Very Damaged Betta

[Taridan]

I had a 30 gallon community tank with three female betta in it and they were all getting along fine. I come home from work today and the the one has almost a dime sized chunk of scales and flesh missing from right near her spine, just between her head and the back fin. I've moved her to a hospital tank and added aquarium salt and some Melafix which is all I have at the moment. I don't -think- her spine got damaged, because she can still swim, but very painfully looking and with fins clamped tight. All tank stats are normal, All I can think of is she either got backed into a corner and had to scrape against a decoration to get away, then the fish kept picking at that wound, or my Pleco did it... Any help on other things I can do? I've never had to euthanize a fish before...

 

[oneponygirl]

It sounds like you have done the right things to me. Is the tank that you've moved her to heated? Does she have a plant or something that she will be able to hide in. She's had a stressful day, with that and her injuries it may take some time for her to start acting normally again. If there's anything that you've missed I'm sure one of the more-expert-than-me folks around here will post.

 

[Taridan]

It's not heated, but I'm getting ready to go to petsmart now and get som supplies. It has tank water from the main tank in it and is in the warmest spot so should be okay until tonight.

 

[vancouver]

Keeping female bettas is hard to do.. a good rule of thumb is 4 or more, and in even numbers.. when you keep 3 together, often 2 will team up on 1, then the remaining 2 will fight.

 

[Taridan]

I know, and eventually I wanted 7 females... Its just it's around where I live most of the stores don't carry females, and the ones that do its hard to find healthy ones.