BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish Fish Journal - BETTAS ONLY

Don't freak out too much. Just keep his water clean, give him a few days without food, and add a little aquarium salt if you have it. Hopefully he will look better <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Logic...it may be that he is constipated..that causes the swim bladder issues. Elise is right...don't feed him for a few days..then offer him a few bite sized pieces of cooked frozen pea..cooled and the skin pealed off.

If constipation is all that it is he should be fine in a few days after he passes that blockage. You will have to be careful about feeding him too much afterwards though. Sometimes when a fish comes down with that they become more prone to it from then on. I would give him a few small feedings a day instead of one big one after he gets over this.

Rusty is doing okay, but we are getting ready to start the Fungus Cure treatment, so I hope it works and I hope being in green water doesn't freak him out too much! Does anyone have a small filter on their Betta tanks? I am thinking about getting one. I am also thinking about putting a few painted glass fish and a few neon tetras in the tank with Rusty, this way he will have a few friends and will not be lonely!

You generally don't want to use a filter when adding medication, because it filters out all the meds! I didn't know if you were going to put one right in, and I don't know much about fugus cure, but you might want to hold off on the filter until he's better.

Hi guys! I stumbled across this site while looking for info on bettas. You guys seem to have established quite the cozy community! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I have a couple questions. Last summer, my friend gave me a betta that she got as a wedding present (I've never been to a wedding, but the centerpiece at the dinner) anyway, she didn't want it for one or another reason, so she gave it to me. Well the poor guy had ick and I was unable to treat him fast enough. So I gave up on fish for a bit, because I take it hard when my little babies leave on me. Anyway, I mustered up the courage to try again, and I have a pretty red male, who has no name as of yet. I also have 3 cats and a ferret. One of my cats, absolutely loves watching the fish, and has a very bad habit of trying to touch him through the glass. My fish has now taken to hiding in a plant I have for him, conveniently for him, the same colour as he is. Now, he just met my ferret last night because Toulouse(ferret) jumped onto the table and stared into the glass. This scared the fish so bad he was almost completely white. I'm noticing that he never eats when I give him his food, he seems to eat when no one is looking, and he doesn't seem to like swimming around. Is this because of the cat?

Another thing, I was reading a few books, and they said to turn the light off, to give the effect of day and night... well if the light is what keeps him warm, is that really a good idea? I've never had anything that lived in water before. My fort� is more or less cats and ferrets. :|
Thanks again for any info!! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Cats and ferrets are my first love too <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> I dunno, when my fish were sick I left the light on all the time, but I put a towel over half the tank to give them some shade. Mind you, this was very unattractive, but it seemed to keep him happy. Other than that, I don't know what to tell you about him not eating when you're watching. Usually bettas devour everything in sight. If he's new, maybe he's just getting used to his new home. *Shrugs* If nothing else seems wrong, then maybe he just isn't a social eater.

Should I assume he's shy and watch where he can't see me when I feed him? Eeyore has been told she isn't allowed to bother him. She still sneaks up onto the table, but her clumsy paws knock over my chess pieces, which gives away the poor kitty. <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

He is new. I think I've had him at the most, a week now. (I'm bad with time.)
My first betta didn't make it even a weekend with me. Poor guy! My friend felt really bad giving me Rainbow without letting me know he was sick <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />
So aside from two days, I've got no experience on their eating habits <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

I want to get him in a 1 1/2 gallon tank, or even better, a 2 gallon, but I can't afford to right now. He's got the Aquaview tank, which I've heard great things about, but because of the cats and ferrets I've got my mindset into thinking he needs big spaces to roam! <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

I think I may be overreacting because I want everything to go perfectly. I hope that's all!

Thanks for your help eliseaboo! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

or maybe he's just really picky... it depends what you're feeding him. My betta is fine with pellets, but he loves the bloodworms too! You may have to try different diets. I've heard of bettas who won't touch anything but live food, and others that will eat anything in sight.

Another thing I do with mine is make sure he sees his food - at his eye level, outside his tank, before I drop it in. Then he knows there's something coming his way. Again, he's learned this - so try a few different things out

He does eat the food, just not when I'm around.
I've given him two different kinds, and I try and make him see it first, but I swear he goes out of his way to make it look like he doesn't see me.

My mother and I were sitting here taking pictures of him, and Eeyore came right up and stared at him, and the little bugger started doing tricks for her!! I don't think I've seen him move so much. And for a cat!!! Yeesh.
Of course, the lighting in my room is poor for the digital camera so I don't have any good shots! Go figure.

I'm going to pick up some bloodworms and see if I can get an immediate reaction out of him for that, but until then, I guess I just have to break him out of his shy shell. <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Hello Mashi, welcome to the forum ! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Glad you stumbled on to us..lol..

Is there a top on your tank ? With a cat AND a ferret I would be very careful he doesn't end up dinner for one of them..or BOTH ! <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> That would be awful !

It's ok to leave the light on to keep him warm..that's what I do with some of my betta and they take it rather well. Have something in the tank for him to rest in when he wants..will also help him feel more secure with the other two occupants in the house checking in on him regularly..lol..(I wonder what a cat/ferret face looks like as seen from the INSIDE of an aquarium tank... <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> )

Enjoy your new buddy Mashi..wish you great success ! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />