# My Betta Hasn't Eaten for a Week



## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

I have had BeBe since May 16 (a birthday present from a friend). He is my office buddy, and is generally a happy boy and very good eater. I feed him freeze dried blood worms daily, and he usually skips at least one feeding day on the weekends (a co-worker usually feeds him on Sunday). He's in a small globe tank and I had aquarium gravel and a small, fake plant for him to hide behind - I removed the gravel today, just to make sure it wasn't causing any tank problems and he seemed to perk up a little. He ate last Friday (one week ago from today). When I came in to work on Monday, he didn't do his usual happy dance when he saw me (he wiggles and swims back and forth from me to his bloodworm container, as if to say "I'm hungry"). He also usually swims over when I call his name, but he is not doing that either and is hyper sensitive to any movement of his tank. I think he may have gone blind and deaf for some reason, but don't know why. I had his water tested three times during the week - everything was at safe levels, either zero or extremely low. I changed his water at about 50% on Monday, then took out small amounts each day and added conditioned Betta water. Today (Friday) I did a 100% water change and took out the gravel, but cleaned and put the fake plant back in, so he would have somewhere to hide and rest (he lays on the leaves). I have tried to feed him several times each day, but ended up scooping it out of his tank because he is not sensing that it's there. I also tried feeding him brine shrimp, frozen blood worms, and pellets, but he doesn't seem to know it is there and the water movement freaks him out. I don't see any white on his eyes, but he isn't recognizing me, so I think he can't see. Oh, his fins have also been crumpled, but have not changed color, and after the 100% water change today, his fins did seem to perk up (but he still didn't eat). I'm really worried about him and could use some help - he's my first Betta (and first fish of any kind since I was a kid). Please help me save my little BeBe. Thanks for your replies.


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## MyRainbowBettaFish (May 9, 2012)

first how big is your tank? How often are you cleaning it?

Blood worms are like chocolate, they are really only treats. Bettas should have a good pellet staple.


Take out any plastic plants and buy him a silk one, so it wont tear his fins. Do an immediate water change if you can and get back to us 

fish can go 2 weeks without food without any damage.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

I would be concerned the water is too cold. How big is a "small globe"?? I would not keep a betta in anything less than a gallon (factoring in that plants and gravel take up space too)
As MRBF noted, bloodworms are a once-weekly treat. And the freeze dried ones can cause bloat because they're filled with air. If you want to keep feeding those it is recommended to soak them in water first. But if you tried feeding the frozen ones, stick to those.. Much better protein content. 
A week off food will not hurt him but it is important to find out WHY he isn't. What is the temperature of the water?


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Thanks for your reply MyRainbowBettaFish. It's a small globe tank, IDK how much it holds (a quart or so?). BeBe never liked the pellets - he would put them in his mouth, shake his head up and down, then spit them out. A pet store recommended the freeze dried blood worms - I didn't know they were candy like and not a staple food - thanks for telling me that. The plant isn't plastic, it's silk. I changed his water 100% a couple of hours ago, and he did seem to perk up, but didn't eat. I'm not sure how to feed him if he can't see. Any suggestions you can provide, as well as tips on another type of food that I should purchase, would be greatly appreciated.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Laki, thanks for your post. I don't know the water temperature, but I left my heater on at work to keep the room an even temp. I will buy a temp. gauge tomorrow to see what it is. Can you tell me any tricks to get him to eat if he can't see or smell his food? I'm willing to buy new/different food, and a larger tank - I just need some help since I'm new at this. I really want to save him. Thank you.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

A quart? Like... 4 cups? 
Not enough space for the fish. Bettas require at least a gallon and even then I would prefer 2.5 gallons. These are cheap, you can get a 2 gallon kritter keeper (acrylic reptile keeper) for like 10$. A small heater costs about 12$ and the silk plants/caves can be found at a dollar store for cheap but also in pet stores and craft stores for cheap. You can also check your local classifieds for people selling tanks. Whatever size is optimal for you, but he NEEDS a larger tank. 
That's first and foremost in getting him to be happier. 

Secondly, you want to see the temp of the water, bettas need 78-82F to be comfortable and have their metabolism running right. If this cannot be maintained by the room temperature (and my experience shows me it's difficult for the temps to not fluctuate dangerously this way- night vs day) then you'll want to pick up a submersible heater to keep it stable. 
 It's okay. We all start somewhere. (My avatar fish Lakitu spent months in a .5 gallon 'tank' before I realised he needed more) Pet store employees often don't know, are ignorant, don't care or simply want to make a sale. Take what they say with a grain of salt.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Laki, Thanks again. He might be in that .5 gallon tank, like the one you had. I will buy a larger tank tomorrow for him. Do you have a recommendation on a heater? Where would I get one? Do you think the new tank and heater would improve his appetite? What if he is blind? How do I get him to know the food is right in front of him? I really appreciate your help - thanks so much!


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Show him a mirror, you'll know if he's blind! lol
A heater will probably induce apetite, _IF_ the problem is cold water. For a small 2-3 gallon aquarium I reccomend the 10 watt heaters you can get. Mine is Aqueon 10w works great Keeps water about 79-80F, my mom has a 10w from walmart and it works okay. Keeps the water about 77-78F. Those are non-adjustable so they can go awry. A 25w heater works fantastic in a 2g but don't let it come in contact with the plastic (If you're using an acyrilic) and it will last longer too since it doesn't need to work hard in the volume of water. My 25w is Topfin brand from PetSmart, it cost me like 16$ and it keeps my 5g heated up to 82F (it IS adjustable so I control the temp). 

Good luck!


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Laki,

Thanks so much for the information. I'm getting ready to go buy him a 2.5 gallon tank and will probably get the 25 W adjustable filter for him (will set it at 78-80, if you think that's good). I will try the mirror and will shine a light on his eyes because they don't look cloudy to me, but he doesn't recognize me anymore or follow my finger on the outside of his bowl.

I have another question, since he's been in the small bowl since I've had him, I'm not sure how to change the water and get the temperature right (I don't want to add any more stress on him). I'm sorry for sounding stupid, but I really don't know how to do this and I need help from someone who knows. Thanks so much for your help!


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## Destinystar (May 26, 2012)

Hi Aqua Betta its so great you getting him a bigger tank and heater ! 78-80 would be fine, you could fill up the tank put water conditioner in and put the heater in and let the water warm up, you should also get a thermometer so you can check the temp of the water. If you have a small bowl that will float put some of the water he is in now in the bowl and float it in the new tank and every 15 mins add a small amount of the warm tank water in the small bowl and keep doing this for and hour or till the small bowl is almost full and then tip the bowl over to release him into the new tank. Good luck I hope he will start to eat !


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Thank you Perseusmom! I will also pick up a thermometer and small bowl to float him in while he is acclimating. Thanks so much for your quick response and taking the time to explain how to do the water change. Do you use purified water or just tap/filtered water with the Betta drops? I've been using purified with the drops, but someone told me that wasn't good. I'm a little confused because the water tested fine (of course they didn't test the temperature, and I'm thinking that may be the culprit along with feeding him freeze dried bloodworms). Thanks again for your help!


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

I think there's some info floating around regarding the bottled water. I'm not sure. I use tap water treated with chlorine remover (topfin brand bc it's cheap but it works) and the chlorine in my taps is particularly high I double dose the conditioner usually. What brand is the conditioner you use?


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Thanks Laki. I don't know what brand it is (yellow bottle that says 7 drops per gallon), I have it at work, but I will check it when I get there in a little while. I work in a really old building (almost 100 years), so I would never use the water from those pipes for BeBe. I have filtered water at home that I can bring, which is supposed to remove chlorine, and then add the drops to it or stick with the purified (but one of the guys in the pet store said he thought it was overkill to use purified water and the drops, he said it kills the good bacteria too - IDK). I will search the site for bottled water vs. tap water. Thanks for your help!


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

That might be it, kills good bacteria. You could fill jugs with water from home - treat it with conditioner and then use that! The yellow bottle might be TetraMin.. Is it like an oily consistancy before it goes in the water?? 
7 drops for a quart-2 gallon is WAY too much! lol I think the directions might say 7 drops for a 10 gallon or something. That's a lot of conditioner, maybe that's affecting water quality (but not showing up on the readers bc those readers check for ammonia and stuff) nbd, I used to use about 3-4 drops of the TetraMin stuff for my 2 and 3 gallon tanks.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Laki,

Thanks for your reply. It is Tetra, but it says Water Conditioner. Wow, I will have to reread that because maybe it was for 10 gallons, not one. I can't believe I would do something that dumb! I will definitely look into this and make it right from now on if that is the case.

Yes, I saved the jugs I bought today and I will fill at home (using filtered water) and then the water conditioner.

Well, I went out and got him a new tank - 3 gallon with a heater, cover, LCD light, and low flow filter with guard (so hopefully, he won't get caught in it). I also got a thermometer, so I checked the temperature of his little tank and it was 74 - low, but would probably been lower if I didn't leave the heater on (it was nice and toasty in the room . I didn't add any rocks, but I did give him his silk plant so he would have something that felt homey. It's nice to know the filter will also keep the water cleaner and the heater will keep it around 78-80. 

He acclimated pretty easily and seemed to really enjoy exploring his new boundaries. His fins really sprung back too - he has new found "elbow room" and I think he really likes it.  

My only concern is that he still didn't really eat. I think his sight seemed better, but I'm still not sure if he sees me or the food. I tapped the tank and he got excited like he used to, so maybe once his tank stabilizes, he'll get his appetite back.

Anyway, I would like to thank you, and all of the other posters for the help you've given me. I really appreciated it and feel more confident that I can save him. Thanks so much!


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Wow that's great! I'm glad t hear of the improvement so quick!! Yay for fishie!! Once he's settled (because a new tank, filter, and heater is a big change for him) I bet he will eat again . Betta's won't make themselves starve if there's food offered! lol
(heck one of my boys nearly killed himself bc he ate that day then ate up the snails algae wafer lol)

I'm really glad your Bebe is off to a good start. BTW, any pictures?


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## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

Great! I use prime as a conditioner. It is expensive ($17 Canadian) but there is enough in one bottle to treat 2000 gallons (in the large one). It is only 2 drops a gallon. IME with water conditioners it is a steal. Unless you are clumsy like me and after doing about 3 water changes with the $17 bootle and spill the whole thing. LOL


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Laki, 

Thanks for the encouragement - it was great to see him swimming the whole tank. I'm still trying to locate a good food to entice him - I went to two pet stores yesterday to get his new stuff, but they mostly had flake (which the guy admitted they don't like) or pellets, which BeBe never liked. 

I think BeBe is still having sight issues - the guy talked me into getting a liquid syringe type thing to try and get the frozen blood worms directly in front of him to smell then drop in front of him, but he was still freaked out and swam away from it whenever I tried. I looked at a food ring, but I think if he gets anywhere near it he will swim away without getting the food? I don't exactly know how they work.

I may go back to work again today to check on him, since I'm off tomorrow too. I will Google different pet stores to find out what type of food they have and will try to get it before I go. Besides, he may be a happy boy again today and eat - at least I hope so.

Regarding pictures, I have a few - they're not that good though - of him in his old tank. I forgot to take some yesterday in his new digs, but will do it if I go today. I'm not sure how to post them, but will try. 

Thanks again for your help. I'll let you know how it goes.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

MaisyDawgThirteen,

Thanks for your post and friend request (I tried to accept, but don't know if it went through). I also bought a conditioner to help reduce stress and put two drops in too. Now if I can only get him to eat!


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

I have a syringe which I feed bloodworms through. Now whenever I stick the turkey baster in to suck up gravel mess they hoarde it for bloodworms lol
He will get used to it. The blood and nasty stuff that come off frozen bloodworms will be enough for him to smell from the other side of the tank. 
If you're concerned about his eyes, stick a mirror up!


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Laki,

That's funny about the syringe and turkey baster!  Yeah, I thought the blood would attract him too, but it didn't seem to impress him at all. 

I'm going to another pet store in a little while to check out their Betta food choices. Someone recommended Hikari Betta Bio Gold pellets because they're smaller (BeBe couldn't swallow the first pellets I tried) and they float. I will give them a try - finger's crossed. 

Thanks again. I'll let you know how it goes.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Okay, cannot wait to hear the progress. I think Hikari is among the good ones but my mind is fuzzy. OmegaOne buffet, Aqueon (are small and my fish love them), and attisons (which I don't think you can buy in stores).. These three are some of the best. I know people here feed hikari but if you can find Omega or Aqueon get them instead 
I guess at this point it doesn't matter! lol Just wants him eating anything!


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Thanks Laki. Yes, I looked for the Omega One Buffet and New Life Spectrum Betta Formula that was recommended yesterday, but could not find either one. I did locate the Hikari at a local Pet Supply store, so maybe they have the Omega One or Aqueon. I will check and maybe by both to see which one works (hopefully, one of them will!).


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Laki,

Well, I'm at work and BeBe does not look good - he's just laying at the bottom of the tank. I'm really sad for him. I bought the Bio Gold, but he's not even swimming to the surface anymore. I'm so sad. :-(


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

What's the temp of the water right now?
Did you test it?
And is he breathing heavily? Laying lethargic? Can you notice his poop laying around? It should be orangish clumps.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Water temperature is 79. He's scooting around the bottom of the tank and is having trouble holding himself up. He's not swimming the tank like he was yesterday, and he's not coming up to the surface. He doesn't appear to be breathing heavily. Yes, I think there was poop, but it didn't appear to be orangish (could have been a wayward blood worm from yesterday?).


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Is it whitish then?? Might be parasites. I told Sakura and linked her.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Yes, whitish or almost clear. Thanks for contacting Sakura, I really appreciate it!


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

One more thing - it looks like he has two dark spots on one side of his body (about in the middle). I had noticed the really small one a couple of weeks ago, but someone told me that maybe one of his scales came off. Today I noticed the larger one on the same side. Not sure what it is - do you think it could be a parasite?


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

I have no experience with parasites, so I cannot tell you about external appearances. All I know is sometimes a parasite in the betta can cause his poop to be stringy and white.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Do you know if there is anything I can do for the parasite? Maybe that's why he stopped eating?


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

There are meds (I know, all this money you spent on Bebe since coming to the site!!) but Sakura is the best one for that..


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Thank you. I don't even know if I can find the meds, even if I knew what to get. He really doesn't look good. Maybe it's too late. :-(


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

It may not be too late: 
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)?

To better help this situation right now please copy the above questions and PASTE them in a NEW topic in this section : http://www.bettafish.com/forumdisplay.php?f=99


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Hi AquaBetta and welcome to the forum. First, sounds like you've gotten some great advice on upsizing Bebe.  Now let's see what we can do to get him feeling better. 

When you say scooting around, is he literally rubbing on things like he might be trying to scratch an itch or is he just kind of staying really low to the bottom and skulking along? This is a gross but necessary question: have you seen him poop and if so, can you describe it? Internal parasites usually manifest themselves as whiteish stringy poo so that thing you found could be a parasite but it could also be a missed bloodworm. After a while, bloodworms lose color and look nasty.  A betta with internal parasites may also bloat up and develop a gray belly.

Offhand though, his behavior may be due to both a change in his environment and possible lingering effects from water quality issues. He may have a touch of ammonia poisoning that is slowing him down. 

Conservatively, I would recommend putting him into 1 tsp of epsom salt per gallon until we can figure out for sure what kind of problem he's dealing with. You can get epsom salts at any Walmart or CVS or Rite Aid. Just be sure to get plain epsom salts with no added colors or scents. It should just be magnesium sulfate and you can usually find it in the er, laxatives section. In humans, epsom salts are used as a laxative and as a muscle soak. In bettas, it will act as a mild laxative/stimulant and also help leech any excess fluids from his system.

I found Omega One and New Life Spectrum pellets at Petco. Not sure exactly where in the Bay Area you are but I'll throw this out just in case: I know there is a very good aquarium store called Neptune's Aquatics somewhere in San Jose.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

3 Gallon
79
Yes
Just the filter
Yes
None

I was feeding freeze dried bloodworms until I found out they were not a staple food. He last ate 9 days ago, on Friday, October 5. Since then, I've tried frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp, pellets, and now Bio Gold pellets (but he's not coming to the top of the tank, even if he does smell them).
I used to feed him daily, about six days a week.

New tank yesterday - 100% water change. Purified water with Tetra BettaSafe water conditioner - 7 drops/gallon. I also added 2 drops of Stress Coat. When he was in the small tank, I changed his water 2-3 X/week.

I have not tested the new tank water. I was bringing samples to Petco for them to test prior to the new tank. On Friday it was: 7.1/neutral for pH, zero for most of the others, and .5 for ammonia (which he said was in the safe zone).

No change in appearance - he's still beautiful.
Not swimming at all and laying on bottom of tank.
Monday, October 8 - his fins were clumped and he wouldn't recognize me or eat.
Bigger tank, water changes, trying to entice him to eat.
No history of illness that I know of.
I have had him since May 16, not sure how old he was before that.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Thank you Sakura 8. Right now he's pretty much staying in one position on the bottom of the tank. When he moves, he skulks along. I don't think he's trying to rub against the bottom of the tank, he doesn't seem to have the energy to swim.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Regarding the poop, I can't be sure if it was a leftover bloodworm or poop. It was white and stringy though.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Remove it and don't offer food until you find something else which could be poop/parasite.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Sounds like we're dealing with an internal problem, possibly bacterial. That's usually what kills their appetite.  You could try soaking some frozen bloodworms in garlic juice. Get a clove of garlic and crush it up, then add a bit of tank water and mix it up so it's kind of a garlicky goo. Soak a bloodworm in that for a few minutes and see if he'll accept that. Garlic is an appetite stimulant and may also have antiparasitic properties as well.

He's not bloated or anything, is he?

EDIT: Yes, when you offer food, if he refuses it, remove it after 10 minutes like Laki says.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Laki, I removed it from the tank when I got here. Thanks. Sakura8, How would I get it to him on the bottom of the tank? He's not coming to the surface and isn't moving much at all. No, he doesn't look bloated.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to leave. Everyone else left almost two hours ago, and I have to lock up the building. Thank you all for your help! I'll be here for about five more minutes.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Can you carry him and the contents of his tank home? What time will you be in tomorrow?


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

I would raise him in a net/cup and keep him towards the surface of the water, since they're air breathers it will help him either way. You can offer the garlic soaked food through the holding cup.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

What Laki said. Also, if he has trouble rising up to the surface to breathe, you can lower the water level. But cupping him is probably the easiest.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Laki & Sakura8,

Thank you for your replies. I was so sad to leave BeBe last night - I couldn't take him home because I don't have any setup for him, plus I didn't want to stress him any more. My co-worker just called (I asked her to check on him) and she said that he made it through the night, but is still on the bottom of the tank. I am going to get the epsom salt and will drive back to work shortly. I will also raise him up and see if I can coax him to eat. 

Any other suggestions? Thanks so much for your help! My little BeBe is a fighter for sure!


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Great news 
Hopefully the epsom works!


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Thanks Laki. I'm leaving now. I have to stop at the store and it takes about a 1/2 hour to get there. I will check in when I arrive at work. I'm also bringing the garlic paste to try to entice him to eat the new Bio Gold pellets. Can you explain how I can securely keep him at the top of the tank in a smaller container. I only have the small .5 glass tank, the plastic container that he came in, and a net. Thanks again for all of your help and encouragement!


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Laki,

Well, I've been here for about an hour. I added two tsp of Epson Salt into his tank. I also raised him up in the net and added the crushed garlic to his Bio Gold. He seemed to do better with breathing, and I think he ate at least one pellet (he did his quick move that he used to do to attack his food), but once I let him out of the net he's back on the bottom again. Also, I'm worried about the water quality because the garlic leached a little into the tank from the net. I think I will lower the water level because I don't know how to sustain him in the net while I'm gone. Any advice? Thanks for your help.


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## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

That's great! At least he has some food in him.  Definately lower the water level. Is it a 3 gallon? If so lower it to around half.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Thank you MaisyDawgThirteen. Do I have to worry about the garlic fowling the water? Also, will the heater work with that amount of water?


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## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

I'm not sure on the garlic. Is the heater fully submersable? If not, you could jusy lower the heater's suction cups until it is in the right position for that height of water.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Thanks. Yes, the heater is submersable. Also, I will have to lower the filter so it will work properly.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

If you think he can get air from the 3g with the level lowered then good, but you could keep him in the cup he came in floating in the tank (to keep warm). I really like the cups bettas come in! SO practical (and great for snails)
How is he today? The garlic won't harm him if it's in the water.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Hi Laki,

Thanks for your post. I couldn't lower the water too much because the filter needs most of the water in the tank to work. Maybe a quart/half gallon removed. My coworker helped me yesterday, and he said he saw him eat one pellet while I had him raised up in the net (I missed it though). 

Today he's still at the bottom of the tank, but is pretty active (he's scooting along and if I put the net in he does swim higher to try and get away). I tried feeding him again today, but he didn't eat (although he did notice the food). The water is cloudy, I think from the garlic yesterday (you can still smell it). A coworker who's a "fish guy" is going to help me a little this morning, he says he has some anti-bacteria stuff and will test the water. I will still try to coax him into eating. 

He's an amazing little guy! If he's not giving up, neither am I! Thanks for asking about him.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Laki,

The floating cup is working well - he's able to get up to the surface easily. I also put some food in the cup, but he does not seem interested. He swims right up to it to get air, sometimes hitting the food at the surface, but does not take it. The tank water is still cloudy - I wish I new the cup trick yesterday, I would have used it for the garlic/food. He's still fighting though.  Would it be OK to leave him in the cup overnight?


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

He just ate one pellet! This time I saw it and I know for sure because there were 5 pellets floating in his cup and only four remain. Yeah! One yesterday and one today - much better than nothing!


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

I'm glad he seems to be getting his apetite back!! 
The garlic is probably fouling the water. If he's in the cup now you can do a water change on the tank and not worry about moving him around. Or the filter will just clear it up on its own (do you have carbon in the filter? that will clean the garlic out better but will not help in establishing a cycle)
Keep changing his water to include the epsom salt, it seems to be helping him a bit. Since he's eating, keep him in the cup and watch for his poop. Don't leave the 4 pellets in longer than 10 minutes (bc it contributes to ammonia) and yes it's fine to leave him in the cup overnight, provided it is in the heated tank.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Thanks Laki, me too!  Yeah, it still really smells like garlic, so I know that's the culprit. Hey, at least it will keep the vampires away! lol 

Yes, it's a carbon filter. What does it mean to establish a cycle? I've seen that in other posts, but don't know what it means. I removed the pellets after 10 minutes or so. The filter keeps moving him toward it, so I do have to watch to make sure it doesn't fill up his cup (it's the kind that overflows from the top). I will have to figure a way to keep him away from it if I leave him in the cup overnight. No poop today.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Do you have the cover that came with the betta cup? If so, put it on. If not, get an elastic band and fasten some sponge (clean, ordinary sponge) to the outtake where the water comes out of the filter. That will baffle the flow and not bother him or the cup. 
A cycle is generally established in a tank 5 g or larger. It's when beneficial bacteria are allowed to grow and colonize and they, after a while, will turn bad things like ammonia into nitrates (or nitrites, I cannot remember). You don't really have to worry about that for now. Look more into cycling when Bebe gets better


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Laki,

Yes, I have the cover. The sponge is a good idea too. Thanks for explaining the cycle thing. I will definitely try to aim for that once BeBe is better.  

I may give the filter a little longer to clear up the water. If it doesn't, I will change it out. Should I do 100% or partial? It's really warm today, so I think he would be fine in the sun room until the new water heats up (we have a room with all windows that's probably in the 80's, so I can leave him there until his tank heats back up). I will add the Epsom Salt to the new water too.

Thanks again for your help!


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

He just ate 3 more pellets (mini ones - Betta Bio Gold). Now I really feel better!


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Great news!!
A 50-60% change on the tank water will be fine for now, it will help the filter clean out what's left of the garlic. 
I live in a wasteland so I don't often experience warm enough weather to turn off the heaters (only in the dead of summer), so as long as the thermometer in the water is still reading a warm temp (80F or so) then you can turn off the heater. Keep in mind, though, the tempuerature outside the tank will fall, taking the temp of the water down too. That's why heaters are essential, keeps the water steady.

He ate 3?? Good for him!! Yay! Can you see any poop in the cup??


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## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

This is great!!!

@ Laki, Newfoundland a wasteland. lol


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

lol weather wise yes!


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Laki,

Thank you - he would never have come this far without your help and the help of the others. I am extremely grateful! 

I will leave the heater on in his tank, but will have to take him out while I'm changing the water/until it heats back up, right? The room I was talking about (with all the windows) gets really hot because it has single pane windows and no obstruction to shadow it (it's right on the Bay). It will be in the 80's again today, so I thought it would be a good place to keep him until his tank heats back up - about 15-20 minutes. I've never changed his big tank, so I'm not exactly sure how to do it.

He actually ate 6 mini pellets. He didn't attack them like he used to, but gobbled them up around the rim of his cup. He really seemed to perk up too. Maybe it was finally eating after so long, but I think being able to get air from the surface so easily helped too. Thanks again for the idea of floating his cup! There was no poop when I left yesterday - I was worried about it sitting in his cup overnight if he did poop. I will check and clean it out first thing when I get to work this morning. 

Have a great day. I'll keep you posted on how he's doing. Thanks again!


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

MaisyDawgThirteen,

Thanks for the encouragement and also for your help with BeBe. I'm so glad he is doing better - thanks again! Have a great day.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

The boy's doing great! He was floating in his cup and was fine when I came in (no poop, so I'm glad he didn't have that in his small cup overnight). He ate straightaway - 5 mini pellets. Temperature is holding steady around 79-80. The water looks much clearer today. Should I still attempt to change it? I'm going to bring it to Petco to have it tested before I release him into it to see how he does. If he still stays on the bottom, do you have any suggestions? Thanks again for all of your help - you saved my littlte BeBe!


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

I'm glad he's perked up  
We need poop Bebe!! lol To clean the 3g just fill a bucket/bowl with the old water, make the tap the same temperature and then treat it with conditioner. If you're using previously unheated water from bottles (which I think I recall you mentioning) then yes, remove his floating cup until that water is warmed by the heater. 
One important thing, unplug the heater and wait 10-15 minutes before removing water. This gives the heater a chance to cool down a bit and won't short out, therefore prolonging its life. 
You can, when mixing/conditioning water, mix up more epsom salt (1tsp per gallon) and if he is swimming you can let him out of the cup. Give him some plant or decoration close to the surface he can rest on if he needs to get to the surface. If he's still laying around the bottom, then put him back in the cup. 
My VT Ludendorff took about a month to get better from general lethargy and fin melt when I first got him. So never give up hope. I'm glad Bebe is at least eating, he'll begin swimming again now with the new energy. Try to refrain from feeding more than 4 pellets per feeding though!

eta- OH you have mini pellets. Okay, nvm. 5 is fine!


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I'm really glad to hear he's doing so much better, AquaBetta.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Laki,

He pooped this morning after I got in - nice and orange! I'm glad he waited until I got here, so he didn't have it in his cup overnight. 

The water tested fine - they said the pH was 7.0, and everything was in the safe level, including amonia at .5 (not zero unfortunately). The only thing was the water was "hard," but he said that could have been from the Epsom Salt. 

I just let him out of his cup, and he's swimming like a champ at the top of the tank!  I have to leave early today to attend a memorial, so I wanted to check him out for awhile before I leave (in case I have to put him back in the cup) - so far, so good.  Since the water checked out OK, I may hold off on changing it today. How often should I change it anyway? I'm so glad I didn't give up on him - thanks so much for your encouragement and for contacting Sakura8 for me on Sunday! 

P.S. He's still at the top!


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Sakura8,

Thank you so much for your help on Sunday! I'm convinced that without you and Laki (as well as a few others), BeBe would not have made it. I simply did not have the knowledge necessary to help him out, and you really stepped up to help - thank you!  You have encouraged me to learn more about these beautiful little fish, so I can keep him with me a long time. Thank you so much!


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Oh, one more thing, the tank cleared up a lot overnight. It's not cloudy like it was yesterday.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

You're welcome. Laki has given you a lot of great practical advice. If you need anything else, I'm within easy shipping distance too. 

Regarding your ammonia at .5ppm. Are you still using bottled water or is this tap water? If it is tap water, then it is possible the water has ammonia already in it. This is pretty common for CA water, it seems. If it's bottled water, then the ammonia is probably from BeBe now that he's eating and pooping again. Not sure if anyone has mentioned it but you can use Seachem Prime for a water conditioner and it will neutralize ammonia and turn it into a less toxic form. Might be handy for when you have to leave him over the weekends. Plus, it's economical. It's highly concentrated so a little goes a long way. 2 drops per gallon.

Your pH is perfect, right at basic or neutral. You don't need to do a thing about it.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Aw I was thinking about Bebe in my class tonight! (priorities, right?) I'm so glad he perked up and is in his tank doing great. 
When you get a chance I would love to see pictures! (you could open a new thread in the picture section and more people might come along and look at him too!)
I'm glad to help. I like helping others, I'm SUPER glad Bebe didn't have something critically wrong bc that would have been terrible. It happens all the time based on bad breeding/housing practices among stores but. Yes, your little betta gift certainly has turned around and dug a hole in your pocket but in your heart as well. There's something about that first betta which gets us in the hobby that's just special.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Sakura8,

Thanks for your reply. When I set up his new tank on Saturday, I used bottled purified water/spring water (2 1/2 gallons - about half and half) because the building where I work has really old pipes (it's about 100 years old, and you can sometimes see a rusty color, especially with hot water - I never use it, bring my own from home). I saved the gallon jugs, so I will bring water from home that's filtered to remove chlorine. 

I will look for the Seachem Prime - where do you get it? We probably have the same stores, since we live so close. (Oh, and I will definitely keep the easy shipping in mind, lol.)

Well, I better get going off to work and to my little BeBe. Thanks again for your help and have a great day!


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Laki,

You are awesome! Thinking about BeBe in class shows your compassion and caring about animals - you should consider being a Vet!  

I will work on posting some pictures of BeBe. I can't seem to get a good shot because of the reflection thing (I have to figure out how to shut off the automatic flash). 

My friend, the "fish guy," at work helped me set up BeBe's new tank with two silk plants and some pretty rocks (that's also why I wanted to make sure the water was safe before I released him yesterday) - it looks really nice and I hope he likes his new home. I can't wait to see him this morning to see how he did last night. 

Thanks again for all of your help. I will keep you posted on BeBe.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Haha I think about betta fish more than my Newfoundland folklore/society class! lol 
I don't have the science brains for veterinary medicine. And I don't have the stomach for surgery or euthanasia. Thanks though! lol


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

LOL Laki. I hear you about being a Vet - I feel the same way, but you also get to help a lot of animals too. BeBe is swimming along at the top - he ate 5 mini pellets today too. Things are looking up!


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Major Yay!


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Thanks Laki.  He does sit at the bottom every once and awhile - maybe to rest? He jaunts right back to the top though. 

Should I get him a live plant? I looked at a couple of silk ones that were taller the other day (he loved the first one I had in the small tank - he laid on the leaves to rest, especially when he didn't feel well). Maybe the taller one would allow him to stay close to the top without having to swim (that must be exhausting - even for a fish!).

Have a great day - it's Friday!


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Oh, one more thing. The "fish guy" noticed a little greasy-like residue above the water line on the tank. Nothing heavy, but you could see it was greasy because it smeared when you wipe it with your finger. Do you think it could be from the garlic? Just wondering if you ever experienced it before. Thanks.


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## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

I have noticed this in my tanks too. I think it is just from the condensation? Not sure.


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## sunlight (Apr 24, 2012)

hey guys i was trying to read all 9 pages briefly . I don't know if anyone mentioned to use gravel vacuum. I think you are using a filter and will try to cycle? If you want to use filter you will need to vacuum gravel regularly and you also need to swish/rinse filter media regularly in the old water WITH a water change. I don't cycle my tanks so i am not sure about all instructions on that, but Laki and Sakura can give you right advice.

There is two ways you can change the water so another way- If you don't want to use filter ,you can just do 1-50 and 1-100% water changes a weekly. Then you don't need to vacuum the gravel and you don't need filter


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## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

* You should definately gravel vac no matter what. A filter doesn't clean out the gravel. Water only changes can only do so much.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Thanks MaisyDawgThirteen. I'm glad the residue isn't anything to worry about. What kind of gravel vac would be good? I only have a very thin layer of gravel on the bottom of his 3 gallon tank. The "fish guy" set it up so the gravel was right up against the filter intake - he said it would cause some kind of air flow between the bottom of the tank and the gravel (or something like that). As you can tell, I don't know much about aquariums, but I'm trying to learn. Thanks for your help.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Oh, and I did a partial water change because I had his water tested today and they said it was "very hard," possibly due to the Epsom Salt. Results: NO3 - Zero, NO2 - Zero, GH - 300 ppm, Chlorine - Zero, pH 6.3, Ammonia - .5


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

The film might be from the food, harmless. It can be removed with a paper towel pretty easily. It's caused by the protein of their food, if it's greasy I would say it's definitely the garlic residue. 
The filter won't suck poop and bacteria from all the gravel, only where the intake tube is will it be any help. I don't have a vacuum (I bet any 10$ or less one is fine) I use a turkey baster. It takes forever but I like it because I have more control (in case something/someone gets sucked into it)

epsom salt is still okay to use until he's 100%


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Sunlight,

Thank you for your reply. I don't have his tank to the point of getting it to cycle yet. Tomorrow will be one week since I transferred him into it from his small .5 gallon tank. I've rinsed his filter a couple of times because it seemed like it was bubbling (air bubbles?) - after I rinsed, it stopped. Yes, I will definitely need more instructions on how to clean the gravel/tank/water. Thanks for your help.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Laki,

Thank you, I kind of figured the garlic was causing the film. I wiped it off again today, but it seemed less than yesterday. Good to know about the turkey baster - I'll give it a try. Thanks for your help.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I always get those greasy films. Food residue, possible residue from the air. I also sometimes think the more a fish bubblenests, the more protein there is to create films. 

When you rinse a filter, always be sure to rinse it in tank water.  If you rinse it in regular tap water, the chlorine kills off your good bacteria.

If you use a gravel vacuum, you'll either need to carry the tank to a sink, a window, or have a bucket. The water has to drain into something.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Sakura8,

Thanks for letting me know about the greasy film. So, do I rinse it in the tank or just the tank water? Also, how long does a filter usually last? 

Good to know about the vacuum - I think I'll try the turkey baster first because a sink is quite a distance away from his tank (or I could try the bucket). How often do you vacuum? 

Thanks so much for your help. Have a great weekend!


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Tank water. It's best to rinse the filter when you do a water change. Save some tank water that you've taken out and just swish the filter media around. 

The mechanical filtration part of a filter (the sponge/foam part) will last forever unless it falls apart. The carbon inside, though, has to be replaced every month. But you don't actually NEED carbon in your filter so if you don't want to replace it, that's fine.

I vacuum every time I do a water change. It basically works that while the water is draining, you can just run the vac part through the gravel.


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## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

Same. Gravel Vaccuming just makes everything easier.  I can now do a partial water change in my 10 gallon in just 20 minutes.LOL


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

I have 2 sponges in my filter and 1 carbonless filter (cut off the top and dumped the carbon in the garbage) so I rinse out at least one of them each major water change. Don't knwo what this does to my cycle but I had some nasty planaria and cyclops infestations (though they're okay I just like to know I'm denting their population each time).. I don't overfeed so I don;t know why they're there. 
If you want a silk plant perfect! Live plants I'm about to just give up. My tank is like plagued and I kill all my plants so I can only offer marimo moss, java fern and anubias as totally hardy plans (bc I haven't killed mine yet lol) must count for something.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Chances are you don't have enough light for most live plants anyway. You can try anubias, java fern, and java moss, though.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Sakura8, MaisyDawgThirteen, and Laki, 

Thank you all for your replies. Great information about the filters and vacuums. I have three windows in my office, so I may try a real plant in addition to the two silk ones. I may be stopping by to check in on BeBe later today. 

Sakura8, what was that water conditioner you were telling be about and where do you buy it? Thanks for letting me know. 

Take care all and thanks again for your help.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Seachem Prime. You can get it at Petco, Petsmart, or any indepedent fish store.


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## MaisyDawgThirteen (Dec 7, 2011)

I use Seachem Prime too. It is great stuff, and will save you a lot of money in the long run.


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## Aqua Betta (Oct 13, 2012)

Thank you Sakura8 and MaisyDawgThirteen. I will look for the Seachem Prime. 

I went to see BeBe today and he's doing fine. Swimming along at the top and he ate 5 mini-pellets.  

Thanks again for all of your help!


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