After thinking my poor guy had dropsy, today it looks like the scales are healing. I guess he must have scraped both of his sides on his plant or something. Next trip to Walmart and we're getting him a silk plant. There is a bubble nest again and he's eating and very active, all good signs. I hope everyone else is doing good, it's been very quiet in here. FW

Yeah, I'm thinking it was an injury too FW...hope he heals up well !

Hello again, BTW ! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Hi, just me again with another fish issue. The last few days our betta has been swimming around alot almost agitatedly (if that is a word). He will swim over to his shell and rub his side by his gills on it, then flip away like he was poked or something. He has also been nose diving to the gravel on the bottom. He's been eating and flaring like normal, but I'm thinking the rubbing thing cannot be good. *Sigh* and bettas are one of the easier fishes? Lol I've dealt with fungus before and I'm wondering if this is the start of it?? FW

Sounds like ich. That's usually the first sign, because the ich under his skin and start to itch. Keep an eye out for white dots, and it wouldn't hurt him at all if you started to treat him with salt and elevated temperatures now. Even if it turns out he has nothing, this won't stress him out. Do a search for Ich on google, or even this forum, and you will turn up a TON of resources, I promise <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Thanks Elise. I don't see any white spots, but after cleaning the tank last nite I woke up to not a bubble nest but tiny bits of what looks like fungus on the ends of his ventricals, and a bit on the top of his head. Bah! I always have salt in the water (a little more lately since he scraped up his sides) and I'll have to wrap his tank since it's too small for a a heater. He's really not himself today, just swimming as though he's half asllep, sort of staring into space if you will. I know you should only use meds if you have to, so I'm wondering if I've already waited too long for them. I feel as bad for him as when my kids get sick. FW

After searching around for a bit for fungus info I went back to look at Sugar and it's definately fungus on him <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> I decided not to wait to see if the salt does the trick and added the first round of Bettafix. I was thinking that cleaning the tank last nite really stressed him out too, poor thing... I did it as quickly as possible. I am wondering if it's ok to leave his gravel, shell and plant in the tank while he's being treated. I don't want him to lose his hidey hole. Thanks FW

Today was the third day of using Bettafix. Within a few hours after adding the first dose the visible fungus was gone and over the day Sugar seemed to perk up. The second day (yesterday) he was flaring and active and looked really good. Today we were out most of the day. When I went in to feed him after supper he ate the first pellet and then kind of swayed and dropped to the bottom. I watched him for a few minutes and he kept going over to his shell and rubbing his gill on it like before the Bettafix. Our first betta had that type of behaviour, swaying and dropping when he was sick. I was hoping someone could tell me if gasping looks like they are snapping (as they do when they flare sometimes). He's been doing that tonite too, but not in a feisty way. I was told with our first fish that if you see fungus on the outside it has already manifested inside, I'm not sure if that's true or not. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

I'm not sure FW.....I'd keep up the treatment and add a bit of aquarium salt if you havn't already. You're really doing all that you can for him...he'll either pull through or not...hope he does !

I'm wondering if it has something to do with his eating....seems like you say he was perking up and looking good....and then after he ate he went back downhill....odd..... ??

It was just that one time he acted funny after eating, so I can't really suspect it has to do with eating. Just a coincidence I think. There has been salt in the tank regularily for a few weeks now. A few times I've seen him 'burping' out a little fluff which I'm hoping is from the Bettafix and not fungus.

Fish journal-ing? I suppose it's okay for me to do, even if I'm very much a beginner to the world of these lovely fish. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Day One:
I bought all my fish supplies and the actual fish at Walmart... I was going to get the fish from a petshop, but this one really struck me as beautiful and he actually seemed active. I wanted him to have a good home, so he's become my first pet outside of the family. Brought him back to my dorm room, and spent hours washing his bowl, gravel, toys, etc., and obsessing over whether or not the water was just right. (Hey, I -love- animals... I didn't want to unknowingly hurt the little guy!) I read tons of articles about how to add him to his water, and bugged a friend who has a betta (had two before one jumped out.. poor thing), and finally got my pretty little one in his new home. At first he seemed very confused, but he settled down pretty quickly. I wish I could say the same thing for me! I was up until midnight just watching to make sure he was okay. He wouldn't eat anything, but I thought he might just be stressed from his big move. I took out the pellets he didn't want, and finally convinced myself to go to sleep... when I woke up at 3:00 A.M. he wasn't moving and I got so worried that I called my boyfriend for advice. He convinced me that he was probably sleeping, or resting, and to check on him in the morning...

Day Two:

I'm happy to say that my fish (named Broadway by this time) is now doing very well. He ate one pellet this morning, and I thought it was best not to force any more on him right now. He's swimming around happily and sometimes nips at the silk plant I put in with him. He stares at me all the time! When I woke up this morning, he was watching me sleep. He's really precious. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Whoo, that was long!