Keeping Fish

[Shellybean02]

He is not in a bowl, he's in a box similar to that of my other two boys. If it's water quality, why aren't the other fish affected? And I had a heater, which brought the temp up to 86F. Nobody but Leaf told me if it was a problem, so I removed it as Leaf suggested. He's trying to scratch his ventrals, not his whole body. That leads me to think that he has irritated fins. Of course I'll do the water change, and I can treat him for fin rot. I know Epsom=internal problem solver, Aquarium= external problem solver. I'll use aquarium salt for him, if he does in fact have a problem. I just want to know if my new betta has a problem with his fins; if so, I'll fix it. I'm not worrying them to death because they're not dead... I'm just trying my best to take care of them properly.
So to sum this up: Should I put the aquarium heater back(86 degrees F)? Should I treat my new boy for fin rot, or leave him be unless it gets worse? And is it possible that his scratching is caused by fin irritation, not water quality issues?

 

[LeafBlade12345]

Live bearers do not live as long as egg layers in my experience. Then again, I've had gups live years. My oldest fish were eight year old skirt tetras who finally succumbed to various issues. Guppy fry do disappear often, which is why you keep them in a breeder box until they are at least six or seven weeks old. Shelly, do keep your Bettas, but you really don't want to be killing fish because you aren't treating them correctly. If all of your Bettas pass, perhaps another fish may be a good idea? Tetras are great and white clouds sometimes hatch eggs if given the proper plant cover. Bettas are great fish, don't get me wrong, but IMHO, not as great for beginners as some others can be. As you transition into adulthood, your interests will quickly change. Perhaps you would want to breed Bettas on a large scale when you are an adult. But while you live with your parents, keeping a few small fish in a nice community tank seems to be a good setup. Good luck with your Bettas! I wouldn't advise treating them anymore.

Regards,
Leaf

 

[LeafBlade12345]

He is not in a bowl, he's in a box similar to that of my other two boys. If it's water quality, why aren't the other fish affected? And I had a heater, which brought the temp up to 86F. Nobody but Leaf told me if it was a problem, so I removed it as Leaf suggested. He's trying to scratch his ventrals, not his whole body. That leads me to think that he has irritated fins. Of course I'll do the water change, and I can treat him for fin rot. I know Epsom=internal problem solver, Aquarium= external problem solver. I'll use aquarium salt for him, if he does in fact have a problem. I just want to know if my new betta has a problem with his fins; if so, I'll fix it. I'm not worrying them to death because they're not dead... I'm just trying my best to take care of them properly.
   So to sum this up: Should I put the aquarium heater back(86 degrees F)? Should I treat my new boy for fin rot, or leave him be unless it gets worse? And is it possible that his scratching is caused by fin irritation, not water quality issues?

I believe Oldhen posted that Bettas can live anywhere from 85-90 degrees. Mine are in colder water, but I am not experienced with them.

Regards,
Leaf

 

[enola]

What is the water source for your bettas?

I don't want you to think I am being judgemental here, I am sorry if you think I am.

I bred Angel Fish, Fancy Guppies and Mollies for years. I never used any medications for my fish. Ever. I mean literally NEVER. 90% of fish ailments come from environmental problems. Water changes and aquarium salt were all I ever used to treat Ich, fin & mouth rot and the few other problems that developed in my aquariums.

What do you mean by a salt bath? Are you actually removing your beta from his tank and soaking him in salt water? Then putting him back in his tank?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Bettas like warmer water, put your heater back on and they should perk up, but leaving it out won't kill them if the temperature of the tank is above 78, sounds like you are using a heater that can't be adjusted, which if fine, what temperatures they heat up to is dependent on the room temperature. Bettas breath air at the surface because they evolved in hot shallow pools of water which are low in oxygen, the fancy ones now are not as hardy as their ancestors and are prone to all types of health problems, since people are breeding for color and shapes the hardiness of the species suffer. Bettas do best in warm ph neutral water.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I also wanted to add your dreams of breeding bettas should probably wait a few years, it can be easy to get them to spawn but at some point you will need to separate out all the fry into individual cups or jars and raise them separately which can be quite a task and requires a good set up, then you need to find homes for them which isn't always easy, many pet stores will sell you fish but aren't interested in buying from you as they already have suppliers they buy from, you could end up stuck with a lot of fish that are taking up a lot of room and need to have fresh water daily. So I wouldn't breed without a good plan in place.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Just a few of my goldfish.

 

[politicalcenter]

I would love to get some fancy goldfish but with so many other irons in the fire.

I have also learned that sometimes fish will breed when least expected with no outside help.

I have so many comet goldfish it is insane! I can't give them away...but that may change come spring when I set up my plant business. I might give them away to people that have ponds and buy my bog plants.

I also have some pretty Koi I won't give away...or sell.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I would love to get some fancy goldfish but with so many other irons in the fire.

I have also learned that sometimes fish will breed when least expected with no outside help.

I have so many comet goldfish it is insane! I can't give them away...but that may change come spring when I set up my plant business. I might give them away to people that have ponds and buy my bog plants.

I also have some pretty Koi I won't give away...or sell.

I would love to receive free fish with a plant purchase, so that's a great idea, I have a problem controlling myself around goldfish, and sometimes plants.

 

[3goodeggs]

That is a good idea! I buy comets for our turtle, but she won't eat them. I think she named them.