# Help!! My fish has fin rot!!!!!



## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

Ok, so a couple weeks ago I thought my fish had fin rot but a few members told me it was fin regrowth however this week it has gotten worse and I'm almost certain it is fin rot. I have moved my fish to his emergency tank (11/9/13) which is 3 gallons and heated at 78 degrees (he was in a 10 gallon tank) All that's in there is a spongebob house for him to hide out under (no filter, no gravel, no plants). Water checked our good with test strips. I have started him on AQ salt and a small dose of Melafix, I plan on doing it for 7-10 days, with daily partial water changes ONLY adding a little AQ each water change..

Is there anything else I should do and how do I when the fin rot has been cured?

I will post pictures. The first is his tail before (when I was told it was fin regrowth). The second is him now, which is clearly NOT fin regrowth, also his bottom fin has a rip in it (as seen in the first picture).


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

hmm i really don't see fin rot. Fin rot is dark, discolored, ''smudged'' adges.
If he is acting healthy and eating i would stop all medications and salt and just keep him in super clean water for a few days and try to observe and see if it will get worse, stay the same or will improve. Try to buy stress coat, it has Aloe Vera in it and will help with healing.
Salt is fine to use but again if he is acting healthy i would wait on it too. Any time you using aquarium salt you need to use therapeutic dose which is not what box instructions saying. Those instruction for the preventative care. Let me know and i will give you instructions. 
Read about Melafix. Read my post #24
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=142066&highlight=betta+fish+check+list&page=3
For 3 gall that you have for him i would alternate water changes between 3 days 50% and 4th day full 100% water change. Make sure you acclimate him to the water slowly when you do full water change.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

There are many ways to do a water change and acclimate (reintroduce) your fish back into the tank. Here is a few variations that's pretty simple:
1. can have betta in the changing cup with about 15% of the water and keep adding small amount of the new water about every 5 min for about 5-6 times -this way you he will get used to the temperature

2. Note the temperature of the water.

Using a plastic cup, scoop him, along with some of his water, into the cup.
Clean out the tank. Refill with water at the SAME temp. Be sure to add the correct amount of water conditioner.
Float his cup in the tank for about 15 min. (Study during this time. If he sits longer, it's OK.)
Add a SMALL amount of NEW water to the cup. (Several tablespoons, or about 1.5 ounces.)
Let his cup float for about 10 min. (Study during this time. If he sits longer, it's OK.)
If the cup starts to fill too much, remove a SMALL amount of water from the cup. Discard it.
Repeat steps 5-7, until about an hour has passed. (If he sits longer because you're studying, that's OK.)
Gently release him into the tank.

3. To do a water change, use a little cup like a plastic solo cup - this cup must be only for him and have never been used with soap or other chems. Scoop him up in this cup (keep him in the cup about 1/4 full of water - it doesn't need to be much because he won't be in it for long) and leave him in the cup while you change his water. To do the 50% use a turkey baster - dedicated only to him that has never seen soap or chems - and drag it through the gravel and try to suck as much of the poop out as possible, in addition to 50% of the water. Use a thermometer under the running tap to get it to be the same temp as the water that is normally in his tank. When the thermometer says the flowing tap is the right temp, fill back up his tank. At this point, add the conditioner (dose for how much water you change - if you change half the water you add half gallon worth of conditioner, If you do a 100% water change dose for the full gallon change). Float his plastic cup with him in it in the new water. Slowly add a couple tablespoons of the new water into his cup every 10 minutes for at least an hour. Finally, dump him in gently but try to get as little of the old cup water back into the tank as possible. When you do the weekly 100% you will do mostly the same thing except empty his tank fully and rinse everything in it very well under warm water but never use soaps or chemicals. Once it's fully cleaned/rinsed you can refill it and repeat the cup/acclimate phase.

4. When I change the water I put him in the cup I got him in then I take everything out of the tank, rinse everything with warm tap water. Then I put everything back in the tank, fill it with dechlorinated new water, and then turn the heater on. When the tank water is the same as the cup water , then take the dirty cup water out and a little at a time and put clean tank water in the cup. After that I put the cup in the tank and he swims out.


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

ANHEL123 said:


> hmm i really don't see fin rot. Fin rot is dark, discolored, ''smudged'' adges.
> If he is acting healthy and eating i would stop all medications and salt and just keep him in super clean water for a few days and try to observe and see if it will get worse, stay the same or will improve. Try to buy stress coat, it has Aloe Vera in it and will help with healing.
> Salt is fine to use but again if he is acting healthy i would wait on it too. Any time you using aquarium salt you need to use therapeutic dose which is not what box instructions saying. Those instruction for the preventative care. Let me know and i will give you instructions.
> Read about Melafix. Read my post #24
> ...


Do you think he is tail biting instead? Because when I was watching you can see how much worse it has gotten over the course of a week, and I was researching and saw fin rot doesn't always have the black edges. I've never seen him going towards his tail either, and it has little holes in it along with the rips...I'm just so worried I want to help him.

Also, when I put him in the cup he really stresses himself out, he will through himself around until the point he's breathing deeply then he will calm down and start again, I really don't think he likes the small cup, and I don't want him to develop anything because his immune system has shut down. Usually I only do up to 90% water changes and keep him in the tank. What else do you suggest?

Thanks for all the other information! I will definitely buy some stress coat this after.


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## cowboy (Apr 14, 2013)

Here's a picture of my guy who had fin rot when I bought him. 

He's actually a half moon.


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## cowboy (Apr 14, 2013)

Ok my wonderful apple is messing up. Check under my albums for Montana. The picture is the one where he's in a bag.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

cowboy i love the paintings ! And wow that is a fin rot. Even though he has a lot of dark coloration in him, you still can say it a fin rot. So what did you do to treat him? I am wondering how is he looks now?

GNWCO12 hmmm i am going to post the pictures of the tail biters for you so you can compare. 
https://www.google.com/search?q=bet...Afx54GADg&sqi=2&ved=0CCwQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=667

GNWCO12 if he is acting healthy and eating fine i would just do daily water changes and observation. And like you said you will look for the stress coat. Try to do that for a week . Alternate water changes like i suggested. I would even do 2 days -50% and 3rd day 100% The water temperature is good do not make it warmer since the infection grow faster in the warmer water. Even 76* is perfect.
Stress coat do not add full dose of it since it also a water conditioner. Add about half of the dose for your 3 gall tank.
I know you don't want to stress him out with a small cup. May be try to buy a bigger like a tupperware container. Of course should be see through. I have 10 bettas some of them get really mad to be in a cup but as soon as i let them in the tank they are fine and i don't see them to be stressed. Sorry if it sound that i don't care but i have bettas for 7 years (10 bettas) and never had any problem. It ok sometimes to be stressed lol You can feed a little bit in that container. Please be careful when you keep them in the containers i had a few jumped out so just cover it and do not fill it all the way to the tap with the water. I usually scoop them with a cup behind them. I just come to the tank when they don't expect me and scoop them. Or you can lure them with a food in the cup.

So try to do the water changes and see if it helps. See if it better , the same or worse. Make a pictures so we can compare. The reason why i asking you to do that because if he is acting healthy and if he can improve with the water changes you don't want to stress him out with medications. Medications are stressful on immune system and internal organs .
Also do not use the salt any longer. We can observe him for a few days and if it really worse you can actually treat him with full dose of the salt .


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## cowboy (Apr 14, 2013)

Here's him today. All I did was put him in Epsom salt and changed his water daily for a week. And the rest he did. I believe I've had him for 3 months. Oh I also used stress coat.


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

I'm not sure he's a tail biting either, at this point I really don't know what to think because it could be so many things, I just did a 50% water change, I'll do another one tomorrow and then 100% Tuesday and so on. He makes bubble nests in his 3 gallon tank but not in his 10 gallon tank, so I'm not sure if he may be happier in the smaller tank. I'm going to keep him in there and try to cycle the 10 gal while he's in his recovery tank. I will post an update in a week, and be sure to contact you, if you don't mind, so you can see the difference or make some suggestions.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

GNWCO12 Sure If you think he getting worse don't wait give us an update so we can evaluate and decide if he needs treatment . Of course , picture always helpful. I agree on to keep him in 3 gall tank. Some bettas really do better in the smaller tanks too.
Will wait for the update

And cowboy looking at the first picture and the second picture i just speechless, just wow big diffirence and he is sooo gorgeous love him!!! Do you cycle his tank ?


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

thank You, I Will definitely Keep you posted


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

*Update 3 days, and getting worse!!!*

OK it's been three days he's gotten worse, There's a bunch of holes that appear closed off with a clear coating but none the less his tail fin still looks extremely weak. He's eating healthy, swimming, and flaring all the same. I've done 2 water changes, added a bit of salt the first day, and kept the water heated at 78. He's even making bubble nest, but I'm worried about his tail it looks horrible and it gets worse every night. Please help!!


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

*ANHEL123 *I posted updated pictures, I wasn't sure if it notifies you, and I'm not even sure how to edit the original post, It's a bit confusing, but either way I feel like his tail is getting a lot worse, please look at the pictures


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

Hey, i do get notifications in my e mail I am sorry i have a few questions which you might already provided us but it seems i can't fine it in your post's.

I am wondering how long you have him? I am thinking that it could be a tail biting.

Try monitor a few more days, just do water changes (daily) and see how its going. If you can you can post daily pictures here so we can see what is going on. If he is tail bitter he might do it daily or weekly. You never know with them. But if you can monitor close and see changes like ''u'' shapes and if its happened overnight it can be tail biting. You don't want to use medications or even salt if it indeed tail biting With tail biters all you need to do just keep water super clean to prevent infection. 
Do you have light in his current tank? Did you have any decorations that he can rip his tail in his previous tank?
Also about spongebob house. I never had it myself but somehow it in the list of the dangerous ornaments CHECK POST #4

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=224650&highlight=dangerous+decoration


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

I've had him for a little over a month. All I have in his 3 gallon is his spongebob house, because he likes somewhere to hid and I don't have gravel or rocks, because I want to be able to monitor his waste output. I'm not sure what over things I could put in there to make him feel more comfortable. 

In his 10 gallon, he had a silk plant, a sypnx clay man, before I moved him, I put the spongebob house back in there, and I recently added a moss ball after I moved him (but moved the spongebob house to his 3 gallon again for the comfort). He also has no filter in the 3 gallon, because I saw somewhere that is hinders fin regrowth. He does have one in his 10 gallon. 

I would say this didn't start until after I noticed a pinhole in his tail, then it seemed to close up but then the deterioration started...this all started about a week after I got him


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

And I don't have a light in his tank, but I have a night light on the ground beside it so I can keep an eye on him.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

I would not even recommend to have the filter for a 3 gall tank. I don't have filters in my tanks which is absolutely fine . I really think its better to keep him in his 3 gall tank for now without filer and do water changes, and see how he doing. Make pictures daily or every other day to see the diffirence . 
About all the decorations i really don't know . I don't have any because i am paranoid looking at that list of the dangerous decorations that i gave you , so i just don't buy any to be on the safe side. I have only gravel and silk plants. If you want buy a silk plant for him. But do not buy the tall one. 


In worse case scenario you might use aquarium salt and medications. You do have aq salt on hands , so you you want go buy API Triple sulfa so you have it in case you need it. But hold on on that until we absolutely sure what he has.


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

He really does seem happier in the 3 gallon tank, but now I have a 10 gallon that's not being used, so I'm thinking about maybe getting some female bettas and putting like 2 or 3 in there. I will keep posting pictures of him

My only concern about not having a filter is the white film I get at the top of my tank, so I use the filter current to keep that away, since an air stone freaks Kalamari out. Also, I just put a new background on his 3 gallon to give it more of a decorative feel. I might add the small moss ball I have in his 3 gallon tank.

I do have AQ salt, I just bought some stress coat this afternoon, wondering if I should add some to his water after his water change today, which will be in about 2 hours.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

I think background is good idea, just make sure he don't see his reflection. You will know what i mean. If he will flaring too much then he might sees his own reflection. I think with dark background they able to see it and some of them can even bite the tail because of that. But don't panic and i don't want to make you paranoid, not all bettas doing it. So just see how he doing.

Film that you talking about is absolutely harmless and might even disappear when you will doing regular water changes. For 3 gall you can either do 2-50% and 1-100% water changes or just 100% every 5-6 days. I do it every 6 days for my bettas in 2.5 gall tanks.

Yes you can add stress coat today. I think i mentioned that you don't need to add full dose of it since its also a water conditioner. So just add about half of the dose for the 3 gall tank

Also i don't think i mentioned about food. Try to find
http://www.bigalspets.com/betta-formula-1-mm-semi-floating-pellets-50-g.html

http://www.petco.com/product/116563...ne-_-1483889&gclid=CJj58bfU3boCFe1QOgodpWgAcA

And frozen blood worms would be nice once a week has a lot of protein and good for the immune system. I am talking about the frozen that you can find in the freezer in the store not the ones that are dried on the shelve. Oh and forgive me if i already said it before I am at work and do million stuff here and trying to be on the forum too

Just a few words on sorority ...i will make another post


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

I am absolutely not experienced with sorority, never had it. Just one advice , any time you buy a fish/any live creature always quarantine it for at least 3-4 wks . Never CROSS- CONTAMINATE ANYTHING between new fish and your other betta. There is always passabilities that new fish,snake etc can be sick and show symptoms later though. Even when you buy a live plant quarantine it because its can bring ich with the water. Unless you trust your store and they don't keep the plants with the fish in the tank
I like this link just in case

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDs6Pu7w8Z0

About girls. 4 is fine.3 and under is the dangerous number. If one gets stressed , or set off just slightly she can viciously attack and even kill the other. Also be reminded that some females are just plain mean and have to be treated like males- kept separate from their own kind.
This is the link with some tips . If you will ever decide to have sorority let me know, i know a few people who are experienced with that and i will ask them to help you. 

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=123796


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

*Update day 4 (ALOT worse)*

OK thanks for all the information, I'm still trying to decide if I want to get one started but if I do I will definitely contact you to get the names of the people. 

I'm coming with an update. His tail is still getting worse each day. It's now spread further up his tail. I'm not quite sure if this treatment is working, I'm starting to doubt the diagnosis of tail biting, it's getting to the point he wont even be able to reach it to bite it (if that's what's happening. I am about to do a 100% water change. But here are the pictures of him from today.


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

*after water change (100% day 4)*

The rip got longer during the water change, because he was constantly flaring. He was extremely stressed during the water change, and I don't think I will do another 100% until his tail gets stronger.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

What you can do is take as much water as you can . Buy the turkey buster and take all poop from the bottom then really slowly refill the tank with new dechlorinated water. I think you will be able to remove about 90% of the water?
Are you adding salt ? Is he flaring a lot? I think it also can be contributed to the problem.


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

I Have A Small Siphon i Can Use. And i Did Add A Little bit, Because I remember you Saying Salt could cause Damage If Used Incorrecty, So I Added Very Little This Time With A Bit Of Stress Coat (1/4 Tsp). He Still Flares Normally Nothing Excessive, Only During The Water Change Was He Flaring Like Mad


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

rinse the siphon after each use and hand it vertically so it can air dried. You don't want any algae or mold grow in there.
About salt: If you want to add salt which has antibacterial affect than it is better to add therapeutic dose though. 
Do this:
for 2 days see how his fins will look just with the daily water changes and stress test. If they will the same than observe more without using salt, if you think it get worse than we will start him on the salt treatment , but the therapeutic dose though. The instructions on the box are for the preventative care only. Salt treatment is absolutely safe so don't get nervous. 
Instructions on salt treatment:
Salt dosage is 1 tsp/gall up to 3 tsp/gall depending on the symptoms. You always have to per mix it and dissolve it. Make sure there is not salt crystals left, before you put it in the tank. You need to do daily water changes . Of course redose the salt with every change. And its better to start with the lower dose 1tsp/gall and gradually increase to high dosage.


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

I'vE Been Doing The Daily Water Changes...Today Will Be Day 5...It's Not Getting Better. I Will Be Sure To Post Pictures When I Get Home


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

And you sure it worse? If you do than go ahead and do aquarium salt. On the last picture it doesn't look like he has fin rot ,that is why i still thought it good to observe+ daily water changes with stress coat a little longer.


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

Yes I'm almost certain
compare the pictures

When will I see results, because each day it's just getting worse with the treatment I'm doing now (daily water changes + salt)


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

How much salt you will use per gallon?
If it really fin rot it difficult to say.
Forgive me if i am repeating , i been posting on this forum daily and i am here minimum for 5 hrs daily, so sometimes i don't remember where i wrote what. But i want to tell you a short story .
I had a 3 year old that developed fin rot. It was about 5 month ago. I treated him with 3tsp/gall aquarium salt for 14 days or 13 days, don't remember. It didn't help completely , he didn't recovered completely. I started him on API Triple sulfa after that ,and did course of the med's. He didn't recovered completely. So in about 3 wks or 1 month approximately did another course of 14 days 3 tsp/gall aquarium salt , because he didn't completely recovered. I still have this guy and his fins grew back. Not completely though. But he is now about 3.5 years old . So to answer your question how long it takes to recover or fins get better -i don't know. But you doing right thing for him. Salt and be prepare to buy medications if needed. You can't use salt longer than 14 days.


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

1/4 tsp per gallon

and it's okay. I'm not sure if it's fin rot or not at this point. I just want it to stop before it gets to his body. I'm going to continue the treatment in 14 day intervals, and see how it goes.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

I am not sure too.But if it really fin rot then his tail will deteriorate fast and you will see it. 
If he will get worse i would use full therapeutic salt dosage. 1/4 will really do nothing though at all. It better do not use or use therapeutic dosage. 

I looked a minute on picture 3 and 4 and can't decide if it worse or the same. So i think if it really getting worse you will be able to see it in a few days .
Give me update , i hope he will get better and i hope it not a fin rot. Good luck, you doing such a good job for him!


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

OK, I will give you an update in a couple days and continue to do water changes. Thank you!


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

Good luck!


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

*Update!!*

I have been trying my hardest, but every day it just seems to get worse. I'm noticing pin holes everywhere. Whatever is happening is traveling further up his tail. He's not swimming as much as he used to. He kind of just stays in one place with his tail facing down. He still flares but his activity has definitely decrease. I think he might be dying and I'm not sure what else I can do for him at this point. I've tried everything. The damage is so bad.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

Do 3tsp/gall of the aquarium salt . Is he still eating? If he stopped eating i would treat him with API Triple sulfa.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

I really briefly went through all pages again to see if we discussed the water parameters. I don't think we did. ...Did you ever test the water? I am curious if you have ammoinia in the water or if your water is too hard. Sorry i don't remember if you did it, i am on the forum daily ,and reading ,and posting a lot.....
Try to check it at the pet store. They will do it for you for free, and ask them to give you parameters instead of them tell you that water is fine. Try to see harness of your water. general hardness or GH: This is how hard or how soft your water is. Very soft. For a betta, soft to moderately hard is ideal but they will tolerate even hard water although they may become stressed and more susceptible to disease.



If you really think that his activity decreased i would try to use 3 tsp/gall of salt , if it not helps switch to medications. I know you want to help him and you doing such a good job for the little boy. 
Is there any way you can make the video of him and show me how he behaving and his tail?


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

Check the reference table for the water hardness
POST #5
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=72508

Give me update i am worry


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

I Check the Water parameters With Test Strips And They were Within Appropriate Ranges. But I Will Try To Make Video. It's Hard because He Doesn't Stay Still And Hates The Camera


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

Here's is the video, I took it with my phone so the quality isn't the best. But fast forward to 2:30 for the best quality. If you need better quality let me know and I will try again with my camera:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4zLRFSsc3o&feature=youtube_gdata_player

You can really see the damage at 4:30 too


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

ok yes i see the damage . But i really don't think it getting worse though. I think it the same which is not bad. I think that with all water changes ans stress coat he should be fine. I don't really see fin rot. And his behavior really healthy. You are so nice to worry so much , and i do understand you , and you are right to be careful because you don't want it to get to the point when it too late. But he really behaving healthy and his tail not getting worse in my opinion. You made the post on 11/09 -11 days ago. So for 11 days i think it look the same, and not progressing ....which would be a good sign. I would not even put the salt yet. I would just do water changes. I still not sure though why his tail like that . I don't think it tail biting because the tail looks the same and he didn't bite it again. Or do you think he could damage it on filter when he was in his 10 gall? But what i do think it not progressing like you saying because it would have black discoloration. Sorry for repeating my self i am at work and very busy between forum and my woks lol So it is up to you...you can
1. Do daily water changes . You can alternate betwen 50% and full every other day for about 5-7 more days. Do video in a few days so we can compare
2. salt treatment 
And i will ask for second opinion. I will ask someone to look at all the pictures that you posted and the last video. I will let you know , but it can take a day or two.

Not sure why you decided that his activities decreased , he is really fine though.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

Ok i did ask someone from this forum to check on your thread and look at all pictures and video . I just want that person to give me second oppinion to make sure i am right. And that person agreed with me. She also wrote:'' It appears to me to be a combo of biting, and ripping/tearing.'' So i think we have to be a little bit more patient. Because it would take time to heal and it won't happen in a week.
So since someone has the same opinion i would not even use salt at all. Give us an update please


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

I'm just really worried so maybe it looks like it's getting worse everyday. And he used to swim a lot more than he did in the video. As for the filter I don believe there's anywhere for him to damage his fin on, because I made it out of a baby bottle. I will just continue with the water changes and see how it goes. I will post another video in about a week. If you could get another opinion just so I can feel a bit more relaxed, I would appreciate it. I think I overreact about him sometimes, because he's so important to me.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

I am really appreciate your care, it is so nice of you! Yes get the video so we can compare. The person i ask i really trust ,she also has many bettas and i will ask her again with your other update . I will also ask her to put her reply next time. Believe me i really want him to do well too. I don't want him to get sick . We talking to you for about 11 days and i don't want be the one who gave you wrong advice. But i also feel better now that someone confirmed i was right. So i am more relaxed now too 
Also i don't remember if you feeding frozen blood worms? I think you bought it ,did you? Really recommending it. Not the dried though.

Will wait for an update. Good luck.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

Hey i told you to add a quarter dose of the stress coat. You can continue with full dose of it.


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

I have the freeze dried bloodworms, because I heard the frozen ones can carry parasites and I'm too scared of the happening. And I will continue to add stress coat. I'm thinking about moving him back to the 10 gallon tank or possibly buying him a 5 gallon. I just don't like the shape of my 3 gallon anymore, and it's acrylic so it bulges out at the back and I don't like it.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

About frozen food:
Generally with the frozen and or processed food are sterilized and should be free of any parasitic issues/causes to our fish. I have bettas for about 7.5 years now and i never ever fed them with frozen food because i was afraid. When my 3.5 years old betta got sick about 5 month ago or i think it longer than that(i think i told the store) he had very bad fin rot i decide to feed him frozen food. And i really think it helped a lot. I still have him.So since then i feed all my bettas with frozen food about once a week. I am very paranoid person believe me i don't even buy live plants at the store. Live plants can bring ich with the water if the stores put the plants in the same tank with sick fish. So if you don't trust the store disinfect the plants. I have an excellent link about how to do it. So if it would be not safe i would never use it. So i know you paranoid but i really think it safe and good . You can feed it once a wk.
About tank . I am the person who don't like to change anything. And i don't like filters so i am not advice here. I prefer simple not big tanks that i am experience with. I love 3 gall tank size and i like to keep them without filter. And i think for some bettas who had ling fins it even better. So i would recommend if you can to have 3 gall without filter and do regularly 2-50% and 1-100% water changes a week. Or you can just do full water changes every about 5 days. 
Of course acclimate each time. Be careful with sharp plants. Silk plants only. And also i want to mentioned that bettas are known as a jumpers. So each time you take him out of the tank be careful and cover the container while he is in it and when you taking him out. 
I had already 2 bettas jump out . One did it while he was in the changing cup. So i keep them now with low water when i change them. Another one jump out from the tank. So always live the space between the top of the tank and water level.


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

Oh ok I see thanks, I will probably get another betta then, but I'm waiting until I heal Kalamari. Where do you get frozen food?

An update: I came home and noticed a small pinhole in his bottom tail. There is absolutely nothing that could've ripped his fin. All he has is a marimo ball, a heater, and a clay pot the has NO sharp edges, I even covered the hole. I don't know what's going on here, it's like when I think things are getting better, new holes appear.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

Sometimes when betta has full tail like he is small pinhole can happen,even small tears are normal . With clean water it should heal fast . The tail so fragile that it can have small tears and pinholes just from the flaring . I had one fish that i bought about 2.5 years ago and i also saw he got a few holes. He is very active too. Still in this situation it nothing that you have to do , just keep water clean


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

Just found another one, but thank you so much for all the help you've been giving...you're definitely making me feel like I have a chance of him living a long healthy life. I hope to keep mine as long as you've had yours. That would be so awesome in my opinion. So I'm definitely taking any advice you give. Thanks again. And I will do an update still next week. 

Quick question: where do you get your frozen bloodworms?
I got the freeze dried ones from Petsmart


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

Fish just like any animal or human have different immunity. So we can't expect them all live the same lives. Some live linger than others , just like a human. Don't remember if i wrote it before...i bought 2 bettas at the same time, they ate the same food, the same water changes, the same temp. One is now older than 5 years and the other died more than 2.5 years ago. 
Frozen blood worms i saw at Petsmart . I bought then at Petco. They have them in the refrigerator.
Will wait for an update


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

Yeah I know, but it would be nice to have him live at least a year. All my betta have died within months and I get really attached so it's always sad to see them go. But thanks for the info.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

Oh now it is understandable why you so paranoid. Hmmm not sure what happened before....I forgot how long you have this one? Now you get me paranoid with your fish. 
Please forgive me for asking the same questions. I really posting a lot on the forum. Yesterday couldn't even go to the bad ,just was sitting and searching for unanswered threads. So i read daily a lot of post.
I want to figure out why other didn't live long in order to prevent it to happen again.

Remind to me if you ever check the water parameters. I don't remember if you did it. Is there ammonia in your tap?

And one tip be really careful putting anything in the tank even if you buy it at the pet store. I remember posting for you that list with dangerous decorations and most of them from the pet store. And i think i told you about live plants.



Oh never mind i just tried to follow our conversation and found in post #37 and 38 you did check the water and it was withing normal limits. And no ammonia and it not hard.
Then with the water changes you doing hopefully he will be fine. And still doing daily water changes? I think soon you can go just to regular water changes.

Keep me updated , you doing good job i really appreciate it and i am sure he appreciative it too


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

When I check with the test strips the hardness of my water is between 25-75ppm
Nitrate and Nitrates are always 0ppm
Alkanlinity is between 0-40ppm
pH is between 6.2-6.8 closer to 6.8 but not quite enough to be between 6.8-7.2

But with my other bettas I didn't know as much as I did about caring for a fish. The first one I had years ago, knowing how much I do now, I think her death was caused by either swim bladder or the fact I didn't know you had to add dechlorinator to water. The second one I got a couple months ago, and within days he developed columnaris because I didn't have a heater, I didn't know I could've treated him either, so I took him back to the store and they told me to swap fish, and now I have Kalamari (it's been almost two months now...in two days), and this tail issue has started (which started last month, a week or two after I got him but before it was just clear, flesh colored tips) and wont stop. I'm just worried it's going to get to his body and kill him, then I will honestly probably give up on fish...I will be so devastated. 

I stopped the daily water changes a couple of days ago, because his tail wasn't changing (well getting better I should say). I stopped giving him AQ salt as well. I'm now doing water changes every 3-4 days (since there's no filter) and using stress coat and dechlorinated water. I'm trying to hold off on the melafix until I can tell whether it's getting severely worse or if I'm overreacting.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

Do not use melafix please. Did i gave you my post to read about melafix? 

As for the fish hobby hmmm don't know what to say. It was talking to a few people who had 5 bettas in a row die...almost give up but then finally be successful fish keepers.
I really feel bad about those bettas in the stores. I live in Philadelphia and a lot of stores here just horrible. So many sick bettas , dirty water. So i just wish people who love them, like you don't give up
Ok will wait for another update when you have a chance. Have a good weekend!!!


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

I think I did read your post about it, I thought it was safe as long as you don't overdose on it.

I don't think I will be able to quit actually I went to my local pet store today (Petco) and saw a betta suffering from swim bladder so I asked one of the associate what they do with them when their suffering like that and he told me they medicate them, so I waited to watch him medicate the fish (because he went off to help other customers) and I was treated so rudely by the associate that actually ended up medicating the fish, that I emailed the customer service. 

Here's my email (I edited out the names):
"I visited my local Petco and was looking through the fish. I noticed a betta with swim bladder disease and as a fish enthusiast; I felt extremely bad, so I went to the cashier and asked if she could send someone over for assistance in the fish department. She called someone over, he explained to me that Petco does not believe in flushing fish, and that they actually treat the fish, I was very pleased to hear this. A few more customers arrived, so he called for help and another associate came over, I told her I was waiting to see the fish medicated. She then called another associate
 When he arrived, he told me they usually don't medicate betta, so I explained to him that the first associate said he would medicate the fish, after about 2 minutes, he (the one that was called over and says they don't medicate betta) returns agitated. He then says to me "See, I'm going to take product off of our shelf to prove to you that we're going to medicate him." At this point he was an attitude with every statement. He then goes on to ask me if I thought they didn't care about their animals. I explained to him that was not the case, and I was only waiting to see the fish be medicated. He then hastily says, "Well I've had betta since I was five, and I can tell you that we care about our animals.” In short, my experience was ruined because of his repulsive behavior to the point I no longer wish to go to this location. I’d rather go out of my way then to deal with such disrespect. "


I was so upset, because here the fish is dying and I'm trying to save him and I had to deal with so much rudeness. I would've brought him home and treated him myself but I'm waiting for a new heater for my 10 gallon tank to come in. If he's still alive when the heater comes in I'm going to buy him, because there's no way I can leave him there with such disrespectful people. He was a beautiful double tail betta. It broke my heart that I couldn't bring him home, and hopefully the rude associate keeps medicating him like he said they do so he can hold on long enough for me to get him.


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

Oh and have a good weekend as well


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

Oh you so nice. I do understand you. And some of the employee really don't care though. And i think the one that you had deal with one of them.I am glad that you send them an e mail,they have no right to be rude like that. 
Believe me i saw enough for all 7.5 years that i owned bettas. I had pet plus just next to my work ,and i used to go at my brake and change the water while no one saw me. Betta situation in most of the stores is very sad. And unfortunately we always going to have broken heart . 

Now forgive me for saying it...but i learned and understood over the years that it better to buy healthy betta. Because when you leave healthy betta in the store and if the store don't take good care of them , then the healthy will get sick.So i prefer to rescue healthy one. And when you bring sick fish home you endanger to contaminate your other one. 

Well unless you really want to buy sick one and try to heal him . You will need to be very careful NOT TO CROSS -CONTAMINATE anything between two of them. And again always be ready that he might not survive.

With me i always go to the worse store in the area. We have a few stores that really don't take good care of their bettas at all. One store they told me that they change them when the water is dirty. So when i bought bettas for myself i went to that stores. I was thinking i will rescue one and if he die, at least he will be loved. 

Good night !


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

*Update (about 2.5 weeks)*

They called me back a day later and told me the fish is doing well, they have him setup in their hospital room (hope that was the truth). I decided to buy another 10 gallon, that came with an adjustable heater, filter, and plants all for $45 (great black Friday deal at petsmart), so I'm going to let it run for about a week then add Kalamari into there. I finally purchased the Master Test Kit (after a moment of hesitation) and tested my water everything was perfect except the ammonia level was .50 which is weird because the Nitrates and Nitrites were perfectly at 0. I'm keeping an eye on him and making sure he's staying active. I will post a few pictures, the video is uploading so I will post that as soon as it's done.

You can see he still has very bad damage. not sure if it's getting worse or staying the same. I've been doing water changes every 2-3 days. He's been pooping really big lately, idk if that's something I should be concerned about or not.

Hope you had a good Thanksgiving!


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3Leru0xfWo


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

He definitely doesn't look worse, and i don't see any fin rot. I think it's a good thing. I couldn't see the video. Is ammonia .50 in your tap water, or in his tank water? People saying if your pH is high ,then the ammonium can be high. Ammonium is not as dangerous as ammonia. But the testing kit can't distinguish between ammonium and ammonia. So in other words it might be that the testing kit shows ammonium level if your pH is high. Did you do 50% water changes only, or you also were doing full water changes? And how i remember you also using Prime, am i right?

About 10 gall i am sorry i really don't know anything about filtered tanks, i am not experienced. I can only give some advice for the smaller tanks without a filter, so i am no help there 
The only advice for the filtered tank i can give is , do minimum of 50% weekly water change , vacuum the gravel,and its very important to rinse the filter in the tank water regularly. 

Its really great that you wrote that letter and helped that little guy. May be we can improve betta care at the stores this way. I have one store where they don't change the water and most of their bettas are sick.


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

I will try and get another video soon. In his tank the ammonia was .50 (I tested about 30 minutes after a water change. My pH wasn't high at all it was a perfect 7.0. I did only do a 50% water change. I am not using prime. 

and yeah I will still do water changes when I move him, I'm just tired of him being in this tiny tank. He needs room to move. 

And I would email customer service and let them know. A lot of fish at that particular petco were either sick or dead. When I was waiting I saw a fish in a tank that had severe swim bladder and he was struggling so bad (swimming with his belly up), but a ghost shrimp was eating him. I felt so bad.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

GNWCO12 How are you, i hope you had a good Thanksgiving too !
I know you worry that his tail doesn't look the same as before , but as far as he acting healthy and don't have any symptoms of sickness he is fine, and no treatment recommended. His tail is full, not clamped , no discoloration, no other symptoms of the sickness. The ammoinia level though is high though. I thought that you checked the water and it didn't contain ammoinia in it? Not sure why it would now. What kind of the test kit it is, i am wondering if the testing kit not accurate. Try to recheck it. Did you do full water changes? Are you using Prime?


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

Hey i didn't see your post at all wow i was watching movie and changing my fish...let me read your reply


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

OMG how sad it is. I think manager, or any one in that store don't really care at all. Not even sure if it can be changed.I think fish care a lot depend on the management in the store. I have 6 stores that i usually go and only 1 store really trying to do good job carrying for their bettas.

About ammoinia. .50 in the tank water. Try now to check your straght tap water without a water conditioner in it. If it will be 0 then you need to do more water changes. In that tank that he is now you eventually need to do full water change. If he is in 3 gall then you need to do full water change every about 7 days , after you was doing those 50% changes. 
So try to see what it is.
I don't know i personally think 3 gall is good size. Sometimes less water movement and smaller tank is really better for a betta though. Some bettas will do better in the smaller tanks. 
You trying fishless cycle 10 gall let me know if you need advice on cycling, i know a few people on this forum who can give you an excellent advice.


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

3 gallon:

When I was using the test strips the ammonia level was 0 now that I'm using the water test the levels are reading at .50. I don't know if this makes a difference but every few days I notice debris forming at the bottom of his tank. When I woke up this morning I noticed the holes in his tails have gotten larger and the ends have started curling up. There is some discoloration on his back fin and two front fins. He still acts healthy though. I'm not sure if he's biting his tail or if the water is messing it up. 

10 gallon:

I think I'm going to go buy a female betta and house her in the 10 gallon instead, because it'll be harder to does his in a 10 gallon and I'm not quite sure that he likes 10 gallon tanks. But here are the readings for that tank:

Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
pH: 7.6 
Ammonia: .50

and this is the same water as the 3 gallon tank uses. I'm thinking my pH is high in the 3 gallon and I could've misread it the first time or mixed up the bottles. I will retest the pH and ammonia with and without water conditioner and give you the results.

** I am using the API master test kit before I was using Jungle Quick Dip Test Strips

Were you able to see the video?


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

Found the problem. My tap water has a reading of 7.6 for the pH and .50ppm for ammonia...what can I do to correct it?


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

Just tested the 3 gallon pH and it's ~6.6 ppm but still .50ppm for ammonia

So I think the water conditioner is helping with the pH but not the ammonia


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

ends of the tail have started curling up can be due to the higher pH which is fine. Bettas are very adjustable so DO NOT buy and add anything to lower it please. Ammonia level is high that can be the problem. Now can you remind to me what type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change?

Now i would wait with another betta until you can fix ammoinia problem. Is your 10 gall cycled ? Are you trying to cycle it?

Can you go to the store as soon as you can and buy Prime buy seachem. Or if you can 't find it in the store order it on line. Below link just to show you the picture of Prime

http://www.wag.com/fish/p/seachem-prime-113346?site=CA&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc_W&utm_term=SCM-003&utm_campaign=GooglePLA&CAWELAID=1323901033&utm_content=pla&ca_sku=SCM-003&ca_gpa=pla&ca_kw={keyword}


Its most recommended water conditioner when you have problem with ammonia in your tap. Prime seems to do the trick when it comes to ammonia in the water. It changes ammonia to ammonium which is less dangerous of both. It only last about two days though so it is important to do a few water changes a wk.

Do you want to show his tail to see discoloration?


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

I'm using stress coat and water conditioner and that's it...my 10 gallon isn't cycled, but I've seen a lot of videos of how to cycle it and am not interested in cycling it. 

I will try and buy some prime tomorrow, but I will be honest none of these approaches seem to be helping Kalamari, I'm starting to become a little discouraged. I can clearly see his tail is getting worse and traveling closer to his body. The pinholes are getting larger and nothing is working. I will post a picture of a pinhole he had in his bottom fin to show you that it is indeed getting worse.

Pictures
1- The pinhole double in size overnight as you can see
2- You can see the discoloration and curling of his fins
3- The debris I was telling you forms at the bottom of his tank (every 3-4 days after a water change)
4- Again the overnight damage is clearly worse


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

debris on the bottom of the tank are absolutely normal from all poop and food . I change my 2.5 gall once every 6 days and it a lot of debris there. It is absolutely normal. Just do full water change . 
Curling is from the higher pH 7.6 which is also normal
Pinholes are also normal with full tail that he has
He does not have fin rot
But main concern is ammonia. You need to try to get it under control because it also can be the reason of his tail get worse. But i am not talking about pinhole though. The tail he has can has tears and pinholes just from him being active , that is why i would also keep him in the smaller tank with less water movements. Did you do full water change at all?
He looks fine on those pictures , especially last two. I do see little pinholes in the picture 1 and 2 but again i think it just because his tail is full and very fragile and will have probobly tears just from the flaring or being active.
I was not able to see the video.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

also water conditioner lowering pH which should not. Which one again you using ? I want to google it. Is it saying anything about lowering the pH? You don't want to play with pH . It better high than fluctuating.


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

I haven't done a full water change because i notice he gets too stressed when I do full water changes. I will try and do a 90% but I'm not too confident doing a full water change. 

And I'm not sure why he's getting pinholes so often though, it's kind of crazy at this point. He's not overly active. He usually swims around a little then goes and sits on top of the heater for a while swims some more then sits at the bottom occasionally he will float around the top building bubbles nest or just staring at the water surface. 

And about the video. I recorded it on my new camera and because the quality is so high I'm having trouble uploading videos, even the pictures I have to resize in order to get on this forum. So I will record another video on my phone and post it as soon as possible.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

Some bettas especially with the tail he has prone to getting holes and rips in their fins. The fins are very fragile, and they can get torn just from the flaring or being active. So he should be fine because i really don't see fin rot or discoloration around the holes. 

If his behavior changed i would really worry about it but last time when you though so and after i watched the video he was perfectly fine. So i am not sure if it really that he is less active or it just you worry .....So i will wait for the video.

Was you able to get Prime? So far he was fine looking at the pictures. Just one thing i am still not sure about water. Because if it indeed ammonia 0.5 you need to get it down , because the ammonia can cause the infection too.


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

I did get prime today...just added it about 10 minutes ago..waiting to test it....

I have decided I'm going to do a community tank in the 10 gallon not of bettas so I will probably have to find another forum for that unless I can find those who have knowledge about all kinds of fish. I do think there might be some people here who might know about all kind of fish even though this is dedicated to betta idk I will keep my eyes open

Still working on the video, his activity is basically the same though besides him sitting on the heater more often


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

Prime you can use 2 drops per gall . You really can add up to 4 drops , i always end up doing it. So the ammonia in 3 gall dropped to .25 and in 10 gall between 0 and .25. It already better, but still there.
Try to change water in 3 gall every 2 days since the Prime supposed to hold ammonia down up to 2 days. So try to do 2-50 % and one as much as you can (80-90%) a wk and take all derbies out . See how its works.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

talking to someone who has the same situation with ammonia. She told me she will reply in your thread,but what she wrote to me:
first I'll tell you how mine seems to work
with mine it comes out the tap 0.ppm
day after 100% water changes it turns to between 0.25.ppm and 0ppm and rises up from there by 3 days after water change it is at 0.25ppm
thats when I do 100% change again but if I left it 6 days I believe it would be 0.50ppm and probably if left longer than that get to even higher.
I believe from tests I've done on mine the max it gets to is 2.00ppm but thats just mine hers might be very different

I normally use extra prime 36 hours after water 100% change just to put my mind at rest but I'm its 100% needed because isn't too high its about 7.2 last I checked

prime only works on ammonia up to 1.00ppm btw

ammonia is less harmful at low ph and lower temperature
this is a useful tool to tell how harmful it is http://www.cnykoi.com/calculators/calcnh3c.asp


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## Indigo Betta (Sep 27, 2012)

Hi 

I get problems with ammonia but I've learned how to cope with them


the easiest option might be to move him to the 3 gallon for a few weeks and leave the 10 gallon cycling if the tanks cycled your ammonia problem should go away
some of my tanks are cycled and they have no ammonia even though I have ammonia in the tap

but if cycling is not a option you might need to keep him on his own in the smaller tank unless you don't mind changing 100% of the 10 gallon as often as needed which may be a lot

it might be a good idea to experiment with your tap water to find out what its doing

test the water every 24 hours in a dechlorinated bucket of water to see if the ammonia increases daily like mine does

prime does not get rid of ammonia it only binds it so you should still be getting the same readings after adding prime

what brand of ammonia test kit are you using?

and what is the ammonia as soon as it comes out of the tap? is it 0.50ppm?


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## Indigo Betta (Sep 27, 2012)

BTW your boys tail looks like how my old boy looked after I made a big mistake
not cleaning his tank for 2 weeks when I was very new to fish

take a look at this thread see if you think so http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=115668&page=2


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## Indigo Betta (Sep 27, 2012)

Also what type of food are you feeding him?

its important because a good diet really helps.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

Indigo thank you for your input about ammonia. Also about the tail. We talking for a long time and trying to figure out what is going on. But so far he don't have fin rot and acting healthy. I was looking at the link you posted, i don't think it similarity between their tails though. I think Kalamari 's tail has clean edges, he has fool tail, his fins are not clamped , and i think look pretty good. 
Check the pictures and tell me if you agree . You can see pictures POST #69 . But there is more pictures in this thread so you can check them out. Also the video post i think #59
Yes Kalamari has little pinholes but no discoloration around them . And with tail like he has ,there is possibilities that he can get tears and pinholes from just being active and flaring. So we trying to do water changes and stress coat.But now need to take care of the ammonia. GNWCO12 using Prime.


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

ANHEL123- I've been asking around other forums and fish communities...even at the pet store and everyone keeps telling me to back off on water changes and do them once a week. I don't know how comfortable I feel doing that because like your friend said, I'm scared it might spike. But I'm also scared that if I keep changing the water every so often it will not allow the ammonia to turn to ammonium like Prime is supposed to do, and also what if it is ammonium now, because the text kits will still pick up ammonia since it cannot tell the difference. 

Indigo Betta- The test kit I'm using is API master Test kit, I tested the tap water and the reading was .50ppm as well. And I feed him pellets and freezed dried bloodworms, I'm thinking about getting regular frozen bloodworms soon. And I agree with ANHEL123, I don't like their tails are too similar, your bettas tail is much more full, Kalamari has bits and chunks missing. I'm not sure if it's fin rot as much as it is the ammonia and pH problem.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

If it ammonia then water changes are not harmful . If it ammoinia then Prime supposed to reduce it . You can also try to do what Indigo does , add more Prime (2 more drops) in about 36 hrs after last water change. I think it a good idea to do what Indigo recommended to experiment with the water , test the water every 24 hours in a dechlorinated bucket of water to see if the ammonia increases daily .

Was you able to test the water with Prime yet?


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

Sorry now i remember you said that it get down to 0.25 with prime in 3 gall. And between 0 and .25 in 10 gall. It was a day ago , how is today?


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

I did test the water before I left for the weekend and it was back to .50...what's really funny is that Kalahari will build the biggest bubble nest when the ammonia is high but when it was .25 he didn't build them....I am away this weekend and won't be able to test his water again until Sunday


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

check it daily and see how long its takes the ammonia go back to .50. Depends on haw fast it is ,you can do either another partial water changes with a prime or try to add more Prime to the water , like Indigo doing. 
Well bubble nest don't mean anything. Bettas will do it because it is just natural instinct. I think the best parameters for us to know if fish is healthy is behavior,eating, any new visual symptoms on the body. 
I am really wondering how long you water stay at .25 The good is that it don't get higher than .50


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

Yeah I will try that when I get back home...I can't continue to stress over it because it seems I can't fix the problem...I will just do my best to give him a happy life however long it may be


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

I just ask Indigo how she adding additional drops, and she said that she adding them directly to the tank with fish in it. So try that. Looks like you and her have the same problem. So she manage to keep it at .25 no less then that i think. So basically you can do partial water changes with Prime and see how long it keeps it at .25, and try to add more prime in 36 hrs or before that. Try to see how its working. 
As far as i know Indigo's bettas doing good. 
Have a good weekend , please give an update on how it will go with the water.


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

I've decided to use filtered water on my tanks, as I feel this will save me money in the long run. I love Kalamari but I've already spent well over $200 trying to stop his tail from shredding. With the filtered water I'm choosing to use...it's .30 cents a gallon, 0ppm of ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites and the pH is ~6.6. I feel like this is the best approach for Kalamari and the future community tank I hope to start soon. 

I did have a question though, with me using filtered water do you think I should add water conditioner? I did add some stress coat and AQ salt to this first go round and he seems good (I did 100% water change as I found a container he doesn't stress out in)


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

Filtered water like water that has been run through a Brita or Pur filter in the kitchen is okay but you most likely still need to use a water conditioner just to be on the safe side. Brita filters remove chlorine but I'm not sure if they remove ALL the chlorine.

Filtered water such as distilled water is not so good though because all the necessary minerals have been removed. From what I hear, it can make both people and fish very sick.

I was wondering if you able to use a spring water? Or i know it a pain but try to experiment and mix 50/50 spring and tap see if it helps.
As far as i know Indigos bettas doing good with frequent water changes. I think her ammonia go to .25 .


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

Yes it's ran through a filtration system as for the chlorine being all removed I'm not sure about that but I'm sure he was dealing with a bit of chlorine from the tap water so I'm not too worried about it as long as my parameters stay good

As for spring water, I tested a bit of that and found the ammonia to be about .25 so I'm not comfortable mixing it with tap water which is .50

I also added the filter back into his tank but put it on a very low setting it barely moves the water surface. My whole goal was to get the ammonia down to 0 because even at .25 he wasn't healing. I'm hoping in the next couple week or so I see some changes, I will of course keep everyone updated. Thank you so much for your help, I will definitely keep in touch and seek you if any of my fish become ill, your advice has been very helpful and without you I definitely think I would've never found out what the problem was


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

Ok good luck, will wait for an update. Don't forget to swish/rinse the filter regularly in the tank water. And of course still do weekly water changes. 
And thank you for you care, your betta is lucky to have you!
Give me an update in a little bit please.


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

*Update!!!Success, RECOVERY!!!! *

It's been about 5 days, and I'm glad to say he is recovering quickly. I can already see some tail regrowth and he is starting to flare the way he did when I first got him. I am beyond happy and cannot thank you enough. His recovery has lifted a lot of stress. I did a water change today (after a week of waiting) and he is still swimming around. He's adjusted to his filter just fine and will sometimes even use it as a hiding place. He's eating normally and the ammonia is staying at 0ppm. I attached a picture so you could see how much better he looks.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

I am glad!!! And you finally sound happy Don't remember if i mentioned to swish/rinse filter media. 
Thank you for an update!!!


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## GNWCO12 (Oct 31, 2013)

Yeah I just washed it out will continue to rinse it after every water change and change it once a month. Thank you so much!!


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

Many forum members saying that you really don't have to change the cartridge often. I think you can wait longer than a month. People saying change it when it very old, swishing /rinsing would be enough . Make sure you do it in the tank water I know i probobly said it million times lol sorry if i repeat.


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