I'm Extremely Upset...

[severina]

So after trying to get my betta's to breed and failing miserably (and after having an ammonia disaster in one tank and a nitrite disaster in another) I had to transfer my bettas into bowls. After I got Fred in there, I noticed Betty had nipped his fins alot, so I put some melafix in his bowl (I dipped the tip of my finger into the top and swished it around in his bowl.) Now he's extremely sick and won't eat! Could it have been the melafix? I didn't use hardly any at all. Or maybe it was an infection from the fin nipping? Either way I was paranoid about the melafix and changed his water out. Wish us luck..I hope he makes it, he is my oldest fish.

 

[_cRaCkEr_]

So after trying to get my betta's to breed and failing miserably (and after having an ammonia disaster in one tank and a nitrite disaster in another) I had to transfer my bettas into bowls. After I got Fred in there, I noticed Betty had nipped his fins alot, so I put some melafix in his bowl (I dipped the tip of my finger into the top and swished it around in his bowl.) Now he's extremely sick and won't eat! Could it have been the melafix? I didn't use hardly any at all. Or maybe it was an infection from the fin nipping? Either way I was paranoid about the melafix and changed his water out. Wish us luck..I hope he makes it, he is my oldest fish.

do water change and put rock salt.

 

[Synirr]

I'd suggest not adding any more Melafix unless his nipped fins get infected (finrot). Did you add the dose suggested on the back of the bottle?

 

[severina]

No..I didn't use the dose on the back...because I heard you're only supposed to use like 1/4 of the dosage for bettas because they are really sensitive to it. I'll add a little salt like suggested.

 

[_cRaCkEr_]

I don't use anything than aged water, Rock Salt and Indian Almond Leaves. (Banana Leaves for the Fighters)

And they are all fine.

 

[Synirr]

No..I didn't use the dose on the back...because I heard you're only supposed to use like 1/4 of the dosage for bettas because they are really sensitive to it. I'll add a little salt like suggested.

Ok good, it probably wasn't caused by the Melafix then..

 

[severina]

He's just old and ready to go I guess. Well..maybe not..he's swimming around a bit more. Lets see if he can make it.

 

[KevinM]

WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! donit give up!!!!!!!! my fighter was acting the same as yours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!he was really weak so i put him in a isolation net, his fins are currently growing, its been 1 week, i feed him bloodworms every 2 days, and normally tetra prima and hikari carnevorous food sticks, he was real bad, but seems to move alot more!!!!!

 

[SRC]

Rock Salt? Never heard that one before...we all use Aquarium Salt..you can find it in the pet section at Walmart (in a pink and white milk carton style box).

 

[OohFeeshy]

Rock salt, aquarium salt, same thing, one's just got 'for aquariums' and a list of all the things it's supposed to do.

 

[SRC]

hmm.. I realize that "salt is salt", but what I'm wondering is...how much attention people will pay when picking out their rock salt. There are 2 types of Rock Salt, there is one type that is food grade and one that is not for cooking (the kind you use in your homemade icecream maker).

So which one is it that they should be using?

Kosher salt may work better, if you're just too lazy to walk back to the pet department lol.

Rock salt: Less refined and grayish in color, this is the chunky crystal salt used in ice cream machines. This type is generally not used as an edible flavoring mixed into foods, but in cooking methods such as to bake potatoes or to encrust or embed seafood, meat, or poultry for baking. Rock salt makes an impressive bed for oysters on the half shell. When using rock salt for cooking, be sure it is food-grade. Some rock salt sold for ice cream machines is not suitable for cooking.

sorry, I just found this excerpt to be slightly humorous (and I really needed a laugh right now, heh).

 

[OohFeeshy]

Nah, the rock salt normally sold is just salt salt, not unsafe stuff.

 

[SRC]

Well I know I have a box (it's Morton's Brand) in my cabinet left over from this summer, and it says on the side, "not intended for human comsumption". I dunno about you, but I'd feel rather iffy about dumping that in my fish tank.

Regardless of if I can use it or not, I think I'll stick with what is instructed for use with fish lol.

 

[ral]

One has to be careful when buying rock salt. Even in the Philippines selling salt without iodine for human consumption is illegal, so most salt in the market here is iodized.

I get my "rock" salt directly from a manufacturer and they don't put iodine in the batches they sell me.

severina, we would need a better description of the condition of your fish to help make a diagnosis. Or a picture would be good if you can get one.

 

[severina]

Ack. Sorry you guys. He died over night. I cried a bit, and then had a nice eulogy over the toilet bowl.

RIP Fred.

I don't think I'm gonna get another betta for a while. The next one I get will probably be from a breeder rather than a petstore. I might start looking around anyway.