NEED HELP

[Katye S]

Hi everyone! I’m super new with this and never had a fish. I noticed the other day Sushi, my Betta had the end of its tail starting to “rot” I went into the pet store to get the Bettafix and it seems to be really helping! Then last night I noticed his head was losing scales. It’s almost like a grey black. He’s acting completely normal. Eating great. The only thing I can think of is maybe the medication and or I replaced a plastic plastic that could have caused the fin rot. PLEASE HELP.

 

[Colin_T]

... I noticed the other day Sushi, my Betta ...

Hi and welcome to the forum

Did you really name your fish Sushi?

Fin rot and most other fish health issues are caused by poor water quality. Having a good filter on the tank and doing regular water changes will normally keep the water clean and the fish healthy. It normally takes about 4-5 weeks for the filter to develop enough good bacteria to keep the water clean. During this time the ammonia and nitrite levels can go up and seriously damage or harm the fish.

Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate each day for a couple of weeks or until this is resolved.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.

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How long has the tank been set up for?
How long have you had the fish for?
Is there a filter on the tank and is it run continuously (24/7)?

Have you tested the water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate & pH?
If yes, what were the results in numbers?

If you don't have test kits, you can take a glass full of tank water to the local pet shop and ask them to test it for you. Some pet shops charge a small fee to cover the cost of their test kits. If you do get the shop to test the water, write down the results in numbers, when they do the tests.

 

[Katye S]

Yes his name is sushi! Lol

We have a filter that’s constantly running. I was told at the pet store to do a 25-50% water change every month but now reading not sure if that person knew what they were talking about. I just did a complete water change to try to kill any bacteria that was in the tank. Added the condition and stress medication.
We’ve only had him for about 3 weeks now.

 

[Colin_T]

Monthly water changes are not good especially if the aquarium and filter are new. Regular partial water changes (50-75%) keep nutrients at low levels and help reduce microscopic organisms (like bacteria, protozoa, fungus & viruses) in the water so they are less likely to affect the fish.

If you did a complete water change today then just do a 50-75% water change each day for a couple of weeks.

Did you wash the filter out under tap water when you changed the water in the tank?
If yes, the beneficial filter bacteria have probably been washed out of the filter and you will have to start the filter cycle again.

If you don't have a gravel cleaner, you can buy a basic model gravel cleaner like the one in the following link. this will allow you to clean the gunk out of the gravel without removing the gravel from the tank. You simply syphon water out of the tank and push the gravel cleaner into the substrate and lift it up. The gravel circulates in the gravel cleaner tube and the gunk is drawn out with some water while the clean gravel sinks back to the bottom.
https://www.about-goldfish.com/aquarium-cleaning.html

 

[Essjay]

Just to warn you that despite the name, Bettafix is not good for bettas - and neither is Melafix or Pimafix. Bettafix is just dilute Melafix to make it easier to dose small amounts.
The reason is that both Bettafix/Melafix and Pimafix contain aromatic oils which interfere with the labyrinth organ. They should not be used with bettas or gouramis.

 

[NickAu]

Did you wash the filter out under tap water when you changed the water in the tank?
If yes, the beneficial filter bacteria have probably been washed out of the filter and you will have to start the filter cycle again.

Rubbish.



What water conditioner do you use?
Do you have a water test kit to test for ammonia ETC?