# The mystery of the ich: SOLVED



## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

First, thank you everyone for your support and kind words regarding Taco's passing. It's really weird having just Tian-Tian around, but I suppose I'll get used to it eventually. 

Meanwhile, Tian-Tian still has a recurring case of hardcore ich. I've done daily water changes, kept the temperature constant, tried warming him up, I've quarantined him and bleached his tank, I've treated him with Jungle Ick Clear and _the darn ich STILL hasn't gone away!!! _

*But now I know why. 
*
I took a quick spin over to my LFS this morning. Since I've been a bit of a regular over there, they were more than happy to help me out. I talked to "Dr. Fish" and explained to him Tian-Tian's mysterious case of ich. 

As it turns out, Tian-Tian's recurring ich is not for my lack of trying. Apparently there's a certain bacteria in my water supply (yes, the very same water I drink from) that older fish, like Tian-Tian, are susceptible to. In older fish, this bacteria can cause ich. So for all of my water changes and everything else I've done, it's something I can't really get rid of 'cause the darn bacteria is in my water supply. 


Baffling, isn't it? Thoughts, anyone? 

I picked up an intense ich medicine with Formalin and Malachite Green to at least alleviate some of the symptoms (as recommended by "Dr. Fish... who has been keeping fish for 40 years, by the way). 

Tian-Tian has been doing all right, but I think he's mad at me 'cause I've left him in a bare tank. :lol: I bought him a new plant today while I was there to replace the one I had to throw away. I might put it in tomorrow, or in a few days. We'll see.

I also looked at the current shipment of Bettas... thinking about getting another Betta.... but it's too soon just yet. Too soon. (And besides, I've got to move Tian-Tian back to my dorm in 5 days).

Long update was long. Whew.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Yeah, that water thing IS wierd. You'll get another betta when you're ready.


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## dr2b (May 31, 2009)

Wow that is strange. I'm glad you know why he is getting it now.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

Update:

Looks like the medicine that I bought yesterday did wonders for Tian-Tian! He was blowing his first bubble nest in MONTHS and swimming so much more energetically than he has been!  Also, he loves his new plant.

So yay!


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## fishyinpa (Dec 25, 2008)

Glad to hear Tian-Tian is doing better! Thats interesting about the water.


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## Vikki81207 (May 27, 2009)

That is weird. I would start getting spring water and treating it for him. And treat him for another couple of weeks. 
& you should get another betta, if you're ready.


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## dr2b (May 31, 2009)

Glad Tian-Tian is doing better!


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

Thanks! Me too! 

BLAH. Spring water is too expensive. And since I'm moving to college town, the water supply might have a different chemical makeup. We'll see.  Thanks for the suggestion, though. I'll keep it in mind. 

Meanwhile, I recall seeing a cute, tiny, yellow female that I really liked. I kinda wanted her, but since I'm moving in a few days, that probably wouldn't have gone over too well (and I'm still a bit hesitant, anyway). I'll buy different stock at my college town. Maybe. If my financial aid ever gets here.


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## Vikki81207 (May 27, 2009)

Oh yeah, forgot you were going to college. So the water should be better there.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

HOLY TAP-DANCING MOSES ON BUTTERED TOAST. 
I just realized: 
*
It was more than likely the WATER that caused Tian-Tian's dramatic color change!! *It DID happen when I got home for the summer, after all.
asjkdlgjalksdfjlsaff!!!!! 

_See for yourself!! _
Before:








Now: (below)










Note: this is not what the tank looks like right now. It's bare with one plant similar to the one pictured here.  Just so you know.

But this shows EXACTLY the problem with my water. SOMETHING'S DIFFERENT.


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## fishyinpa (Dec 25, 2008)

Oh wow. What a difference! Guess there is something funky in your water supply.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

... Mercury? lol


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## Vikki81207 (May 27, 2009)

Wow, it probably was! Jeez your water does lots of stuff, lol.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

*It's MAGICAL WATER. *



Side effects include ich, loss of energy and a strange craving for tacos.


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## Vikki81207 (May 27, 2009)

Bahaha! That's great.


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Wow. That's weird.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

MMmmm, tacos! I think I'll make some for dinner tomorrow. I better go thaw out that hamburger...


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

dramaqueen said:


> MMmmm, tacos! I think I'll make some for dinner tomorrow. I better go thaw out that hamburger...


That sounds good!!! Huh maybe I'll make spagetti tacos like on iCarly XD


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Spaghetti tacos? I never heard of that! lol


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

dramaqueen said:


> Spaghetti tacos? I never heard of that! lol


 
It's spaghetti in a taco shell. They're actually really good


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

Sounds...uh.... Interesting....  LOL


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Has anyone ever had a hotdog rolled up in a flour tortilla? We eat them like that sometimes.


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## Vikki81207 (May 27, 2009)

Nope. Hmm.


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## Vikki81207 (May 27, 2009)

How about chicken in your spaghetti instead of hamburger or meatballs? I do that sometimes. Shred it up or cut it into small pieces. Its good.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

dramaqueen said:


> Has anyone ever had a hotdog rolled up in a flour tortilla? We eat them like that sometimes.


That's called "eating what's left in your fridge" around here, though it's usually normal, haha. :lol: 


Aww, I miss my little Taco-fish. I could've cracked a number of jokes about him.


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## Vikki81207 (May 27, 2009)

lol we do "eating whats left" all the time. lol. We'll be like "Hmm I wonder if this and this would go well together, guess we're gonna find out." haha


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## ifish (Apr 30, 2009)

omg those spaghtie taco are really good but tonight i have lox on pizza yummy with a side of human souls tasty treat


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

ifish said:


> omg those spaghtie taco are really good


 
exactly!!!


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## ifish (Apr 30, 2009)

all foor is good when you hungry


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I've had chicken with spaghetti before but not with spaghetti sauce on it. I think it had cheese, tomatoes and green chilis on it.


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## ifish (Apr 30, 2009)

yummy


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## ifish (Apr 30, 2009)

so we were talkingabout bettas now food lol


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## sunkissedinCA (May 7, 2009)

ifish said:


> omg those spaghtie taco are really good but tonight i have lox on pizza yummy with a side of human souls tasty treat


LOLLLLL pizza with a side of human souls, that made me laugh out loud


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

XD we need an off-topic section of the forum! 

Getting back to the subject, Tian-Tian is doing fantastic.  He's eating well and swimming everywhere (except for right now 'cause he doesn't get up this early... usually, lol). 

But I wonder what chemical properties are in my water? Hmm... I should go get a sample tested.


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## ifish (Apr 30, 2009)

every place it diffrent well its a MISTERY i suspose


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

TianTian said:


> HOLY TAP-DANCING MOSES ON BUTTERED TOAST.
> 
> 
> 
> That made me laugh out loud :-D


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

We have an off topic section of FishForum.


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## sunkissedinCA (May 7, 2009)

yay, glad to hear he's doing better


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

dramaqueen said:


> We have an off topic section of FishForum.


But we don't have one HERE.  I don't keep other fish anymore.... or even koi since I'm in college and whatnot (it's a little hard keeping a pond in a dorm, lol). So as far as I'm concerned, I hang out here and only here for now. ;-)


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## ScentedLove (Aug 13, 2009)

Happy to hear that


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## crowntail lover (Apr 25, 2009)

I am so happy Tian Tian is doing well!! I love that little guy!!


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Wait you drink that water!!! That's just gross. 

Melted Butter!!!!!


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## crowntail lover (Apr 25, 2009)

lol! MrVampire! Your funny!


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## ifish (Apr 30, 2009)

its bad for bettas not us and the fish fourm isnt fun people arnt as nice as they arre here


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## 5green (Jul 31, 2009)

you can get spring or bottled water w/out chemicals


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Yeah, but that can get rather costly if you have a lot of bettas.


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## ifish (Apr 30, 2009)

or you can get a fliter for your water?


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## Kim (Apr 30, 2008)

Wow, that's wierd about the water :S

I'm really glad that you figured it out though! How great to have someone knowledgeable in your area to help you  I hope that Tian-Tian gets completely back to normal after the move.

Oh, I just had a thought, maybe a UV sterilizer would work. You could get a holding tank (10 gallon tanks are cheap) and run it on that, then when you do water changes you could take the water from that tank. It would definitely be more cost effective than trying to run a UV sterilizer on each tank if you end up with multiple bettas and it should kill any bacteria that are present in the water.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Good idea, Kim!


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## ifish (Apr 30, 2009)

good idea but if she had a 10 gallon why wouldnt she just put tian-tian in it but hey tharts a good idea


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

MrVampire181 said:


> Wait you drink that water!!! That's just gross.



D: I know, tell me about it. 

It's the recurring ich so far. It was on his head this morning, but now it's gone again, even though I haven't given him a water change yet. :-? Weird. 

KIM! Please explain to me about this mysterious UV thing again!! :-D I must needs know more about it! 

Aaaannddd.... three more days until Tian-Tian takes the epic journey to the Almighty Land of College once again. Whew!


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## fishyinpa (Dec 25, 2008)

Roja has ich. 3rd fish to get it,the other 2 died. Hope she lives.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Oh, no! Poor Roja!


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## ifish (Apr 30, 2009)

oh no poor fishy


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

I hope Roja gets better!! 

Meanwhile, Tian-Tian's ich seemed to not be bothering him... until around noon yesterday. The darn ich came back with a VENGEANCE and just coated half of Tian-Tian's body in tiny crystals. It looked like he had been doused in salt! 

So I've stepped up the treatment again. My poor boy is gonna end up losing his plant again, with the ich rampaging like this.  

More updates to follow.


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## fishyinpa (Dec 25, 2008)

That sucks. Ich is a very nasty thing. I hope Roja and TianTian can beat it. She seems to have perked up big time after I put in the Ick Away.


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## dr2b (May 31, 2009)

Man I'm so sorry to hear about Tian Tian again. So when you go back to college, you will be using a different water supply right?


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## fishyinpa (Dec 25, 2008)

I wish I could get a different water supply. One thats still perfect for pandas and healthy for bettas.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

dr2b said:


> Man I'm so sorry to hear about Tian Tian again. So when you go back to college, you will be using a different water supply right?


Yeah, it's only another 2 days awa-- ???? Tian-Tian is lying on his side!! BRB!! :shock:


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## dr2b (May 31, 2009)

Well at least you can look forward to a better water supply in two days.

Oh no I hope he is okay!!


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## fishyinpa (Dec 25, 2008)

oh no. come on TianTian.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

Okay, okay, false alarm. Maybe. 
From where I'm sitting, Tian-Tian's tank is at an angle. He was apparently resting at the bottom of the tank, but from my viewpoint he appeared to be on his side. 

Still, bottom-resting ain't normal for my boy. 
Just did 100% water change and added some more meds. Gotta at least keep the ich away as long as I can.


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## fishyinpa (Dec 25, 2008)

Hope so! Hate when the fishies scare us like that. Maybe its the meds making him lethargic?


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

It could be. At least the ich has been beaten back a little, I hope.


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## dr2b (May 31, 2009)

I hope he is just a bit lethargic and it isn't something really bad. It sounds like you got a lil fighter on your hands TianTian. 

Fishyinpa, I hope Roja pulls through also. Did your water ever get better up there? I know the parameters were way off before.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

The meds may be making him lethargic. It did to Oscar.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

Doing some checking up on Tian-Tian just now: 









That flashlight comes in handy. Also, messy surface area is messy. 

Here's my boy, in all his colors...








... and the bare tank. Since he's getting so lethargic, I lowered the water level for him.

Also: turns out my water supply also has FLUORIDE IN IT. :shock:


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

He's so pretty! Nice pics.


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## fishyinpa (Dec 25, 2008)

nope my water is still wacky. i put some seashells in the tanks,but no change as of yet.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

No fun, fishyinpa!  I hope you can get that water figured out! 


Thanks, dramaqueen! 

Okay, not much else to update here. I'll give him a day off on the meds tomorrow, since the next day is moving day. I don't want to stress him out too much more than he already is.


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## dr2b (May 31, 2009)

That really blows fishyinpa. Hope it gets worked out soon. 

And good luck on moving TianTian. When do you start classes?


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## Vikki81207 (May 27, 2009)

You know what I would do? Once you get all settled into college, I would put Tian Tian into a little holding jar or cup, then overdose his tank with Ich meds. Let it sit for maybe half a hour then rinse with hot water. In the meantime, let Tian Tian sit in a salt bath which should get whatever Ich is on him, off of him. Then once your done with the tank, set back up put some of that water from your college in and see how he's doing. he may not need meds after that. It worked great on Fishy and his tank. I haven't seen a sign of Ich since then.


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## fishyinpa (Dec 25, 2008)

Oh,that sounds good Vikki. Salt kills ich? Hmm...I am gonna have to try that on Roja then.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

Vikki!! Great suggestion! :-D I'll have to try that once I get moved in and whatnot. 



dr2b said:


> And good luck on moving TianTian. When do you start classes?


Thanks. I start classes on the 23rd... this Wednesday. 8am French class= BLASPHEMOUS. :|


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## dr2b (May 31, 2009)

> Thanks. I start classes on the 23rd... this Wednesday. 8am French class= BLASPHEMOUS. :|


Ick... 8 AM classes. I took an 8 AM class once - it was chemistry. I said never again. The earliest I will allow myself to take is 9 AM lol. I start tomorrow - definitely not looking forward to it. Summer went by too fast. 

Do you get a lot of people coming into your dorm to look at Tian Tian or do they leave him alone for the most part?


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

lol you said ick. lawl.

Anywho, yeah 8am is no bueno. But I don't recall a single semester so far that I haven't had an 8am class. I'm a morning person to begin with, so it usually doesn't bug me.... except it's French class and right now I have a love/hate relationship in learning the language. You'd think I'd have it down after studying it for almost 7 years!!!  

Meh, most people leave him alone. Generally when I have visitors over, they croon at how pretty he is and whatnot.  

At the moment my poor boy is resting at the bottom of his tank.  When I go up to him he acts as if everything's cool, then when I leave he just goes to the bottom again. 

Hang on, Tian-Tian!! Only 2 more days!!


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I hated 8 am classes!! I'm glad I don't have to do that any more!


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## dr2b (May 31, 2009)

I try to do all my classes in the morning so I can study/relax in the afternoons. However, I am not a morning person. It is definitely a doubled edged sword.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

Haha, mornings I'm most productive. Afternoons I'm playful and wanna hang out with friends. By the time evening rolls around, however, I'm ready to kick back and just chill. Though I do get out in the evenings often (on dates!!!1!!!). 

Most of my classes are spread throughout the day this semester. Interesting, but somewhat convenient 'cause I get a lot of studying time inbetween... and homework, haha.


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## ifish (Apr 30, 2009)

come on tian - tian live threw this


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## Vikki81207 (May 27, 2009)

I don't know if the salt kills the ich, but I noticed that when I put the fish in a salt bath, they fall off. So I dont know if it's dead or not, I use a net to get him out instead of pouring the water in, just in case. But it worked great. Hope it works for Tian and Roja
& good luck in class! I should be in college right now, but I have a bit too much going on. Probably will start a year late, next August.


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## fishyinpa (Dec 25, 2008)

Oh okay. Hmm...when I had Pez in the salt bath I swore I saw white thingys like jumping off of him...but with the flashlight,I dont see salt like spots on him. Confusing...but I will try that with Roja.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

So I've heard a multitude of how to give a salt baths... and I can't find neenjar's post about it. Is it epson salt we're using?


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=25297 Heres the link for the salt bath directions.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

Thanks dramaqueen. 


Ugh, totally feeling down right now.  

My financial aid just gave me the slip and I literally got nothing this year. Woe is the day when students can't afford college. At least my tuition is paid, and my housing. But I have no money for textbooks or much anything else.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

You're welcome. I'm so sorry to hear about your financial aid problems. I hope something will work out for you!


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## fishyinpa (Dec 25, 2008)

Oh that sucks. 

Roja is doing worse. Starting to look like Bella near the end of her life. *sigh*


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## Vikki81207 (May 27, 2009)

Oh no!! That's not good. What ich meds are you using?


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## Vikki81207 (May 27, 2009)

Did you give her a salt bath and while doing that overdose her tank? I know it's gotta work. Maybe something else is wrong also.


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## fishyinpa (Dec 25, 2008)

well shes had clamped fins for awhile. i am using ick away.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

Hope it works out, fishyinpa! 

I gave Tian-Tian a 100% water change just now. He seems to still prefer the bottom of the tank for cruising, but he seems a bit perkier since I didn't give him any meds this time. 

On a lighter note, his scales have started to change from royal blue to a deep, dark purple. Gosh, he's so beautiful. I would hate to lose him. 

So that's the update for today, I suppose. Tomorrow is moving day. 

Note: I might end up getting a bigger tank as a gift from a friend of ours.  I don't know the size of it, but if it fits under dorm-room-size standards for me (5 gallons) then guess what I'll be doing when I move into the dorm!!! 

.... buying another Betta, that's what. If my finances would just stop giving me such a hard time.


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## fishyinpa (Dec 25, 2008)

Thanks I hope so too. Oh that sounds awesome, a new tank. Hope everything works out for you.


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## sumsum (Aug 24, 2009)

It could be chloramines in the water.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I hope your moving day goes well, Tian Tian!


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## Vikki81207 (May 27, 2009)

Good luck tomorrow! I hope things work out for you.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Good luck to all those starting school, whether it be junior high, high school or college!


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## dr2b (May 31, 2009)

Hope moving goes/went well Tian-Tian.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

AHHH, I move into the dorm this evening. I wonder what my roomie will think of my Betta? 

The suspense is killing me! 

Meanwhile, we had a ton of guests over earlier this morning and Tian-Tian was swimming around and appearing keenly interested with the sudden crowd. He's flared at me a few times, but not much else has changed regarding his ich, even though I've given him salt baths already.  Thankfully it's not as severe as it was the other day and no one seemed to notice his condition. Instead I got a few compliments on his color and that's about it. :3 

Here's to hoping my water change tonight, after the move, will fix things!


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## Vikki81207 (May 27, 2009)

Yay! I can't wait to hear how he feels after the water change.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

Good morning! It's 6:52 am, but I'm ready to kick off the first day of class! 

Thankfully, by the grace of God, Tian-Tian survived the trip. I gave him a 100% water change. At first he was floating vertical for a while, but I woke up this morning to find him swimming normally, cheerfully, and eating well. 

I'll be keeping an eye out for the ich but I think everything's gonna be okay.  

Updates to follow!


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

Tian-Tian's current activity level: low. Apparently the old man can't keep up mid-morning. 

Also noticed some alarming signs of fungus. I'm treating the tank now. 
Man, this water supply up here must have its own problems or something. Sheesh. 

Tian-Tian is doing otherwise all right... just staying close to the bottom of the tank, looking lethargic and unhappy. 
I hope he recovers.


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## ScentedLove (Aug 13, 2009)

I hope he feels better too!!


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Maybe its just stress from the move. Hopefully, he'll perk up in a day or two.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

I hope it's just the stress from the move and nothing worse. 

He scared me just a minute ago. I was studying at my desk and I happened to look over at him just as he did a NOSEDIVE into HIS PLANT. :shock:

I surely thought he was kicking the bucket, because he rested upside-down like that for a full minute. After that, he came up to the front of the tank and flared at me, so I don't know if he was just kidding around or what. :-?

I think I'll do a half water change tomorrow and see if he feels any better. Should I fast him tonight?


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## BBgirl (Jun 17, 2009)

I would grab a few gallons of Spring water to fill his tank and then keep the jugs and go refill them. I refill them for 25 cents each here. It's a small investment to start spring water but the refills make it much more cost effective if you go that route.
Good luck with Tian-Tian and I am so sorry to hear about Taco.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Yeah,it might be a good idea to fast him a day or two while he's gettiinng settled in from the move.


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## Vikki81207 (May 27, 2009)

Yeah I have one gallon jugs that I refill for tank water just so I always have them handy. Two are actual water gallons and the other 3 are milk gallons I cleaned REALLY well.


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## ScentedLove (Aug 13, 2009)

Yeah I agree with dramaqueen.


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## Vikki81207 (May 27, 2009)

Yeah fasting him would be a good idea. I think he's just stressed from the move. It was quite a far trip. He should be okay.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

Whew, all right, y'all. I'm gonna head to my hometown (hour and a half away) on Friday for a quick business trip (be back Saturday). I'll see what I can do about getting some spring water. I need to get groceries for myself, anyway.  

One interesting thing I've noticed is that Tian-Tian's head and facial structure seems to be defining itself over time. If I were to look really close at him, he looks like a very old man, with sharp temple bone indents and everything. 

He's still lethargic. I just got in from class (about to head out again in a few) and he flared at my arm on the desk near him, so he's got some fight in him, yet.

Again, thanks for your support and advice, y'all. I really appreciate how kind and generous this community is.


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## fishyinpa (Dec 25, 2008)

I hope old man TianTian can beat this thing.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

Just gave old man Tian-Tian 100% water change, but only filled the tank halfway. I discovered his water was FREEZING so I put his heater in (after not needing it all summer, lol!). 

He's doing a little better, but he's still very lethargic and swimming at the bottom a lot. I might end up calling him Anchor, by his actions, haha. 
.... Anchor is gonna be the name of my next Betta. It has been decided.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

AUGH.

Finally took a flashlight to him; the ich now looks like clear, white fuzz. Nothing I'm doing seems to be helping at all!! 

AUGH, I say.


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## fishyinpa (Dec 25, 2008)

Uh oh. Fuzz is fungus. That sucks. Need antibacterial meds.


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## Vikki81207 (May 27, 2009)

Ugh, come on Tian Tian.
Yeah if it looks fuzzy I would start a treatment of JFE. He might be a little stressed from all the meds too. Hmm.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

Well, I'm leaving tonight to my hometown; I'll be back Saturday night to take care of him. My roomie will be here, but I think if I fast him (he'll be missing all of 3 meals, really). 

I'll treat him with JFE when I get back. 

He greeted me when I got back from class just now, but quickly went back to huddling on the bottom of the tank. 

 It makes me so sad to see him like this!


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## Vikki81207 (May 27, 2009)

At least he's still active and greeting you. I think he'll be fine. I think he just got overly stressed from the move and because he's not feeling well.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

I think you're right, Vikki. I'll keep an eye on him. 

Thanks, everyone.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

For an old man, Tian-Tian sure loves to flare and chase my finger a lot.  

Looks like there might be hope, after all.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

He must be feeling better to chase your finger and flare.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

I sure hope so. 

I'm back in my hometown tonight. Gah, I just keep wishing I were back with my boy instead of here (besides, studying is very hard to do when I'm distracted by the usual household activities, haha)


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

I am so grateful for everyone's help. It seems Tian-Tian still has fungus affecting his tank, but he is active, swimming around and MAKING HUGE BUBBLENESTS. 

I seriously came home to the biggest bubblenest I had ever seen my boy make!! I'm looking over at him and it seems he's working on his current nest now.  

YAYYYYY!!!!!! *throws confetti*


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## dr2b (May 31, 2009)

I'm so glad he is acting so well! Hopefully being at college town a little longer will help him fight off the fungus (and help you). Have you tried using really really hot water in the tank? Like boiling it and then putting it in? Just to kill anything in it...I don't think that fungus can withstand that high of temperatures.


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

Hmmm.... it's a good option and I'll give it a shot sometime soon. It's just hard to fill the tank for cleaning because my dorm sink is so TINY!! So I have to use the shower. :lol: Thankfully it has really high pressure and very hot water. So that'll help.... hopefully!


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## dr2b (May 31, 2009)

Yeah maybe it will. Because I'm thinking that it's sort of like starting fresh with the water you have at the college. Hope that it works!


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

Thank you! Me too! :-D

He's swimming around right now and strutting. Literally. He's trying to show off his fins to me. :lol: Just a second ago he was flaring and chasing my fingers back and forth across the front of the tank. He'd swim away like he was ignoring me, then spin around really quickly and flare as if to say, "I SCARE YOU!" then he'd do it again. :roll: Ahhh I love my boy!


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

lol He's funny!


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## Vikki81207 (May 27, 2009)

Awww so cute! I'm glad to hear he's getting better.


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

Yay!! Glad to hear he is his bratty self again.


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## ifish (Apr 30, 2009)

that sounds cute


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