change.

Twilight Storm, thanks, he is a cutie isn't he. I will try to get some better photos of him in the next couple of days using my SLR instead of the phone camera. My house tends to be very dark so taking good photos can be challenging. I wish I had more windows!

The filter I ordered is the TOM Aquarium Mini Internal Filter 45gph adjustable flow from amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Internal-Filter-45gph-adjustable/dp/B00176GKM8/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1335827128&sr=1-1

I mostly liked the reviews from other Betta owners who say it works well in their tanks. It is made for small aquariums so I hope it is okay.

They also recommend a min heater with that: Elite Submersible Preset Heater Mini at http://www.amazon.com/Elite-Submersible-Preset-Heater-25-Watt/dp/B00106X8QG/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

It is the only small tank heater I found with an adjustable temp. Guage and it seems to get pretty good reviews.

Would anyone recomment a better heater or should I just order that one?

Thank you everyone for all your help, you are making me feel so much more competent.

Hugs,

Atena :)
 
#15 ·
He is swimming much calmer now and does not leap out of the water or rub against the tank walls. His fins are flowing loosely, he never picks up his top one, I am not sure he is supposed to.

Today is a cool day in Miami and his water temperature has dropped to 74 from 79 this morning but he doesn't seem to mind the cooler water. This was the main factor in the decision to get the heater, I just want to make sure I get the right one.

I think he was just freaked out by the amount of space he had, moving from a 1/2 gallon shack to a 2.5 gallon mansion seems to have been a shock. I still see no gold dust or anything else hanging off him.

He did not flare at me today either, came right up to the top of the tank when I came home and ate well again this evening. I think he is feeling better, but I am watching him very closely to make sure he really is healthy.

All of your comments are huge help. thank you so much for the support.
 
#17 ·
Thank you!

Thank you for your help, I am starting to think he really is fine after all.

I will post some questions about heaters in the proper forum, but I wanted to let you all know how much your help has meant to me. Guppy seems to be a happy little guy, very much thanks to the help from all of you experienced betta parents. I am still learning but it is so nice to know I have someone to ask.

I posted some better pictures of him in the album at http://www.bettafish.com/album.php?albumid=3723

Hugs,

Atena :)
 
#18 ·
I love your photo album you made of him! :D I hope everything is still going well. He looks happy in the new pictures you have up :) My favorite is the newer picture of him relaxing in his hammock :D

The site owner was so nice including that option for us to use :D - Thank you site owner. I don't know who you are, but I have heard you are a "she." :)
 
#19 ·
Do you know how often your friend did water changes? he may of been acting odd because the ammonia level was high.

and sometimes they act weird when added to a new, larger tank. Are there some plants - fake or silk - and a place for him to hide in? Those will help him feel more secure and less vunerable.

for heaters - look for a 25 watt adjustible heater. I got most of mine off Ebay and Amazon.com as the local selection was pretty slim.

I like these as they are not as tall as alot of other heaters and fit well in smaller tanks.
http://www.amazon.com/Elite-Submersible-Preset-Heater-25-Watt/dp/B00106X8QG
 
#20 ·
I noticed he doesn't like change, he did build a bubble nest so I am confident he likes his new home overall. I got him some live plants and a little fake rock bridge to hide under. He seems to like it, he swims and eats well now.

His filter arrived today and it seems a little big for the tank. I baffled the current with stalkings and rubber bands for now. I have to read up on what else to do. The water bottle solution is a bit bulky and I am worried about sharp edges as guppy seems to like sticking his head into tight spaces.

I now have what I think is an algae problem, this started after I put in three live plants.

This is the heater I ordered, i hope it will be easier to work with than the filter. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006JLPG8/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00

I am going to change half the water in the morning again and keep the light off for now - i hope that doesn't kill the plants but I am not sure what else to do.
 
#21 ·
just want to add something to what everyone already wrote.

I heard that bettas can dart around when they switch from small tank to bigger. But i still would watch him for sigh of disease. Just in case. When you shine light on his and see like dust on fish body it velvet. Also another kind of the external parasites ich. Sometimes looks like fish covered with salt or sometimes it has white patches, or sometimes it doesn't have anything but it will dart around like crazy and try to rub against the objects. So make sure he doesn't do it.
 
#22 ·
He is not rubbing anymore. He actually thinks the filter is a new toy. LOL Funny little guys.

He is eating well again also and take plenty of rest between swims.
 
#25 ·
He has been more quiet over the past two days than I ever saw him before. He is resting at the bottom, but this might be to get away from the filter current. He also rests in his hammock a lot.

But he is still eating well and swims around when I come near the tank.

How do I know for sure and what do I do if he gets lethargic?
 
#24 ·
Atena, your fishy looks so content, my "Sammy" does the same thing, funny I tried the Betta Hammock, Sammy does not like his, but he found a very comfortable leaf that he loves to rest, and sleep on, and from time to time, our sammy gets a wild burst of enegry, which looks erratic, but in acuality, I think it's because He now knows what time we come home, and when we are going to see him, to feed him, I say he is like a dog, when you come to the tank to say hello, he loves the attention, and I feel that your fishy is doing some of the same things. When I first put our "Sammy" into his new home he needed to adjust, but he took to it very well, he went from a "Store-size fish bowl" to a "Petkeeper" mid size to a 3 gal tank, and he is getting bigger and eats very well, if not already, he is adjusted, he will be fine, if he is getting to know you and you observe different behaviour patterns, it's part of the bonding process, our Sammy is now so intuitive to our whereabouts, he puts on a show, when we are sitting tankside, and then naps, then right before we go to bed, he comes to the tank to stare at us, for a few moments, then me and my daughter say goodnight sammy, and shut his light, and he slowly swims toward his leaf to sleep..it's soo precious...:)
 
#26 ·
I know it is fine line between getting to know each-other and watching for signs of trouble. I am glad you formed such a bond with Sammy. I hope guppy will get to know me more too, we are so far just new friends. :)
 
#28 ·
Is he at the bottom and in his hammock all day and swims only when you come to him ?

If he will get lethargic at the bottom all the time or stop eating i would recommend aquarium salt. Also depend on the symptoms.
If he is eating and swimming and there is no behavior changing,or physical symptoms than just keep his water clean and hopefully he is fine.
 
#29 ·
his attitude got much better this morning. He has never stopped eating but today he is a little piggie. And he swam around much more.

I guess he has moods just like people.

I will get some salt and keep it in my emergency kit just in case. Thank you for the advice.

For now though I think he is okay.
 
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