I posted this to Fish Journal - BETTAS ONLY But I'm thinking it may get lost with all the posts over there.. so I'm re-posting it <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
Am a bit new to fish and need some help-Kinda long but bear with me please.. giving some history in case it means something.
I have 2 Male Betta fish- One I have had over a year and was housed in one of those 1 gallon plexi hexagon aquariums for the desktop with a pair of fancy guppies.. It has a light on a covered top and a small air filter/bubbler <- (forgive any mis-named items as I am still new to this)- I would put the light on at night and turn it off when I went to bed around 2am.
A few months ago I got another male Betta and had him alone in a 1 gallon fish bowl. Everyone was fine and healthy.
Until we had a power outage from a bad ice storm at the end of Nov. It got really cold in the house and I lost my guppies by morning. I thought both of the Bettas were dead too- my white one (FishyFish) was barely moving at the bottom of the bowl and turning upside down - the purple one was already still and on his side at the bottom of the tank. It dawned on me that my landlord has wood stove heat in his house so I got FishyFish wrapped in a towel (the bowl not just him) to take him to the landlord's where there was heat. I started to leave when I decided to check on Herman- my purple boy- decided to poke him and low and behold he was barely alive! Put him in a clean half gallon jar with his own water from his little tank - wrapped him also and we took a walk to the Landlord's house-bowls close to my body and wrapped in the cold 3 degree weather- got them there and both of them belly up.. no power no water no stove- But landlord had propane stove and bottle water.. I heated up about a cup of water for each bowl and slowly added it.. to my surprise both fishies started swimming around..
They stayed there until about Dec 10th, when I brought them both home.. both doing well.
Cleaned out Herman's tank (no soap-no bleach just water) changed the bottom gravel (I had not been able to clean it and use up water needed for other things during the outage (9 days)
So I washed everything in hot water- new rinsed gravel, cleaned the air filter stone and added fresh bottled spring water- half of the tank and the other half was the water he had been in all the time in the jar.
I got another one of those gallon aquariums for FishyFish since it has a light and bubble air stone instead of his fishbowl. Cleaned it all out with plain water, added rinsed gravel, bottled spring water - let it run for 3 days then added FishyFish and his old water to make it 50/50- his water and the water that had run for 3 days. Both tanks have a plastic aquarium plant (they both used to have one of those bulbs that grow into a plant before the storm) anyway.. this was a week before Christmas. Since then, Herman seems a bit lonely without his guppy buddies.. he is not as active as he used to be... and FishyFish spends most of his time at the bottom of the tank- kinda of head down tail up in one spot.. he will move a bit but not like he used to.. I'm worried he is sick. They both eat Tetra Blood worms freeze dried a couple times a day, just 5 or 6 of them (they always have eaten this) But the food is a new container- my old one ran out - same brand same thing.. same amount ..
I added a bit of salt yesterday and it didn't seem to help. I got some API stress coat and added 1ml to each gallon tank (it says 10mls per 10 gallons) - Seemed to help for a few minutes.. but .. now FishyFish is down at the bottom again. Because of his white color and my bad eyesight I cannot tell if there are crystal like things on his gills or not. The light in the top of the tank makes everything look yellowish and I don't have but a really bright flashlight and don't want to hurt them with the light-trying to look at them closer.
Now I bought Bowl Buddies and Parasite Clear tonight just in case. I have not added them yet - wanted to ask before I did.
With this being New Years Weekend I am hoping for help right away but not expecting it. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
Any help would greatly be appreciated.
My avatar is FishyFish.. taken months ago- I can try to take another photo if it would help.
OK Here is what he is doing all the time now- this taken tonight 12-31-06
What do you think ?? and thank you to anyone who can help..
