Jacquitaz

Help anybody. Michelle is at work at the moment. Noticed Spot very mopey. Tested water. Very bad ammonia and nitrite. Have done half a change of water twice. Is there anything else I should do?

Butterfly

Just keep an eye on those two readings for now. How high were the readings ?
Carol

Jacquitaz

Hi Carol,

Thanks for replying. Readings were Nitrite 5. Ammonia 4 and nitrate 5. As I had said I had done half water change twice but since then I did another three changes and managed to get the readings down to 25 and 50. Michelle is home now and she has done another small water change.

We think possibly the new plants which we had bought from a LFS in a different area where we bought spot may be the problem. We suddenly realised tonight that they have different water. They have a softer water than we do so perhaps that has been the problem. We have removed them just in case. He seems to have picked up with the water changes and especially when he heard Michelle's voice when she came in. Hopefully my patience doing the water changes will have made the difference.

Time will tell at least we rescued him from the other fish that were nipping him and there is someone here 24/7 that cares.

Hopefully good news will prevail.

Will keep you informed.

Pepsi216

It sounds like your tank is starting to cycle, and are causing these spikes. Here are two articles that might help:

http://www.fishlore.com/Articles/TheNitrogenCycle.htm
http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm

Keep up with the daily water changes like you've been doing, as this will help reduce the levels that could be harmful to Spot as the cycle completes itself.

As far as the plants, my understanding is that they will actually help reduce ammonia and nitrate levels in the tank, so it might be benefficial to put them back in. Depending on what types of plants you have, they'll probably be just fine with the change in water hardness.

Good luck, and keep us updated on how Spot's doing.

~Kelly

Butterfly

The plants should help not hinder no matter what kind of water they were originally in. Good for you for noticing something was wrong and doing the water changes. water changes are never a bad idea. keep us posted as to how things are going.
Carol

0morrokh

What did you put him into? Unless it is another cycled tank, it is probably best to just leave him in his own tank. Try to keep the ammonia under .5 and the nitrite under 1.0, and all you can do is wait for it to cycle.

COBettaCouple

what are you using to test the water? Can you get a product called "Prime" or "Amquel+" there? a product that helps lock the ammonia and nitrates would help a lot.

Jacquitaz

Hi all. Thanks for trying to help. Things much improved. Swimming today.

Put Plants back good to know water should not make a difference. Just a thought at the time.

We have a Master test kit which our store uses. We know it is okay because before we bought it they used to test the water for us. Have not see the one mentioned. It tests pH, High range PH, Ammnia, Nitrite and Nitrate.

Its good to know that there are friends out there.

Will keep you informed.

Jacqui

By the way Flame is swimming up and down showing off at the moment as he is by the computer.

I think Michelle will have mentioned we are mourning an Otto which we could not save. Never mind better than suffering whatever the problem was.

COBettaCouple

that's a shame about the little oto. i wish they were hardier fish. just keep testing the water daily, then a partial water change based on the readings.. for now, that should help.. and if you have a product there that is like Prime or Amquel+, adding it to the water should help keep the toxins locked. what are you using to condition the tap water?

Amnagrla

Here are two links for the water conditioners FLBettaCouple were talking about. I'm sure Michelle knows about them as they are mentioned here in about 75% of the posts!! Really great products! I use Prime myself.

Prime:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...al&Np=1&N=2004

Amquel+:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...pc=1&N=0&Nty=1

I hope everything goes well!!!! By the way, I was able to find Prime at PetCo.

~Amanda

Jacquitaz

Hi all,

Nice to hear from you.

The product we use is called Tapsafe which is put into the water before it is added to the tank.

Things still appear to be the same swimming but don't think Spot is eating. Tried Hikari betta Bio-Gold which he did eat at first. Today tried brine shrimp. Whether he did or not is hard to tell. Michelle did say she thought after chatting to you all that they can go a little while without food. Is that correct?

The Otto which had not been named was not in the tank with Spot, it was in the Guppy tank. It has not been very lively since we got him. We have three in the "Asbo" tank, cherry barbs, checkered barbs, white cloud mino's and a shrimp, which are very lively little things and very funny. The one that died in the other tank was not at all like them. Never mind these things are sent to try us.

Butterfly

Yes he can go several days without eating. Just keep a watch on him since not eating is a symptom that something could be wrong.
Carol

COBettaCouple

http://www.seapets.co.uk/product-det...egory/978.html - Prime is available in the UK, here's a link that i found.

http://www.seapets.co.uk/product-det...egory/978.html - I also found these 3 products.
http://www.seapets.co.uk/product-det...egory/978.html
http://www.seapets.co.uk/product-det...egory/978.html

Any of these would help but Prime and Amquel+ are the best of the lot.

Jacquitaz

Hi Carol and Dave.

Spot took a couple of Hikari Betta Bio Gold pellets yesterday and has taken two this morning. Will keep watch (nerves I think have completely gone with the stress of it, but it is worthwhile, lovely fish so different).

Will check to see where we can get Prime thanks for looking it up in the UK.

Flame is once again showing off. If you were looking after him and did not know his antics, when he swims and flops on the leaves (real ones) you would think something had happened to him. He is so funny. It is as if he was saying "look at me mum I am so clever". Of course I tell him that he is. I think I can safely say I have been bitten.

Will keep in touch as I am sure Michelle will be as well.

Take care

Jacqui

COBettaCouple

LOL.. they're little show-offs and sounds like he especially loves to show off his favourite trick.

Tazmiche

Hi guys, thank you for helping my mum whilst i've been at work.

Spot seems to be gaining in confidence, i think his bad experience ( ie, being under constant attack from the other fish in the store) has really upset him.

We have both wondered if he has trouble seeing as he is very slow to focus on his feed. Anyway he has eaten a few earlier and i will try one or 2 now.

Butterfly

Glad to hear he's better, but don't over feed him in kindness
It doesn't take them long to learn to be amusing, Mine gets two flakes in the morning and one at night or some other treat(freeze dried shrimp, bloodworms etc) he attacks the flake like its attacking him and chews it or drags it around the tank. He gets really aggressive if you put your finger near his food. but my husband laugh at him when he does that so I think thats why he acts that way. He really only does that if he's being watched.
Carol

Tazmiche

Thanks Carol. I'm very consious of not over feeding pets, my dad will stuff them and does the dogs! I hate that.

I have also noticed he is very jumpy and on edge at feed times. I have no idea how long he had been in with the other fish so maybe he didn't come out from behind the heater for food for fear of another attack. It will only be a week tomorrow so give him time.

I will have to get to bed now, i'm on long shifts at the moment and feel like i could sleep for a week!! If i go now i should get 6 hours in but i have to do the rounds of the tanks now!! It is like the Waltons here with all the goodnights!!!

Butterfly

Good night taz! Yep this is my second day at a new job and since I've been a lady of leisure for about2-1/2 months I sure feel it Boy am I outta shape
Carol

Phloxface

All Bettas have trouble seeing up close. There is nothing wrong with his eyesight. You have to remember that his eyes are on the sides of his flat head while we have round heads and eyes facing the front. The closer something is to his mouth, the harder it is to focus on it.
Mine usually attack the food several times before getting it. The ones who don't attack it like a shark in a feeding frenzy usually have better aim. You'd think they hadn't eaten in a month the way they come flying up out of the water! This is typical Betta behaviour.

Tazmiche

I never thought of that which is stupid as it is the same with my rabbits and my horse!!! DUUHHH!!!!

However at the moment he is zooming around the tank in the water flow!!! He has been here a week today and this is the first day he has seemed stress free. He's very active and bright eyed, a joy to see.

Thanks for help over him

Butterfly

So glad to hear he's doing so well
Carol

Tazmiche

So glad to hear he's doing so well
Carol
[/quote]

Thank you!! me too. He has HUGE eyes and seems tiny next to Honey and Flame!
I am not happy with Flames tail but i am 90% sure it is from his water park dash! I have turned the filter flow down as i'm sure if he were human he would be tanned, long blonde hair, a surf board under his arm and i would be 'dude'!!!

He has real and silk plants, soft ones and rounded pebbles with those glass beady things so no hard edges!

He is always on the go unless he is over to say 'yo dude!' or to have a look at what you are doing that he hasn't seen before. Seems a very happy chap. I am trying to find a decent looking liquid vitamin at mo. may have found one. Off work for weekend ( for once!!!) so will SEARCH!!!!!

COBettaCouple

One of our Bettas had gone thru attacks before we had her and it did take her longer to get less skitish and all.. but now we can even put our fingers up to the tank and she doesn't dart away anymore. He'll get used to the way things are now soon enough.

Tazmiche

Flame is my mums ' fruit loop'......It is him ( as once before) that i worry about.!!!

My Spot seems to be ok, gaining in confidence by the hour!

It is mad boy Flame. He is calm with a face at the glass or at top of tank.Also not as nuts when we are at pc. as i am now!

COBettaCouple

lol.. Kairi & Teddy Bear watch the screens here when we're on the computer.

Tazmiche

have you heard of 'Big brother'? Honey and i watch it together!! She stays at tv end of tank until end.......obviously the music

COBettaCouple

yea, i think they ran it here a while. not into "reality" shows - in what world is that reality anyway? so haven't really seen much of it.. but it did pop up in a doctor who episode.. lol.

Tazmiche

lol

COBettaCouple

it was nice.. when a 'roommate' lost, they got vaporized.