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-   -   Beta fish? (http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=23562)

Okami February 2nd, 2006 08:21 PM

Beta fish?
 
Hello, I have 1 beta fish I'm not sure if it's ill or not, but I'm asking just in case. How do fish sleep? Do they sleep at the bottom of the tank?
My beta fish seems to always sink to the bottom of the tank when it's not swiming, when it sleeps it's usually on the bottom of the tank or in the roots of a plant(water lily). Is this normal?
It's currently living in a small tank with no other fish.
I was also hoping to expand it's tank to a very large one I'm not so sure it's safe though, I heard from someone that giving a large tank for a fish to live in will kill it?
Thanks you for your time.

Lucky Rescue February 2nd, 2006 09:09 PM

Bettas are not overly active fish.

Do you keep the water clean and at proper temperature? Is your fish eating well?

It could be bored. Try holding a mirror up to the tank once in awhile to pique his interest.

Bettas do not need very large tanks. 5 gallons would be great!

[QUOTE]I heard from someone that giving a large tank for a fish to live in will kill it?[/QUOTE]

All fish, or just bettas? Since other fish live in unlimited space in the wild, I can't figure out what that means.

Okami February 3rd, 2006 02:15 AM

Ooo maybe it's bored, it's very active when I feed it, I've taught it to go to the top of the tank when I touch my finger on the glass. I keep the fish at room temperature maybe a little higher. I clean it's water every week. About size of the tank, I ment I heard a rumour (I think it was for a gold fish) that if you put it in a tank that's very very large it will die. I don't really understand how that would cause a fish to die but then again I didn't know fishes could over eat so I tend to be cautious about anything.

Sneaky February 3rd, 2006 04:56 AM

Actually, the larger the tank, the more the fish will thrive.
I have found Bettas do very well in 10g tanks, and even better
in a 75g tank!
You can get whatever size tank you would like,
and use your betta as the foundation of the stock.
Then you could add some tank mates as well.
What size tank did you have in mind?

Okami February 3rd, 2006 10:47 AM

Something around 10g I think, I feel so sorry for the little guy swimming in circles all day long. What kind of fish do well with beta?

katieandclayton February 3rd, 2006 01:20 PM

Bettas in Small Bowls
 
I recently bought a betta from a [U]very[/U] knowledgable lady at Top Crop. She won awards for bettas. She told me that bettas like smaller environments and they do better independently, a five gallon tank is plenty for him. Bettas can survive in yucky water but they do perfer clean water. Change only 3/4 of the water once a week and wipe down the sides of the tank. Don't clutter him up too much, maybe a couple plants or something for him to hide behind if he wants. Keep the water just above room temp. If you think he is sick, check for spots on his fins, missing scales, anything out of the ordinary. Fish die of old age too, how old is he. There are lots of water treatments out there for sick fish, keep your eye on him and talk to a vet or someone at a good pet store.

Feed him twice a day about 4 betta pellets because they have the right amount of nutrients he will need.

Sneaky February 3rd, 2006 04:29 PM

A 10g tank would be nice for him.
You could then go with a group of small
peaceful schooling fish like corydoras hasbrosus(6),
or neon tetras(6) or harlequin rasbora, or lemon tetras, or silvertip tetras, etc, or perhaps a pair or trio of
african dwarf frogs, or a large mystery/apple snail.
You should try to vary any fishes food - feeding one type
will cause constipation and boredom.
I vary my fish food from staple flake, to pellets, to veggie
flakes, to bloodworms (frozen) to fresh zuchinni to tubifex,
maybe some earthworm flakes or mysis shrimp flakes, algae wafers
etc. Try to offer some variety and a veggie choice .

Okami February 4th, 2006 06:30 PM

:( Oh no I noticed that my fish does have a few missing scales and the thing I noticed the most is his tail fin looks like it's tatterd with a few blood spots around the edges. He's 2 years old, I'm not sure how long beta's live too.
Thank you sneaky for the info, I'm going to head out to check out the foods you mentioned....although I'll skip the bloodworms.I feed him 2 pellets a day, I'll try 4 now.

katieandclayton February 4th, 2006 07:57 PM

betta feeding
 
in reguards to the feeding. i would suggest feeding you betta a little more than 2 pellets a day. my 2 eat on the average, 8 a day. just like any other fish, feed them what they can consume in a short period of time. normally a 5 minute feeding time is good enough to determine if he or she is getting enough food. i also agree with the fact of multiple choices of food. this is extremely vital towards the colouration and health of the betta. as for the spots, do some research on diseases. a medication i have found that works fairly well is melafix or pimafix. melafix is mainly for ulcers, open wounds or "bloodspots". pimafix is generaly used for bacterial and parasitical infections. i've used both and have had very good results. as for the age factor, your betta has lived a considerably long time already. it could very well be old age kicking in. watch for scale discolouration or a foggy type colour. this generally occurs when the betta has reached it's life span.

Sneaky February 4th, 2006 09:13 PM

Hi There,
good advice on the Melafix and Pimafix, if a little
wrong. Melafix is for ulcers, open wounds, and bacterial
infections. Pimafix is an Anti-Fungal. It has no "anti parasitic" qualities,
and will not do anything for bacterial issues.
Your betta sounds like it has fin rot.
Melafix and Pimafix should be treated at the same time,
dose for 4 doses, then water change of 35%
Be careful, both become toxic in high amounts, so never
add more than 4 doses without a water change between.
Remember to remove carbon from filter during medication treatments.
Use just a plain white sponge or filter floss during treatments.

Your betta at 2 years old is about 1/2 as old as it could get. Bettas can live as long as 5 years, but 2-3 is most common due to the small spaces and poor water conditions these fish usually experience.

Okami February 4th, 2006 10:22 PM

Thanks again sneaky, how long should I keep applying the medication?

Sneaky February 5th, 2006 12:53 AM

Hi, I would treat until the
recession of the tail stops and
any red edges turn clear and start to regrow.
Probably 2 weeks of treatment should be enough.
However, if you do not see any results in the first
4 days of treatment, you need a stronger medicine.
Good Luck!

Okami February 15th, 2006 11:33 PM

Well I'm starting to notice alot more color in my beta now. I was told by the pet store the reason my fish got this infection in the first place was because I didn't put a certain salt in my water to encourage a slim buildup on my beta. The fins are starting to look a bit better, the shortening has stoppped.
Though I do have another question is it ok to change the water everyday? I don't want the medication in the water to build up too much, I'm afraid it will kill my fish. But at the same time changing the water daily might be harder on my fish, I don't want to cause more stress on the fish while it's healing. What should I do?

Sneaky February 16th, 2006 12:30 AM

Hi there,
ignore the pet store people, thats a line of BS.
Salt wont help produce slime coat. All Aquarium salt does
in water is assist in osmosis by makng the skin more porous.
Its a waste of time and money.

What kind of medicine are you using?
Most medicines work quite well if you follow
a schedule of 4 doses, then a 35% water change.
This will prevent any med from building up to a lethal
dosage in the water, but allow for enough of the med
to remain to treat the fish successfully.

Okami February 16th, 2006 03:17 PM

Bah I bought that salt too!:mad:
I asked them for the medicine you suggested but they said they didn't have it and gave me something called Bettafix rememdy that contains Melaleuca. They said it would fix the fins and the scale.
The instructions from them were to give the fish a teaspoon of the medication each day......(-_- I followed the bottle it said 1/2 a tsp). I also change 50% of the water each day, everytime I change the water I can smell the medication and I see something that looks like soap bubbles, this worries me...is it supposed to look this way?

Sneaky February 16th, 2006 05:55 PM

Hi there,
the medicine they have given you is pretty much the same
as Melafix.
The key ingredient is the Melaleuca, tea tree oil.
Yes, it smells quite pungent, and indeed will
cause bubbles. Thats perfectly normal.
I would continue the treatment as you have been.
Increased aeration can also help. Do you have a bubble
stone in the tank?

What size is the tank? Is it a gallon bowl , 2 gallons?
I would continue the remedy as you have been,
dosing 1/2 teaspoon every day.
I would continue this for 7 days, then stop for 3-4 days
and just continue to change the water, and observe the fish.
He should show improvement within a week.
Improvement would be - any red goes away,
and areas will show healing in small portions of
new fin, which will be clear or whitish in color.
If the first 7 days followed by a 3-4 day rest
dont show marked improvement, or improvement
is lagging, then I would repeat treatment.

Okami February 16th, 2006 06:19 PM

Sorry I'm quite new to fish information, what does aeration mean? I don't have a bubble stone)

The beta fish is no longer in a tank I've moved it into a gallon bowl to heal and so water changes can be done alot easier. The red has gone away, and the scales have stopped falling off, I'm hoping the fins should start gowing soon.

About the slime coat, is there anyway I can help my beta grow one or retain a healthy slim coat?

Sneaky February 16th, 2006 09:15 PM

Hi there,
aeration means to add more oxygen to the
water via an air stone and air pump.
Most fish prefer highly oxygenated water.
All fish have a naturally occuring slime coat.
If the fish is healthy and happy and in clean water
he will develop and maintain his own slime coat.
Its not really something you need to worry
about helping him with.
Now if his slime coat was thick and visible
and falling off you would have troubles.
Melafix will boost his immune system
and heal any damage.
After that, clean water should be enough to
finish the healing.

Okami February 17th, 2006 12:56 AM

I'll try the stone, I've had a very very bad history with pumps my fish always get caught in them. I've tried nets, sponges, rocks, even cheeseclothes(didn't work well) but somehow my fish always get stuck in them. This may sound a little rediculous but my form of putting oxygen into the water is a straw, my breath, and a fish bubble bath 5 times a day.

Sneaky February 17th, 2006 11:46 AM

Hi Okami,
by pump I mean an air pump.
Not a filter.
An air pump has no possible way
a fish could get stuck to it,
as it is a small device that you attach a
air hose too and run into the aquarium.
You are probably thinking of a
power filter.
Healthy fish shouldnt get stuck to a
power filter.
Blowing air in through a straw ...well,
you are just blowing in C02, not oxygen

Okami February 26th, 2006 08:45 PM

Updates on beta fish
I stopped using the medication after 7 days. The beta fish fins have stopped receding (red edges gone) and the edges are starting to smooth out (doesn't look like a ri now, it's fuzzy)

HOWEVER I've noticed something else that's starting to scare me, it looks like it's it's top fin is turning transparent. I'm not sure if it's actually loosing it's top fin or if it's just a color change. Should I start giving the medicine again?

Sneaky February 27th, 2006 06:43 PM

Hi Okami,
transparency usually means new growth.
Melafix/tea tree oil stimulates growth of new
tissue, so its likely it has just done this.
I am so glad to hear your betta is doing better!
Woohoo!
I think now you will be ok to just let it be, and keep
up with water changes and he should be just fine!

Okami February 27th, 2006 08:25 PM

Phew for a second there I thought my fish had gone from bad to worse! Thanks for the info sneaky :thumbs up
I'll keep up with the water changes, and I wont give it medication.
Do you think the beta's ready to move into it's new 10g home?

Sneaky February 28th, 2006 03:10 PM

Hi Okami,
im just wondering, have you cycled the 10g tank
yet?
If yes, then you could probably go ahead and move the
betta in. If not, you may want to cycle it before
popping him in, as bettas dont do well during a cycle.

doggy lover February 28th, 2006 03:29 PM

Sneaky what fish can go with a beta, I thought that they had to be alone or they fight with other fish or is it just males of the same type? Sorry to go a little off topic here.

gottahavepets March 1st, 2006 12:38 AM

Hi there, I'm not Sneaky but will I do? I have my male betta in a 10 gallon tank with 5 harleuin rasboras, 2 oto catfish and 2 panda corys. They all seem to get along fine, in fact the betta sometimes roots out bits of leftovers and the harlies all dart in and enjoy them, no fighting ever breaks out. With bettas it's all about the fins, they will attack anything with long trailing finnage like themselves, so other bettas, most male guppies are not good tankmates. Also they shouldn't be kept with other labrinth fish, I'm not 100% sure of the reason but have seen it repeated enough to pass it on, it could be competition, they all breath from the surface and would be in each others faces all the time. Also fish that like to nip long trailing fins like most barbs, some tetras like serpaes do not make good tankmates for obvious reasons. Rather than being the aggressor, the betta would be the victim. People keep cardinal, neon and glow-light tetras with bettas, rasboras, cory cats and otos, mainly small, non-aggressive fish that do not trigger betta aggression nor are triggered by the betta to be aggressive. Make sense? I hope this helps, and when Sneaky reads it she'll add to whatever I may have missed I'm sure!

Sneaky March 1st, 2006 05:55 PM

Yep, Colleen is right, all that advice is good.
Dont mix Bettas with other labyrinth fish like dwarf gouramis,
simply because they will kill each other. I had a betta and
a dwarf gourami in my 75g tank together for 6 months just fine,
came home one day, and both were battered and torn and had
got in a huge fight. Neither one survived the night.
I would simply avoid any labyrinth fish (gouramis, paradise fish etc),
and avoid long finned fish like guppies.
Also, for some reason, all 4 betta I had hated Hatchet fish.
All tried to kill them. I dont know why...but I would probably
avoid them too.
And of course, dont mix 2 male bettas or a male and a female together.

Most other peaceful, non-nippy fish would be fine with a betta for
companions, such as small tetras - neons, cardinals, glowlights, lemons,
etc. Small cyprinids - harlequin rasboras, white cloud mountain minnows,
cherry barbs, etc. Even large shrimp - bamboo/wood shrimp, rudolph
shrimp, amana shrimp, should be fine, as are snails and african dwarf frogs.
Bottom feeders like cory catfish, loaches, and others should do fine
with a betta as well.

All the bettas I have had were kept in my 75g tank with all the
community fish in there.

doggy lover March 2nd, 2006 03:16 PM

thanks guys, that helped out lots.;)


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