BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish I NEED HELP...This Betta is different

I have had a few Bettas back in the day. Back when i lived in Colorado, back when life was simple...working a couple jobs....shopping....sleeping...eat what and when i wanted....lol!
Now getting ready to turn 30, I am an Army wife with a one year old and a 13 year old step son.
wanting to make my step son comfortable i allowed him to get a pet and one that i "thought" I knew enough about and still would not have to care for myself...such as walking a puppy at midnight.
We ended up getting "Frank". A beautiful Blue/red betta. He was different from the start. He is VERY friendly and LOVES to follow me. My other bettas just hung out.
But after a couple weeks i started scolding my step son for not taking good care of Frankie and i started "overseeing" the cleaning duties.
I was finding a slimey film on the top of his water only 24 hours after a water clean. He was also blowing bubbles (which i found out was ok).
So Frank was moved from Micheal's room to the kitchen. still did not help.
I changed the water "cleaner" did not help. I changed to spring water, did not help. I am now doing complete water changes just about every 36 hours.
I never had to do that with my other Bettas.
By the way key word in that last part is "I". Nothing like changing a fish bowl at midnight....lol!
Can someone please tell me what i am doing wrong. I have come to love Frank and highly doubt i will ever allow him to be anywhere but the open kitchen so he can "help" me with my daily tasks!!!
Only once did i catch myself saying i wish i let Mike get a puppy!
Frank is here to stay i just need a little help to make sure he is happy!
Thanks for listening to me go on and on!
Dani

Lol...so much for the "easy" pet...huh... <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

It could be something you have in the tank with him. A decoration or the type of gravel you are using. Was the tank you have him in ever washed with soap ?

Tell us something about what you have in the bowl with him and maybe we can nail it down. I know I have had some decorations that cause an ugly chemical type smell in the water...but cause no harm to the fish. And some other decorations that get slimy or loose thier coloring being in the water...those I removed.

What a blessed fish to have such a caring mom ! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

BTW....is your hubby serving overseas at present ? My family writes to a soldier who is presently serving in Iraq.

all Frank has in his bowl is glass rocks that are the same color as him. never been washed with soap (the bowl or rocks). i rinsed them before i used them but that was all. I was not aware that he would like things in there.
Now I am excited to get him a "toy"!
The film looks like someone laid saran wrap on the top of the water and it you touch it it will "crack" and the slime will stick to your finger or spoon.
Really weird. All my other bettas went at least a week sometimes 2 and their water stayed pretty clear unless i let someone else feed them.
Anyway i am babbling again....lol! changing his water every 2 days seems like alot, or am i just not up to par with betta care?
My husband is at school for SF. He has been to afghanastan twice. we are in NC now.
I would love to know what the slime is but as long as Frank is ok i guess a water change every other day will have to do.
Dani

HHhhhmmm....I have no idea...lol...unless it has something to do with the makeup of your water...mineral content and such....GH, KH, hardness and the like. If he doesn't seem bothered by it I wouldn't worry too much. If your curious about the parameters of your water you could try bringing a sample to a lfs (local fish store)..and they'll test it for it.

What size tank is he in ? You may want to try putting him in a bigger tank just so that you don't have to do water changes so frequently. Two gallons is a good size and a 50% water change once a week should be plenty in a tank that size.

All the best to you and your husband ! I am such a fan of the military and thier families ! You folks are doing the hard time for the rest of us. God Bless !

Hi Danielle and welcome to the forum. You are doing a great job with oyur betta! What a neat little guy - i like that he follows you around.

Sometimes I get this layer of slime and I wouldn't worry about it. It seems to pass on its own and does not seem toxic. There are many chemical interactions between water and anything it comes into contact with - it's hard to figure out the patterns sometimes, unless you keep a journal to note every possible change in what was done recently.

When this slime pops up, I just keep to my regular schedule and nothing bad happens - no bettas get sick.

This very same thing happened to me and found out it eventually turns int blue green algae, and eventually gets very green and thick. You can learn all about it on plantgeeks.com, and read their algae section. i finally got a HOB (hang on back filter) for my 2.5 gallon, and it helps allot. ! good luck, i was doing partial water changes evry other day....

Hi Danielle, welcome to the forum. I just read your post about the 'slime' on top of the water in your fish tank. I have the same thing with my betta and it occurs right from the time he makes a bubble nest. I just assumed it was residue from his bubbles because the water isn't dirty and he has been healthy. I noticed too that it seems to be 'slimier' around the spot that he always makes his nests. h.t.h! F.W