Betta fish looks ill

Question
QUESTION: Hi there,

We've had a betta fish since June.  He was simply gorgeous and seemed to be thriving until we went away one week out of town.  Our local pet store advised us to buy the betta feeder tablets, which we placed in his 1.5 gallon tank before we left.  When we returned, our fish looked very sick, pale, lying on the bottom of the tank with withered fins.  I promptly changed all his water, including as always, the water conditioner, betta probiotics, Stress Zyme & 1/2 tsp. of aquarium salt.  After looking online, I saw the many bettas have died from these time-release feeder tablets since they often release too much food into the water and cause the tank to become dangerously polluted.

We have done everything to keep our betta happy and healthy since then, but his fins are still thin, small and withered looking, and his color is not bright.  He eats, swims around, and seems overall fine other than his unhealthy appearance.  

My question:  Is there anything I can do to make his fins re-grow and help him to thrive again?  Or did his experience with the feeder tablets permanently damage our little guy?  We use a heater kept to 76, and also just started using betta water, since his water recently measured too alkaline and we read that hard city water (even with conditioner) can create too high an alkalinity.

Help!  We want to save our betta!!  (And our 5 yr. old son just adores him)

Many, many thanks,
Petra

ANSWER: Petra,
Unfortunately, the large chain pet stores no little to nothing about the fish they sell. The first problem I see is that his tank is too small. The absolute smallest tank for a Betta is 2.5 gallons, where 5 gallons is best. With a tank that small water changes need to be done daily. Secondly, the heater needs to be keeping his water temperature at 80 degrees at all times. 76 degrees is too low. Most heaters that claim to keep the water a certain temperature rarely do. The heaters with the dial where you control the temp are the best ones to have. Make sure there is a thermometer in the water so that you can see exactly what temperature it is at. Yes, the Betta feeding tablets are not good to use at all. Betta's can go 2 weeks without eating. It sounds like he is suffering from fin rot due to the bad water quality. The only thing I do to help that is salt water baths. Since you already do salt in his tank it might not help but you can try. In a 1 gallon container, dissolve 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt. Make sure it is dissolved so that the salt does not burn him. Make it a little warmer that his tank water but not too much warmer. Maybe a degree or so. Let him swim around in this water for 10 minutes twice a day. Make sure you stay with him the whole time in case he has a problem you can remove him right away. Never use the same salt water twice, always make it fresh. Make sure that you are keeping his water very clean. Remember, since he is in such a small tank, the water changes should be done daily or every other day. Clean water is essential to keeping him healthy. As long as there is some tail and fin left, it should grow back, but it could take awhile. Let me know how he is doing in a few days.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you very much!  I will follow your advice!  I also wanted to ask you about feeding our betta.  We feed him about 4 pellets every M, W, and Fri.  Sometimes we give him dried bloodworms.  Does this sound like the right amount?  

Also, his tank starts looking cloudy only a few days after we change the water.  I'm not sure why since we do our best to keep the water clean.  His tank has a cover with an opening for air, and his water is unfiltered.  Do you think either of these issues is creating the cloudy water conditions so quickly after a fresh water change? There is quite a bit of water condensation underneath the cover and I wonder if it harbors bacteria?  I try to wipe it off regularly.  I do weekly water changes, but I'll do them more often if that will help our little guy.

Finally, what about a medicine like Betta Revive or Bettafix?  We have heard they're really good.  But we don't want to give our fish any medicine if natural remedies like you suggested will work.

Thanks again so much for helping us!!!  
Sincerely,
Pier

Answer
Pier,
When you feed your Betta, remember that his stomach is the size of his eye. You should feed one to two pellets daily. I feed all of mine food that I can only get online but it is the best on the market. It is called Atison's Betta food. Once a week I fast my fish and on the following day I feed them a shelled cooked pea. This will help prevent swim bladder disease. The water will start to look cloudy because there is no filter and his tank is small. I have all my adult Betta's in their own 5 gallon tanks with heaters and sponge filters that I make myself. Bettafix, and Melafix are medications to stay away from with fish with the labyrinth organ like the Betta. It will clog up the gill causing the fish to drowned. I have been raising Betta's for over 30 years and have never added any medications to my tanks. My friends call me an organic fish keeper. Clean warm water is the key to keeping them healthy and happy. If your male presents you with bubble nests, you will know that he is doing great. If you have never been presented with one, then you know there is a problem somewhere.