Betta Fish: Two week update: happier fish!

Two weeks ago, I posted asking for help. (https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/s/8rGj8rrFwE)

The new betta fish my family had brought home in June had struggled all summer, despite us trying to keep the water clean and feeding him regularly.

i did not yet know of water cycling, almond leaves, how filters actually work, etc!

Thank you to all those who replied with suggestions (and without judgement!).

I used a garbage bag to black out the back of the tank, redirected the filter against the tank wall, and adjusted it so it wasn’t producing loud bubbles. The fish immediately seemed to perk up a bit.

Food

He was barely eating and was emaciated, and ignored all the fish food i tried to feed him with, except blood worms. So for a week I fattened him up on blood worms, just to get his weight up. After trying a few different fish foods, he ended up liking and eating Bug Bites Flakes (but not the pellets). So I’ve been mainly feeding him with that for the last week, plus blood worm treats.

Water

I got a water testing kit, and have tested the water everyday while he’s been healing. I’ve done 30% water changes every few days (with a new siphon, to get all the gunk at the bottom of the tank), instead of 100% changes every couple of weeks. I added almond leaves for their tannins, a few pieces of crushed coral to bring up hardness and alkalinity a touch to protect against Ph crashes, and added more plants.

Light

Also added a programmable light. The tank is in a solarium but it’s nice to be able to control the light on cloudy days and gives us a better view in the evening.

Results

He seems to be thriving! Super active, eating a ton, hiding in the log, making bubble nests. His fins are starting to regrow as well! I hope they keep growing, especially his tail. I’ll report back in another month with progress pics.

Thanks everyone!