Close Menu
Betta Fish

Betta Fish: Is it time to rehome?

I’ve had my betta since a couple days before Christmas Eve. He was a gift from my supervisor at work (🫠) so I had to fish in cycle. I bought a 3 gal tank to upgrade him from the .75gal she gave him to me in. I’ve been changing the water 2-3 x/ week, about 30%, I’ve been dosing with seachem prime and stability daily, I’ve been feeding fluval bug bites and freeze dried blood worms (1-2 worms/day and 4-8 pellets/ day). The tank isn’t cycled yet(despite my efforts) and it seems like he has ammonia spots. His face has turned pretty black from bright and colorful and he has another black spot on his body. I’m just worried that I dont have the knowledge to take care of him or I’m messing it up somehow and someone else could do better. Wdyt? Earlier pics are first and new pics later. Disregard the circle I drew on the first pic— that was just an earlier pic of Rufio that I had.

https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1qsj8im

Posted by ohmeohmyah

11 Comments

  2. Mystery_Dragonfly on

    You need a water test kit (liquid kind). For the Betta, it depends. Just stress can do it,more infections. You can try a salt bath.

    Water temp 80-82

    Change 30% of the water out daily for now.

    Antibiotics (Kanaplex or Furan-2 or similar)

    Salt baths: Dissolve 1 teaspoon aquarium salt per gallon of water , and let your fish soak for 10-15 minutes each day (in a hospital tank is easiest, you can use your old tank). Then put them back into their regular aquarium afterwards.

  3. Brilliant_Ask852 on

    a fish in cycle requires daily water changes. especially in anything less than 5 – might even need 2x a day. that’s why you’re having issues.

  4. Fawneh1359 on

    Hey OP. So, it’s up to you if you want to re-home, but it’s definitely doable to keep him alive and happy. You do need either a liquid test kit (expensive but cheaper in the long run) or test strips (you need to follow the timing directions EXACTLY or else they’re inaccurate). You should probably be doing daily water changes, how much water depends on what the tests say the ammonia level is at. Some kind of testing is absolutely non-negotiable for fish-in cycling. Pet stores in America will do tests for free but you’d literally have to be going daily so I don’t recommend it.

    Also, careful on the freezedried bloodworms, they’re more of a treat than anything.

    I’m gonna go ahead and say don’t do antibiotics. It will do more harm than good. You could grab Seachem StressGuard though. It’ll help with the ammonia wounds. Otherwise, they’ll go away if you start doing more changes.

  5. inkisbad124 on

    Expand the automod comment and read the wiki/caresheet for basic betta care. Also read up on the nitrogen and get yourself an api freshwater master kit.

  8. _Brown_Butter on

    Honestly, I’d get a 10 gallon tank for it and keep doing what you’re doing. But it will be easier to keep the water parameters healthy with a larger volume. Also, get Dr. Tim’s one and only or Fritzyme cycling bacteria and dump the whole bottle in. You’ll be cycled in no time.

  10. Enoch8910 on

    OMG I came on here armed for bear to go after you because I thought one of those photos indicated something had taken a bite out of him and you had him in a community tank with the wrong fish. This is entirely different. This is just a learning experience.

    Honestly, you sound like you could be a great fish keeper. You need to get a bigger tank. A 5 gallon will do for now. You need a liquid Master Test Kit. Go on YouTube look up how to cycle a tank and look up Betta care guides. You’re gonna do fine.

  11. awesomezozo on

    Your fish looks ok .. I would just do daily water. Changes and if you’re able to get a 5 gallon and I say that because believe it or not the bigger the tank the easier it is to keep balanced once it’s cycled .. 5 gallon will still be tricky but if you don’t want anything too big a 5 gallons will be easier than a 3 and you would just have to move everything you are using now and put it directly into new tank and then just add new water is all just make sure it’s the same temp and it would be a big water change too lol which would be great for the ammonia levels .. just a thought .. and for the current tank you have just do daily 25-30% water changes its harder in a smaller tank but basically empty out like 1/4 of it everyday and then add the prime and good bacteria like you are now and it’ll get easier

Leave A Reply