Ammonia: When I measured it with the Testing kit—it was DARK green (between 4-8!!) This was before I did a partial water change 2 nights ago. It is now reading between 2 and 4 which is alot better..
Ammonia tester used (salicylate or Nessler-reagent based?): ? the kind where you put 8 drops of one in a tube and another 8 drops in another to combine it with the water your testing..
Nitrite: Slightly pink on the tester strip at .5?
Nitrate: Same as Nitrite
Are you testing with dipsticks?: yes
pH: 7
KH: 50
Temperature: Was 74.5 because of the wrong reading of the stupid sticky thermometer but is now 75.8 after turning on his heater for an hour or so and getting a digital thermometer.
Heater: yes but the smallest you can find for 1-3 gallons—cannot keep the temperature stable! How do I do this?
Aeration: ? explain..
Water change amount/frequency: My sister was moving out of town and made me keep her betta (not that I minded) and she told me to change the water frequently (I was thinking every other week?) and to feed him daily. That’s it I was like, “sounds easy enough” and she had him for about a year and a half to two years already so I thought she knew what she was talking about. It turns out I accidentally forgot to change his water one of the every other so his water was about 3 weeks old (no partial changes..had no idea I could do partial changes) I always put him in his temp bowl (.5gallon) with aged water and dechlorinator while I clean his tank and add new water/dechlorinator and then let it sit for 24hours and then I return him to his actual tank (1.5 gallon in size)
Tank size/how long in operation: Currently, 1.5 gal tank with a flourescent light I got him in one of those small betta divider tanks but the tank was all to him. After I found it to be leaking (and barely caught betta before he had no more room in the water) which this is where it all started because I think he caught something after sitting in his dirty small amount of water for a couple hours maybe while his tank was leaking.) I had no aged water on hand when this happened so I quickly made some with bottled water and put him in a temp tank. My boyfriend went and bought the 1.5 gal tank which I then aged the water, and dechlorinated. I was never told to do Ph testing, nitrite, nitrate, or ammonia testing levels. I researched and found this out on my own. But my tank had already been up for about a month before I found this out.
Filtration: Whisper filter with pump( I have to buy a new one every other month because it constantly just stops flowing it still sucks up stuff but does not pour out the spout)
Water additives/conditioners/pH adjusters: TopFin or betta conditioner..whichever is easiest at the time.
What, how much and how often are the fish/frogs fed: He used to eat a few pellets a day (not soaked as I did not know to do this). After he stopped eating completely (after the leaking tank mishap) I tried feeding him flakes and he didn’t want those either. For about 3 weeks, I kid you not, he would not eat! I finally researched other types of foods and bought him gel bloodworms that come in the pouch and I have NEVER seen him act so crazy to eat food! He loved them!! And since he was eating them, I kept feeding him those once daily for the first week and then switched to every other day..just a chunk or two that comes out of the packets. Now I have freezed bloodworms and he likes those just as much and still continues to eat now every other day. I choose to feed him every other day because his tummy seems swollen and he does have trouble swimming at times..he continuously lays on his side..at the bottom of the rocks,etc or gets behind the wisper filter and rests on one of the sticky things near the surface.
Tank inhabitants (number, size and type of fish/frogs): Male red betta, 2-3 years old now. I have had him for a year.
New additions/changes to the tank: aquarisol salt (just a single pellet of salt on each side of his tank.)
Unusual findings on the fish/frog: white raised cottony dot right below (or above) his eye. Whitish splattered looking paint under his mouth and gills (like on the bottom of his body)..gunk outlining his eyes
Unusual behavior: laying on bottom of tank or near surface..doesnt move much at all unless tapped on glass, clamped fins, lethargy..he IS eating though..
Medications/what has been tried or done do far: Nothing because this betta is so old and has never had ANY kind of medication/treatment what so ever. I bought Rid Ich + because I am pretty sure he has velvet (dust on his fins) fins are clamped, lethargy, gills seem to be breathing harder and harder. I also bought maracide (treats the fish, not the water)which I would like to try first..but I don’t know how to introduce it to him or his tank and with the amount of ammonia and temp..there is so much thought that goes into it that I don’t end up doing anything but a good ole water change. I added Nutrafin Cycle to see if it would lower the ammonia but haven’t tested it yet to see if it did.
Summary of potential fish/frog stressors: I wanted to get him out of the filthy tank as soon as possible so I filled up his temp tank (1/2 gal bowl) with tap water and added just under a ½ teaspoon of aquarium salt (aquarisol?) also added his conditioner which removes chlorine, chloramine, and other metals. I did a vacuum of his 1.5 gal tank rocks and filled the rest of his tank up with this pretreated water from petsmart. At that point his tank was disgustingly filthy, stuff floating everywhere oh forgot to mention the filter went out on me for the 2nd time and did not have money for a new one for atleast a few days. After a day went by of letting his temp tank (1/2 gal) sit, I added betta to it and he kinda freaked out..was swimming everywhere like crazy (nothing I have seen him do before) so after about 10 mins, I checked on him again and he was literally lifeless laying vertically at the bottom of the tank so I freaked and since I hadn’t emptied his old tank to clean it out yet, I just scooped him and put him back into his 1.5 gal tank ( I KNOW, I STRESSED HIM THE HECK OUT by doing this) but I could not just watch him die. But after adding him back to his actual tank, he just layed at the bottom, breathing heavily..now his breathing is ok but he is still just laying around at the bottom. Please help, I have grown immensely attached to “Betta” and have spent a fortune on him this last 2 months (literally) and I am scared to do anything thinking it will put him in shock..He still has the few raised patches and the “paint splatter” under his chin and dusty dots on his fins. His fins are clamped and his entire color is pale a very faint color from his actual red color. His gills have these red things coming out but I don’t know if this is how he has always been but when I look at him from the front, his head looks huge, maybe swollen..and his belly is pretty full looking..I do know that at first we were overfeeding him and I was pretty sure he had SBD shortly before his old tank started leaking when all the issues happened. But now I am feeding every other day to help that..and when he initially had SBD, he didn’t eat for 3 weeks, maybe even longer until I got him the bloodworms, now he eats like a pig. I bought a new filter and installed it for him last night which seems to be working fine..for now. I just need step by step instructions on WHAT TO Do, exactly with all details..not leaving one thing out..I still have quite a bit of room temperature aged water sitting around (including the huge jug I bought of “pretreated” water) so if I could get him out of the tank completely into clean fresh water (that’s dechlorinated) in his new 1gallon temp tank. I want to medicate him but don’t know how or how much and with his type of water (ammonia being high and temp really low with a PH of 7 and nitrates/nitrites seem average. Should I just mix half of the pretreated store bought water with half of his tank water in the 1 gallon temp tank, add conditioner (how much?) and then add him to the gallon bowl with the meds do I put him in first and introduce the med slowly/gradually or do I mix it all up and then put him in it? What if the water does match what he is in now?How do I fix this? Hes still surviving and I want to make him better!
I am in need to save my betta! When you say 100% water change, does that mean I place betta in a temp tank while I clean his tank and add conditioner to it with the correct temp and then put him back in the tank after I am done? This is what I have always done but I just want to make sure this is correct. Would you recommend I go ahead with the maracide? I have now realized that the color of his coat is now a copper color and am scared this is velvet. Or even ich as he has a cottony white patch just under his eye.
I just tested my tap water and it has an amonia level of 1.
I tested my bottled water and it has a level of 0.
Either way, I think it is safer than the level 4 that I am getting currently in his 1.5 gal tank.
Will this (shifting from amonia levels like that) put him in shock?
Also I noticed my Kh levels are 50 in his tank but 0 in the temp tank i am trying to put him in.
the ph matches in both, the temperatures match in both.
the nitrite and nitrate is slightly different in the temp tank as it is at 0.
I forgot to mention that after giving him the salt dunk, the next day he had a looong string of brown stuff coming out of his anal fin area...is this parasites or him just being "unsconstipated"? i have suspected he may be.. Right now, I just need to know what to do to help him at this point since his ammonia is so high and his ph is so different from the water that i "prepare" for him. "prepare" as in using filtered water with betta conditioner that has aged for 2 or 3 days with the same temp as his tank.
Can I put him in a new tank entirely so I can clean out his big tank and start over with that one? Or will it shock him to go into a clean tank since he has acclimated to this high ammonia one?
I want to get a new heater (the 2-5 gallon one) because it has a set temp of 78 degrees but am scared that because I have a 1.5gallon that it will overheat his acrylic tank...The one i have now is the 1-3 gallon one and it doesnt have a set temp, it just keeps heating and heating and I have to remember to shut it off which is BAD for me since yesterday I forgot to shut it off before I went to work and it was on for 4 hours and his temperature raised from 72-78 until I came home on my lunch break and unplugged it. He was still laying in the same spot but he actually came out to eat and was swimming up top and is now behind his filter (he likes to rest right between the two suction cups) which is close to the top..he just seems depressed..I got a good picture of his spot below his eye and also of his belly area that looks splattered with white paint. He is a red betta but his color is pale, almost looks copperish. The only sprinkled dots I see on him is tiny ones on his fins. I can see a mucous coating on his skin..
Also, should I medicate him with the maracide or rid ich that I have? Should I go to petsmart for the 3rd time this week and pick up an antibiotic as well? How do I introduce the treatment to him? I would obviously have to move him to his temporary 1 gal glass tank but how should I do that and with his old water? or with part old, part new and then add medication and then add betta? Or add betta first and then introduce the med? This is the part I dont know about! He does not have those sprinkled dots all over his body..just on his fins and mouth area which is why I am stumped as to what this is..???
I am in need to save my betta! When you say 100% water change, does that mean I place betta in a temp tank while I clean his tank and add conditioner to it with the correct temp and then put him back in the tank after I am done? This is what I have always done but I just want to make sure this is correct. Would you recommend I go ahead with the maracide? I have now realized that the color of his coat is now a copper color and am scared this is velvet. Or even ich as he has a cottony white patch just under his eye.
Right now, I just need to know what to do to help him at this point since his ammonia is so high and his ph is so different from the water that i "prepare" for him. "prepare" as in using filtered water with betta conditioner that has aged for 2 or 3 days with the same temp as his tank.
Can I put him in a new tank entirely so I can clean out his big tank and start over with that one? Or will it shock him to go into a clean tank since he has acclimated to this high ammonia one?
Newest pic:
Another person in a different forum suggested possibly flex? After reading about it, it kind of makes sense..but this is where I get scared--I dont know exactly what it is..but he definately has a copper tint, right? I was afraid of him having velvet but i just hopes he pulls thru..I will try a 75% water change tonight by syphoning but i think i want to go ahead and put him in the temp tank and rinse his tank and everything with hot tap water then let them soak in pretreated water, fill the tank bak up with pretreated water and if I decide to medicate him it will be in the temp glass tank (since meds can stain acrylic). I really want a bigger tank but i am broke at the moment because i have spent a fortune on betta already with meds, treatments, foods, plants, deco, the 1.5 gallon tank is about 2 months old. If I decide to not treat him, I will put him bak in his 1.5 gal and watch him, if he gets worse the next couple of days, I will just treat him in that tank. Buy a new bigger tank and after his meds, get him in the space he deserves..I just didnt want to shock him with too much space since all he knew for two years prior was that tiny .5 gal leaky tank that i got him in...
I was buying a new filter because the flow would absolutely stop at the top of the water. No matter how much I cleaned or replaced the filter, it would just stop and not start back up. I never thought about squeezing it though. I will try this from now on, everytime I do waterchanges.
I have removed him from the 1.5gal tank and put him in the glass 1gal temp tank. I cleaned out his entire 1.5gal tank and everything in it. Rinsed with hot water for a very long time, scrubbed down the walls with my dedicated tank scrubber. He actually was really responsive to the new temp tank. He was swimming around and he literally instantly improved..Of course still goes to the bottom to rest. since he was swimming around I noticed his fins looked kind of disentegrated at the ends. Almost kind of "riggidy" looking. I hope the clean water will help this and his other signs of stress.
I think the high ammonia levels had alot to do with uneaten food sitting at the bottom of his tank and not changing the water for 3 weeks, and I am sure changing the filter wasnt helping much at all either.
For three consistent weeks now, he has been eating 2-3 bloodworms every other day already. I think this has really helped him but now I know I need to syphone alot to keep the "dirt" down.
Thanks for the warning about the slime coming off in "chunks" because I am sure that would have freaked me out too!
I am not exactly sure what "flashing" is or looks like? But rubbing up against deco/rocks-he does do but only when he moves, when he lands-he hits things. He still swims sometimes at an angle like his equilibrium is off..and at one point caught him completely vertical in his tank, looking up to the surface..very strange..
The white specs are not raised at all (that I can see) Its hard to get a good look at the bottom of his belly but it is definately whitish/silvery under there and had been thinking that possibly is just from old age (maybe also from scooting along the bottom of tank along rocks) It literally looks like splattered paint on his belly and is not cottony looking at all-looks like his coat. There is, however, a raised single white dot just below his eye and then the gunk outlining his eye (this has came about just with in the last 3 weeks.)
I have the Hydor Mini Water Heater for tanks that are 2-5 gallons in size but it is not an adjustable thermostat so how will it keep a constant temperature? I left it on for 4 hours one time and the temp went from 72 to 78 degrees! So am I right to say, that is as high as they go? I just want to be sure (I am at work most of the day so I cant really monitor the temp to stabilize it or keep an eye if it gets too hot) I will test this out this weekend to see if it just stops heating after 78 degrees (not that I dont believe you, but for my own sanity!) Right now, without the heater, his tank will go down to 72 degrees at night, but around 75-76 during the day..
I am going to put him back in his 1.5gal tank today with his filter and keep an eye on him (currently, he is still in the temp tank as I was not sure if he needed medicated and was hoping to do the meds in the temp tank, but after I move him back to his actual tank, i will just keep it ready in case). I will add the heater this weekend and slowly raise the temp as I know this can shock them. I will do a 40% change tomorrow morning.
Ammonia tester used (salicylate or Nessler-reagent based?): ? the kind where you put 8 drops of one in a tube and another 8 drops in another to combine it with the water your testing..
Nitrite: Slightly pink on the tester strip at .5?
Nitrate: Same as Nitrite
Are you testing with dipsticks?: yes
pH: 7
KH: 50
Temperature: Was 74.5 because of the wrong reading of the stupid sticky thermometer but is now 75.8 after turning on his heater for an hour or so and getting a digital thermometer.
Heater: yes but the smallest you can find for 1-3 gallons—cannot keep the temperature stable! How do I do this?
Aeration: ? explain..
Water change amount/frequency: My sister was moving out of town and made me keep her betta (not that I minded) and she told me to change the water frequently (I was thinking every other week?) and to feed him daily. That’s it I was like, “sounds easy enough” and she had him for about a year and a half to two years already so I thought she knew what she was talking about. It turns out I accidentally forgot to change his water one of the every other so his water was about 3 weeks old (no partial changes..had no idea I could do partial changes) I always put him in his temp bowl (.5gallon) with aged water and dechlorinator while I clean his tank and add new water/dechlorinator and then let it sit for 24hours and then I return him to his actual tank (1.5 gallon in size)
Tank size/how long in operation: Currently, 1.5 gal tank with a flourescent light I got him in one of those small betta divider tanks but the tank was all to him. After I found it to be leaking (and barely caught betta before he had no more room in the water) which this is where it all started because I think he caught something after sitting in his dirty small amount of water for a couple hours maybe while his tank was leaking.) I had no aged water on hand when this happened so I quickly made some with bottled water and put him in a temp tank. My boyfriend went and bought the 1.5 gal tank which I then aged the water, and dechlorinated. I was never told to do Ph testing, nitrite, nitrate, or ammonia testing levels. I researched and found this out on my own. But my tank had already been up for about a month before I found this out.
Filtration: Whisper filter with pump( I have to buy a new one every other month because it constantly just stops flowing it still sucks up stuff but does not pour out the spout)
Water additives/conditioners/pH adjusters: TopFin or betta conditioner..whichever is easiest at the time.
What, how much and how often are the fish/frogs fed: He used to eat a few pellets a day (not soaked as I did not know to do this). After he stopped eating completely (after the leaking tank mishap) I tried feeding him flakes and he didn’t want those either. For about 3 weeks, I kid you not, he would not eat! I finally researched other types of foods and bought him gel bloodworms that come in the pouch and I have NEVER seen him act so crazy to eat food! He loved them!! And since he was eating them, I kept feeding him those once daily for the first week and then switched to every other day..just a chunk or two that comes out of the packets. Now I have freezed bloodworms and he likes those just as much and still continues to eat now every other day. I choose to feed him every other day because his tummy seems swollen and he does have trouble swimming at times..he continuously lays on his side..at the bottom of the rocks,etc or gets behind the wisper filter and rests on one of the sticky things near the surface.
Tank inhabitants (number, size and type of fish/frogs): Male red betta, 2-3 years old now. I have had him for a year.
New additions/changes to the tank: aquarisol salt (just a single pellet of salt on each side of his tank.)
Unusual findings on the fish/frog: white raised cottony dot right below (or above) his eye. Whitish splattered looking paint under his mouth and gills (like on the bottom of his body)..gunk outlining his eyes
Unusual behavior: laying on bottom of tank or near surface..doesnt move much at all unless tapped on glass, clamped fins, lethargy..he IS eating though..
Medications/what has been tried or done do far: Nothing because this betta is so old and has never had ANY kind of medication/treatment what so ever. I bought Rid Ich + because I am pretty sure he has velvet (dust on his fins) fins are clamped, lethargy, gills seem to be breathing harder and harder. I also bought maracide (treats the fish, not the water)which I would like to try first..but I don’t know how to introduce it to him or his tank and with the amount of ammonia and temp..there is so much thought that goes into it that I don’t end up doing anything but a good ole water change. I added Nutrafin Cycle to see if it would lower the ammonia but haven’t tested it yet to see if it did.
Summary of potential fish/frog stressors: I wanted to get him out of the filthy tank as soon as possible so I filled up his temp tank (1/2 gal bowl) with tap water and added just under a ½ teaspoon of aquarium salt (aquarisol?) also added his conditioner which removes chlorine, chloramine, and other metals. I did a vacuum of his 1.5 gal tank rocks and filled the rest of his tank up with this pretreated water from petsmart. At that point his tank was disgustingly filthy, stuff floating everywhere oh forgot to mention the filter went out on me for the 2nd time and did not have money for a new one for atleast a few days. After a day went by of letting his temp tank (1/2 gal) sit, I added betta to it and he kinda freaked out..was swimming everywhere like crazy (nothing I have seen him do before) so after about 10 mins, I checked on him again and he was literally lifeless laying vertically at the bottom of the tank so I freaked and since I hadn’t emptied his old tank to clean it out yet, I just scooped him and put him back into his 1.5 gal tank ( I KNOW, I STRESSED HIM THE HECK OUT by doing this) but I could not just watch him die. But after adding him back to his actual tank, he just layed at the bottom, breathing heavily..now his breathing is ok but he is still just laying around at the bottom. Please help, I have grown immensely attached to “Betta” and have spent a fortune on him this last 2 months (literally) and I am scared to do anything thinking it will put him in shock..He still has the few raised patches and the “paint splatter” under his chin and dusty dots on his fins. His fins are clamped and his entire color is pale a very faint color from his actual red color. His gills have these red things coming out but I don’t know if this is how he has always been but when I look at him from the front, his head looks huge, maybe swollen..and his belly is pretty full looking..I do know that at first we were overfeeding him and I was pretty sure he had SBD shortly before his old tank started leaking when all the issues happened. But now I am feeding every other day to help that..and when he initially had SBD, he didn’t eat for 3 weeks, maybe even longer until I got him the bloodworms, now he eats like a pig. I bought a new filter and installed it for him last night which seems to be working fine..for now. I just need step by step instructions on WHAT TO Do, exactly with all details..not leaving one thing out..I still have quite a bit of room temperature aged water sitting around (including the huge jug I bought of “pretreated” water) so if I could get him out of the tank completely into clean fresh water (that’s dechlorinated) in his new 1gallon temp tank. I want to medicate him but don’t know how or how much and with his type of water (ammonia being high and temp really low with a PH of 7 and nitrates/nitrites seem average. Should I just mix half of the pretreated store bought water with half of his tank water in the 1 gallon temp tank, add conditioner (how much?) and then add him to the gallon bowl with the meds do I put him in first and introduce the med slowly/gradually or do I mix it all up and then put him in it? What if the water does match what he is in now?How do I fix this? Hes still surviving and I want to make him better!
I am in need to save my betta! When you say 100% water change, does that mean I place betta in a temp tank while I clean his tank and add conditioner to it with the correct temp and then put him back in the tank after I am done? This is what I have always done but I just want to make sure this is correct. Would you recommend I go ahead with the maracide? I have now realized that the color of his coat is now a copper color and am scared this is velvet. Or even ich as he has a cottony white patch just under his eye.
I just tested my tap water and it has an amonia level of 1.
I tested my bottled water and it has a level of 0.
Either way, I think it is safer than the level 4 that I am getting currently in his 1.5 gal tank.
Will this (shifting from amonia levels like that) put him in shock?
Also I noticed my Kh levels are 50 in his tank but 0 in the temp tank i am trying to put him in.
the ph matches in both, the temperatures match in both.
the nitrite and nitrate is slightly different in the temp tank as it is at 0.
I forgot to mention that after giving him the salt dunk, the next day he had a looong string of brown stuff coming out of his anal fin area...is this parasites or him just being "unsconstipated"? i have suspected he may be.. Right now, I just need to know what to do to help him at this point since his ammonia is so high and his ph is so different from the water that i "prepare" for him. "prepare" as in using filtered water with betta conditioner that has aged for 2 or 3 days with the same temp as his tank.
Can I put him in a new tank entirely so I can clean out his big tank and start over with that one? Or will it shock him to go into a clean tank since he has acclimated to this high ammonia one?
I want to get a new heater (the 2-5 gallon one) because it has a set temp of 78 degrees but am scared that because I have a 1.5gallon that it will overheat his acrylic tank...The one i have now is the 1-3 gallon one and it doesnt have a set temp, it just keeps heating and heating and I have to remember to shut it off which is BAD for me since yesterday I forgot to shut it off before I went to work and it was on for 4 hours and his temperature raised from 72-78 until I came home on my lunch break and unplugged it. He was still laying in the same spot but he actually came out to eat and was swimming up top and is now behind his filter (he likes to rest right between the two suction cups) which is close to the top..he just seems depressed..I got a good picture of his spot below his eye and also of his belly area that looks splattered with white paint. He is a red betta but his color is pale, almost looks copperish. The only sprinkled dots I see on him is tiny ones on his fins. I can see a mucous coating on his skin..
Also, should I medicate him with the maracide or rid ich that I have? Should I go to petsmart for the 3rd time this week and pick up an antibiotic as well? How do I introduce the treatment to him? I would obviously have to move him to his temporary 1 gal glass tank but how should I do that and with his old water? or with part old, part new and then add medication and then add betta? Or add betta first and then introduce the med? This is the part I dont know about! He does not have those sprinkled dots all over his body..just on his fins and mouth area which is why I am stumped as to what this is..???
I am in need to save my betta! When you say 100% water change, does that mean I place betta in a temp tank while I clean his tank and add conditioner to it with the correct temp and then put him back in the tank after I am done? This is what I have always done but I just want to make sure this is correct. Would you recommend I go ahead with the maracide? I have now realized that the color of his coat is now a copper color and am scared this is velvet. Or even ich as he has a cottony white patch just under his eye.
Right now, I just need to know what to do to help him at this point since his ammonia is so high and his ph is so different from the water that i "prepare" for him. "prepare" as in using filtered water with betta conditioner that has aged for 2 or 3 days with the same temp as his tank.
Can I put him in a new tank entirely so I can clean out his big tank and start over with that one? Or will it shock him to go into a clean tank since he has acclimated to this high ammonia one?
Newest pic:
Another person in a different forum suggested possibly flex? After reading about it, it kind of makes sense..but this is where I get scared--I dont know exactly what it is..but he definately has a copper tint, right? I was afraid of him having velvet but i just hopes he pulls thru..I will try a 75% water change tonight by syphoning but i think i want to go ahead and put him in the temp tank and rinse his tank and everything with hot tap water then let them soak in pretreated water, fill the tank bak up with pretreated water and if I decide to medicate him it will be in the temp glass tank (since meds can stain acrylic). I really want a bigger tank but i am broke at the moment because i have spent a fortune on betta already with meds, treatments, foods, plants, deco, the 1.5 gallon tank is about 2 months old. If I decide to not treat him, I will put him bak in his 1.5 gal and watch him, if he gets worse the next couple of days, I will just treat him in that tank. Buy a new bigger tank and after his meds, get him in the space he deserves..I just didnt want to shock him with too much space since all he knew for two years prior was that tiny .5 gal leaky tank that i got him in...
I was buying a new filter because the flow would absolutely stop at the top of the water. No matter how much I cleaned or replaced the filter, it would just stop and not start back up. I never thought about squeezing it though. I will try this from now on, everytime I do waterchanges.
I have removed him from the 1.5gal tank and put him in the glass 1gal temp tank. I cleaned out his entire 1.5gal tank and everything in it. Rinsed with hot water for a very long time, scrubbed down the walls with my dedicated tank scrubber. He actually was really responsive to the new temp tank. He was swimming around and he literally instantly improved..Of course still goes to the bottom to rest. since he was swimming around I noticed his fins looked kind of disentegrated at the ends. Almost kind of "riggidy" looking. I hope the clean water will help this and his other signs of stress.
I think the high ammonia levels had alot to do with uneaten food sitting at the bottom of his tank and not changing the water for 3 weeks, and I am sure changing the filter wasnt helping much at all either.
For three consistent weeks now, he has been eating 2-3 bloodworms every other day already. I think this has really helped him but now I know I need to syphone alot to keep the "dirt" down.
Thanks for the warning about the slime coming off in "chunks" because I am sure that would have freaked me out too!
I am not exactly sure what "flashing" is or looks like? But rubbing up against deco/rocks-he does do but only when he moves, when he lands-he hits things. He still swims sometimes at an angle like his equilibrium is off..and at one point caught him completely vertical in his tank, looking up to the surface..very strange..
The white specs are not raised at all (that I can see) Its hard to get a good look at the bottom of his belly but it is definately whitish/silvery under there and had been thinking that possibly is just from old age (maybe also from scooting along the bottom of tank along rocks) It literally looks like splattered paint on his belly and is not cottony looking at all-looks like his coat. There is, however, a raised single white dot just below his eye and then the gunk outlining his eye (this has came about just with in the last 3 weeks.)
I have the Hydor Mini Water Heater for tanks that are 2-5 gallons in size but it is not an adjustable thermostat so how will it keep a constant temperature? I left it on for 4 hours one time and the temp went from 72 to 78 degrees! So am I right to say, that is as high as they go? I just want to be sure (I am at work most of the day so I cant really monitor the temp to stabilize it or keep an eye if it gets too hot) I will test this out this weekend to see if it just stops heating after 78 degrees (not that I dont believe you, but for my own sanity!) Right now, without the heater, his tank will go down to 72 degrees at night, but around 75-76 during the day..
I am going to put him back in his 1.5gal tank today with his filter and keep an eye on him (currently, he is still in the temp tank as I was not sure if he needed medicated and was hoping to do the meds in the temp tank, but after I move him back to his actual tank, i will just keep it ready in case). I will add the heater this weekend and slowly raise the temp as I know this can shock them. I will do a 40% change tomorrow morning.
