# New Betta Adventures



## Iskarioth (Apr 29, 2018)

Brace yourself! long story :')

We have quite a few empty tanks that had accumulated over the years. But after i got Tammy (my first betta) 3 weeks ago, i set one of our ugly (lots of scratches on the outside surface) aquarium up to propagate some beginner-level aquatic plant cuttings. 

Also i find it exciting to watch the microbiome get established (the bacterial bloom part of cycling is my favorite part)  . Also during the cycle when nitrates peak, its the perfect time to get water from a healthy tank to use as fertilizer for my beloved terrestrial plants hehehe. 
I owe my success to tetra safestart and this forum ^-^ 

Anyways i had this fun thing going and i wanted to take it a step further- so i had plans to grab shrimp and try the "New Botanical" style aquariums. Its basically recreating a pond environment using leaves and bark tannins to create a "blackwater" effect. 

I think i should mention that Im pretty loyal to this one petsmart in my city, the boy at the aquarium section is very knowledgeable and that particular store doesnt overstock their bettas, 
they barely have 20 at a time, theyre almost all around 4-5 months old, and every time i go there, the bettas from the previous 2 weeks are gone. 

This still isnt great though, and its clear their bettas are stressed and not in anything close to ideal conditions, but its much better than these walmart horror stories ive been seeing.

I suppose this can be attributed to the fact that this PetSmart is one that gets the some of the most business as it sits in a high traffic area. Most of the local population are conscious of animal wellbeing and advocates of animal rights- and if someone found that this petsmart kept their animals in bad condition, they would lose a ton of their consumers. 

HOwEVer 

After visiting my parents, i end up at a different Petsmart, near their place. And i had naively assumed that they held the same standards. 

They had nearly 50 Betta cups, with the ill and dying placed in the back rows. 

I put them to the front of the shelves and went to grab the manager to show them. This store was completely empty except for me, so im not sure why i was left waiting for 20 minutes. 

The manager assured me they were going to take care of the problem and i was too exhausted to start an arguement but i suggested they order in the appropriate amount of fish to prevent overstocking because 

a) their store loses money this way
and
b) it is cruel and inhumane to neglect bettas in this way

anyways- During my wait, i noticed a crowntail in dirt water with pellets littered in the bottom of his cup. He had severely curled fins and was very pale. But we made eye contact and i decided that i NEEDED to take him home with me. 

I ended up having to argue that this betta was infact not in good enough health to warrant paying full price. 

i got a discount 

After finally getting home, i started feeling better and got super excited about my new friend. i set up my almost fully cycled plant tank for him, made sure the temperature and parameters were acceptable and started the acclimation process. 

Day 1: He was super distressed from his journey so i decided to have him in a partial black out for the first 6 hours, released him into the tank,
and then complete black out during the night.

Day 2: slow introduction of natural lighting, he ate 2 garlic juice soaked pellets for breakfast. 
after 6 hours, turned on the leds in his tank, got ready for a partial water change and 

THEN i noticed he had holes in his head!!! Tiny pinholes i hadnt seen. I freaked out, changed 25% of his water, gave him mushy pea soaked in garlic juice, and googled my options. 

I chose to wait to see his poop and properly diagnose his condition before going out to get meds. 

Day 3: He was now on a 12/12 light schedule, he liked his garlic water soaked pellets, could swim properly and enjoyed sitting on his floating plants. I found a poop and it looked normal, so i concluded that the holes in his head were caused by horrid water conditions, a weak immune system and lack of nutrients. For dinner he had pellets presoaked in spirulina/chlorella and garlic juice. 
I noticed he enjoys when i disturb the gravel during water changes because he likes to eat the flatworms and chase floating plant matter before i siphon it up.

Day 4: He looked a lot better, his fins didnt seem to be uncurling but he is a little more vibrant. his Holes in The Head are not getting worse, but He is considerably fatter. 

Day 5: Today! He built a bubblenest, i am hoping this means that he is less than a year old. His fins are in looser curls, there are no obvious signs of parasites. I cannot tell if his holes in the head are healing. He is a very well behaved little man and spends his time patroling his territory, sitting on plants and digging through gravel. 

I hope he is healthy and happy and my next update will be a more positive one. I have yet to name him.


----------



## Iskarioth (Apr 29, 2018)

*First day vs Fifth day*

Today









At PetSmart on Tuesday


----------



## Tree (Sep 29, 2013)

beautiful boy you saved! I'm glad he's ding better! do you think the holes is the "hole in the head disease?" I think there is meds for that? not sure never had it before on fish.


----------



## ephraimsbetta (Apr 30, 2018)

Male bettas don't build bubble nests their whole life?


----------



## Iskarioth (Apr 29, 2018)

Tree said:


> beautiful boy you saved! I'm glad he's ding better! do you think the holes is the "hole in the head disease?" I think there is meds for that? not sure never had it before on fish.


Thank you! i really like his colors  And yes i think he does have hole in the head/lateral line disease. I havent found a lot of literature on it but i did read that it can be because of parasites or because of compromised immunity- My assumption is that is caused by oppurtunistic pathogens, like the fish equivalent of impetigo staphylococcus infections? 

i am trying to use natural antibacterial/anti fungal remedies like garlic- i hope to find something online about someone finding a cure for Hole in The Head disease. 
for now im going to get things to promote healing, i found a nearby store that sells indian almond leaves  i will try those soon


----------



## Iskarioth (Apr 29, 2018)

ephraimsbetta said:


> Male bettas don't build bubble nests their whole life?


I think i heard from someone that they build smalled nests or more scattered bubbles when theyre past their mating prime, and eventually lose interest in nest building?


----------



## ephraimsbetta (Apr 30, 2018)

How is he?


----------



## Iskarioth (Apr 29, 2018)

ephraimsbetta said:


> How is he?


He is doing well today! thanks for asking  he is active and enjoys searching the gravel for microworms he can snack on. I am not seeing much improvement with his fin curl, i am wondering if theres a way to strengthen fin rays. His rays are quite thin, im not sure whether genetics or previous bad conditions are the cause of this but i hope it is repairable. 

I am mostly concerned about my other betta, Tammy. He keeps blowing out his dorsal fin (tiny pinholes in his webbing that for the most part heals overnight, but occasionally one will turn into a 0.5cm needle-thin split). I think in part this has to do with him insisting on displaying his finnage right under the filter outflow. 

Tammy definitely changed my perception of bettas, i used to think they were laid back and lazy but he is very active and likes to circle around his territory and show off his fins in a funny repetitive "swim-swim-swim-spread fins" motion haha

Im going to get some filter foam today which i will place in the filter, to weaken the outflow. For now i just need need to make sure he has quality water, and prevent infections while he heals.


----------

