Sick Siamese Fighter

[siamese lover]

The fins of my Siamese male have a matted look, almost like a dreadlock effect. He does not have any discolouration and still cruises to the top for a gulp of air. Feeds ok and still enjoys red mosquito larvae. Three days ago I introduced 3 female Bettas to him. Initially he hunted them out and gave fantastic displays, but now he is ignoring them and hiding a lot behind the rocks in tight little gaps.

??? WHATS WRONG WITH HIM BETTA EXPERTS ???


Tank size:
AQUA ONE AR-980 170 actual litres of RO water / FLUVAL 405 external piped to the inbuilt lid filter system.
Seeded with "BACTINETTES" live bacterial culture / Live plants in medium gravel with aquarium rocks.


pH: 7.6
ammonia: 0.0
nitrite: 0.0
nitrate: 10
tank temp: 26

Volume and Frequency of water changes:
25 litres / approx 15% whenever Nitrates exeed 10.

Chemical Additives :
20ml AQUA ONE WATER CONDITIONER / 20ml NUTRAFIN PLANT GRO

Tank inhabitants:
4 ZEBRA DANIOS
4 LEOPARD DANIOS
6 RED EYE TETRAS
7 GUPPIES
3 PEPPERED CORYS
3 BRONZE CORYS
18 NEON TETRAS
4 SIAMESE FIGHTERS


Recent additions to your tank:
2 plants ( dont know name ) 3 female Bettas

Exposure to chemicals:
None

 

[hollyp0p]

The fins of my Siamese male have a matted look, almost like a dreadlock effect. He does not have any discolouration and still cruises to the top for a gulp of air. Feeds ok and still enjoys red mosquito larvae. Three days ago I introduced 3 female Bettas to him. Initially he hunted them out and gave fantastic displays, but now he is ignoring them and hiding a lot behind the rocks in tight little gaps.

??? WHATS WRONG WITH HIM BETTA EXPERTS ???


Tank size:
AQUA ONE AR-980 170 actual litres of RO water / FLUVAL 405 external piped to the inbuilt lid filter system.
Seeded with "BACTINETTES" live bacterial culture / Live plants in medium gravel with aquarium rocks.


pH: 7.6
ammonia: 0.0
nitrite: 0.0
nitrate: 10
tank temp: 26

Volume and Frequency of water changes:
25 litres / approx 15% whenever Nitrates exeed 10.

Chemical Additives :
20ml AQUA ONE WATER CONDITIONER / 20ml NUTRAFIN PLANT GRO

Tank inhabitants:
4 ZEBRA DANIOS
4 LEOPARD DANIOS
6 RED EYE TETRAS
7 GUPPIES
3 PEPPERED CORYS
3 BRONZE CORYS
18 NEON TETRAS
4 SIAMESE FIGHTERS


Recent additions to your tank:
2 plants ( dont know name ) 3 female Bettas

Exposure to chemicals:
None

I have not any experience on female bettas but from reading on here i understand they too can be aggressive and may well have attack your male....because from my limited experience it sounds like his hiding....is probably from them...have you seen them anywhere near him at all?
How quickly did his fins get damaged?

 

[Kaylee]

My mother has a male betta and she too added a female betta to the tank. They did fight, and eventually the two betta got along and had little bettas I think don't quote me, that they are japenese fighting fish and if the timing isn't right for them to breed they will fight.

 

[fourthtimelucky]

Try posting in the Betta forum for more expert advice, but I agree, it sounds like the girls are beating him up. Some betta don't do well in a community tank anyway and might be better in a small tank on their own. Most breeders just put the males and females together to breed and then seperate them as sometimes they can kill each other.

 

[Amerce]

Remove the females immediately, you should not be mixing sexes in the same tank unless you plan on breeding them.

Sounds like the water may be wrong along with a combo of the females attacking him, also the tetras are normally not a good idea in a betta tank, males do far better in a tank by themselves with some corys maybe, but defo not tetra's or any quick moving fish, he must be really stressed out.

 

[hollyp0p]

Remove the females immediately, you should not be mixing sexes in the same tank unless you plan on breeding them.

Sounds like the water may be wrong along with a combo of the females attacking him, also the tetras are normally not a good idea in a betta tank, males do far better in a tank by themselves with some corys maybe, but defo not tetra's or any quick moving fish, he must be really stressed out.

on the most part that's true....however my betta lives with 5 neons and 4 zebra danios.....and gets along just fine
it's all down to fish personalities at the end of the day

 

[siamese lover]

FOUND THE PROBLEM---------------------

---------------HE'S GOT WHITE-SPOT---------------

I'M DOSING THE TANK UP AT THE MOMENT
AFTER A VISIT WITH A PHOTO TO MY FISH SUPPLIER

I HAVE ISOLATED HIM IN A FLOATING BREEDING TRAP
TO KEEP THE OTHERS AWAY FROM HIM AND SO I CAN
KEEP AN EYE ON HIM.

3ml of " PROTOZIN 1 " ON DAYS 1, 2, 3 & 6

 

[Amerce]

True if you have a laid back betta they can tolerate other fish, but it works both ways the tetra's can be just as iffy with betta's especially if they are long finned.

As for the tank glad you have identified the problem, but you will need to treat him and the tank he was in, plus you will have to get him or the females re-homed (good excuse for getting another tank LOL). Cause you will at some stage have problems with them and the male.

 

[siamese lover]

True if you have a laid back betta they can tolerate other fish, but it works both ways the tetra's can be just as iffy with betta's especially if they are long finned.

As for the tank glad you have identified the problem, but you will need to treat him and the tank he was in, plus you will have to get him or the females re-homed (good excuse for getting another tank LOL). Cause you will at some stage have problems with them and the male.

I'm treating him and all the other fish in the same tank that the white-spot started in.
I have just isolated him in a floating breeding trap, within that same tank so the others cannot harass him, the female bettas are ignoring him while he's in there.

I'm setting up a smaller tank for him to go to when the white-spot and medicine have been removed from my main tank.
As soon as the water is back to normal I will transfer him.

 

[hollyp0p]

i must be lucky both ways, as the danios nor the tetra now harass the betta, infact now he's been in there a week he actually has now asserted himself as king of the tank and will occaisonally chase a danio off, but for the most part they all go about their fishy buisness without evening noticing each other