betta not looking as good as he used too

[melissakate]

hey ppls,

haven't been on this forum in a little while as i forgot the web address *twirlysmi anyways, my crowntail fighter is looking a little worse for wear. he's lost alot of his colour and it seems as tho bits of his fins are torn. he is not in with any other fish and never has been. he's still eating fine. he did have what i thought was some fungus so i just put a bit of salt in his water and it looks fine now...... i don't have a current pic of him but i can post what he used to look like

if anyone can pls help me that would be great coz he was a very beautiful betta.

thanks,mel

 

[Chazwick]

Perhaps he has fin rot? Eh? He doesn't sound too good ... hmmmm - are your water levels fine?

 

[FroggyFox]

Have you tried switching up his food? If he's eating fine and acting normal then maybe he just needs some change of scenery and something to mix his diet up so he's not 'bored'?

Fins looking ripped could be a sign of finrot...usually you need to take care of that by stepping up your water changes (doing them more often or a little more water than usual) to improve your water quality. A lot of sickness comes from low water quality.

 

[melissakate]

his fins haven't really deterioated any further in the last few weeks. he gets regular water changes about twice a week. i've been thinking of moving him from his bowl into a small tank with a bit of filtration & see how he goes..... would that be a good idea???

 

[JNevaril]

eeeeeeeekk!! he didn't have any filtration?


That would be my first guess as to why his condition went slightly downhill.

Althought, SUPPOSEDLY, in the wild, they live in mud puddles.....i really think that bettas are happier in filtered, heated water....


just my opinion though....


and my betta ralph is soooo much prettier than the ones in the dixie cups at the store.....i attribute that to his own filtered, heated tank....

 

[melissakate]

he generally has been fine without filtration.... as i do water changes twice a week. also, i don't have heating as i live in tropical north qld (australia) where it is that hot anyway. i also have a second betta who is in exactly the same conditions as the other & he is doing absolutely fine.... go figure

 

[FroggyFox]

I'd say he'd most definitely do better if you moved him from a bowl into a tank with some filtration. Undergravel filters work well with bettas since they dont create much of a current for them to deal with.

 

[melissakate]

i am intending him to move him into a small tank (12 inches) with filtration for a little while until he gets better & looks himself again.

 

[Chazwick]

Yes, it's better to keep in a tank, and someplace that will stay warm, if you don't have a heater. My Betta is healthy and happy... but recently came down with a small case of White Spot, it's gone now, but in order to get rid of it, i had to rasie the temp.. and now she is far happier, so i've left the temp higher.

 

[melissakate]

i'm thinking of getting a small heater for the tank i have... i've never used a heater for fish before..... what do i need???

 

[FroggyFox]

how big is the tank?

 

[Chazwick]

I actually don't have a heater... my room is small and very warm... and where the tank is situated all the heat is.. it's constantly warm.. and the temp has never dropped down drastically. To raise the temp, i do a water change and the new water, i make it warmer, then slowly put it in, my Betta loves it when the warmer water drifts around the tank! I do it weekly with warm water! But i don't always have to, because, like i said, the tank is always warm!

 

[Lotus]

Temperature fluctuations are generally bad for bettas. You need to take into consideration the maximum and minimum temperatures in the tank, not just what it seems to be during the day, as well as the difference between those two temperatures. With more than a degree or two of difference, bettas can become sick quite quickly. The ideal temp is 78-80F/26-27C.

 

[Chazwick]

That's what my room temp is
Sometimes a tad higher at the moment (and it's been quite chilly the last few days), it's stayed at 81F and 27C and it still looks like it's raising a tad.

 

[sweetvegan74]

Eclipse

You could go with an Eclipse Filteration set up they have 2.5, 3 and 6 gallon aquariums. My Betta is in the 6 system and he is pretty happy, the filteration gives gentle curents so they don't bother him and you don't have to worry about undergravel clean up

 

[Chazwick]

Yes - because Bettas - being poor swimmers, don't like huuuuge currents! :S

 

[melissakate]

i have ordered a heater that is capable of doing up to 40L tank & said it was good for bettas , anyways, i'm going to try adding some filtration & warming his water and see how he goes. additionally i think i got some "bettafix" which i believe is good for restoring health or something???

 

[melissakate]

Pro Aqua 25w - that's the heater i've bought

 

[FisheyLisa]

I disagree with the currents...mine is in a 30 with a 30/60 whisper, and even at the highest setting he is more than willing to swim around in it. I have seen him dart about very quickly, as fast as my other fish, especially when there is a frog attached to his fin...I have never seen any fish move that fast. I also have a calm area where he sleeps. In a small tank, you obviously want a lot less current, but I don't think it should be avoided.

Once you get your habitat set, you may try frozen blood worms (more for treat) and brine shrimp...my fish has now the most amazing color...he is a pet shop betta and his reds and blues are soooooo deep and vibrant.

 

[melissakate]

my betta did look very good until just recently (last few weeks/months) when he started losing bits of his fins. his new heater has arrived and is all set up.... just waiting for the temp to settle out and he'll be moved across.... will put a filter in soon....