Th
The new pictures look better. It wouldn't be what is making him sick. Not sure what is... I hope he makes it!
The new pictures look better. It wouldn't be what is making him sick. Not sure what is... I hope he makes it!
Floating on surface + Fin Rot
- Thread starter Vasumathi
- Start date
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Vasumathi
New Member
The black bit under his chin (bottom of his gill covers) is called a beard. It's a bit of skin male Siamese fighting fish get when they mature. It's normal.
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Have you checked the water quality for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and GH?
If yes, what are the results in numbers?
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Fin rot is caused by a dirty environment and or poor water quality that allows harmful bacteria to get into the tissue and eat the fins.
The best way to treat fin rot is by cleaning up the tank conditions.
Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for 2 weeks.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.
You use bottled water so it should be free of chlorine/ chloramine and doesn't need a water conditioner.
You should aerate the bottled water for at least 5 (preferably 30) minutes before using it in his tank.
Clean the filter if it hasn't been done in the last 2 weeks. Wash the filter media/ materials in a bucket of tank water and re-use the media. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the garden/ lawn.
Keep the fish warm (24-28C).
Increase aeration/ surface turbulence a bit to maximise oxygen levels in the water. Don't have too much movement though otherwise the fish can get knocked around.
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You can add salt too. You add 1-2 heaped tablespoons of rock salt, sea salt, or swimming pool salt for every 20 litres (5 gallons) of tank water. Keep the salt in the tank for 2 weeks.
When you do the daily water changes, you add salt to the new water before adding it to the tank so the salinity (salt level) in the tank remains constant.
*NB* Aquarium salt is rock salt.
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You can try feeding the fish frozen (but defrosted) and live foods instead of dry foods. Raw or cooked prawn/ shrimp is a good food for them. So are aphids, small ants and ant eggs, small flies caught without chemicals/ sprays. Live brineshrimp is available from most pet shops and can be used to supplement the fish's diet.
The insects can be frozen and fed to him during the day, or you can feed him live insects. I prefer freezing the insects so they don't get out of the tank and buzz around the house.
To use prawn, buy some frozen prawns from a supermarket or fishing store (in the bait freezer) and keep them in your freezer at home. Take one prawn out and defrost it under tap water. Remove the head, shell and gut (thin black tube in the body), and throw these bits away. Use a pair of scissors to cut the remaining prawn tail into small pieces and offer one or two bits at a time. Let the fish eat as much as he can. Remove uneaten food and do a big water change 4-8 hours later.
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Post a short video of the fish moving, and check its poop. What colour is its poop?
----------
Have you checked the water quality for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and GH?
If yes, what are the results in numbers?
----------
Fin rot is caused by a dirty environment and or poor water quality that allows harmful bacteria to get into the tissue and eat the fins.
The best way to treat fin rot is by cleaning up the tank conditions.
Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for 2 weeks.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it's added to the tank.
You use bottled water so it should be free of chlorine/ chloramine and doesn't need a water conditioner.
You should aerate the bottled water for at least 5 (preferably 30) minutes before using it in his tank.
Clean the filter if it hasn't been done in the last 2 weeks. Wash the filter media/ materials in a bucket of tank water and re-use the media. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the garden/ lawn.
Keep the fish warm (24-28C).
Increase aeration/ surface turbulence a bit to maximise oxygen levels in the water. Don't have too much movement though otherwise the fish can get knocked around.
----------
You can add salt too. You add 1-2 heaped tablespoons of rock salt, sea salt, or swimming pool salt for every 20 litres (5 gallons) of tank water. Keep the salt in the tank for 2 weeks.
When you do the daily water changes, you add salt to the new water before adding it to the tank so the salinity (salt level) in the tank remains constant.
*NB* Aquarium salt is rock salt.
----------
You can try feeding the fish frozen (but defrosted) and live foods instead of dry foods. Raw or cooked prawn/ shrimp is a good food for them. So are aphids, small ants and ant eggs, small flies caught without chemicals/ sprays. Live brineshrimp is available from most pet shops and can be used to supplement the fish's diet.
The insects can be frozen and fed to him during the day, or you can feed him live insects. I prefer freezing the insects so they don't get out of the tank and buzz around the house.
To use prawn, buy some frozen prawns from a supermarket or fishing store (in the bait freezer) and keep them in your freezer at home. Take one prawn out and defrost it under tap water. Remove the head, shell and gut (thin black tube in the body), and throw these bits away. Use a pair of scissors to cut the remaining prawn tail into small pieces and offer one or two bits at a time. Let the fish eat as much as he can. Remove uneaten food and do a big water change 4-8 hours later.
----------
Post a short video of the fish moving, and check its poop. What colour is its poop?
Vasumathi
New Member
My water test kit arrives today. Will post results as soon as I get it.
I pour the water from a bottled can to a pitcher and then from the pitcher to the tank. Is this enough? If not, do you have any suggestions on how to aerate the water?
We do not have a filter. We are using the original version of https://backtotheroots.com/products/watergarden. This has a pump that circulates water to the top, where plants grow. I have been doing gravel vaccum and cleaning the pump and the heater regularly. I have not removed the gravel completely and cleaned it up in a bit because I think that is the only place for the bacteria to grow.
As described earlier, the pump circulates the water and hope this helps. I am going to drop the water level a bit to see if that will aerate the surface.
For feeding, we are vegetarians and dont feel comfortable handling live food. We have been using the "New Life Spectrum - Betta - Small Pellet 0.5mm-0.75mm". If there is any other food I can buy from the market like the dry pellets ?
Will do, I have not seen the fish poop, so unsure how to locate it.
Vasumathi
New Member
Got the test kit results with Freshwater Master Test Kit .
pH: 6.0
High Ph: 7.4
Nitrite - 0ppm
Both Nitrate and Ammonia remained clear. I tested with both Ammonia 1 and 2 and Nitrate 1 and 2.
Should I assume they are both yellow and 0ppm ? Is this kit accurate ?
Thanks for all the help and pointers so far. We are just stunned by how we did not realize he was gradually falling sick and were so ill-informed. We now know better and are fighting hard to help Dragon feel better.
pH: 6.0
High Ph: 7.4
Nitrite - 0ppm
Both Nitrate and Ammonia remained clear. I tested with both Ammonia 1 and 2 and Nitrate 1 and 2.
Should I assume they are both yellow and 0ppm ? Is this kit accurate ?
Thanks for all the help and pointers so far. We are just stunned by how we did not realize he was gradually falling sick and were so ill-informed. We now know better and are fighting hard to help Dragon feel better.
That's test kit is the most accurate that I know of. He may have something internal going on
With the nitrate test, did you shake bottle #2 and then the test tube as per the instructions? Failure to shake is the most common cause of inaccurate readings.
Vasumathi
New Member
Yes I did. Did it twice. Both times, no color change.
The best way to aerate the new water is with an air pump, airline and airstone. The air pump sits outside the tank and the airstone sits in the bucket of water. The pump pushes air through the airline into the stone in the bucket of water.
If you don't have an air pump, then pouring the water from container to container about 5 or 6 times should help. Basically what you are currently doing but do it a couple more times.
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Monitor the fish and see if it poops. As long as the fish is pooping and the poop is coloured, it is fine. If the fish does a stringy white poop, that is a problem.
If you don't have an air pump, then pouring the water from container to container about 5 or 6 times should help. Basically what you are currently doing but do it a couple more times.
----------------
Monitor the fish and see if it poops. As long as the fish is pooping and the poop is coloured, it is fine. If the fish does a stringy white poop, that is a problem.
Vasumathi
New Member
Thanks Colin, Come to think of it, I did see a white poop once, was just not sure what it was , and assumed it was some dirt floating by.
Now what ?Occasional white poop isn't a problem but if it does white poop all the time it could have worms or an intestinal infection. If the fish is eating well but doing a white poop, it is normally intestinal worms.
Vasumathi
New Member
Intestinal worms are easy to treat. Internal bacterial infections are not.
I wouldn't worry too much about worms at this stage. Just focus on getting him better and then see how his poop looks.
If his fins are not infected, they should grow back over the next month or so.
Keep the water and tank clean, feed him a varied diet and he should recover.
I wouldn't worry too much about worms at this stage. Just focus on getting him better and then see how his poop looks.
If his fins are not infected, they should grow back over the next month or so.
Keep the water and tank clean, feed him a varied diet and he should recover.
Vasumathi
New Member
@Colin_T , you asked to see him in a video.
photos.app.goo.gl
Here is the link. The only time he moves from the surface is during the daily water change, then he goes back and settles on the top, floating on the surface.
New video by Balaji Narayanan
photos.app.goo.gl
Here is the link. The only time he moves from the surface is during the daily water change, then he goes back and settles on the top, floating on the surface.
Vasumathi
New Member
His fin rot is getting worse ... Other than daily water changes, water testing and feeding 2-3 pellets, we dont know wjhat else to do 
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