HELPPPPPP!!!!!!! betta jumped during

[alabaster]

Please help guys. My red-purple betta (yet unnamed) jumped from his tupperware during a 100% water change, and flipped several times before I could get him (I was pouring new water into tank when I saw him) until he reached the edge of the counter, then plunged 4 feet to the linoleum floor! I though he was dead for sure, but finally got him back in the fresh water in his tank, and he's able to swim. However, His right pectoral fin is shredded, and he clamps it to his side, only using the other one. He also lost a couple scales, but other than that looks okay. He was on the counter/floor for maybe 20-35 seconds in total. I added double-dose stress coat to his water (I also used a little extra during the water change as dechlorinater, since I figured the water change would stress him by itself, and it couldn't hurt). Then, after I got him back in, I added extra like I said. What do you think??? Please help and share if you've had similar situations.

 

[Bettabelieveit]

eek, add some aquarium salt, and maybe keep the lights low, to lessen his stress, and keep an eye on him

 

[alabaster]

okay but I dont have aquarium salt and my dad wont take me until exams are over. Very soonest I can get it would be Wed.

 

[mlee0332]

should you add salt to a healthy betta's tank like you do with guppies, or leave it salt less?

Edit: well try adding a little mela fix. It says it promotes regrowth on opened wounds in addition to pima fix or salt.

 

[alabaster]

I dont know this is about my betta HELP!

 

[alabaster]

please reply

 

[Saucy]

Yeah, just keep him warm and dark. Let him recover. If you have a heater, try turning it up a bit. you could always wrap a towel around 3 sides of the tank to dim his lighting a bit. Adding aquarium salt would be good. You could always ask your dad to go get some for you. It's really cheap and lasts a long time. Doc Wellfish brand. Hang in there, your little boy is in pain and very stressed out right now.

 

[Prizm]

If his fins are working, he'll probably be okay. How is he? Is he swimming okay? I think all you can do is leave him be, with salt and maybe some bettafix to help prevent against bacterial attacks.

 

[newfishies]

one of my girls jumped out of my tank during feeding time and fell about 4 feet. i scooped her right up and back into the tank. she was quite dazed for the rest of the day, but then was back to her old self the next dayi didn't add anything to the water.

be careful of the dosage with melafix. the recommended dosage for bettas is actually only about 1/5 the dosage for other fish!

good luck to you and your fishy!

 

[Bettaman]

if you bash your head it hurts but you recover unless he has open wounds or something i would just let him get over it......asprin don't work on bettas he will be fine have accidentally dropped a few Betta in my time and they have been OK when transferring them to a tank or something jumped out of the hands and had a knock but still swimming today and even had own youngsters.......so don't try fix something unless its broke...... he will be fine as as been said just keep an eye on him......

 

[alabaster]

Thanks guys. His pec fins are both working to full extent, and I was mistaken about the one being shredded. The only thiing I worry about is that in my clumbsy attempts to get him back into the tank, I hurt his internal organs I sure hope not. Also, theres no water circulation in my tank, as theres no filter or air pump. Will the heater thats located in one corner still work effectively, since the heated water doesn't move from around the heater? in other words, the heater only heats water directly around it, and theres no circulation to replace the heated water with unheated water from elsewhere in the tank.

 

[Kiarra]

I can't even count on one hand the number of times my Bettas have jumped out during water changes and gone flopping all over the counter and onto the floor. Just use salt and maybe some stress coat or something similar in his water, and keep it very clean. Keep him in a low-stress environment for a little while...he's bound to be pretty freaked out. But he will more than likely be fine. I have never lost a single one to that kind of accident, nor had any far-reaching consequences beyond a torn fin or an angry fish.

 

[fishmom]

My Bettas have not jumped out of the water yet (I use a mayo jar for tank cleanings to house them in), but we have a rosy red minnow or goldfish type that did and it was a good 30 seconds or so before I could get the front off of the tank and scoop him up and put him in the water. He stayed at the bottom of the tank for a long time just breathing and getting his bearings as to where he is. There has been foil over the top of his tank ever since.
That was not fun.

 

[BettaMomma]

My little Lucky jumped out of his tank and went down the drain.
He waited patiently in there for me to rip the pipes off the wall - and several seconds later (it seemed like an eternity) he came flopping out of the pipes in all the muck and guck. I picked him up and plopped him back into his water - he was very dazed but recovered very nicely.

I think if there was any major damage to his internal organs, he'd be swimming funny, or floating or sinking - the one I could think of mostly would be swim bladder, and if he's swimming okay I would just give him some peace, quiet, and dark for a few days and he'll probably be just fine.

 

[alabaster]

Thanks again for the replies. It seems like he is perfectly fine, except for one thing. When he stops moving his fins, he sinks very slowly, like one inch every five seconds. Does that mean that he has something wrong with his swim bladder? He swims well, and has good balance, and its not like he cant get off the bottom, or is swimming upside down, or has a bloated belly, so if he has a SB problem, seems like its fairly minor. What do you think?