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caroline12
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Thank you! Looking for a new tank now.
Sick betta! :(
- Thread starter caroline12
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caroline12
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Thank you! I am reordering a bunch of stuff now.
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caroline12
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Do you have any tips or tricks on how to cycle the water correctly?I have a feeling that you didn’t cycle your tank before adding your fish, did you? Are you aware of the aquarium nitrogen cycle? We need to know what your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates are. Do you test your water? If not, take a sample to your fish store and ask them to test it for you. Write down the numbers and get back to us. Your betta really needs at least a 5 gallon tank too. Below is information on cycling your tank and the nitrogen cycle. Until you get your water test results, do as advised above and do daily water changes to keep the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate down. Get an API Freshwater master test kit. It’s an important tool in fish keeping! Get back with us.https://modestfish.com/how-to-cycle-your-aquarium/
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caroline12
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Also, would anyone recommend something like aquarium salt/some type of bacterial medicine? I saw aquarium salt can help a bit.
Cycling Your New Fresh Water Tank: Read This First!
Cycling Your First Fresh Water Tank What is Cycling and Why is it Important? Fish waste, and especially fish breathing, plus uneaten food and other organic matter breaking down in a tank all produce Ammonia. This can quickly become toxic to fish if it is allowed to build up to any measurable...
www.fishforums.net
Check out this thread. On your last question, I’d get @Deanasues opinion.
I think that is for fishless cycling. You’ll want to do a fish in cycle. This is a good article. http://petfishclub.com/cycle-with-fish-in-cycle/Cycling Your New Fresh Water Tank: Read This First!
Cycling Your First Fresh Water Tank What is Cycling and Why is it Important? Fish waste, and especially fish breathing, plus uneaten food and other organic matter breaking down in a tank all produce Ammonia. This can quickly become toxic to fish if it is allowed to build up to any measurable...
Check out this thread. On your last question, I’d get @Deanasues opinion.
My bad, listen to her.
A betta should be in a 5 gallon tank minimum. Unfortunately, pet stores still advertise these small tanks as the perfect home for a betta, but they need more space to swim. Get a larger tank as soon as you can!
As for the betta's condition, it sounds like velvet to me. the easiest way to identify velvet if it looks like there is gold dust on their scales. Velvet also makes them lethargic and they lose their appetite. Is your fish also rubbing against things in his tank? Velvet is a parasite and it causes irritation, so the betta will probably trying itching himself.
First things first, do a 50% water change. To treat velvet, you should increase the heat in the tank (82F-85F) and add aquarium salt. It's also a good idea to turn the lights off in your aquarium, because the parasites need light. I also suggest BettaFix and adding it to the water, as it will kill the parasites off faster. You'll need to turn your filter off though while using BettaFix.
Change the water everyday and re-adding aquarium salt until your betta no longer has the "gold dust!"
As for the betta's condition, it sounds like velvet to me. the easiest way to identify velvet if it looks like there is gold dust on their scales. Velvet also makes them lethargic and they lose their appetite. Is your fish also rubbing against things in his tank? Velvet is a parasite and it causes irritation, so the betta will probably trying itching himself.
First things first, do a 50% water change. To treat velvet, you should increase the heat in the tank (82F-85F) and add aquarium salt. It's also a good idea to turn the lights off in your aquarium, because the parasites need light. I also suggest BettaFix and adding it to the water, as it will kill the parasites off faster. You'll need to turn your filter off though while using BettaFix.
Change the water everyday and re-adding aquarium salt until your betta no longer has the "gold dust!"
To diagnose velvet, shine a torch onto the fish in the dark. If there is a golden sheen to his body, that's velvet. If there is no gold sheen you do not ned to treat the fish for velvet.
Please do not add Bettafix to the tank. It is dilute Melafix which is tea tree oil. Melafix and Pimafix (another product which contains aromatic oils) are best avoided in a tank with an anabatid as the oils form a layer on the water surface. This stops the anabatid breathing air and it can also affect the labyrinth organ.
Bettafix/Melafix do not kill protozoan parasites such as velvet, they are intended to treat bacterial infections.
And you need to keep the filter running while using any medication. If the filter contains carbon, that should be removed; if the filter is in a cartridge, the bag can be cut open and the carbon shaken out, then the bag put back in the filter.
Please do not add Bettafix to the tank. It is dilute Melafix which is tea tree oil. Melafix and Pimafix (another product which contains aromatic oils) are best avoided in a tank with an anabatid as the oils form a layer on the water surface. This stops the anabatid breathing air and it can also affect the labyrinth organ.
Bettafix/Melafix do not kill protozoan parasites such as velvet, they are intended to treat bacterial infections.
And you need to keep the filter running while using any medication. If the filter contains carbon, that should be removed; if the filter is in a cartridge, the bag can be cut open and the carbon shaken out, then the bag put back in the filter.
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caroline12
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That's what I was assuming, if you can see in the pictures his scales near his mouth are almost gold in color. I have been increasing the temp slowly but with school and work it's hard for me to stay consistent with raising it and changing water! But the temp is at 80 right now, hopefully I will raise it throughout the week and do a partial water change when I get home. Would you recommend the aquarium salt? I have a mystery snail and I am worried about the temp and salt. I haven't added salt yet but I have taken him out and put him in his own tank because of the high temperature. Just nervous!
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caroline12
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Thank you!! Raising temps now and hopefully will have a bigger tank soon!
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caroline12
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Awesome, thank you so much!
Aka a flashlight for your people in the USA.
Yes, don’t light a torch and catch your house on fire. Lol!Aka a flashlight for your people in the USA.
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