(he’s in a short container as i was trying to see if he’d eat fibre when he could actually reach)
hi! i got this betta from fb marketplace the other day, along with his female sibling. the previous owner had them housed together and I assume the severe fin damage is from the female nipping.
i have started treatment for the fin damage and tried putting him in short water to see if he‘d eat when he’s in reach, he didn’t. I offered him three different types of food and nothing. I’m doing the daily water treatment, daily water changes and just monitoring him. seems to be swim bladder.
I don’t think he was well kept before I homed him, he was given to me in filthy water.
Is there anything else I can do? or do I just clove oil him if he doesn’t improve?
https://i.redd.it/rsg881iv55xg1.jpeg
Posted by Greedy-Ear-1779
3 Comments
Is he pineconing? If it’s swim bladder he’ll need salt baths (to help get rid of extra fluid) and kanaplex (in case the cause is bacterial.) Poor buddy looks absolutely miserable 🙁
Just in case, don’t clove oil a betta! Since they are labyrinth breathers they panic when they can’t get to the surface and their deaths are awful. Blunt force is the way to go.
Bettas sometimes take a day or two or even a few days to start eating like from the stress of a changing environment. Especially if he came from a home where he wasn’t properly cared for/regularly fed already.
Daily treatments and daily changes when he hasn’t had a few days to settled down to start eating will be adding stress.
It is likely that he was brought to you probably already too far gone if he was in territorial fights (why never put Bettas together – even male female will instinctually kill each other). But if he’s going to be okay you’re going to need to let him settle down.
My two cents.
I’m sure more people on here have much more experience than I do to give you better tips.