This is my betta Orion, I've had him for a little over 2 weeks now and the tank for 4. 5.5 gal with 3 nerites (ik I'm moving them asap). Water parameters are ammonia .25 ppm, nitrite 0, nitrate 5 ppm. Tank is run on a sponge filter and has a heater (water 78F, 82F now that I'm treating him for Ich). Tank has some anubias, a bit of frogbit I'm trying to get to spread, and pothos.
Until 3 days ago he was doing great. Very curious, bright, and active. I noticed signs of ich but he was still active and eating so I did 30% water changes the 1st and 2nd day as well as adding in Ich-X after each. While he didn't get much better, he was still eating and active, just hiding more than usual. Yesterday I was out of town..I thought 1 day without treatment wouldn't be terrible but I came back to find him worse than ever. Floating vertically, struggling to swim, not eating, fins severely cramped compared to how spread and bright they are usually (last picture for reference) Looks like signs of finrot now and maybe even swim bladder disease! I did another 30% water change and added Ich-X just now but don't understand how he got this much worse in only 24 hours!
Does it seem like he does have finrot and swim bladder disease now? If so what can I do to treat those? I have aquarium salt but would like some help on the best way to do a salt bath, or how (I know I'm not supposed to add directly in, but don't understand the alternative)
Also, what was I doing wrong that this happened in the first place? Ik it is usually caused due to stress, but he is in a quiet place of the house, no reflections, plenty of hiding places wunderkind driftwood, 8 hours of low lighting a day, tannins from the driftwood as well. I did add a new piece of driftwood I got from another betta tank a few days before I started noticing symptoms, and have also been doing 30% water changes on the other dudes tank, raising the temp a bit, but the other guy (Virgo) seems perfectly healthy with 0 signs of Ich or anything else…so I don't imagine it would have come from his tank?
Any help would be so appreciated and any other information that is need gladden given! Rly hope it's not too late for my lil guy! </3
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1s7djt0
Posted by GusTheGoosr
4 Comments
So hopefully someone with more expertise can chime in, but I’ve read on here that a lot of the common medications that end in -fix (MelaFix, Pimafix, even bettafix apparently) aren’t great for bettas because it hurts their labyrinth organ.
Not sure about that medication specifically, are you able to see the ingredients? Tea tree oil is the common culprit.
Use aquarium salt!! This has helped my betas.
OMG that is almost exactly what is happening with me too. I have a 5.5 gallon tank. two weeks ago,I added a nerite in with my betta. And it was fine. Everything was fine and until three days ago, I started noticing that my betta is hiding. Just sitting ,always resting under a plant, which is not his usual spot. Also, when he swims, its almost vertically. It’s like half of his body towards the back is paralyzed. he doesn’t swim unless I am there or my hands are around the tank. No issues with eating though. I did change water twice and moved the snail. Hope everything gets better with your betta as well 🤝🏼
Okay so some information is necessary but first of all go here:
https://aquariumscience.org/5-5-chlorine-and-chloramine/
Make sure you are following proper instruction on treating water and know what a chlorine pulse is just in case. Rapid decrease in condition after a water change is often due to chlorine.
Second go to here:
https://aquariumscience.org/10-diseases/
I know it is a ton of information, but reading it is the best way to make sure you know what is wrong with your fish and how to treat the illness. If you go on that site and find the “shotgun” method its one of the best ways to treat fish illness and saved me when my cherry barbs came down with an illness that I couldn’t identify.