Swim bladder - red streaks, etc.

[BettaMomma]

Yeah, I'll see if I can get some of that stuff.
I have (2) 10G tanks and (4) 2.5G tanks just at home - I'd probably go broke buying water for changes.

I really just don't know what to even try anymore.
I'm getting really sick of the letdowns and the sicknesses, CONSTANTLY.
If something positive happens, I find finrot, or a curled tail.
I do have a few hardy boys that nothing phases, but I have more with issues than without. I think that if I can't get it straightened out I should leave the rescuin' to someone that has better water. And better luck, I suppose.

GAAAAH! As I was on the phone I called almost every place in town that has fish stuff and nobody has it. I'll have to order it online, I guess.

As for Charlie - I'll just have to see what happens with him.
I'm kinda expecting the worst, just cuz that's what seems to happen lately.

Should I keep his temp at 80 degrees for the velvet, or unplug the heater and just let it drop to room temp? That would be between 72 - 76???

 

[Kiarra]

You have some Indian Almond Leaves, don't you, BM? Those would help enormously, too. So would Blackwater Extract, which may be easier to find than Amazon Rain. I haven't seen Amazon Rain at any store locally, but I have been able to find Blackwater Extract.

 

[wuvmybetta]

Can you turn his heater down to like 78'ish? That should keep him comfortable and help destroy the velvet. I've had to deal with velvet in betta fry and I've treated them at room temp with Myacide I believe (?) and it cleared right up. So hopefully he'll be just fine

As I was on the phone I called almost every place in town that has fish stuff and nobody has it. I'll have to order it online, I guess

It's pretty hard to find. My lfs stocks it because myself and a few other customers constantly buy it so....but I pay 13.50 compared to 8.99 (maybe I should buy online too )

 

[BettaMomma]

Yeah, I have some of those.
My problem is that they are at home and I am now at the office.
I would have to wait until tomorrow to bring them with me - otherwise make him take the trip home with me.

I've learned the hard way that "waiting just one more day" might be too long.
I hate to stress him out by dragging him home with me but i'm tempted...

 

[BettaMomma]

No, unfortunately it's a hydor mini heater so it just tacks on like 5 or so degrees above room temp. But, I decided to leave it out. If it's at 80+ with the heater, the least it will probably go is 75.

He's got maracide in his tank for the velvet and 1/2 dose of maracyn2 for the suspected septicemia or whatever the hell is causing the red streaks. A couple of people recommended that treatment to me. He's having a really hard time not tipping over - his belly's bloated up too. That started after I fed him this morning and hasn't gone away. He's also got some splits in his fins and lots of red streaks - although he's really active... the tipping over makes him look really disabled right now and it's making him really mad. On a good note, the split tail happened last week and there's some new growth on it, so something might be going right.

I swear to go I'm going to have to go on anti-anxiety drugs over my fish.
And I'm not even kidding.

 

[wuvmybetta]

He's having a really hard time not tipping over - his belly's bloated up too. That started after I fed him this morning and hasn't gone away.

That could just be something that will pass. I've seen betta fry overeat and then float for the rest of the day....but the next day they're fine and usually there is a big floating turd right there. What makes some float? I dunno. Especially when they all eat the same thing.

I have this one veil that I've had hmmm...almost two years? for the last seven months I have thought this fish was dying. I even moved him out of sight from the others and brought him out here in the living room at Christmas time while I treated him like a king, certain it was his time. No. He was unchanging, he just floats on his side at the top until he sees me, then he's like "Hey,what's up? Got any food?"...I cannot even tell you how many times I thought he was dead But he has absolutely no signs of illness, and we've been down the road with many a med. So I just left him alone and he's just doing what he does. I eventually moved him back with the rest because it's quite obvious that this fish is made of steel. Pointless story. Your floating betta just made me think of him.

 

[Synirr]

I'm not sure if it has already been mentioned, but I firmly believe that, due to inbreeding, a lot of the bettas you find at Walmart have extremely weak immune systems. Perhaps this plays a role in the problems you keep having with your boys, BettaMomma? I've gotten fish from Walmart that were practically never well. They had something going on constantly, even though they were receiving the exact same care as all the others. None of the bettas I have that came from breeders have ever, EVER had any sort of health problems though...

It seems like maybe, because you intentionally buy fish that are ill, you have a greater chance of buying ones that have extremely weak immune systems... just a thought.

 

[wuvmybetta]

I'm not sure if it has already been mentioned, but I firmly believe that, due to inbreeding, a lot of the bettas you find at Walmart have extremely weak immune systems. Perhaps this plays a role in the problems you keep having with your boys, BettaMomma? I've gotten fish from Walmart that were practically never well. They had something going on constantly, even though they were receiving the exact same care as all the others. None of the bettas I have that came from breeders have ever, EVER had any sort of health problems though...

It seems like maybe, because you intentionally buy fish that are ill, you have a greater chance of buying ones that have extremely weak immune systems... just a thought.

That was eventually the conclusion I came to when I was on my ill veil buying spree. You're basically picking the sickliest of all.
Having had spawns with huge numbers of full grown siblings, I can verify that some ARE just sicklier than others. I remember mentioning one of my red girls a while back, who sadly died, she became ill in the grow out. Clampy,lethargic and just....looked bad. Why her and not the other 200+?
It's just that way.

When ALL the fish in Walmart look bad,that is walmarts fault. But when only one or two out of a couple dozen look bad, it's not the fish's fault...but it is more than likely just the fish.

 

[cation]

It seems like maybe, because you intentionally buy fish that are ill, you have a greater chance of buying ones that have extremely weak immune systems... just a thought.

I think you have a very good point, Syn. The fish with the better natural immunity will make it through, maybe even bubblenest in that nasty pet store water. The fish with lower immunity can't deal with the stress of shipping, living in dirty water, getting poked at, etc.

Edited to add: You beat me to it, Kelly - I was thinking the same thing about one of my girls from my last spawn - never grew as fast as her sisters, pale, weak...not a great fish. Everyone else? Feisty and beautiful.

 

[BettaMomma]

Yeah...
I am pretty sure too that a lot of them are more prone to sickness, AND that because I buy them that way they are even more prone to it.

However, in this one case - Charlie was perfectly healthy when I got him. That makes me crazy.
I really think it's just me doing SOMEthing wrong.
Maybe by me trying to "rescue" some of these guys who are sick to begin with I'm just dooming some of them to sure death. Who knows.

I, too have one girl - Liza - that's teeny. Everyone else who I got around the same time is at LEAST two, some even three times her size. She's just a little teeny thing. She only eats bloodworms and peas, so I don't know if she's just not getting enough nutrition or what.

I have to just hang up the rescue shoes for a while I'm afraid. Too many deaths in a short time can make a person near crazy. And that's right where I am. ALMOST COMPLETELY NUTS.

 

[eudielynn]

How about an update on Charlie today?

 

[FrisaGirl]

However, in this one case - Charlie was perfectly healthy when I got him. That makes me crazy.
I really think it's just me doing SOMEthing wrong.
Maybe by me trying to "rescue" some of these guys who are sick to begin with I'm just dooming some of them to sure death. Who knows.

Don't beat yourself up Bettamomma! Your definently not dooming your rescue fishes to certain death--your saving them from it! It seems likely that some of your rescue fishes are naturally sickly. It's not your fault. As for Charlie, if he was perfectly healthy when you got him, you can't put him in the same category as your rescues. He's probably just a normally healthy fish with an unfortunate case of velvet.

Also, about your water supply, do your office and home have different water systems? If they do, and your fish are getting ill both at work and at home, it's quite possible that your water's not the cause.

But be kind to yourself, Bettamomma. Don't assume things are your fault! You're one of the best owners a fish can have. If only there were more like you!

 

[50000_tears]

if walmart inbreeds that explains Gus's problems ,i always thought he was ashtmatic he was kinda slow ,he had a lip deformity and he had teenie tiny ventrals i dunno if it was all because he was like 3 yearsold when i got him but he was happy w/ all his problems i am still kickin myself for medicating him it caused too much stress the poor guy is dead but i still love him he proved bettas are strong ,if they are inbred thats also why AmyI had problems and AmyII has problems (AmyI died of parasites and AmyII has ichy/fungusy stuff goin on) i am worried about Amy..believe me your not alone i am thinkin i did somethin wrong to Amy but i know it was walmart shes a scaredy cat she was definetly scared alot i think she was either shaken extremly or forced to breed ,she has had loads of problems herself i dunno what her problems stemed from but she is a sad walmart betta

 

[eudielynn]

BettaMomma??? Are you there??? Charlie update please???

 

[BettaMomma]

Oopsy, sorry - I kinda forgot about this thread and forgot to come back to it. )

Charlie's still hanging in there - the parts of his fins that were deteriorating have started healing back up. He looks completely miserable cuz he's stuck up at the top of the tank and can't get down - swim bladder still acting up. When they have swim bladder issues they just look so completely dibilitated even though there really isnt' all that much wrong with them... He has improvised though - I have this little thing in his tank that looks like bare tree roots that he can swim under like a little cave. He swims into it and stops underneath one of the small openings - that holds him down at the bottom of the tank.

I brought some peas in yesterday and gave him just that for food, but it didn't seem to help. His belly is a tad bit smaller today - and I don't know if I'm imagining it, but it appears like his red streaks are starting to fade.

Frisa - Charlie's the only one at work that got sick, and he got sick because I slacked off on his water changes. Everyone else at work is completely healthy. And yeah, where I live and work is in 2 different cities and the water supply is different. I've got some indian almond leaf in his tank today. I am hoping he makes a full recovery! So far, it's been a long road for the little guy, tho.