Need some fish help...

[Chickerdoodle13]

I bought another betta fish a few weeks ago and have him in a 2.5 gallon fish tank. He has three plastic plants, but is otherwise alone in the tank.

My first fish has had problems with a disapearing tail. He was a beautiful crowntail and then all the tips just seemed to fall off his tail. All his other fins were fine, so I didn't think it was tail/fin rot. I dosed him with melafix and it didn't really seem to be helping either way. I started up on the med again after break and his tail is actually looking a little better.

Now it seems the new fish is missing the tips of his tail too. I just can't understand this! I also just noticed a small tear in the tail as well. I've been dosing him with Melafix for about a week now and the tips of his fin have turned clear, which I read means they are growing back. To me it just looks worse! He was so beautiful and I don't want his tail to look icky! Is there something other than melafix I should be dosing him with? I tried using stress coat and I condition the water using splendid betta water conditioner. I do complete water changes every week.

Should I be doing something different? I just don't know why their tails get like this! I doubt they are bored and I only feed them once a day.

 

[chickachickawhat]

it might having something to do with your water. if you have well water i would look into testing it and see what in it you never no what your drinking

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I live in a dorm at a college, so I'm not sure if it is well water or not. I use betta conditioner for the ater, so I don't think that would be the problem, but I'm not really sure. I'm at a loss!

 

[Guitartists]

Is there something in his tank that he is getting it snagged on?? Decorations or plastic plants?

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

That's what I'm thinking might be the problem. I may head out to the store tomorrow and either get a few real plants or some silk ones. I just don't understand why only his tail would be affected though. I would think his long anterior fin would also get snagged.

Anyone have any good ideas for low maintenance plants I could add? I need something that can tolerate cleanings and low light. I have a flourescent light at school, but do not have one at home.

Thanks!

 

[Moonwalker]

I've never heard of anything that affects only the tail and not other fins. Betas and other long finned/tailed fish will often sleep propped up in a plant. He may be catching his tail. Also, make sure you don't have anything like snails or crabs that might be nipping while the fish sleeps.

 

[K&H Chicken Farm]

Do you keep tank salt in his tank? It helps much better then any meds on the market. I have keeped fish for 20 years now and the only thing I use is fish tank salt to fix any problems.

 

[Dawn419]

Here are links to a few low-light plants...

Anubias

Bolbitis

Cryptocorynes

Java Fern

Java Moss

We grow Anubias, Crypts and Java Ferns in our 60 gallon hexagon because it's such a deep tank. I'll post pix of them tomorrow.

Hope this helps!

Dawn

 

[snowydiamonds]

its also pretty harsh on fish to do complete water changes, much better to leave a bit in and not take the fish out every time.

I've got big tanks so I always kept my betta's in at least a five gallon tank and they'd get fresh water from a big tank so the water was already conditioned and I can see you not having room to do this at school so the other suggestion is to have conditioned water in a pitcher used only for replacing half the water in the betta tank, only a complete water change w/fish removed once a month, to scrub out any algae if that is a problem.

If algae is not a problem, don't even resort to your old method. Just replace half the water once a week but use the conditioned water from your (glass is better than plastic) pitcher reserved only for that use.

It takes a bit getting used to but is much kinder on the fish and if you have one of those Foster's and Smith catalogs or see it online so you can see the smaller fishtanks with undergravel filter, bio wheel, that would be a great thing, too

Just don't choose a tank filtration system that makes too much current (I know they don't need filters but I'm thinking of how you aren't going to handle the poo since you are used to dumping the entire contents). Keep us informed...

 

[patandchickens]

Tiny tanks where you dump and replace the water ever X days are not really a good environment for a betta. Yeah, they can stay alive that way for some good while. They are hardy fish that evolved for living in anoxic stinking swamp mud water and cling more tenaciously to life than most. However it is not GOOD for them to live in the usual 'betta tank' and they will not be nearly as healthy as they could be if you gave them a real tank with real filtration.

I would strongly suggest giving each betta a 3-5 gal tank of its own. You can buy tiny filters that will not create too much current (I have the tiniest Eheim external power filter in a 5 gal with 6 white clouds and they have no problem with the gentle current it produces when dialed down to low).

Alternatively (though it would be harder on the fish) you could put a scant 1/2" of coarse gravel on the bottom and siphon the mulm out of it every week or two (replacing the siphoning water with new water, probably). If you do that you probably ought to have at least a bunch of non-poo-catching tank decorations.

DO NOT try even low-light aquarium plants UNLESS the tank gets quite a lot of light. Otherwise they will slowly decay and actually make water quality worse not better.

Also make really sure not to overfeed. You do not need to feed every day.

Good luck,

Pat