BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish Questions for Fish Jr.

Okay, I think I'm going to get another fish, I'm lonely without my little fish! But I was wondering if I need to be worried about putting him in the same tank because my first one had dropsy. I can't really find anything on dropsy, because not too much is apparently known, but for anyone who has dealt with it before, how should I go about cleaning the tank before getting a new guy? Anything special, or just the tank sanitation that's I think in the table of contents somewhere...at least I know I've seen it and could probably find it

thanks!
Elise

Yeah Elise...check out the article on tank sanitation. That should give you some good advice about how to do that well. Maybe getting some new gravel to fill the bottom with would be a good idea too.

Good point, I never thought of that

Oh man...okay...

Can I put my soon-to-be betta in with my bamboo...or rather, put the bamboo in the tank with him do you think? I have to explore every option before I jump into this again......

The problem I can see occuring here is that I'm considering adding a small amount of salt at each water change to prevent bacteria and whatnot, and that would probably be bad for the plant...(yeah...So I had been giving my bamboo the poop-water from my betta, and I just realized yesterday "hm..there was salt in that water...")

I don't know about that Elisea. I routinely add aquarium salt to my betta tanks (about half the dose they recommend, maybe a tad less than that even). I have live plants in with them, and the salt hasn't killed them.

I also water my houseplants with "recycled" fish water - and none of them have died.

Yeah? Hmmm...maybe I'll hold off one betta fish on the live plants anyway...my bamboo is looking a little ragged anyway beacause my cats wouldn't leave it alone when I was home...funny, they couldn't have cared less about the fish, but plants they loved to bother...

I'm thinking I want one of those red bettas...the more I think about it, the more I want it...they look slick with white gravel too....hmmmmm

okay, I'll stop wasting forum space... :rolling:

I have one of those red bettas Elise..and they are pretty. He belongs to my son and his name is "FruitPunch"...(the fish, not my son <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> )

okay okay okay okay...

So the tank has been scrubbed and scoured and cleaned and wiped and dried and everything that could possibly have been done to clean it safely has been done. There is new gravel, a new plant, and the little decoration has been cleaned more thoroughly than I think I even clean my dishes...

and my new little red guy loves it <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> I'm thinking of naming him Jalapeno. He is still adjusting, and he's a little bit of a spaz, and he's so little, because I'd forgotten how small they are when you get them at the store. I'm a little concerned about his tail, it had a little bit of black on the edge, but he had a very impressive bubble nest in his dish, and he looked lively and happy. But (and say it with me now)...I will NOT become Ubermom *chants* (I will not become Ubermom, I will not become ubermom) My friend was with me and she was like "Oh my God Elise, just choose one already!" I had to look at all of them, come on!

In short, I have a beautiful new betta and he's so gorgeous and I hope he, as my friend puts it, "has a lower mortality rate than the last one." I'll try to get a pic up when I can, though I'm not very internet-literate when it comes to actually posting things like that...

Elise

I'd love to see a pic of him Elise ! Just keep his water good and clean being careful the replacement water is aged and the same temp. Adding about 1/2 teasp. of aquarium salt per gallon to the water should help some to keep the nasties at bay.

When I bring a new betta home that has been in a nasty dirty cup at the store..I put them in a hospital bowl and change thier water every day for at least a week, longer if their fins are tattered. If they do have torn fins I will keep them in the bowl, changing thier water every day or every other day at least..until thier fins are healed. This could take a while sometimes..patience is a must! I always have a hard time with that..lol..as I like to put them in thier new homes right away.

When I think they are good and healthy and in good shape...then I introduce them to thier new home.

Wish you the best of luck with your new tank bud Elise!! He has a good home! <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Well, fortunately his fins aren't torn, they just look strangely black at the tip...is this maybe just markings on him possibly? I dunno, it makes me very nervous to see...

I took like, two hours to acclimate him into his tank, lol, adding water, floating the dish...I didn't want him to end up like my other one, poor guy <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> I think he'll be just fine though. He is a very curious one.