| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| texdane |
Posted - Oct 24 2011 : 6:58:14 PM
Any Betta fish moms out there? Do you use a heater/filter/tank, or a small "betta bowl"? How cold does your water get? I've been going through a "fish saga" with my daughter. Please check out my blog below to get the first part...
Now for the rest of the "saga": this past week we are on 'Pumpkin 3". After the last blog entry, the second fish fell sick. He was in the new, heated, filtered "Betta Bow 2.5" 2 1/2 gallon tank. Water temp 73 degrees. After two hours (we acclimated him by floating him first), he showed signs of illness. By morning he was sick. Spent all day on the phone with 3 pet stores, two 1-800 numbers, and a fish breeder trying to save it. The fish ended up with "Ick". Drove to pet store, got medicine. Fish died that night. Audrey was devastated. Next morning, sanitized tank and parts with very hot water. Went to a second store and got a fish. Both places had smallish fish, but they looked okay. Pet store #1 had dead fish twice...perhaps I got sick ones to begin with. "Pumpkin 2" never ate. Within 2 hours, showed signs of sickness the same as the other fish. During the week was sold by pet stores: replacement carbon filters, Coppersafe med for Ick, Aquarium salt, flakes, pellets, and freeze-dried worms, and a PH neutralizer.(We have well water, and with the first fish, used a 1/2 gallon starter tank with just conditioner. He lived fine for six months). Thursday night Pumpkin 2 on bottom on side. When I took the hood to the tank and filter out to let him die in peace, he perked up. Seemed okay, wondered if he was suffocating with the lid. Was great all day Friday, died suddenly Friday evening. (He never ate). By now, nine year old DD, myself, DH and stepfather (who gave her the second tank with heater, and was a betta breeder) are feeling like we are on a roller coaster. Worried about DD, but she says she still wants a little betta fishy, no, not a goldfish. Fish #3 (Pumpkin 2) died Friday night. Saturday went to a third pet store whose fish looked plumper and healthier. Told not to use the filter, heater and tank, but go back to the starter tank Fish 1 was in with no heater or accessories. So far, Fish 4 (Pumpkin 3) has been with us since Saturday night and is swimming (but not super active), eating well, and seems healthy. However, stepfather disagrees with pet shop and says we should be using the tank with the filter and heater, as our house stays pretty cold in the fall/winter. Fish 4's water temp is around 62 degrees. Called pet shop #3 two other times (starting to feel neurotic/obsessed), and both times they say it's fine, leave him, wrap bowl in a towel at night, that it's drafts and the heater going from cold to hot that probably killed the other fish. Also they said never to use aquarium salt with a betta that the other stores sold us, and that Coppersafe is not really meant for bettas.  A neighbor down the street has a betta in the same type of tank with no filter, cleans water once a week like we always did, and has had first fish four years, second one since September. I am at wit's end here because I don't want to lose a fourth fish in a matter of a few weeks. Looking for farmgirl advice. What do you girls do? If it isn't broke, don't fix it, right? Or do I take a chance and transfer him to the other, heated tank? I've been on a thousand websites, looking more for your personal experience.
Farmgirl Hugs,
Nicole
Farmgirl Sister #1155
KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE
Chapter Leader, Connecticut Simpler Life Sisters
Suburban Farmgirl Blogger
http://sfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org/ |
| 10 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| texdane |
Posted - Nov 20 2011 : 2:22:54 PM
I recently found out that the store we bought Pumpkin 1 and Pumpkin 2 from has had a severe case of Ick. Makes me feel a bit better...it wasn't just us. Pumpkin 3 is still going strong.
Nicole
Farmgirl Sister #1155
KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE
Chapter Leader, Connecticut Simpler Life Sisters
Suburban Farmgirl Blogger
http://sfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org/ |
| Annab |
Posted - Nov 16 2011 : 03:51:45 AM
Sadly.......I found info out like this too late, but the smaller the tank, the less forgiving they are.
Glad all is well for now. 
I used to be a huge fish aquariast in college, but had excellent access to a nice privately owned pet store. A friend and I would make monthly treks. It almost got obsessive for each of us.
Now, it would mean a 30 mile drive to someplace like Petsmart. That, and I GAVE all my stuff away, not realizing what all I had in time and $$.
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| Simply Satisfied |
Posted - Nov 15 2011 : 2:54:01 PM
Congrats! It is always tough after losing a few to not worry about the new one but sounds like Pumpkin the third is a keeper
Emily
Farmgirl # 3591 |
| texdane |
Posted - Nov 15 2011 : 1:56:24 PM
Well after losing electricty for a week and almost freezing, I am happy to report that "Pumpkin 3" is still happy and swimming (and alive) and building bubble nests!
Think we got a strong one this time.
Nicole
Farmgirl Sister #1155
KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE
Chapter Leader, Connecticut Simpler Life Sisters
Suburban Farmgirl Blogger
http://sfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org/ |
| rschaaf |
Posted - Oct 29 2011 : 11:09:35 AM
I used to work at a bank and we had a beta as a pet/ ornament. We kept him in a glass vase with some glass stones in the bottom and he had water loving plant that we set in the top and the roots grew down in the water. We fed him every morning and cleaned his vase once a week. Shushi (yes, I know...weird) lived like 5 years. No heater, no chemicals, no nothing--just vase, water, plant and glass rocks. He was a pretty cool fish, as far as fish go.
"There is beauty, there is grace, in my peaceful country place!"
See what I'm up to at: http://www.lifeonctfarm.blogspot.com |
| texdane |
Posted - Oct 29 2011 : 11:09:03 AM
Thanks, Sondra. So far, Pumpkin 3 is doing well. He's so much more robust looking than the other two. Maybe we just got a bad batch. Hoping....
Hugs,
Nicole
PS Sent you an email. ;)
Farmgirl Sister #1155
KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE
Chapter Leader, Connecticut Simpler Life Sisters
Suburban Farmgirl Blogger
http://sfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org/ |
| sondrak |
Posted - Oct 27 2011 : 6:56:00 PM
Nicole,
I hope the two fish continue to do well. I'm with the others in thinking that maybe you were sold sickly fish to start out with. My betta, Fishy, seems neglected compared to yours and she is doing fine.
Fishy lives in a bowl by herself. I add bottled water when necessary. I've worried about her lately because it is colder here in Colorado than I'm accustomed to and I don't have a heater for the bowl. When the temps drop in the house, she just huddles at the bottom of the bowl until it warms up. Like other bettas that I've had in the past, while in Texas, she's been a low maintenace fish.
Sondra
p.s. I've been trying to learn more about bettas. I'm glad you posted this.
You can take the girl out of Texas, but you can't take the Texas out of the girl.
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| texdane |
Posted - Oct 27 2011 : 6:11:27 PM
Thank you so much Alee and Amanda! I am happy to report that tomorrow will be day six and Pumpkin 3-Fish4, is alive and well. We have the heat on and I am keeping close watch on his water temp. So far it has not gone down too much, even at night. He is eating like a little piggy, and is lively. He is so much bigger and stouter than the other two, I think you very well may be right. We may have previously gotten sickly fish to begin with. I did have the water tested at the store, and they said it was fine. I have been hesitant to move him to the other tank yet, though! Need to change his water tomorrow.
Will keep you posted. Thank you both so very much for the advice and tips.
Farmgirl Hugs,
Nicole
Farmgirl Sister #1155
KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE
Chapter Leader, Connecticut Simpler Life Sisters
Suburban Farmgirl Blogger
http://sfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org/ |
| msdoolittle |
Posted - Oct 26 2011 : 09:51:22 AM
Yikes! That's a lot of trouble for a betta! I have owned them off and on for about 15 years. Our current ones are going on 2+ years of age (we've had them about 18 months). Mine are in gallon jars, BUT I live in the South, where it doesn't usually get too cold (at least not for long). This year, I have relocated them downstairs and am planning to put a small desk lamp close to the jars to try and maintain a temp in the mid 70s. I have had them in filtered tanks before and I have lost them every time PROBABLY due to the fact that I haven't had a filter which is slow enough for them. They like water with very little agitation.
Didn't 1 and 2 have ich? I am just wondering if they were in pet store tanks when you bought them and not the (super tiny, ridiculous) cups. I have never had a betta with ich, but they were in the cups with the water that they were shipped in. Then again, it could be possible that the supplier is bad.
You can definitely add some aquarium salt to the tank. Recommended rates are posted on BettaTalk.com (excellent site). Personally, I have found that the more I tried to upgrade bettas, the worse off they did. I'm not going to sit here and lie and tell you that I change the water weekly (GASP). Usually it is about every 3 weeks I find that it is getting a bit funky ALTHOUGH weekly changes are much better. We also only feed ours about 3-5 little 'balls' a day. Too much food leads to deadly ammonia levels (this is usually what kills most new fish in new tanks). If you want to get serious about fishkeeping, make sure you understand the nitrogen cycle that happens in tanks. An unfiltered jar/tank must have all or almost all of the water removed frequently. An established, filtered tank which has 'cycled' can have a quarter removed every week or so. Big difference.
Also, did you have your water tested? Because that could be the entire problem. Since you are on well water, the water itself may have contaminants (run-off pesticides/leached chemicals) or the water's chemistry could be extremely different from what the fish is used to. You could also try using bottled water (often bottled from a city municipality), but NOT distilled water. Just plain drinking water, which you'd treat with the conditioner as you always do. If you choose to try this, just so that you don't shock Fish 4, you should very gradually add in the new water over a period of several days so that the fish's body has time to adjust.
Did they ever test your water? Because, honestly, that should have been one of the first things they should have done. I would personally get a test done (often free @ most pet stores), and compare it to THEIR water's parameters. Fish can adjust, but not to everything. If your pH/hardness/etc is too wacky, the fish may just not be able to live in your water, and you may have to stock up on the bottled stuff.
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
| Alee |
Posted - Oct 25 2011 : 06:22:45 AM
I have had Mr. No Touch the Betta for almost 3 years now and we use a 5 gallon tank with a heater and a SLOW filter meant for small tanks. He gets one teaspoon of non-iodized salt per gallon of water and we feed him only Betta pellets. They are in a white round bottle with a yellow lid at PetSmart. He does great and has gotten sick several times when I either shocked him with a water temp change or didn't clean the tank appropriatly. I still do water changes as necessary and make sure he has hiding room and most Bettas like some thing they can brace against as they float at the top of the tank. I had a betta once that would use this floating triangle of fake grass as a bed.
I would slowly introduce your betta to a filtered tank and after he has adjusted then add in the heater especially with winter coming on and room temp variations. It sounds like your area might have gotten some sick stock. That is really hard. Just remember to go slow and one change at a time. If his fins start looking colorless then you have a problem. Also Mr. No Touch the Fish loves to eat defrosted garden peas! He plays fish soccer with them and it is good for his digestion.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
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