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Is My Betta Sick??

Discussion in 'New to the Hobby Questions and Answers' started by Kayra101, Jul 15, 2019.

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  1. Kayra101

    Kayra101 New Member

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    Hello everyone ,I care extremely about my betta and I have been very worried after watching a bunch of videos on them and I just need somebody to re assure me that he is not ill.he does spit his food out and doesn’t eat a lot a lot ,also his eyes do look a bit red.

    Please do get back to me.
     

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    #1 Kayra101, Jul 15, 2019
  2. Colin_T

    Colin_T Member

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    What is the water quality like (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate & pH)?
    How long has the tank been running for?
    How often do you do water changes and how much water do you change?
    Do you gravel clean the substrate when you do a water change?
    Do you dechlorinate the new water before adding it to the tank?
    What sort of filter do you have?
    How often and do you clean the filter?
    What are you feeding the fish?

    -------------------------
    The fish appears to be in good condition and does not show any external signs of disease. The most common cause of fish health issues is poor water quality. If you are every concerned about the fish's health or behaviour, do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day until the fish acts normally or until the problem is identified or resolved.

    The following link has information about what to do if your fish get sick. It's long and boring but worth knowing. I recommend printing it out and reading it in bed to help fall asleep.
    https://www.fishforums.net/threads/what-to-do-if-your-fish-gets-sick.450268/
     
    #2 Colin_T, Jul 16, 2019
  3. essjay

    essjay Moderator
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    How long have you had him, and what do you feed him?

    I use betta pellets and have had several bettas over the years. Some bettas would not eat hard pellets, they spat them out until they became soggy enough for their liking. For these bettas I had to presoak the pellets then carefully place them on the water surface with a pipette. Other bettas would only eat hard pellets and would spit them out if they got soggy. I had to remove the ones that got trapped in the floating plants as it can take ages for a betta to find those.

    You say he doesn't eat much, but they shouldn't be fed very much. Some brands of betta pellets tell you to feed far too much.
     
    #3 essjay, Jul 16, 2019
  4. Kayra101

    Kayra101 New Member

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    Colin_T =Well the ammonia is 0 and the nitrite is 0 and my tank has been running for 5 weeks I do a water change once a week ,I take out 25% sometimes a bit more than that. I do gravel clean with a aquavac,I put some tapsafe in after ,but I don’t do it with the new water ,should I put it with the new water in the future and then pour it in???i have a canister filter on low water flow ,I haven’t actually cleaned the filter because I only got that tank 5 weeks ago but I should clean it probably next week ,I feed my fish flakes ,but I’m going to purchase some live blood worms and some brine shrimp ,also maybe some frozen foods.
     
    #4 Kayra101, Jul 16, 2019
  5. Kayra101

    Kayra101 New Member

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    Essjay =I have had him for for 3 days . Maybe I’ll get some betta pellets if they are better ,That’s a good idea to presoak them actually ,I might do that ,I’m also thinking of getting a bunch of like first aid stuff so that incase I do find sickness I can treat it in another small plastic tank with medicine in it.
     
    #5 Kayra101, Jul 16, 2019
  6. essjay

    essjay Moderator
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    It is not unknown for a new betta to not realise that what you are giving him is actually food. If your food is different from the shop's food, it can take several days for them to start eating.

    I've always used betta pellets, there are several brands with some being better than others. I'm currently using Northfin betta food.
     
    #6 essjay, Jul 16, 2019
  7. Kayra101

    Kayra101 New Member

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    essjay = okay I’ll keep feeding him the flakes and hopefully he gets used to it ,maybe I should try pellets in the future though.
     
    #7 Kayra101, Jul 16, 2019
  8. essjay

    essjay Moderator
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    Pellets formulated for bettas are usually better (sorry!) as they are tailored to a betta's nutritional requirements.

    However, with guppies and a plec, you also need to feed them. The guppies are fine with flakes and the plec needs sinking algae wafers and some wood in the tank (lots of plecs need wood to graze on though I'm not sure if bristlenoses are among them). Bettas, being pigs when it comes to food, will eat any food you put in the tank - once he realises it is food that is.
     
    #8 essjay, Jul 16, 2019
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