Help! Blue Boy's tail is torn!

[DogAndCat36]

I guess I'm not a good fish keeper. I can't get a bigger tank. I don't even know what a lot of this stuff means! What can I do?

You are not a bad fish keeper. You just followed what you trusted, this was the fishconceptions aka the misconceptions about fish care. Sadly I did the same mistake and raised my betta in a round one-gallon tank with no filter, only cleaned it once a month, and put plastic plants and flaky rainbow glass pebbles that chipped a lot. Sadly she got popeye a lot, had fin rot, had this roting gill problem, and her scales where greatly discolored and died after two sad years. I decided to do research after she died... I failed not you.

You decided that hey this is not ok and you asked for help which by the way only a few do and even then a good amount of the askers raise bristle and hiss when people say that they need to spend more money on "a simple fish". You are one of the few that asked for help and accepted it. That is awesome.

You faced your mistake and you want to fix it. This makes you a good fish keeper. Even if you are a bit of a greenhorn right now.

 

[HappyClucker7]

I guess I'm not a good fish keeper. I can't get a bigger tank. I don't even know what a lot of this stuff means! What can I do?

Don't worry, you're not a bad fish keeper. Almost everyone gets bad advice at the beginning, and they make mistakes. That's okay. What's important now is that you fix those mistakes and try to make your fish's life as good as possible.
The first thing you have to do now is turn you filter back on. That's not what caused the damage, and you're killing any beneficial bacteria you have by keeping it off.
Next you have to do a big water change. At least 75%. Then you have to go and get some aquarium salt. That will help your betta's fin rot.
You will have to do a water change every day since your tank isn't cycled.
You should also research the nitrogen cycle, and how to do a fish-in cycle in you tank.
You also have to get a test kit. The Aqueon liquid master test kit is the best.
Once the fin rot is gone and your tank is cycled, you can figure out the tank situation. Why can't you get a bigger tank? Is it a money issue? If that's what it is, then I'm sure you can find a cheep tank on craigslist or something.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

You need to treat him for fin rot. You also need to either cycle the tank or change his water daily.

When you set up a fish tank you need tiny bacteria to either get naturally established or you can buy bacteria in a bottle. The bacteria converts waste. Without the bacteria your fish will get poisoned by the ammonia, and nitrites in their waste. Do some reading about the nitrogen cycle. It's important to know when keeping fish. It's really the most important part. You are keeping a microscopic ecosystem that first just happen to live in. That's how I've always thought of fish keeping. Establish the bacteria colonies and keep them thriving to keep your tank healthy no matter the size of it.

For now I would change out half the water if possible. Than get the fungus tabs from Wal-Mart and treat your fish. Betta are sensitive to treatments, not all can handle them. Betta have a way if just dying. The other option is to change half the water than start adding aquarium salts. I have personally stopped keeping betta because I find them difficult. They are hit and miss to keep for me. They aren't compatible with my water quality, or the way I manage my tanks.

You aren't a bad owner. You are new to the fish hobby. It has a sharp learning curb, and there's ton to know.

Thank you so much! I really appreciate you not yelling at me and telling me I'm a bad fish keeper. Thank you for the advice, and I'll try to do all of the stuff you said!

 

[cluckmecoop7]

You are not a bad fish keeper. You just followed what you trusted, this was the fishconceptions aka the misconceptions about fish care. Sadly I did the same mistake and raised my betta in a round one-gallon tank with no filter, only cleaned it once a month, and put plastic plants and flaky rainbow glass pebbles that chipped a lot. Sadly she got popeye a lot, had fin rot, had this roting gill problem, and her scales where greatly discolored and died after two sad years. I decided to do research after she died... I failed not you.

You decided that hey this is not ok and you asked for help which by the way only a few do and even then a good amount of the askers raise bristle and hiss when people say that they need to spend more money on "a simple fish". You are one of the few that asked for help and accepted it. That is awesome.

You faced your mistake and you want to fix it. This makes you a good fish keeper. Even if you are a bit of a greenhorn right now.

I have no words.. (except these, lol)

 

[cluckmecoop7]

Don't worry, you're not a bad fish keeper. Almost everyone gets bad advice at the beginning, and they make mistakes. That's okay. What's important now is that you fix those mistakes and try to make your fish's life as good as possible.
The first thing you have to do now is turn you filter back on. That's not what caused the damage, and you're killing any beneficial bacteria you have by keeping it off.
Next you have to do a big water change. At least 75%. Then you have to go and get some aquarium salt. That will help your betta's fin rot.
You will have to do a water change every day since your tank isn't cycled.
You should also research the nitrogen cycle, and how to do a fish-in cycle in you tank.
You also have to get a test kit. The Aqueon liquid master test kit is the best.
Once the fin rot is gone and your tank is cycled, you can figure out the tank situation. Why can't you get a bigger tank? Is it a money issue? If that's what it is, then I'm sure you can find a cheep tank on craigslist or something.

There are so personal reasons I can't get a bigger fish tank right now, including money and space. Soooo....to do a 75% water change I just scoop out most of the water then add new water?

 

[HappyClucker7]

There are so personal reasons I can't get a bigger fish tank right now, including money and space. Soooo....to do a 75% water change I just scoop out most of the water then add new water?

Do you have a gravel vac? If not, you really need to get one. It will suck out all the poop that sinks down into the gravel.
For now though, just scoop out most of the water in the tank. Don't take your betta out, as this will just stress him out more.
When you add in the new water, make sure it is de-chlorinated before you put it in the tank. This is not necessary if you use well water.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

Do you have a gravel vac? If not, you really need to get one. It will suck out all the poop that sinks down into the gravel.
For now though, just scoop out most of the water in the tank. Don't take your betta out, as this will just stress him out more.
When you add in the new water, make sure it is de-chlorinated before you put it in the tank. This is not necessary if you use well water.

Ok, thanks! This will happen first thing tomorrow.