Need some advice please

[BIGMAC]

Can some one help me out,the problems not with my tanks its a friend who against advice went out got a tank set up and a male Betta on the same day no cycling before hand of the tank.She rang me and told me i said she should take the fish back till the tank was ready but no.I took water, some gravel and some filta media out of one of my tanks and put it straight into hers.All seemd to go well for a week i kept testing the water and did water changes for her as needed but now she has what i think is a bacteria bloom ,but its really bad so im unsure cos i not seen nothing like it.The water is so murkey and has a thick scum on the surface which also coats the glass and strings of this scum actually hanging of the poor fishies tail and fins .I have said it needs another water change but not sure how much or if anything else needs to be done its awfull this stuff is even on the plant leaves.I have not come across this with any of my tanks in such a big degree.S o any advice is really needed so i can sort the problem out for her.Help please
Thanx Sue

 

[s6king]

I would suggest removing the betta from the tank acclimate some water (mountain spring treated with Betta water conditioner (like aquasafe but made for bettas) ) acclimate the water from the bottle in a plastic bag for 30 minutes to an hour. Then pour the water into a fish bowl or vase put the betta in it for a while and begin tretment with bettafix remedy. I don't keep my bettas in tanks. Bettas live in puddles in the wild. The water they live in is usually stagnant they are pretty hearty fish. I would start fresh with the tank using bottles spring water and conditioner after the fish has been treated in a bowl for a week.

 

[s6king]

Don't forget to put a ventilated lid on the vase or bowl as Bettas are Jumpers!

 

[luxum]

I completely disagree with s6king's advice. Yes, bettas live in "puddles" in the wild, but they are biologically active puddles. That means that they aren't naturally exposed to the products of the nitrogen cycle, and in addition, those "puddles" are a larger water volume than many small tanks. In my opinion/experience, bettas do much better in tanks and require much less maintenance. When you keep them in bowls, they are constantly swimming in ammonia and while they are very hardy, this depresses their immune systems over time. In addition, most people aren't as faithful with the regular 100% water changes needed to keep a betta in a bowl, a tank fits in much better with most people's lifestyles and ensures that (once cycled) the betta has consistent good water quality with only a standard small weekly change needed. You can also grow some plants for him in a tank, which bettas appreciate.

For your specific problem with the bacterial bloom, i advise you leave the betta in the tank, keep testing for ammonia and nitrite, and perform water changes, 20% daily until the problem clears and the cycle establishes. After that a 20% weekly change will be sufficient.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi BIGMAC

The first thing that fish needs is to be put into some clean water. Then you can assess its physical condition. If it has finrot, you can get some medication for it.

In the meanwhile, get the tank cleaned out. The important thing is not that the tank is cycled, but that the water is clean and free from ammonia, nitrite and excess disease causing bacteria. This condition can be kept through daily water changes. Cycling makes it more convenient by setting up a colony of beneficial bacteria that will eat the ammonia and nitrites and produce the less harmful nitrates.

Remember that many people successfully keep bettas in very small containers that are never cycled at all, so this is not a problem if frequent enough water changes are done.

Now, you have a little time to consider what to do with the tank. I suggest that you give your friend this article to read so that she will understand the cycling process:

http/www.fishforums.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=10099

How big is her tank?

 

[BIGMAC]

Thanx for your replys everyone in going to see her tonight so will have a go with her tank her water perams are not good and the tank seems to be only maybe half way through the cycle ,so do you advise i start from scratch or just keep up the water changes?I have some meds if i need them that i can take down to her house ,the reason im doing this for her is that she is ill and bed bound most of the time.
Thanx
sorry forgot her tank is 8 gall

 

[Inchworm]

Hi BIGMAC

If the tank is partially cycled, it would probably be worthwhile to try giving it a good cleaning and water change and proceeding from there. It might take more than one cleaning, depending on how bad its condition is, but if you just rinse the filter media in used tank water, it should be OK. The beneficial bacteria is clinging to the gravel and the filter media, and all the surfaces, so the ones she has should remain in there.

If the fish is well, and you put it back into the tank, be sure that there are very frequent water changes done on it so that the cycling will proceed slowly but surely and the fish will not be effected by the process.

If the fish is ill, however, the cycling might be thrown off by the medicine you use. If you treat the fish in the cycling tank, be sure to monitor it even more carefully. Then proceed to slowly continue the cycling.

Good luck with this. It's very kind of you to be going to all this trouble to help a sick friend, but once the job is done you will have given her a good start on a great hobby.

 

[BIGMAC]

Thanx for your help inchworm ill check out the fish tonight and give the tank a clean up.
Sue

 

[BIGMAC]

Just a quick update, i have been and cleaned the tank out for her and rinced the filter media in tank water i didnt totally empty the tank but i did need to do a really big water changed, as you said inchworm i put the fish in clean dechlorinated water so i could see it properly and the fish seems to have fin rot so i have to get some meds for her i thaught i had some but its not for fin rot.I will treat the fish in the morning and monitor it closely.
Thanx again Sue

 

[Inchworm]

Hi BIGMAC

I was wondering how things turned out with the sick fish. I hope you have some good news.