[Purple-Hops]

Okay, so with what we thought was a fungus Matt and I went out to pick up bettafix. And when we learned that WM sold it for like 6$ cheaper than everywhere else we went there and found a larger tank with a light and filter for cheap as well. So Laki got a new tank.. It's 1 gal/ 3.7 litres... I thought this was totally fine and tonnes of people have their betta's in things like this. http://www.bettatalk.com/housing.htm

Sasami, I appreciate your input here!! I admire your expertise :dream:

As you said about 5 gal, well we don't have the space for that size tank. We looked at them and as long as we're living in this one bedroom we cannot afford the space for a 5 gal :< Heaters cannot be used in tanks smaller than that. In the meantime he seems to really enjoy the size he's in! He's always been an active fish and when we put him in he took to exploring. The filter creates a lot of bubbles and while he loves bubbles he doesn't seem bothered by them. They don't create turbulence in the water but should I turn it off sometimes? I know of the labrinth gland but he can breathe fine with gills?? Right?? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

He has been eating fine, playing fine, I just want him to be happy!!


Poof, my Japanese moss ball has since moved out. I thought the change in Laki's behaviour was caused by it so I moved it to the window. May she be far happier with my weak herbs!

 

[Purple-Hops]

Aw shucks, I noticed the second pic is so crisp and clear!! Deadly. Sasami, can you see the white-ish stuff on his head in the 2nd one?? (I'm also thinking of lowering the height of the water so the bubbles aren't so plenty)

***EDIT- I just found a site which stated that he might get sick in a small tank if overfed. Matt likes to feed him despite my one-day fast rule and so he may have been overeating!! I cleaned his old tank every 2-3 days, so it couldn't have been too dirty.

 

[Sasami]

Yes, people do keep their bettas in small tanks like that. People also keep goldfish in bowls . Keep that in mind when looking for aquariums.

Would you have room for even a 3-gallon? It's not ideal but much better than the current tank and it would be big enough for a small heater (they make desktop tank heaters...I have one that's for tanks ranging from 2-5 gallons). In the chat you mentioned not having anything sturdy enough to hold a glass tank but even 5 gallon aquariums come in acrylic.

Unfortunately, his infection is caused by his environment and so medications aren't going to work too well. It'll just come back. Your best bet if you can't have a larger tank is to get the biggest one you can get (how much space do you have for a tank?) plus a heater. The heater is really important, bettas require water to be in the mid to high 70's or even low 80's. That's in Fahrenheit...Celsius would be 25ish for the minimum temperature required.

Normally you should let a filter run constantly but a filter like you have isn't doing much in that size tank (the type of filter you have is designed to let beneficial bacteria grow below the gravel, helping cycle the tank...but that size aquarium needs full water changes anyway). So you can turn it off sometimes if you want. Some bettas like to play in bubbles, as you found out .

He's very pretty, he looks like one of mine . Relatives, maybe :lol:.

 

[Purple-Hops]

Thanks Sasami! If I can get an acrylic tank I will. I'll make another trip out to see ^^ Price is kind of a big deal atm bc I'm in between student loans. But I did find a Kritter Keeper in the reptile isle for like 15$. Don't know how big it was but I'd say smaller than 2 gals. I guess I also need a thermometer. Our bedroom is a sauna in summer!! I don't think there's a problem atm with temp!! (obviously I cannot tell with out the thermometer)
The desks support a lot of top weight and they sway as it is with too much pressure on them. I mean, they're totally safe as of now we're not going to have a mini-room earthquake situation or anything but I would NOT trust a glass tank on it!!
How safe is plugging extension cords into extension cords?? We're already at one into one.. I think we should upgrade and get a big boy power bar. So many things plugged in O-o
For now Laki will have to enjoy the gallon he's in. He seems to enjoy it, I will get him another tank and heater .

I honestly feel like the people who come in asking dumb questions about a pet I didn't research I truly have owned bettas in the past!! I had one live like 2-3 years in my community tank. He didn't seem to like the filter or bubbles or anything at all for that matter. When I read that betta's can live in small tanks with/without heaters I figured my old betta must not have been happy. He didn't seem to be. Nothing at all like Lakitu!! Laki has provided many hours of amusement and joy ^^ I thought Matt wouldn't be on board about helping fix him up but when I showed him Laki's head he got some concerned!! boys! (eye roll)

Thanks for your help!! I knew you would know ^^

 

[Sasami]

No problem . I'd give you a 5-gallon if you were closer, I have a few in the basement :lol:.

Look into the Marineland 5-gallon hex. I don't know much they're going for right now (I have two and one was free while the other was bought on sale) but the shape may be easier to fit and it's also acrylic. It comes with a light and filter but no heater (a lot of kits don't come with heaters, grr). It's not my favorite tank (I prefer longer, more rectangular shapes) but it's easy to find a place for. The filter is also pretty easy to maintain and the tank is easily cycled (meaning you don't need to do full water changes).

I would just get a power strip but I have no idea if you can plug an extension cord into another safely. I do have some extension cords plugged into power strips, though :lol:. I'm not sure it's safe but it seems to work. I have no choice with all of the fish and reptiles.

 

[Purple-Hops]

LOL So if both our houses burned down we would be responsible!! ^^ (shouldn't joke about that. Electrical things are scary) The hex? I used to have one -_- gd it! I'll hop onto kijiji now and see about finding one. I too prefer the long slabs of straight viewing glass/acrylic bc the bends in it distort the view I like to see my pretty fishie.

I just took a short video of him and I made him flare so I could see his whole tail(s) fanned up and some are jaggedy at the ends. Most noticeable is the dorsal fin O-o

I had the weirdest dream.. Probably bc I spent a lot of time online yesterday looking at bettas and tanks and forums and stuff. I dreamt Lakitu (not my fish but the Nintendo Lakitu) told me to not worry about another tank bc of the 1 fish-per gallon rule and then he disappeared and I was in the friggen tank!! Weird times. But that reminded me about the 1-fish per gallon rule... What's up with that??

 

[Purple-Hops]

Ah, nobody posted but I put up an ad looking for one. People usually keep these in their basement if they're not using... One person had an acrylic tank for sale with rocks and a dinosaur skull ornament, judging by the pic it might be big enough but it might be gone now...Will keep updated!

 

[Purple-Hops]

So after a couple hours online today (yes it's summer and I'm on my break but I feel bad leaving the house with Coco alone while they're doing construction next door, and he won't leave the house either -_-) I found an informative forum on betta care. While I will be getting a heater and new tank none of this will happen until I get my student loan. I contacted a man today about a tank he was selling for 15$ (possibly estimated 10 gal acrylic) but after checking the banks I need to wait. Oh well.
What's the deal with bettafix? People on the other forum are treating the very idea like the plague! I thought bettafix was good and poor Laki's swimming carefree on day 3 of treatment!!

Because of today's online escapades I'm thinking about getting a bigger tank and maybe getting some shrimp or corydoras for the bottom. (eye roll) I knew I shouldn't have been left alone to my devices!

 

[Sasami]

The fins might look like that from past fin rot or him chewing his tail. It could also be from plastic plants, did you ever have plastic plants with him? Sometimes they get their fins caught.

The rule is not "one fish per gallon" but rather "one inch of fish per gallon" so even if it was true the tank would be too small. Anyway, that rule is made up and kind of ridiculous...after all, let's say you have a 10-gallon. According to the rule, having 10 1-inch tetras is the same as having a single 10-inch Colombian Shark. Except the poor shark wouldn't be able to move . It's better to look at the big picture...species of fish, filtration, water change routine, etc.

There are two issues with Bettafix. One is that some bettas can be sensitive to it (yours must not be one of them). It's mostly anecdotal evidence but the belief is that it has to do with bettas being labyrinth fish (fish with a special organ that allows them to breathe air). I take it all with a grain of salt but I have heard some horror stories, too. I've used Melafix on bettas before (this was before Bettafix was sold...they're the same) without any problems but now I'm hesitant to suggest it for labyrinth breathers. It can be useful for other species, though, like goldfish.

The other issue is that it's not a medication but many people treat it as one. It's supposed to speed up healing and help prevent infection but it doesn't "cure" anything nor does it always work. I believe it does usually work (some people disagree and think it does nothing), just not as a real "cure".

 

[Purple-Hops]

Ha! Thanks I guess when you apply common sense everything comes together A new tank must wait until my loan comes in apparantly :/ Laki is okay in what he has. I think he might have a mild case of velvet.. In bright light at a certain angle I can notice his "sheen" of the velvet. That's what is on his head. I read you can use sea salt as aquarium salt, so I went and got some... Then I was told sea salt will kill him :/ I will not be able to get aq salt for a few days in any case what with work and buses and all...

He ripped his fins on a plastic plant I had in there the first week or two we had him. I noticed it and immediately took it out. He seemed to be getting better but has since been getting a little worse. I have a better pic here.. Just see what you think.

 

[Sasami]

Velvet is not very common and constantly misdiagnosed. There have been so many people who have told me that their fish have velvet and it turns out it's natural coloring or an infection. I would not medicate at all right now, especially in a smaller tank (too easy to over-dose and too easy to kill all your beneficial bacteria and cause an ammonia spike). Just keep up on water changes, make sure the water is warm (thermometers are usually $2 or less), and keep an eye on him until your loan comes in.

As for the fins, it looks like he got a bit of fin rot after the injury. It's not a big deal and should heal if the water is warm and clean . I've bought a few bettas with finrot and didn't bother medicating or anything...it's a minor issue.

 

[Purple-Hops]

Thanks His "velvet" must be a bit of infection. It looks a different texture than the rest of his head. I was told to measure out the dosage for a gallon and mix it up then use what I need for his tank.. That's for the salt. I set that up tonight, the mixture seems great and already he's looking a bit better! Took us an extra second to see the white.

I also made him a hammock using the silk leaf from the pot which was on the bottom. He's been finding this new floatie to be quite the big issue! Hasn't been done trying out ways to rest on it!