Cloudy Surface Water In My Bettas Fish Bowl

[Durbkat]

I have a betta in a 1/2g fish bowl (PLEASE DON'T HOUND ME ABOUT THE SIZE I KNOW BUT THATS WHAT I WANT TO KEEP HIM IN) and I'm treating him with salt because he was bitting his fins so I put him in here to find out why he was biting and to treat with salt. I've been treating him with this for a few weeks with weekly 100% water changes and a new dose of salt. I use 1/8 teaspoon of salt and just the top of the water is cloudy. Is this because of the salt or the lamp I have over the tank to keep it heated up and so I can see his nice colors.

 

[WILDER]

I think you will need to do more than a weekly water change in that size bowl, what do you feed the fish as live foods and frozen can cause the water to cloud.

 

[Durbkat]

I feed him betta granuels.

 

[WILDER]

You will need to keep the fish on a good diet, but hard in a half a gal as it soon will polute he water, he needs veg and frozen foods in his diet, or he will get constipated and swim bladder problems, as for the water probably the granules.

 

[Durbkat]

But its like the first time this happened and it seemed to happen when I put his mirror behind his tank. And if its true that a betta or any other fish will get constipated when not given a variety then why haven't any of my fish in my sig ever got constipated and I only feed the fish in the 20g and 10g the same tropical flakes day in day out and they don't get constipated and I've been doing this for over 3 years and only one of the several bettas I've had ever get constipated.

 

[WILDER]

They must get bored of the same food day in day out, it's like us eating cornflakes for every meal, it's boring, are you running a filter.

 

[Durbkat]

On what tank?

 

[WILDER]

Do you have a filter in the betta bowl, as they can get cloudy if you have no movement.

 

[Durbkat]

No I don't because didn't think they made filters for 1/2g fish bowls.

 

[Naughtygirlrlw]

Maybe you could try adding an airstone and a tube to give the surface some aireation, (I know I spelled that wrong!) and see if that makes a difference.

 

[SRC]

A gallon tank needs a 100% WC every 4 days...so a 1/2 gallon would need to be changed 100% every 2 days.

They do make filters for any size tank you desire..they are called sponge filters.

They come in a wide variety of sizes..from eensy weensy to huge and gangly. They sell them at your LPS, LFS, and walmart. You can even make one (visit the DIY section for instructions) They connect to a air pump, so you'll need one of those as well.

To treat with salt it is 1 TBSP per gallon (Tablespoon not TSP..Teaspoon) for a Salt bath.
To give a dip with salt it is 4 TBSP per gallon, for 5-15 min at a time.

There are 3 Teaspoons in 1 TableSpoon.

So you would use 1/2 a TableSpoon (or 1 1/2 teaspoons) for a 1/2 gallon tank..for a Salt Bath (live in treatment).

You would use 2 TBSP for a 1/2 gallon tank for a Salt Dip.

 

[Durbkat]

I'm not giving him a salt bath, I'm just using the salt to keep infection away from his fins while they heal.

 

[SRC]

That is a salt bath. 1/8th a TSP isn't doing much of anything..up it to 1/2TBSP to see results.

 

[Durbkat]

Oh didn't know that. Thanks.