White Stringy Poop And Other Issues...

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pablothebetta said:
 
To be honest, I don't have a thermometer in there since the last one broke. However the heaters on and feels the right kind of temp gauging from when I used a thermometer. Will try to get pics if they'll help. 
 
Recently I have been having problems with the filter and the did tank have to go a couple of days without one while the new one came in the mail. I did wonder if it was due to this (water quality, etc), as the lethargy in particular came on at this time, but I'm pretty certain he already had white stringy poop beforehand.
 
 
 
pablothebetta said:
 
Ok first thing is to get a thermometer to get an accurate reading of the temperature in the tank.  Even something as small as a couple of degrees cooler than needed could cause lethargy in an otherwise healthy active betta.  Second is the food you are feeding.  You really need to get away from the freeze dried foods. These are not good for bettas as they are really bad to cause bloating and constipation.  This could very well be another reason for him to not be feeling up to par right now.  I know you mentioned that you have had him for over a year.  Where did you get him and do you know how old he is?  If he was a pet store fish, it is most likely he was around a year old when you got him which would put him at going on 3 years old.  Another thing about pet store fish is that he could have been harboring parasites at the time of purchase and he has been healthy enough to fight them off until here recently.  A recent stressor probably lowered his immune system just enough for them to get a good hold on him.  Feeding only the freeze dried bloodworms could have easily the "straw that broke the camel's back" so to speak.  I would try him out with some frozen goodies like frozen bloodworms or brine shrimp to see if that perks him up a bit.  Just make sure you are not giving him too much. Overfeeding bettas cause more issues than underfeeding them.  
 
The deal with the filter -- did you use the cycled media from the previous filter when you added the new filter?  If not, you might be dealing with ammonia/nitrIte issues on top of everything else.  How often are you doing water changes and how much are you changing at that time?
Thanks. Will try to get him a thermometer soon. It had gone through my head about his age, as he could easily be getting on for 3 years of age now - he was clearly fairly old when I bought him as he had such full fins. What strikes me though is this fairly sudden decline which I suppose made me doubt that.
 
The filter media was just popped into the new filter when I swapped em over. Is it true, by the way, that bacteria can die during a filter outage? Mine was out for a few days
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I'm going to be honest again and say that the w/c schedule has been somewhat dire which could well be a contributing factor 
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 I do prefer to do a weekly w/c of about 30% though, and while not ideal, I did get some stuff from the lps the other day which helps to keep parameters stable between water changes, which should help to keep nitrates down. There is a fair amount of plants in there too, which I suppose should help to reduce nitrates if I remember correctly...
 
Would it be beneficial to try him to get to eat some mushed up/cut up pea? He's currently slumped on top of the heater near the surface and hasn't eaten properly for a few days now. I'm pretty sure that this has only come on since the filter died...
 
 
I agree with what has already been said, but also to me it appears that the change in the filter has been the main issue here.  Can you tell us did you change the filter like for like or did you get a larger filter second time round?
 
The wormer I use is KUSURI Wormer Plus which is marketed towards Discus Keepers.  First of all though I would ensure you get the water sorted out as the Ammonia/Nitrites will not be assisting your Betta right now, and as WB stated using meds on a sick fish can put more stress onto him.  Of course when using the recommended frozen foods ensure they are thawed out to room temperature first.
 
 
 
 I did get some stuff from the lps the other day which helps to keep parameters stable between water changes, which should help to keep nitrates down.
Also, not sure what product the LFS sold you to add to the water but I am not a big fan of using chemicals to adjust water quality.  Often it is a waste of money and the parameters can fluctuate too much between dosing, if they do indeed work.  Save your money and get a new thermometer instead 
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  Plus, as already stated NitrAtes are not the main issue, Ammonia and NitrItes are.
 
BTW, how do you test your water, with strips or liquid test kit?
 
Can you add your location to your profile as this assists people in helping you 
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pablothebetta said:
Will try to get one done tomorrow, then. How large? With any luck the bacteria in the filter will get back up soon enough and things'll improve.
A fifty percent water change will bring the ammonia to .5, a 75% will bring it to .25, 80% to .2, 90% to .1 and so on. You should do at least an 80% to get it under .25, at which point the ammonia is "manageable."
 

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