As some of you may recall, I got a new betta (Calico) about two months ago. A few weeks ago he started having what looked like Swim Bladder Disease. He is stuck at the surface of the water and is generally listless. I let him fast for a week twice, but this did not help. I tried the pea trick and waited most of a week. No good. I gave him a 20-minute epsom salt bath (1 tbsp/gal), which seemed to perk him up, but now, within a couple of days, he is floating on his side at the surface of the water. Fasting has taken its toll and he is getting thin.
What troubles me even more than the fact that he looks nearly dead is that this is exactly how my old betta died. He lived in a jar most of his life, and then when I put him in a lovely filtered tank (different tank) he got SBD or something like it and slowly died despite treatment. This is very frustrating and worrying.
I will test water tomorrow. I have a midterm tomorrow morning and since this seems chronic despite water changes, I think a test can wait a few more hours while I study and try to get some sleep. Don't get me wrong, I love my little betta dude. I just gotta study. If you feel it is warranted I will test tonight.
The tank had a 50% PWC this past Sunday and a filter media rinse. I try to 50s weekly, but lately it has been less often.
Thank you in advance for any help you can give.
Specs:
10-gallon tank w/ AC 50 filter
Up and running w/fish for 2 yrs
1 Anubias nana, bogwood, hole rock, plastic plants, gravel substrate
Diet:
New Life Spectrum Sinking Cichlid Pellets (1mm)
Frozen bloodworm, glassworm, mysis on rotation
usually fed daily, but has been fed very little lately in hopes of clearing things out.
Products used:
Prime
Calico's tankmates:
1 bristlenose pleco
5 neon tetras
4 sm. cory cats
1 ghost shrimp
Calico is the only new fish
Betta trouble
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
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PuffTheMagicFishy
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 166
- Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2006 12:51 am
- My Puffers: None at the mo.
- Location (country): California, USA
- Location: California
Betta trouble
Tanks:
20-gal feeder breeder (platties and snails)
75-gal West African Lungfish + snails
Other pets: Pacific parrotlet, Italian Greyhound, lots of plants
20-gal feeder breeder (platties and snails)
75-gal West African Lungfish + snails
Other pets: Pacific parrotlet, Italian Greyhound, lots of plants
-
PuffTheMagicFishy
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 166
- Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2006 12:51 am
- My Puffers: None at the mo.
- Location (country): California, USA
- Location: California
Re: Betta trouble
Calico passed away Friday.
I realize that this is not a chat room and that instant answers aren't going to happen, but it's been three days now and not one person even posted to say "I'm stumped." You've all been incredibly helpful in the past. Was Calico's problem something unusual that no one knew how to help?
Even though he is gone, I would still like to know if anyone has any advice. I've had two beloved bettas killed by bloat in the past few months and I wish I knew what was going on. I would like to get another male betta, but not until I know what to do about this bloat/SBD/constipation/whatever it is.
If it's any help, only the males have had this problem. Betta Girl, aged 2 yrs and currently living in the tank Betta Boy died in, is as healthy as a horse and has never had any trouble.
I realize that this is not a chat room and that instant answers aren't going to happen, but it's been three days now and not one person even posted to say "I'm stumped." You've all been incredibly helpful in the past. Was Calico's problem something unusual that no one knew how to help?
Even though he is gone, I would still like to know if anyone has any advice. I've had two beloved bettas killed by bloat in the past few months and I wish I knew what was going on. I would like to get another male betta, but not until I know what to do about this bloat/SBD/constipation/whatever it is.
If it's any help, only the males have had this problem. Betta Girl, aged 2 yrs and currently living in the tank Betta Boy died in, is as healthy as a horse and has never had any trouble.
Tanks:
20-gal feeder breeder (platties and snails)
75-gal West African Lungfish + snails
Other pets: Pacific parrotlet, Italian Greyhound, lots of plants
20-gal feeder breeder (platties and snails)
75-gal West African Lungfish + snails
Other pets: Pacific parrotlet, Italian Greyhound, lots of plants
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stormrider
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2007 6:53 pm
- Location: USA~TN
Re: Betta trouble
Sorry to hear about your trouble.
I'm new to raising fish and still learning.
I'm new to raising fish and still learning.
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crazedpuffer
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1755
- Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2005 11:57 pm
- My Puffers: 1x Porcupine Puffer
1xValentini - Location: Long Island, NY
Re: Betta trouble
Sorry about your loss. It could have been old age. Did he show any physical wounds?
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Nick
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 3231
- Joined: Sun Oct 22, 2006 8:47 pm
- My Puffers: Mine:
GSPs - Shakespeare and Jillybean
F8 - Velvet
My fiance:
DP - Emma Goldman
Narrow Lined Puffer - Ulrike - Location (country): Northeastern USA
- Location: Middletown, CT
- Contact:
Re: Betta trouble
I've had the worst luck in the world diagnosing betta, it seems like they have a lot of health problems, and very few clear diagnosis, other than when it's fungus or fin rot.
No matter how magnificent your successes or devastating your failures, the worlds' approximately 5 billion impoverished people could not possibly care less.