# Help! New fish owner...1 fish dead and 1 rotting :(



## pr2ma (Nov 6, 2012)

Hi!
I got two bettas in a 2.5 gal divided tank . After 1 week of having them with no issues I had to leave them with a friend for a week cause I had to go away and couldn't bring them with me. 
They didnt get a water change in 2 weeks :-?, cause my friend was waiting on me to do it and I didn't change the water before I left, cause I left in a hurry... When I got them back 1 of the fish was almost dead (and finally died after I changed the water :-() and the other one, Vio, (from what I've found online) I've diagnosed him with fin rot and this morning woke up with a poppy eye. 

I took him out of the tank and put him in a small container (where he came from) cause I don't have any other to quarantine him so he can get better. I will go today and buy him a 1/2 gal one to quarantine.

I got a second fish (red) because my daughter was missing the other one that died and was asking about him (she is 3) and Red is in the tank. When I get home today I will change the water and put some Aquarium salt cause I dont want the new one (REd) to get sick too.

I even bought them a heater because I thought they were acting weird because of the cold weather we have here right now...Inside the apartment is 60F during the day and outside is 27F. But then this morning I noticed the fin and the poppy eye.

I found a few recommendations online about how to treat rot fin. Some say just use Aquarium salt treatment for 10 days having the fish in a 1/2 gal and changing the water everyday and adding new salt, others say to give Maracin 1 and Maracin 2.

Whats my best option? I dont want Vio to die....And I don't want REd to get sick. I'm on a tight budget and I've spent to much already... :-(
I've attached some pics so you guys can see. 
Can some one tell me if this is a mild rot or is a very severe one?

Thanks for the help!


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## MyRainbowBettaFish (May 9, 2012)

HI.

the minimum for dividing tanks is generally 5-10 gallons. Your tank IMO Is WAY too small. The divider is also see through, thus letting the fish become stressed at each other. A tank that size with ONE betta needs to be cleaned ATLEAST 1 50% and 1 100% a week. What are you feeding them and how much?

The second one appears to have fin rot, which i treatable with AQUARIUM salt. It also might have fungus....


what do you use to treat the tank water?

can you give us some background info?

oops. just read a piece of the above post. Seperate BOTH fish, in 1 gallon containers. Water changes every other day. They are probably VERY stressed from seeing each other like that ALL the time. 

Fishkeeping is generally a very expensive hobby.....


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## shellieca (Jul 12, 2012)

+1 with Rainbow. Additionally the tank probably hadn't/hasn't properly cycled. If you want two fish I suggest getting them separate tanks or a 10g divided properly. Lots of fresh, clean, properly conditioned & heated water & more than likely they'll improve. I would start by taking the divider out, while I prefer a minimum of 5g per Betta, a well kept 2.5 is good.


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## pr2ma (Nov 6, 2012)

I'm new to this. So I thought because they sell it to have 2 bettas that it would be ok....
I'll start cleaning it more often now. LEarned my lesson... but for now I can't afford another tank for the other betta or a bigger tank. SO will have to deal with this for a little while and change the water regularly.

Any suggestions on changing water?

I guess I will get 2- 1 gal bowls and start treating them with the Aquarium Salt.

The only thing that I put in the water is the Aqueon Betta Plus. 

I feed them Aqueon Betta Pellets. 

Which second one? the red one?

Thanks for the help


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## sainthogan (Sep 27, 2012)

Your sick one looks like he may have velvet along with ammonia sickness. To find out for sure if it's velvet, you will need to take a flashlight and look for a gold or rust colored "dust" anywhere on his body, especially around the gills.
Ammonia sickness comes from not cleaning the tank often enough, and with 2 of them in such a small tank, ammonia is going to build up extremely fast.
If you get the 1 gallon bowls, make sure you get a heater for both. Betta's are tropical fish, and do best in temperatures between 76 and 82.
When you are using aquarium salt, you need to change the water everyday. 
When they are well, here is a helpful link on how often you should change the water based on tank size, filter/no filter, etc. Keep in mind this is the recommended change for 1 fish per tank, double it if you have 2 (but in a minimum of 5 gallons for 2 - the general rule is 1 gallon per inch of fish -so if one fish is 2 1/2 inches, you'll need a 2 1/2 gallon tank minimum for just him) http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=115758


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## pr2ma (Nov 6, 2012)

This is turning into a big project for me... :/

I'll start with the salt treatment for Vio and check Red for signs of Fin Rot. I just got him yesterday at Petco to replace Blu (that died) 
Other thing these people at petco are awful. I first bought a 1/2 gal divided because they told me it would be ok for them...

Once i put them in they didnt look happy at all so I got the 2.5 divided and they were very happy moving a lot and eating and everything was awesome. THe problem was the cleaning issue when I left them with my friend which didnt clean the water cause she was waiting for me to do it.


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## pr2ma (Nov 6, 2012)

shellieca said:


> +1 with Rainbow. Additionally the tank probably hadn't/hasn't properly cycled. If you want two fish I suggest getting them separate tanks or a 10g divided properly. Lots of fresh, clean, properly conditioned & heated water & more than likely they'll improve. I would start by taking the divider out, while I prefer a minimum of 5g per Betta, a well kept 2.5 is good.


 
What do you mean by cycled?


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## LizzyP (Jun 21, 2012)

As other users have told you, 2.5 gallons for two fish is not acceptable. You have a couple options here:
1. Buy a 10 gallon tank and divide it. You can buy 10 gallons on sale at Petco sometimes for $10 when they have their dollar per gallon sale. There is a thread around here somewhere for DIY divider that I think costs $5-$6 max. If you go this route we will talk about cycling. 
2. Just buy another 2.5 gallon tank. You could even get a Kritter Keeper from Petsmart or Petco for cheap, around $10-$15 depending on the size. 

I do not recommend 1 gallon bowls for permanent homes. Being a bowl you can't fit a heater in them properly. If you get a 1 gallon make sure it has a flat side on it to get a heater on. You also will need to do 2 50% changes and 1 100% change per week in a 1 gallon to keep it clean. That's why a larger tank would benefit you. 

Which leads me to the next issue. Betta fish are tropical fish. They need water temps between 76 and 82 degrees. Water that is too cold leads them susceptible to disease and illness, which by the looks of it your fish have. Make sure it is adjustable, the preset ones are not reliable. Also make sure you get a thermometer so you can keep an eye on the temp. 

You should be feeding a better pellet, such as Omega One or New Life Spectrum. But, we will get there once you get proper set ups for your boys. You're lucky both fish didn't die while you were away.


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## Freyja (Jun 22, 2012)

You dont need to do that many water changes for a one gallon tank, one 50% water change and one 100% water change is enough . There is such a thing as too clean. As for the 2.5 gallon, you do two weekly water changes: 1-50% water only and 1-50% with substrate cleaning.
FYI- http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=115758


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## LizzyP (Jun 21, 2012)

Sorry, I meant 1 50% and 1 100%. I'm on my phone.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

I agree with everything already said.

I actually got a gallon petcarrier for $7 at walmart that works just fine for fish.

You also need a heater since these are tropical fish but you can find them on amazon for $7 that I have seen. 

Betta can be expensive which people fail to consider, they may be cheap animals but in total both my betta's current setups have cost me around $100. Not so cheap a pet now but then again there is no such thing as a cheap pet. Even rats which you can get for $10 at a pet store have cost me well into $500 for all their care and needs and my mice cost me into the thousands with vet bills.


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## pr2ma (Nov 6, 2012)

Freyja said:


> You dont need to do that many water changes for a one gallon tank, one 50% water change and one 100% water change is enough . There is such a thing as too clean. As for the 2.5 gallon, you do two weekly water changes: 1-50% water only and 1-50% with substrate cleaning.
> FYI- http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=115758


 
Thanks for the info. 
Sorry I'm very new at this, but what is substrate cleaning???


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

Cleaning out the gravel on the bottom of the tank. And with two fish in a 2.5 gallon I would double the tank cleanings. 2 50% and 2 100% water changes.


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## sainthogan (Sep 27, 2012)

pr2ma said:


> Thanks for the info.
> Sorry I'm very new at this, but what is substrate cleaning???


Cleaning whatever stuff you have at the bottom of your tank, such as gravel, sand, rocks, etc. I have red gravel in my tank (technically, this is my 6 year old's son tank, so he picked out the gravel - but as my husband said "It's cute how you let our son think this is his fish" Yeah, I've become quite attached to her)


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Looks like everyone told you the sufficient way of keeping these fish.
With a gravel vacuum, you suck up the debris in the substrate. Substrate is the material you use for the bottom of the tank, gravel or sand. This helps keep the ammonia down from getting poo and uneaten food from the gravel, meanwhile sucking up water also.

Cycling is the process of 2 special bacteria making a big enough colony to eat ammonia and nitrite. This may take a month or more so just read the stickies on them.

Fish keeping isn't easy or cheap at all. It's not a hobby, it's a passion. A setup for a 3.5 gallon cost me over $200. Lets say I want to get the best supplies at possible. And now, including my 3.5 and 20 gallon tanks, it's like $400? Keeping any animal is never easy. Whether a fish to a dog, it never is.


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## sainthogan (Sep 27, 2012)

As others have said, fish keeping can be expensive, but Bettas are very rewarding pets, much more so than regular fish.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

+1 to Lebron

Once I get my 10 gallon going i'm going to drop another $300 into my fish if not more. But that sorority tank will be so worth it.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

While the 2.5gal isn't ideal to use for a divided tank for 2 male Bettas-You can make it work. Usually in smaller divided tanks you can have more of an issue with stress related issues from seeing each other all the time, however, some males will desensitize and be fine. Water quality should be fairly easy to maintain with proper care.

By the pic-it looks like you have a filter...correct...any live plants...

To understand-one Betta has already died and the other one is sick-then you just got another new Betta to replace the one that died- and he is fine?

Right now what I would recommend-QT the sick Betta. The small temporary cups they are often sold in work great for a QT container. Usually they are small enough to float (_attached to the side so they don't sink_) in the heated tank to maintain water temp in the 76-77F range for treatment.

Since the sick Betta has popeye along with fin rot-I would recommend Epsom salt (_Not aquarium salt_) for treatment

Mix up some treatment water using a 1gal jug of dechlorinated water and add Epsom salt 2tsp/gal and a tannin source if you have one. Either IAL (_1lrg crushed/gal_) or naturally dried and fallen from the tree Oak leaf (_20crushed/gal_) Let this premixed jug of treatment water steep for 30min. Shake well before use.

Using this premixed treatment water-make 25% water changes every 15min for 1 hour today on the sick Betta in the small QT you have him in-floating in the heated tank.
_He needs to stay in the QT in this treatment water for the duration of the treatment period of 10-14 days._

Tomorrow-using the premixed treatment water-make 50% water changes daily to complete the treatment duration.
_If you used a tannin source-the water in the 1gal jug should look darker each day and this is what you want. Don't worry about any leaf piece that flow into the QT with the water changes._

On the new Betta-provided that he is not symptomatic-keep him in the divided 2.5gal filtered tank and make a 50% water change daily for 3 days. Clean the substrate by either vacuum or stir and dip method on day 2. Then get on a regular water change schedule of twice weekly 50%. One 50% water only and 1-50% to include the substrate by vacuum or stir and dip method.
Filter media-needs a swish/rinse in the bucket of old tank water a couple of times a month. If you haven't done this in the past month-I would go ahead and do this today along with the 50% water only.

Nutrition-good quality varied diet fed in small frequent meals and if you have access to live mosquito larva-offer both of them several rinsed a couple of times a day to boost protein intake to support a healthy immune response.

Keeping Bettas doesn't have to be expensive...Lots and lots of different ways you can properly keep this species successfully-IMO/E


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## Freyja (Jun 22, 2012)

LizzyP said:


> Sorry, I meant 1 50% and 1 100%. I'm on my phone.


Lol I get it. No worries.


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## pr2ma (Nov 6, 2012)

Wow!
A lot of info!
THanks!!

I'm anxious to get home to check on them and start treatment on Vio.
The new one (Red) seems to be ok I will check when I get home for sign of Rot Fin. I went to Petco today and most of their Betta's have signs of Rot Fin (thats where I bought them...)

As soon as I can afford it I will make improvements to their tanks... 

THank u all!

THis is a tank for my daughter but its a therapy for me...


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## shellieca (Jul 12, 2012)

pr2ma said:


> I'm new to this. So I thought because they sell it to have 2 bettas that it would be ok....
> I'll start cleaning it more often now. LEarned my lesson... but for now I can't afford another tank for the other betta or a bigger tank. SO will have to deal with this for a little while and change the water regularly.
> 
> Any suggestions on changing water?
> ...


Pretty much all of us have been where you're at & have had fish suffer because of our lack of knowledge. You're getting lots of good advice from everyone & I hope you're able to take it.

A cycled tank means that your filter (tank) has the proper build up of beneficial bacteria (BB) and is able to process ammonia & nitrites out of the water. When a tank is new there is not this BB which means toxins (ammonia and/or nitrites) build up in the water making the fish ill or causing death.


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## pr2ma (Nov 6, 2012)

What do you guys think about Bettafix??

The “Knowledgeable” people at Petco told me that would help… (please note the sarcasm on my sentence...) but I’m not sure about there real knowledge….
I’ve read some very good reviews about it and how it helped the fish right away… but also read some threads here that say its bad for the Betta.

So does it work or not?


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## pr2ma (Nov 6, 2012)

Can someone recommend an inexpensive but good vacuum?


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## blueridge (Jul 1, 2011)

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11123493&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No

^ I have this one and it works great! Good luck with your bettas!


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## ravenwinds (Feb 5, 2012)

Bettafix has been known to kill bettas...so most of us don't use it, although some say it does wonders.

Like Old Fish Lady said: there are a lot of ways to keep these very rewarding fish ...don't give up...and FYI: your doing a lot better than some with your 2.5g filtered tank.
Check out the thread on this site dedicated to 1-2 gallon tanks!
If you buy a bunch of live stem plants or a couple of silk plants from craft store (no glue or glitter, etc) and plant them along divider...this will decrease stress between the 2 inhabitants once your sick fish is better and can return to tank.
Their current tank will be fine for some time if you make it so each fish can get out of line of sight of the other.
Listen to OldFishLady...she has awesome advice from a lot of experience.


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## LadyVictorian (Nov 23, 2011)

Betta are very therapeutic. My boy and girl mean the world to me and have been nothing but a joy since i get them. My rescue has been a bit more stressful because he was so ill but watching him turn from not moving nor eating to an active little snot it's so rewarding. What will be all the more rewarding will be finding him his forever home.


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## asukabetta (Oct 2, 2012)

LadyVictorian said:


> Betta are very therapeutic. My boy and girl mean the world to me and have been nothing but a joy since i get them. My rescue has been a bit more stressful because he was so ill but watching him turn from not moving nor eating to an active little snot it's so rewarding. What will be all the more rewarding will be finding him his forever home.



really they are recommended for therapy? D: woah


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## Wendyjo (Oct 19, 2012)

Petco has a 14 day return period on fish. You could return the new one and focus on getting the other guy well and he could have the tank to himself, which would be best for him anyhow. That would save you money rather than cost you more.


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## bamsuddenimpact (Jan 25, 2011)

Wendyjo said:


> Petco has a 14 day return period on fish. You could return the new one and focus on getting the other guy well and he could have the tank to himself, which would be best for him anyhow. That would save you money rather than cost you more.


Petco upped it to 30 days. I bought a betta within the last month.. and put his "life insurance policy" next to his tank until his month was up lol


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## Friendlyfishies (Aug 16, 2012)

"This is turning into a big project for me... :/"

Sorry its stressful for you...I didnt realize how money and time went into it either, it will settle down once you get the right equipment, it will cost a little now but then when you sit down and look at the tank all set up with everything in it, happy healthy fish, the cost will drop drastically and you will finally have time to enjoy them and not worry so much about them.

I kind of agree with some others, they said to return the new fish and focus on the sick fish. I only say this because I jumped into bettas with both feet too quickly and was very unprepared. I had one fish get sick, another was a rescue, another developed fin rot and one just wasnt happy in his home, it was too much money and too much time! I was treating and doing water changes daily plus work and run the farm. I was freaking out and losing ground with my sick fish. I rehomed 2 of my fish just last week and now I can focus on Moonie and Miyagi...much more relaxing! And moonie is making great headway with his fins now! It will be worth it to return the other one, but what you do is up to you ...good luck with everything!


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## mstenorsaxplayer (Apr 27, 2012)

I am a college student so I understand the tight budget. Do the very best you can do. The AQ salt should treat the fin rot. If the betta has fin rot and pop eye do not use the AQ salt. AQ salt can cause the body to hold in liquid. That is bad for pop eye. Pop eye in this case is most likely bacterial. When the bacteria infects the area behind the eye, the blood can bubble causeing swelling. If untreated the fish can lose his eye. Go to walgreens and get their REGULAR epsom salt and do a couple salt baths a day. about .5 teaspoons for every half gallon. These baths should be in treated water and should last no more than 5 minutes. After the pop eye is gone treat the fin rot with AQ salt. Hope this helps.


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## mstenorsaxplayer (Apr 27, 2012)

*epsom price*

Epsom salt is like $5


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## mstenorsaxplayer (Apr 27, 2012)

What are you treating the water with?


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

First rule of fishie ownership - DO NOT listen to petco or petsmart or any other petshop! I also learned that one the hard way and killed a few fish before finding out i need water conditioner :evil:

Moving on - so you have the 2.5 divided with 2 fish. One new one and the one with fin rot, correct? The problem with dividing the 2.5 is not really the small size but has more to do with the ammonia buildup in the water from the 2 fish. 

If lack of money is an issue, a cheap solution is to keep one fish alone in the 2.5 and move the other to one of those sterelite storage bins. A 5 gallon tank is like $15 but you can get a 5 gallon storage bin for like $5. Granted, it's not the fanciest thing in the world to have on display but it's cheap and you can always get a real tank at a later date. 









I upgraded it to this, which is about 20 gallons or so. I think the bin was on sale for $7.









However, if you would rather go with an actual tank, walmart should have the 1 gallon hawkeye corner tank for about $10. It was a light, and undergravel filter thing with an airstone and pump. I removed that - took up too much room. 

For cheap heaters - try searching amazon or ebay. I got most of my 25 watt heaters for about $10 off ebay :-D. It may take a few days or so but you will eventually find some for a good price.

As for bettafix- yay and nay. Some people say its a wonder drug, others say it killed their betta. It has a tea tree oil in it that many people say will harm their breathing organ. Personally, I think if you do not over dose, you should be OK. I have used it before as it was the only thing I could find. I think alot of the "bad" was either that the owners did not follow directions OR the fish was in worse shape then just fin rot. Petco dosen't sell any useful meds like Furan 2 or Tetracycline. 

If he *ONLY* has fin rot - that is easy to fix. Clean, warm water is usually all that is needed. Some people like to add in 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt per gallon as well. DO not use salt for more then 10-14 days and do daily 100% water changes. Basic fin rot does not need to be treated with medication - unless it is fast moving or about to attack the body of the fish. 

However for the popeye - Epsom salt is probably best. It will help draw out the fluid by the eye whereas AQ salt will help him retain it. The treatment is the same - 1 teaspoon per gallon with 100% daily water changes. However, unlike AQ salt - Epsom can be used long term. 

ERYTHROMYCIN should work for both popeye and fin rot
*API Pro Series; ERYTHROMYCIN -$8.59* Jump to Shopping Cart

*10 powder packets for 10 gallons each
*Premium aerobic gram positive bacterial treatment for bacterium such as Streptococcus infections in fish
*For many eye infections
*Some causes of pop-eye
*Streptococcus
*Bacterial gill disease


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## MaggieLynn (Jun 24, 2011)

Not sure if anyone mentioned in note to the bettafix any of the products eith fix at the end like mellafix and primafix as well as betta fix are a do not use with these fish.


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## Wendyjo (Oct 19, 2012)

I gallon isn't all that great either - once you add a heater, decor, etc. it's not very much water volume.

The very first bettas I got I did the exact same thing - got a 2.5g with a divider and 2 bettas - a blue and a red. Came home, started doing some research and realized it was too small and decided to return one of them the next day. Woke up the next morning, saw that the red one had jumped the divider (they hadn't fought tho), declared him the winner and took the blue guy back. So I am not saying to return one of the fish to be mean - I'm saying it because it's best for the fish and for you right now as well. You need time to learn proper betta care and your sick betta needs all of your attention and resources right now. They are pets and should be treated with love and respect.


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## bryzy (Nov 3, 2012)

Tip. Because they can see each other, they know that there is a rival on the other side. A see through us one thing, but when u have holes, diesease has a better chance of spreading. Also cause they CAN c each other, one might jump the divider


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## Freyja (Jun 22, 2012)

Thank you mods!


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

Ok guys, it's great to try and be helpful, but please dont read about the tank size and jump on it according toyour own opinions of how big a betta's habitat should be. it is definitely not OP's primary point of concern. 
1.25 gallons of water for one betta is perfectly acceptable providing the tank is well looked after.

A 2 week absence will probably even kill two fish in an uncycled 5 gallon....

it's the care not the tank size...

that said, I do also agree with "bigger is better" notion. So if you do get a hance to upgrade, do go for it.

You are on to a good start with the heater. 60F is way to cold for betta fish, 78-82 is a good temperature and will help healing.

aquarium salt is fine for fin rot. however it does look like he is clamped because he is cold/uncomfortable.

Your fish looks like a grizzle to me, and unless he's darting against surfaces and looks coppery under a flash light, I would rule out velvet.

provide the fish with a proper heated environment first, then if any problems still persists, we can hel yoi tackle that later.

you can heat a 1 gallon bowl just fine by propping a heater upright. you do not need a flat surface. I recommend 25w adjustable heaters for 1 gallon bowls/tanks. I wish you the best of luck. My fingers are lind of froEn in the weather even though i want to type more. I'll see what else ican add for you later...


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## pr2ma (Nov 6, 2012)

*Update:*

Thank u all for the help!! I really appreciate it! And thanks to the mods cause some people are not that helpful but can be very mean...

Vio didn't make it.  Did the Epsom salt, she had a heater and was in a quarantine 1 gal tank. At the end her poppy eye was bloody and it popped and his upper portion including head where like a goldish color... 

So ive Decided to leave the tank for just 1 fish and ReD is doing fine, later on will get another 2.5 tank for my room...


I'm tryin to decide on a heater with a variable setting. Is a 50W ok for a 2.5 gal?


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## sainthogan (Sep 27, 2012)

I'm sorry he didn't make it.  The gold fish color sounds like he may have had velvet.


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## pr2ma (Nov 6, 2012)

sainthogan said:


> I'm sorry he didn't make it.  The gold fish color sounds like he may have had velvet.


 
I think the same... Lesson learned. If I have to leave I'm only leaving my fish with someone thats willing to change water and take care of them while im gone...


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

asukabetta said:


> really they are recommended for therapy? D: woah


I am autistic and my betta's have helped me a lot


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## asukabetta (Oct 2, 2012)

xShainax said:


> I am autistic and my betta's have helped me a lot


that is really interesting D: I have noticed they relax me a lot while stressed, but then again all fish relax me when I see them swimming XD


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## Atena (Apr 29, 2012)

Sorry about your fish not making it, I am glad his brother is doing well. Hang in there, when I first got Guppy the first thing he did was promptly get sick. being a new fish mom can be tough, especially when you just jump into the deep end with little help. But it is well worth the trouble. Guppy has been with me for several months now and he is doing just fine in his little 2.5 gallon tank, he is actually becoming quite spoiled! 

I have learned a lot about Beta keeping from the helpful and kind folks here, have also been yelled at more than ones and been given contradictory info from different members so I can relate to what you are going through.

People in the pets stores just don't know better, their job is to sell and their training on the actual animals is minimal. I hope your relationship with the one you have left will grow, they really are great pets and not that hard to keep up ones you get the hang of it.

Hugs,

Atena


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

a 50w heater is perfectly fine for a 2.5 gallon providing it's adjustable. If the disease was indeed velvet, you second fish would probably be infected, so keep an eye out. otherwise.. best of luck in your fish keeping!


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## ravenwinds (Feb 5, 2012)

I am sorry Vio didn't make it...it's always hard to lose one of these guys since they have such personalities; each one is different and so interactive with world outside their tank. I talk to them all the time and they behave so different from other fish...they are like my other pets of the four legged variety 
I hope you and your new one have a long, happy life together! They are so rewarding (+1 atena)....and it does get easier once you get used to looking after them. 
I agree with above...if it was parasites of any kind, your new boy is at risk. Probably wouldn't hurt to do a complete gravel wash at next cleaning...take everything out and wash thoroughly...don't use soap but you can use white vinegar or peroxide solution.
After that, just monitor red boy for any rubbing, darting, etc...
Good luck! If you have further questions, let us know...we might all give you different answers but that's because there are so many ways to take care of these fish...there is no One and only right way.


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