New Fella In My 37 Gallon

[Freedom]

Picked this guy up yesterday; person had a posting on cl and I was there to get some other fish . . . she is going from fresh to salt water and was planning to FLUSH this one!  So I took him.  Have named him Midnight.
 
Seems to me that the tail is not 'right,' like it was cut?  Seems too even to be natural or eaten.  It was like this when I got him, so nothing which has happened in my tank.
 
My filtration is considered very mild, yet he spent over an hour stuck to the intake this morning -- I actually thought he was dead, when I got him netted he moved and has been swimming ever since. 
 
I'm used to seeing the cory cats in my larger tank, they dart up to breathe and then rush back down to the bottom.  I haven't seen this fella go up for air at all (I know he must have done by now, been over 24 hours), so bettas go less frequently I guess.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Freedom]

Also, what do I need to do for him when I leave for 3 days?  I know what the other fish need (vacation feeders, algae wafers, and a fast day are fine).  Now what do I do for this boy?
 

 

[Brilly91]

He looks great, i love his colours. Well done on saving him.

 

[Ninjouzata]

Make sure the tank is warm enough for him, as in minimum of 78F. You might want to read THIS.
 
If you're only gone for 3 days you don't need any of that stuff..especially the vacation feeders which usually just foul up the tank and can cause spikes and dead fish.

 

[Mamashack]

Well done you for taking him on!
Looks like there's been a bit of a fight - my betta looked just like that after a few days in with a male platy who clearly objected to his territory being invaded.
If the tail is even rather than tatty then it could be tail-biting by the betta itself which can be a sign or stress or boredom. Lots of nice plants to hide in or investigate and maybe a pingpong ball to push about. I let mine flare at a mirror once a week, then he parades around his tank as he thinks he's scared off the intruder! lol
As Ninj said, keep the temp between 26-30°C (78-85°F) and keep the water clean so it can heal.
I added Indian almond leaf extract daily to aid healing and add it once a week generally anyway.

 

[Freedom]

I added Indian almond leaf extract daily to aid healing and add it once a week generally anyway.

 
Where do I find that, and is it alright for the rest of the tank mates?  Thanks in advance.

 

[Mamashack]

I got mine on eBay and as far as I know the shrimp and the snails that share/d the tank have been fine

 

[Shelster]

Agh, why do so many people think its ok to flush a fish!!! Grrrr

Congrats on a lovely coloured betta!

 

[Freedom]

Thanks!
 
I'm told he is likely a crowntail, and either bit his tail himself, or was beaten up by the other owner's platys.  I didn't want her platys, anyway, lol. 
 
I've just been trying to sort out things, had one glo tetra in the 50 and move that to the 37.  The danios in the 37 are moving to the 50.  Well, I caught 3 but the others are so FAST!  Once those move, the betta will be in a tank with tetras, calmer, slower moving than danios.  So he should be fine. 
 
I keep getting glo fish even though I'm not a fan.  I see something I want in an ad on craigslist, and the person makes up 'groups' and put the glofish in with others that I do want.  Oh well. 
 
I am going to try to find some indian almond leaves, as this may help Midnight heal and regrow his fins.

 

[Mamashack]

You do get the lovely tea colour with the actual leaves tho you also have to keep a close eye on them as they eventually dissolve and can clog up any internal filters. The extract I use is Easy Life Catappa X which more than likely will be available on Ebay.com. It's easy to use and doesn't clog up filters but it doesn't have much colour so it depends what you are looking for really. However its effects are immediate.
Keep us updated with Midnight's progress.

 

[Freedom]

OH!  I'm glad you posted this, I do NOT want a tea colored aquarium! 
 
I'll look into the catappa as well.

 

[Shelster]

I quite like the tea coloured aquarium

 

[Mamashack]

So do I Shel, tho I also like the immediate effect when adding the extract too. I lost a betta a few days after adding one of a new batch of almond leaves, and tho I suspect it may have been a coincidence, I've never quite trusted them since. But that's just me! lol

 

[Shelster]

Fair enough, I do have the IAL in a drawer, but haven't used them for ages, as the wood still gives off plenty.