Betta Exposed To Melafix

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Calico7

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Hi Everyone!
 
I have two tanks: a divided 5.5gal with two male bettas and a 20gal community tank with a female betta. About a month ago I treated both tanks with Melafix. I noticed my bettas becoming more lethargic, so I researched "bettas and Melafix" and sure enough I found information saying it had ill effects on some bettas. I immediately did a water change on my 5.5gal and removed my female from the 20gal and put her in a bare bottom 2.5gal.
 
My boys quickly returned to their usual selves, but my female is still not feeling well. She has looked lifeless for the past month. Every once in a while she'll swim to the top for air, but she spends most of the time laying at the bottom of the tank on her side. She will eat if I push the pellets to the bottom of the tank. Today I moved her to a betta cup so she can easily find her food.
 
I don't know what I can do to help her. Will she ever be able to recover? Has anyone else experienced this?
 
Do you have any active carbon? If so I recommend adding this to your filters. It shall remove any medications within your tanks.

Secondly I'd say to put her back into her tank. Are there plants in the tank? And decorations? I know bettas can be lazy. And they can also get depressed. Just keep your water clean. That's all I can suggest.
 
I agree with Asteria, I don't see much you can do here other than that. Being in a betta cup can be stressful to her, and its hard to keep the water clean. When the water is cold it can actually weaken the betta's immune system, which seems counter productive.
 
The cup is floating in the tank so it's warm. She moves maybe once a day, so I think the current of the 20gal would be more stressful than lying in the cup. It's also easier for her to eat in a smaller space. At this point, I don't think she'll be able to recover.
 
How strong is the flow ? As I wouldn't recommend a strong flow for betta with their lazy attitude they tend to just sit at the bottom and not move. Set it to a trickle and they will much prefer it.
Honestly I've had a few fighters and one was energetic and he was in a 60 liter and one other that was just lazy and would hide or sit on the leaves of plants near the top.
 
Calico7 said:
The cup is floating in the tank so it's warm. She moves maybe once a day, so I think the current of the 20gal would be more stressful than lying in the cup. It's also easier for her to eat in a smaller space. At this point, I don't think she'll be able to recover.
I would change the water in the cup twice a day, because she is still producing ammonia and the cup is not cycled. You could just change it with water from the tank. Bear in mind that the reason she isn't moving could be because she has no where to move to. Is she laying on her side, or right side up? If its right side up it could be that she's just a lazy betta. If she is on her side there is something wrong.
 
She's not a lazy fish. She was perfectly fine and energetic before the melafix. She now lays on her side, whether she's in the cup or the tank. I have kept up on changing the water in the cup so it is clean. 
 
The flow wasn't a problem before. In fact, she liked it. Now that she's ill, I think it would be too much for her. 
 

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