BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish Huh?

Yes, I do have a thermometer, it reads a steady 79 degrees. I have been thinking the heater may be broken because I have it set to 86 degrees, but it won't get any warmer than 79. Any thoughts on this?

Pig really is not doing well, tomorrow night is most likely the first night I will be home in a week and a half, so I am going to do a water change then. I am not going to put the heater back in. The only problem with this is that I have nothing to heat the tank, just a bed side lamp that can't stay on all day.

I do, however, have another theory. The only time this stuff comes back is over the weekend while I am away and someone else feeds him. I am wondering somethings. I watch him when he eats to make sure he eats all of his food. Sometimes he may not and I will scoop it out. The fish store people said that a peice of food stuck behind the heater may cause a fungus, so I may change his water tomorrow and add the fungus cure. I hate the thought of him swimming around in green water, but if it helps...........

I am also going to get him a small filter. I feel like I am stressing this poor little guy out, so I am going to hold off a while on adding the other fish, even when I have this problem cleared up.

He is just floating around, barely swimming. It breaks my heart to see him like this! <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> I feel so bad that it is too late to start the process of a water change, plus I need to set out the water still. My poor little Pig!!!!!!!!!!!! <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Bettagirl, I hope you figure out what it is that's bothering poor Pig. One important thing is to wait it out until you have water that has 'aged', and had stresscoat added.

I add stress coat and aquarium salt to the water after I add it to the tank. Even though I let the water age at least 24 hours, I don't add them until I put half the water in the tank, add the meds, add the rest of the water, and let it sit for about an hour. Then I ease Rusty back into his tank over about 15-20 minutes. However, now I am going to be adding Fungus Cure and seeing if this helps. I really thought we had licked this thing, and now it is back. Oh the things we go through for the love of our fish masters....eer I mean friends. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I hope the water being green doesn't freak him out!!!!!!!

You add the salt to the tank or to the water before you add it to the tank? I find it's easier to add the salt in the container you age the water in, that way I'm sure that nothing is left sitting at the bottom, and you don't have to worry about the gravel as much, but I think your gravel is gone anyway now (?) I dunno, just my personal opinion

Yeah, my gravel is gone. I am going to change his water tonight. He seems to be doing good. He goes back and forth from acting like a clown to being real sluggish. I think he just tired himself out acting goofy and then needs to rest though! He is eating a lot, it seems like he is always hungry! Whenever I come near the tank he comes to the front and starts moving his two little fins REALLY fast, it looks almost as if he is waving hello to me! Then he follows me and makes his "feed me" actions, swimming around in circles. Is it normal for a Betta to always eat? I don't feed him as much as he wants me to, but he normally only does this when he knows it is feeding time, around 1:00pm and around 1130pm-1200am. I am not sure what is up with that! I also found these fungus tablets I am going to try instead of the liquid so it does not dye the water green.

Yeah, Jalepeno knows when it's feeding time too <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> He sees the package and just goes nuts!

Get a good digital thermometer if you don't have one-- I use one that's meant for use in candy making, it is very accurate and not that expensive. I have my heater set at 75 and the water temp is 78... so a thermometer you can trust is essential. There will be some fluctuations so don't jump to reset the heater until you've taken the temp repeatedly over a couple of days.

Crushed coral will definitely raise your pH. This may be fine or even desirable, but it will do that, so watch out. Add it in small quantities (1 tbsp per 10 gal is probably a good increment) and keep it in a Dacron bag so that you can easily remove it. If you do need to raise your pH, consider using something like limestone or aragonite sand (3-4mm grains) instead of coral. The limestone or aragonite may provide a more stable buffering than the coral-- they become less soluble at higher pH.

IMHO using a lamp to heat the tank is a bad idea and could easily result in overheating and/or rapid changes in temp.

Your description of Rusty's behavior sounds normal to me. My betta, Morty will get real goofy and active and then rest, in cycles. Bettas _always_ want to eat, and they will figure out how to "train" you to feed them. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Your oily/fungusy stuff is a real mystery....

LOL, yes I think that is what he is doing. When I walked in the room he saw me and started going nuts. I fed him and he started making kisses at me! He is SO goofy. And on another note, the white fungus is gone and the only thing on the top of his tank are bubbles! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> YAY!!!!! We beat whatever it is together and he is happy again! He is back to being his normal, goofy, happy self!