betta - color fading/fringed fins

23 11:48:14

Question

betta Let me just start by saying I have received so many different opinions and advice for caring for my Betta it is exhausting. Therefore I have made uneducated decisions that were not the best, as you will see.

My boyfriend had bought me the baby biorb (4 gallon) and a beautiful Betta fish. We were told we could add neon tetras to the tank with the Betta- suffice to say I removed the Betta after an hour or so, I simply was not comfortable with the scenario. Guilt ridden because the tank was meant for the Betta I searched for a tank for him and came across this 2 gallon tank
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3107806
and I bought a heater that gradually heats the water a few degrees, bringing my tank to 78 degrees at all times. He seemed very happy and healthy for the first few weeks then I woke up a week ago and I was very worried about him: his color was fading all over, it looked as though there were holes throughout his fins because there was no color. Around his face and body his color looked at though it was flaking off and near his gills/where they flare up when aggressive it was white. Also the ends of his fins are spiting and they have become darkened and almost fringed. He is very frigidity and if I am in the room he always stays on the side of the tank facing me and just faces me the whole time as if to say "help me out here!" (I know I'm probably reading too much into that, but I feel they are much more intelligent than people give them credit for.)

I have gotten the medicine at petsmart for fin rot- you add a teaspoon daily for up to 7 days. Honestly, I don't see a difference and I just want to make him better no matter what the cost. If you could let me know what you believe to be the problem and how to solve it I would be forever grateful. I am going to include a picture of him to give you a better idea of the situation. (side note, if you happen to know the kind of Betta he is that would be great too) Also, I would like your opinion on the tank itself, I have a feeling it may be too small and I just feel like it may be the cause of him getting sick to begin with...

Thank you so much for your help, you seem to be the only knowledgeable person on Betta's I have found. Thanks for your time.

Answer
Hello,
He is a beautiful betta, and looks like he would be a "moon Betta" You will have to change all the water in his tank, and clean everything in it very very well. Fill the tank up with clean water, and same temperature he was in, using a good water conditioner. He has fin, and tail rot, along with fungus. This is caused by poor water conditions. His tank water should be changed completely once a week.
He will need a good antibiotic. Tetracycline should cure him, but you must act quickly as the fungus is eating away at him. Follow the directions of the package, be careful not to overdose.
I agree with you, Bettas are very intelligent! So small, and so smart, it is hard to believe! I love them, and get attached to them so quickly. They all have their personality.

Here is some information on the Betta, and how he/she should be kept:

Bettas need 5 gallons of water or more to be healthy, and happy.
In their habitat the betta may live in shallow waters, but they have lots of room to swim.
Keeping Bettas in small bowls, containers, vases etc, is cruel. The Betta is one of the most mistreated fish on the market.
They need a heated tank. Temperature should be 78- 80-82 degrees. They are tropical fish, and are cold under this temperature. Cold bettas get sick, are miserable, and live unhappy lives. ( Always remember when heating a tank, do this very very slowly..1 (one) degree every two days, as bringing up the temperature too fast would kill your Betta.) The temperature should always be stable. Fluctuating temperature is very bad for bettas, and any other fish.
They should have a silk plant in their tanks, so that they can rest on the leaves They also need a little tunnel or some knick knack that they can go through.   One teaspoon to five gallons of diluted aquarium salt may be added to his water, when a Betta is well.
Aquarium salt helps them with stress, and helps with parasites. However if a Betta is showing signs of a swollen tummy, salt should not be used.
They need a varied diet. This is very important. Betta pellets one day, Betta Flakes the next, Daphnia the next, and bloodworms should be given once a week as a treat.
He should be given one well cooked frozen cooked pea a week, and on the day you give him the pea, he should fast.
A betta is prone to constipation, and constipation leads to Swim Bladder Disease. A frozen cooked pea a week keeps them from getting constipated. Always remove the outer layer of the pea, and cut it into small pieces feeding it to your betta one piece at a time.
They should have 2-3 small meals a day, and not one big meal. We must remember that their tummy is the size of their eye.
Example: 2 pellets for one meal.
Water changes are very important. Water changes must be made every week without fail with a good water conditioner such as Aqua Safe or Stress Coat. There is also a conditioner made especially for bettas. If you do not have a filter, change all the water in his tank weekly.
Never put two bettas in the same tank, they will kill each other...male or female. The Betta male is a loner. Females can be kept together in a big enough tank, but they are also aggressive towards each other, and the tank should be at least 30 gallons with many hiding places.
When treated well, a betta can live up to 8 years, if you buy him when he is very young. (Unfortunately we do not know their age when we buy them at the Pet Store which is why some bettas die two or three years after we have bought them.)
He's an intelligent little fish, and should be treated with kindness.
Too many vendors know nothing about the betta, and don't care...so don't give good information on how to keep them.
They are there to sell, and will say anything just to make a buck. They send you home with your bought betta, telling you a small bowl is perfect, and bloodworms! The poor customer thinks he has everything he/she needs, and then the fish gets sick, money is spent to cure him, and eventually the fish dies.
This turns my stomach over. Unfortunately there are no laws to protect fish.
Bettas kept in small bowls, one gallon tanks, and vases, will get sick, and are very hard to cure in such little water. They end up dieing, and
that hurts the person who has grown so attached to them. They don't deserve to be treated this way.
This is how a Betta should be treated. If treated this way, you will have your friend for a long long time. I breed them, love them, and know what is good for them.
If you have anymore questions, do not hesitate to write me.
Lynda

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