Something is wrong with our work fish

[ay_brooks]

I am hoping someone will be able to help me and my co-worker.

We have had our betta fish for about a year and a couple months. He used to live in a basic goldfish bowl but about 5 months ago we moved him into a better tank with a small air filter thing that doesn't make a lot of water movement he also has gravel, rocks, a little home thingy and plants. When he first moved in he was a VERY happy fish*SUPERSMIL . Now all he does is hang around the tank and stay at the bottom or he is always hiding in his home . I think he is just about ready to die but i am not willing to give up. I know he is a trooper because when we first got him he jumped out of his tank and fell behind the desk and was left there for about 20min until we found him. He got sick afterwards but returned to full health. Now all this is happing and i don't know what to do.! He has also started to get some white spots on his side which i am thinking is ick. Anyways if anyone could help us with any suggestions or anything that would be great!!! Thank-you all

 

[Chazwick]

A picture would help because it could be anything from some sort of fungal to perhaps ick, like you suggested.

 

[ninamarie]

To be safe do the spots of white look like Salt?
If so sounds like ick and you willwant to treat that fast.

 

[sweetvegan74]

If he looks like a pretzel fish then it is ich if it just white cottony like patches then it is fungus. You may want to treat him for both just in case you are not sure what he has. If you could give us a picture we could help you out a little more.

 

[echoofformless]

Being as though no new fish (I assume) have been introduced to that tank in so long, I would doubt it's ick.

What water change schedule have you been on? Is the tank properly cycled?

Fish only get fungal/bacterial conditions when water quality is low.

Pics?

 

[ay_brooks]

replys to questions about our sick work fish

well we are not on a water chaning cycle. We usually change it when it starts to look a little dirty. When we do change it we just use tap water but i make sure that it warm to luke warm in temperature. We also don't let the water sit for 24 hours like i have read recently on some websites. The white spots on his scales just look like his skin its not really hanging off of him or anything like that. He also like to drag his tail on the rocks on the bottom when he does move around. I will try and get a pic on here by monday sometime*SUNSMILE*

 

[ninamarie]

clean the tank out get a water conditioner that takes the nasties out of tap. also add a med tothe water like betta fix and put the little feller back in it.

Please make sure that you do at least a weekly or bi-weekly water change and make sure to always add the water purifier in there as well with each change.

 

[ay_brooks]

Could you recommend some types/ or names of the products i should buy this weekend?

 

[echoofformless]

Amquel or Amquel+ are good, effective dechlorinators.

If your tap water has chloramine, that will not evaporate like chlorine. So simply aging it doesn't make it any safer.

Effectively by adding the straight tap water you could be putting enough chlorine/chloramine into the system to kill of your nitrifying bacteria. So basically you are chancing a double whammy - not changing the water often enough to cause nitrate buildup, and when changing the water killing off your bacteria - causing a re-cycle and a buildup of ammonia and nitrite.

You really should read up on how best to care for the fish if you expect him to be entirely healthy and happy. I'm not flaming you...just making sure you know to take a few minutes to learn about tank cycling and maintenance. Mr. Betta will be very happy

 

[ay_brooks]

i was also thinking of buying a thing called bettafix remedy or a snail what do you think?

 

[geekrockgirl85]

adding a snail would not be a good idea right now.

you should make sure the conditions of your tank are stable and disease-free for a few weeks before you add any more critters.

bettafix might be beneficial, but it is not meant to be a cure-all. it's good to add at the first sign of ratty fins, light fungus and the like, but it cannot bring a fish back from the brink. for now it's best to just make sure he's got clean water until he can be properly diagnosed. the bettafix couldn't hurt (it's a fairly safe treatment; so even if what he has isn't something that bettafix treats, it won't hurt him in the meantime), but it also might not make him better.

it's hard for us to give you really good advice without being able to see your fish firsthand... which is why so many people are reluctant to try and give you a diagnosis. (i'm sure you've noticed how iffy these little guys can be!)this website will hopefully help you a bit until you are able to snap a pic of him:Pandora's Aquarium


for now, try the bettafix, get some dechlorinator and NEVER let untreated water near the tank or filter again. you need to get on a strict weekly 30%waterchange and gravel vacuuming schedule. this will ensure that he's got the cleanest, safest living environment he possibly could have.