BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish Fish Journal - BETTAS ONLY

NOTE: THIS THREAD IS NOW OFFICALLY FOR BETTAS ONLY. I'VE STARTED A GOLDFISH JOURNAL ELSEWHERE IN THIS FORUM. IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER KIND OF FISH, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO START A NEW JOURNAL, AS WELL. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I've found a running fish journal is the BEST way to treat your sick fishes. So please feel free to use this thread for your own running blog. Not only will it help you and your own fish as you follow his progress, but other readers can also learn from you. Please include all your mistakes, such as overdoses, missed days, complete water changes, and so on. It's the only way we can all become better fish doctors!

Hi Jilly, I couldn't get BettaFix so had to resort to the RidIch and salt. I'm using water that's been dechlorinated, salted, and warmed to the same temperature. Is that what you mean by "aged"?

I agree with you ... i think the spots are just his colouration. Nothing fungus-y sticks out from the spots, and it really just looks like the rest of his belly.

I've tried Emg's sick-bay idea, but it still isn't warm enuf and gets even cooler when the light is off at night. Unfortunately, I don't have any place in my basement suite that would be warmer. I think I really need to get a tank and heater as soon as possible, and treat his fungus in there if I have to. Sid seems fine like always, and the water is even less cloudy ... I think. Since there's no fungus on his body, do you think the fungus in the water should be completely gone before I stop treatment?

mermaid

Hello <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

In my sickbay...I kept the light on all the time. I did worry a bit about how this would effect the fish, but I figured the ick and fin rot was a more pressing concern. It helps to have something over the top of the light to keep the heat in...being careful it isn't touching the light. I completely surrounded the bowls with the cardboard too, except for a little opening in the front so I could check on them, which I did frequently throughout the day. To adjust the water temp I just moved the light higher or lower over the bowls, or opened or closed the opening a bit more, depending on the temp of the water.

The new green female I have in sickbay has a cover on her bowl..so that helps to keep the light down a bit for her. She's the only one in there now. The other two have graduated ! <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Hope that helps !

Emg2

Here's a journal of my little green, which I picked up at Walmart <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> on 2/15/04.

Was glancing at what Walmart <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> had in the fish dept, since I was there...couldn't resist. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Found a sorry looking gorgeously colored green little female...wallowing in a cup of filth...looking like she really needed one of those "great get away vacations" So I bought her...raggedy fins, damaged scales, popeye and all. She is a bit bigger than the other female I have so I am thinking she is older than your average petstore betta...but...who knows.

Her fins are eaten away pretty much from fin rot. She has a growth or something on one of her eyes...can't really say for sure what it is but it doesn't look good....and it looks like she has an injury on one of her sides. The scales look a bit mussed up there. However !! she WAS swimming normally..no signs of bladder disfuntion or dropsy or anything REAL serious..so I figure she has a chance.

Day one: Got her home and decided to keep her in the bowl she came in...at least Walmart <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> puts thier bettas in bigger than average bowls..I will say THAT for them. (but they don't get too many points for it.) Actually, the water didn't look too awful bad, a few floaties and icky stuff on the bottom, but I figured in her condition I better not make too many changes all at once. I added some of my aged/treated water which I keep on hand for water changes. I also put some bettafix and another drop of water conditioner/slimecoat in her cup. Put her in next to Blue/Green and Pinkish in my sickbay area. I put one small pellet of betta food in for her,just to see if she would eat it. She didn't so I removed it...and left her alone...we'll see how she does.

day two: She looked a bit more perky on Monday. I put a small bit of a pea in for her and she ate it. Thought I may as well just in case she needed a bit of help in the movement dept. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Couldn't hurt. Added another dose per instructions of betta fix, checked water temp. (finger test at this point, had to use my one thermometer for the boys I just removed from sickbay) Seems ok, not real warm but warmer than the other tanks. (not exactly precision temp gauging!...planning on picking up another thermometer today.) She is resting quite a bit on the bottom of the cup, but she stirs herself when she notices something going on...a good sign.

later, day 2: Yikes ! the water temp seems a bit warmer than it should be ! Grabbed the thermometer from the other tank (sorry boys !!) It read about 87 ! Quickly opened up the cardboard and moved the light away from the bowl and just let it cool off on it's own. Didn't add any cooler water as I was afraid it might shock her too much. She wasn't gasping or anything and actually looked quite comfy, but I was NOT comfortable about the water being THAT warm ! I didn't check back soon enough after I had made the last adjustment with the light. I Will have to be more careful.
She didn't seem to suffer any from the extra heat though...but I don't want a boiled betta..we already had to take care of a salted tetra who had hopped out of his tank and right into the box of aquarium salt..(was wondering where that little guy had gone to!) She looks pretty good actually, if you can get past the ragged fins. Her eye is looking a little better but there is still a gray looking bump on it...hhmm.
Anyway...so far so good. I have noticed a red hue to her gills...don't know if that is her coloring or something to be concerned about. Anyone know what to look for in the gill dept? The red color is on the outside of the gill..the gill covering.
The injury on her side also looks better..the scales aren't sticking out anymore. (Is there normally such improvement so fast with fish?) She'll probably have a scar though. Generally she just looks healthier and a bit more active. I did go and get 2 more thermometers today...so she now has her own. I have been keeping the water temp right at about 80.
As soon as I can chase my daughter off the other computer..I will post a pic of her on the "rate a fish" page. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Emg2

I am new here and want to say hi to everyone. Just saw this new thread for fish journal. I have a 3 yr old burgandy betta (Mr. Peoples) that has been acting a little sick. Jill has been advising me on how to treat him. This is Day One on his treatment, although I did warm his tank up with a light and towel and he already seems better. I really like this site, I know I can learn a lot from all the members. And it's nice to talk to others who really like bettas.

Fish journal for little green: continued

Tues..day 3: Wow...she's doing well ! What a friendly little girl she is too ! She comes right to the side of the bowl anytime she notices me there and she comes right to the top when I hold my finger over her. :love: She is eating well, though I am feeding her sparingly...about 2 pellets twice a day...I really need to pick up some other types of food for my bettas though..they need a variety. I do have freeze-dried bloodworms which I feed only occasionally.

Her eye still has that little white or grey colored spot on it....and it looked like there was a tiny amount of fluffy stuff growing at the edge of her gill...I think the bettafix should take care of that...I hope. Her fins are looking better..the torn edges look healthier instead of all brown and icky. I have been having difficulty regulating the temp. of her water..which probably doesn't help her much. I keep checking pretty regularly...but a tank with a heater and thermometer would be so much better !

My other two who I took out of sickbay on Sunday...are doing very well in thier new homes. Will have to give a rating of the tanks I picked up for them...I see there is a new thread for such. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Well, still doing the bettafix remedy on Green..will continue for the full 7 days as per instructions. So far...so very good ! <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Emg2

Thanks for more info on your sickbay setup, Emg2. I did wrap towels around the bowl and light as much as possible, but don't have it in the best space, so there's probably still some heat escaping. However, I do think Sid is getting better. I don't notice much cottony stuff floating in the water anymore. The last 2 days I've also stopped the 25% water change and just added the medication straight to his bowl. Tonite I'm going to start leaving the light on again ... it cools off 4 degrees overnight! I agree with you - the sickness is more of an issue right now then him having normal daylight hours. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Now I better get my butt (and cash) out there and get him a proper home! <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Do you do the "cycling" on your new bowls/tanks like Jill suggests before you put your babies in their new homes? I'm not sure I can use ammonia in the acrylic tanks cause the description on them says not to use any ammonia cleaning products on the outside ... it will make the acrylic cloudy or something. Of course, the ammonia would be diluted in the water, so it might be ok. What do you think, Jill?

Mermaid

Glad Sid is doing better ! I agree with having a better set up so that the heat can be better regulated...the only backdraw to that is..If I get that 2 1/2 gallon tank (I have only found heaters for 2 gal. and over)...I would have to be adding 2 1/2 gal. worth of meds to it. That's alot of bettafix ! I was pondering the possibility of having a smallish 1-2 pint container that hangs inside a 10 gallon tank...which does not have holes so the water in the container doesn't get into the tank..(so healthy fish aren't affected by the sick one) That way the water in the tank would regulate the temp of the water for the sick fish. I imagine there are such things available somewhere. I bet Jilly knows ! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

As far as cycling my water....What I do is...after I do a water change I refill my 2 gal. mop bucket with tap water and add the water conditioner, ph down (cause I know my water is high ph)and aquarium salt. Then the bucket sits until I need to do another water change. That allows to the water to "age" and also reach room temp. I only have one betta tank that is sort of heated and that is the 1 gal. aquascene I commented on in the "betta equip" topic. It has a lighted hood which keeps the temp at about 78 degrees. Only thing there is I have to keep the light on all the time. I don't test the water as often as I should as I haven't yet been able to bring myself to pay $30.00 or so for the equipt. I did buy a bottle of test strips when I first got into fish...last Christmas. So that is how I know my water is high ph. The fish seem happy enough...but I do plan on investing in a good testing system, especially since I seem to be going whole hog in this new hobby ! <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Emg2 :beamedup:

I agree withthe prior posts about keeping the temps constant by leaving the light on, instead of turning it off to simulate natural cycles (with sick fish). If you add some decorations of floating plants, this will provide areas of shading for your fish; a nice compromise.

Little Green Journal:

Wednesday...day 4:
She sure is perky ! I actually did a 50% water change on her today in that little Walmart bowl. Couldn't stand all that floaty stuff in there anymore. I tried to make it as stress free as possible...hope I succeeded. I siphoned it out with a little tube instead of just dumping it. Figured that would work better to get the nasty water off the bottom.

Now I know that the bottle of bettafix says not to do a water change for the course of treatment...but I am thinking they figure you have your fish in something bigger than a 1 or 2 pint container. I added half the amount of bettafix in the bowl after the water change.

She still has that spot on her eye..still not sure what that is...but it isn't getting any worse. The rest of her looks pretty good actually. The injury on her side is healing nicely...the red on her gill I was concerned about I am still keeping an eye on. Still not sure if that is just normal color for her or inflimation....and.....she is eating like a little pig !! All I have for now is betta pellets and some freeze dried blood worms...and some left over goldfish flakes from a previous attempt at fish, which failed. (didn't know you couldn't just pour water in from the tap ! Dah!) Have to work on a more veried diet for these little guys/gals.

I think I would go ahead and put her in her new home but ..it's a 1 gallon tank...and ..again..I only have to put 6 drops of bettafix in the bowl verses....1/2 teaspoon in the tank. It's probably better to wait anyway, anxious as I am to see her in a cozy home.

Emg2 <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />