Hello!

[Emilyyy]

Hi! I just joined this forum!
I have a 5 gallon tank with a female betta and a temporary 1 gallon tank with a male betta. Once I get the proper supplies needed to cycle my 10 gallon, then I will move him in there. The 5 gallon is cycled and the 1 gallon is also cycled. (I used media from the 5g)
I live in Ontario and my water source is spring water and it has a pretty high pH which I have a question about. I got my female in December and my male in February!

 

[Neleono]

Hello Emilyyy! Welcome to the forum! Were so glad to have you here! TTF is full of lots of information and very knowledgeable people with answers to any questions you might have. I'm glad you are working on getting that ten gallon set up, the betta will very much appreciate that compared to the 1g. You mentioned something about a question regarding high pH? We would love to hear it and give a good answer. Once again, welcome to the forum! Best wishes, Nele.

 

[PlasticGalaxy]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Emilyyy]

Hello Emilyyy! Welcome to the forum! Were so glad to have you here! TTF is full of lots of information and very knowledgeable people with answers to any questions you might have. I'm glad you are working on getting that ten gallon set up, the betta will very much appreciate that compared to the 1g. You mentioned something about a question regarding high pH? We would love to hear it and give a good answer. Once again, welcome to the forum! Best wishes, Nele.

Thank you! My dad unexpectedly brought him home, so I didn't have a tank ready for him.
Where I live, the only water source is spring water and I tested the pH yesterday and its around 8 or a bit higher which isn't good for my bettas. I'm pretty sure the high pH is causing popeye for my female and my male is slowly developping it. I did a half dose of melafix in a hospital tank for a few hours and I just moved her back to her main tank because I learned that melafix can be very harmful for them. I'm going to try to lower the pH by either:
1. Aging the water for 24 hours.
2. Rooibos tea or IAL

It's much easier for me to age the water instead of getting the tea or leaves. I also asked my dad to bring a bucket of water from his warehouse because it's tap water and the pH is better.

Sorry for making it a bit long, but my question is:
If I end up lowering the pH, will I still need to treat the popeye or will regular water parameters fix it on it's own?

 

[Neleono]

That pH is a bit high, aging the water before a water change would likely be a good idea. You were right about the melafix, it can damage the labyrinth organ in the betta, suffocating them. However, since you removed the fish from the medicated tank quickly, it should be fine. I don't have very much experience with disease or injuries so I'm not sure what to do about the popeye problem, but there are many people here much smarter than I that can help. I'm sure that lowering the pH is the best first step to dealing with popeye, but I'm not sure beyond that, sorry.

 

[Emilyyy]

That pH is a bit high, aging the water before a water change would likely be a good idea. You were right about the melafix, it can damage the labyrinth organ in the betta, suffocating them. However, since you removed the fish from the medicated tank quickly, it should be fine. I don't have very much experience with disease or injuries so I'm not sure what to do about the popeye problem, but there are many people here much smarter than I that can help. I'm sure that lowering the pH is the best first step to dealing with popeye, but I'm not sure beyond that, sorry.

Thanks for your reply! I left her in for 3 hours and then removed her and put her back into her normal tank. I will try to lower the pH first!

 

[Colin_T]

Why don't you take filter media/ material from the other tanks to set up the 10 gallon tank?

Pictures of the fish?

Pop eye disease is caused by poor wter quality and or a dirty environment that lets harmful disease organisms build up and infect the fish. Cleaning tank conditions up usually helps. You should also check the spring water for sodium bicarbonate and sodium chloride. If the spring water has either of these, find a different brand of water or use the tap water with a dechlorinator.

--------------------
Wipe the inside of the glass down with a clean fish sponge.

Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week. The water changes and gravel cleaning will reduce the number of disease organisms in the water and provide a cleaner environment for the fish to recover in.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.

Clean the filter if it hasn't been done in the last 2 weeks. However, if the filter is less than 6 weeks old, do not clean it. Wash the filter materials/ media in a bucket of tank water and re-use them. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the garden/ lawn. Cleaning the filter means less gunk and cleaner water with fewer pathogens.

Increase surface turbulence/ aeration to maximise the dissolved oxygen in the water.

If there's no improvement after a couple of water changes, add a bit of salt.

--------------------
SALT
You can add rock salt (often sold as aquarium salt), sea salt or swimming pool salt to the aquarium at the dose rate of 1 heaped tablespoon per 20 litres of water. If there is no improvement after 48 hours you can double that dose rate so there is 2 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.

Keep the salt level like this for at least 2 weeks but no longer than 4 weeks otherwise kidney damage can occur. Kidney damage is more likely to occur in fish from soft water (tetras, Corydoras, angelfish, Bettas & gouramis, loaches) that are exposed to high levels of salt for an extended period of time, and is not an issue with livebearers, rainbowfish or other salt tolerant species.

The salt will not affect the beneficial filter bacteria, fish, plants, shrimp or snails.

After you use salt and the fish have recovered, you do a 10% water change each day for a week using only fresh water that has been dechlorinated. Then do a 20% water change each day for a week. Then you can do bigger water changes after that. This dilutes the salt out of the tank slowly so it doesn't harm the fish.

If you do water changes while using salt, you need to treat the new water with salt before adding it to the tank. This will keep the salt level stable in the tank and minimise stress on the fish.

 

[Emilyyy]

Why don't you take filter media/ material from the other tanks to set up the 10 gallon tank?

I only have the tank right now. I still need to get a filter, heater and substrate. I will be using filter media to help cycle it.

Pictures of the fish?

Pop eye disease is caused by poor wter quality and or a dirty environment that lets harmful disease organisms build up and infect the fish. Cleaning tank conditions up usually helps. You should also check the spring water for sodium bicarbonate and sodium chloride. If the spring water has either of these, find a different brand of water or use the tap water with a dechlorinator.

I will put pictures below. Sorry I can't get clearer photos. I was talking to someone about popeye and he told me that his pH was higher and it cause some eye problems too. I do water changes once a week 40-50% each time. But now I've been doing 40-50% water changes twice a week with less food each feeding.

There are also a bunch of copepods and other organisms from my friend's tank. All the water in my house is spring water. There isn't tap water here.

Wipe the inside of the glass down with a clean fish sponge.

Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week. The water changes and gravel cleaning will reduce the number of disease organisms in the water and provide a cleaner environment for the fish to recover in.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.

Clean the filter if it hasn't been done in the last 2 weeks. However, if the filter is less than 6 weeks old, do not clean it. Wash the filter materials/ media in a bucket of tank water and re-use them. Tip the bucket of dirty water on the garden/ lawn. Cleaning the filter means less gunk and cleaner water with fewer pathogens.

Increase surface turbulence/ aeration to maximise the dissolved oxygen in the water.

If there's no improvement after a couple of water changes, add a bit of salt.

Okay thanks! I will use a unused toothbrush to scrub the tank. I'll do a 75% water change tonight.
I rinsed the filter sponge in tank water a week ago and I can do it again today.

SALT
You can add rock salt (often sold as aquarium salt), sea salt or swimming pool salt to the aquarium at the dose rate of 1 heaped tablespoon per 20 litres of water. If there is no improvement after 48 hours you can double that dose rate so there is 2 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.

Keep the salt level like this for at least 2 weeks but no longer than 4 weeks otherwise kidney damage can occur. Kidney damage is more likely to occur in fish from soft water (tetras, Corydoras, angelfish, Bettas & gouramis, loaches) that are exposed to high levels of salt for an extended period of time, and is not an issue with livebearers, rainbowfish or other salt tolerant species.

The salt will not affect the beneficial filter bacteria, fish, plants, shrimp or snails.

After you use salt and the fish have recovered, you do a 10% water change each day for a week using only fresh water that has been dechlorinated. Then do a 20% water change each day for a week. Then you can do bigger water changes after that. This dilutes the salt out of the tank slowly so it doesn't harm the fish.

If you do water changes while using salt, you need to treat the new water with salt before adding it to the tank. This will keep the salt level stable in the tank and minimise stress on the fish.

I was checking things and aquarium salt is only sold in really large quantities. Epsom salt without additives isn't available either. I was checking Amazon and there is "Iodized Pink Himalayan Salt". Will that work?

 

[Emilyyy]

 

[Colin_T]

I was checking things and aquarium salt is only sold in really large quantities. Epsom salt without additives isn't available either. I was checking Amazon and there is "Iodized Pink Himalayan Salt". Will that work?

Don't use pink salt, it can kill some fish.

If you have a supermarket nearby, they usually sell sea salt or rock salt granules and this can be used. (Don't use iodised salt or salt with anti-caking agents in because these can kill fish).

However, the fish doesn't appear to have pop-eye in the pictures, although it's a bit hard to tell. He does have clamped fins (a little bit) and this is usually caused by something in the water irritating him.

Big daily water changes and gravel cleaning the substrate every day for a week should fix the problem without needing salt or medications.

If you did the filter last week, it doesn't need to be done this week.

 

[Emilyyy]

Don't use pink salt, it can kill some fish.

Okay. I found some sea salt in a cupboard, but I want to make sure it's safe. It's called "Plochman's Sea Salts Grinder".
What confuses me is that it says:

Ingredients: Sea salts.
May contain almonds, peanuts, wheat, barley, milk, mustard.

Heres a picture:

I can open the cap and get the granules out.

If you have a supermarket nearby, they usually sell sea salt or rock salt granules and this can be used. (Don't use iodised salt or salt with anti-caking agents in because these can kill fish).

I don't know if it's iodized or not. How can I find out?

However, the fish doesn't appear to have pop-eye in the pictures, although it's a bit hard to tell. He does have clamped fins (a little bit) and this is usually caused by something in the water irritating him.

Her tail isn't clamped, but I think in the picture it was? I'm not sure. I did a water change after the picture though.

Big daily water changes and gravel cleaning the substrate every day for a week should fix the problem without needing salt or medications.

If you did the filter last week, it doesn't need to be done this week.

Thanks so much! I can't really take the substrate out...will vacuuming on it's own be fine?

 

[ClownLurch]

Okay. I found some sea salt in a cupboard, but I want to make sure it's safe. It's called "Plochman's Sea Salts Grinder".
What confuses me is that it says:

Ingredients: Sea salts.
May contain almonds, peanuts, wheat, barley, milk, mustard.

Heres a picture:


View attachment 130365

I can open the cap and get the granules out.


I don't know if it's iodized or not. How can I find out?


Her tail isn't clamped, but I think in the picture it was? I'm not sure. I did a water change after the picture though.


Thanks so much! I can't really take the substrate out...will vacuuming on it's own be fine?

Vacuuming the substrate will be what Colin means.

 

[Colin_T]

Ingredients: Sea salts.
May contain almonds, peanuts, wheat, barley, milk, mustard.

That is fine to use.

The "may contain" part is an allergy warning. The salt has been packed in a facility and probably on equipment that has been used for those other items.

 

[Emilyyy]

That is fine to use.

The "may contain" part is an allergy warning. The salt has been packed in a facility and probably on equipment that has been used for those other items.

Great! Thanks so much! I will start doing water changes. Do you think twice a day, 30% is fine? So 60% daily, just separated to make it a bit less stressful. Will also do extra vacuuming and maintenance.

 

[ClownLurch]

It’s only 60% if you dont take out any of the water you put in earlier in the day