betta open sore

Question
thanks for getting back to me so fast.  i'll keep up the meds and go from there.  yes, his tank gets fully cleaned every week since he's been sick but i'll start leaving some mess at the bottom from now on.  i'll also start doing the 25% daily water change as you suggested to see if that helps because he can't see the food so it usually just remains at the top.  he does respond to me and tries really hard to eat but keeps missing his lil' bits and freeze dried worms.  he gets mad then goes back to his castle and hides out.  i feel dumb being so worried over my little betta but he's such a good lil fish and i just want him well.  he's spoiled :-)thanks again.
angela
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Followup To

Question -
hi amber,
little one is not getting much better and has since developed popeye.  i've been doing the following for approx. 2 weeks but just started macrycn for him monday and done away with melafix and quickcure for now to see if that will work.

- temp at 80 degrees
- melafix in the a.m.
- quickcure in the p.m
- add aquarium salt and stress coat when tank is cleaned
- tank cleaned once a week

any other advice you can give would help or should i just continue what i'm doing?  thanks!
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Followup To

Question -
my little one seems to be doing a bit better and eating more regulary.  i've got his temp up and changed his water. i'm also giving him melafix (in the morning) and quick cure (at night).  i also added some aquarium salt and stress coat to his tank after it was cleaned.  i keep his light on to his tank 24/7 now because i noticed when i turn it off at night i see a dramatic decrease in the morning with his temp.  it goes from 80 to like 65-70 degrees.  so, i've been leaving the light on and it stays at 80 now regulary.  question, is it ok to leave his light on all the time?  i always thought you had to turn it off at night.  thanks for all your help!
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Followup To



Answer -
Hello Angela-

First off, try to get his water temperature up to 80 F. You can buy a heater, or you can use a heating pad/desk lamp. Secondly, try adding a dosage of aquarium salt to keep the wound from becoming infected. If you can manage, do a full water change at the end of each week (you can keep some of the decorations out, to make the frequent changes easier.) Keep up with the Melafix, but also try a medicine that contains Formalin. I use a product called QuickCure that you can buy at WalMart.

Hope this helps, and hope your little guy is feeling better soon!

-Amber Worman

Answer -
Hello again Angela-

Great to hear your little one is doing better!

It's fine to keep the light on all day and night, it's better to keep his water temperature stable, even if the light may cause algae to grow. I would turn the light off at feeding time, however, so he can spot the food on the surface without getting blinded.

Glad to help!
-Amber Worman

Answer -
Hello Angela-

Sorry to hear about your little guy!
Thankfully, popeye is usually not deadly for bettas and will most likely clear up once the sore does. I have a female betta who gets popeye every time I introduce a new female to the tank (three times so far!) and it has always cleared up within a week with just regular dosages of QuickCure and Melafix.
So far you are doing everything I would do for my fish - The only thing I can suggest is adding fresh water (maybe 25%) every day, just to dilute anything that may be building up in the tank between weekly maintenance. Just out of curiosity, are you doing full 100% changes at the end of each week? It's not bad either way, but be sure not to fully scrub out the bottom to keep some of the natural bacteria intact.

Hope your little guy improves! Is he still responding to your presence? If so, it's a good sign.
-Amber Worman

Answer
No worries! :)

I love my little guys too, I'd be the same way if any of them got sick. They're great little fish.
If you want to help your little guy to find his pellets you can tap on the water surface to "direct" him the right way.
Hope he perks up soon!
-Amber Worman