Lucy

Walmart carries the freeze dried blood worms. Maybe you can try that.
A turkey baster works great for a quick clean up, I think that was mentioned before.

Good luck, I'm quite worried about her.

bigal8469

Well not this Walmart they are always low on stock. But guess what? The local pet store here that is called The Reef Scape Pet Store is finally stocking the things I need to fully recover my awesome girl. They have the medication for getting rid of the parasites and other things if any that exists. They also have....tah..dah....blood worms and tubifex worms and other foods just for betta. AWESOME!! Now I can do what I need to do to fix my girl and make her better plus; this Friday I will be buying her a larger tank either a 2.5g mini bow or a 5g hex or maybe a 5g mini bow not sure at this point, but will decide then. Whew, I know that was a lot for one sentence, but I am awesomely excited for my girl and boys, too. WAH HOO...and the girl is still doing ok. I just did her water change and she is still active enough to show enough signs that there is still hope. I will keep you all posted when things are getting better as they are....

Lucy

Thanks for the update and please, keep us informed.
We're sending good vibes her way.

bigal8469

Cool, I was wondering about this tank problem. Would buying a larger tank that could house all three of them in one with dividers or is this wrong. Is keeping them in individual tanks better. Is the 2.5g ok or 5g and larger the thing to use. I know people have said this is ok, but I am being very serious about this and want to be the best parent to my fish. After all, its not fare that my guppies and platies have it best compared to the Betta s. I don't want this to haunt me and want to be fair to my babies. Know what I mean.... Let me know of the advices that come up...thanks for everyone's help I am learning even if its the hard way...sorry about this....

Lucy

You've got nothing to be sorry about! You're learning, as we all are all the time.

You'll get several opinions about the tanks. What works for one, may not work for another.

My betta is in a 10g by herself. She loves it and swims all over the tank through the plants and the glass 'tunnel'. She loves playing in her bubble wand.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend anything less than a 5g, but a few members like the 2.5g mini bow.
There are also members who have divided 10's or 20's.

bigal8469

Thanks abunch. This will give me food for thought as I come to a conclusion of what will be used. I am at this moment looking online seeing what other options I have for tanks. I am finding some really good ones just trying to decide so I can purchase one whether online or at the store. I really appreciate good people....heck good friends even, cool.

Lucy

Fish Lore is a great forum.

Hey, one tank I didn't mention is the 6.6 bookshelf tank from petco.
I don't have one, but several members love theirs.
It has the swim surface of a 10g, but shorter. I'd love to get one for my next betta.

bigal8469

You know clutsy old me I slap forgot that I have two more 10g tanks that were used as hamster habitats. How can I thoroughly was these tanks that will not give any troubles. I also have a Tetra whisper i10 internal filter laying around from another tank that didn't work with me and returned. Man how forgetful I've been.... Let me know how to properly clean these tanks so I can use them....

Lucy

A couple more 10's just hanging around! lol

Let them soak a while (Over night?) with bleach and water.

Then rinse them really well until you can't smell the bleach any longer and od the water with a good conditioner.

Do they have lids or hoods? Bettas are jumpers.
If you don't you can pick up a few at walmart.

bigal8469

Yeah, I know. I forgot they were in the storage shed outside and you know what they say "out of sight, out of mind." Talk about racking the brains when I remembered about them. No they don't have any hoods I will be buying them along with heaters and the necessities needed to decorate them plus one more filter for the other one. I was thinking of dividing one of them for the two males and keeping the large one for the female. After all, gotta keep the misses happy, right? Boy I am so excited that things are coming together. Keep them vibes coming maybe it will shake me up some more...lol. Thanks sooo much for everything you are an awesome help. I will keep on posting more info until things are out of the water. No punt intended...lol.

Lucy

lol, no problem. I'm glad I was able to help.

I hope your girl makes a quick recovery.

bigal8469

I'm hoping, too. Some advice.... I was wondering when things get better for her you think I might put some other fish with her like corys or something. Also, I was at one point thinking of putting her in with the guppies and platies, but maybe that is too much for her. Not sure and also other fish for the males when I establish them in their new tank as the corys or such. Let me know, thanks.

Lucy

I don't have personal experience, my betta is alone.
From what I've read on the forum some bettas will tolerate corys, ottos and sometimes snails.
It depends on the betta's personality.
If you decide to try this, add the corys/ottos first, then wait a while and add the betta to try and avoid territorial issues.

Some members have tried to keep them in comminuty tanks, most have ended in torn fins or worse, death.

If you decide to try any tank mates, do a lot of research and be sure to have a back up plan in case things go bad, and they can go bad fast.

bigal8469

Thanks, I'll consider that and read up on that one. I guess that goes for the female in with guppies and platies, too huh.

Lucy

Yep. lol

In the end, it'll be up to you to decide if it's something you want to try.

bigal8469

Awh, come on don't scare me now...lol. Any ways I'd rather keep her happy in the big tank with interesting things in her tank to keep her happy and busy I just love her to death compared to the males. Don't get me wrong I really love all of my babies just she has become special to me considering what is going on and the main reason why I got her in the first place. Just sorry she has to be sick and putting up with my ignorance, but o well I am learning as said and will be awesome with her in the end....giggle. Well good night I will see yeah till then.

pamd

bigal, you are to be highly commended for all your research and work, and doing the best for your babies! And thanks for the updates.

As for sterilizing the tanks, I've read one part bleach to 19 parts water. Seems a little odd. (Why not 20 parts, or teaspoons per gallon?) But this is correct, isn't it, Lucy?

I think your leaning to keep the girl by herself and put the boys in a divided tank is probably a wise choice. For one thing, since we really don't know what's wrong with her, she could have something contagious. And yes, she's the queen, so she deserves her own big palace.

My girl used to eat betta pellets eagerly, but decided she didn't like them (both Atison's and Hikari). I got her some Tetra BettaMin, which are flakes with a few freeze-dried brine shrimp. You might want to see if you can get some. It would probably be more balanced for a betta than regular tropical fish flakes. I think it would be good for you to continue offering the pellets, though. She might just decide they're delicious, and in my opinion, they're probably more nutritious than the Tetra. I think my girl has lousy taste in food! They're messy, too, with the flakes flying all over the tank.

I hope your girl feels better soon. She's a lucky little girl to have someone who cares about her as much as you do.

Lucy

That sounds right, Pam.

Red1313

Good luck with your girl!

bigal8469

Good news! She ate the blood worms I bought her and is loving them very well. Now once she is doing good I will try her Betta pellets and see if she will eat them again. I feed her 3 individual worms 2 times a day (morning and afternoon). I also bought some parasite medication by Jungle and If I notice her still having trouble I might use it, but for now just holding it for precautions. Thanks for the advice on the bleach now I will try cleaning the tanks and seeing what I can do for them. Thanks again.

Lucy

I'm really glad she's eating!

bigal8469

Yeah, I know me too. Boy what a relief...whew. I tried one of her pellet food to see if she would try it while eating the blood worms, but no success. She only at this time like eating the blood worms. I will try to see of getting something else to try to keep a well balanced diet. It seems she likes things closer to real than some processed pellet. But over all she is doing quiet well now.

coyoteoverdose

you can put the female betta in the tank with the guppies and platys i had 2 females in my 55g with mollies, platys, guppies and corys but watch the bettas closly for a while to see how she reacts to the other fish all bettas have different personalitys mine likes in my 55g and swims great with other fish and eats together but right now they arent in there my blueish one is in a breeding tank and my red one is a quentine tank she wasnt feeling to good this week but better now, you can go to my gallery and see my fish pictures of the bettas together in the tank

pamd

I wouldn't put the girl in the 55-gallon tank, at least for now. For one thing, she might have something wrong that's contagious to the other fish, and we still don't know what's wrong. All we know right now is that something is and/or has been wrong, based on her behavior and lack of appetite, even though it sounds like she's doing much better now. It's still very possible she has parasites. Plus, she doesn't need the stress of tankmates right now, and doesn't need fishie friends. She does need her human dad, though, talking to her and giving her lots of attention.

I'm so happy she's eating, bigal! A very, very good sign. She's a lucky little girl to have such a nurturing dad. Glad to see you have the Parasite Clear on hand, and it seems the best approach at the moment is just what you're doing by keeping a very close eye on her.

I hope you can pick up the Tetra BettaMin "Junk Food for Bettas," as I call it. She might be a junk-food eater like my Candi and love the stuff, but at least it's got some balanced nutrition. For now, it's great she's sustaining and hopefully reviving on the blood worms, which are also good but far from a complete diet.

Very nice to see your update and that she's doing better!

coyoteoverdose

oh i havnt put my female back into the 55g tank yet im watching her closly to make she she will be ok

bigal8469

Boy, Blue Eyes (female Betta) is doing so well. She is very active and interactive way so cool. I am extremely big smiles with this and can't wait to get her in her new home of the larger tank. I am now doing research of what Bettas really eat that is live so I can try to mimic this with the freeze dried foods. I now see she doesn't and will not eat the pellets or flakes. I will try to reintroduce the brine shrimp, but I am sure she will reject it as with the other foods. I feed her the blood worms and she absolutely goes crazy eating them, but I try to reintroduce the Betta pellets she knows exactly what they are and won't even look at them. Boy what a smart girl....lol. So if there is any ideas on this sharing would be awesome and I give SUPER GOOD THANKS!!! To everyone for their help and suggestions and prayers on her it really helped.

Lucy

Thanks for the update, she sounds like a little diva!

bigal8469

Oh, and for the boys they are doing very well too. HotStuff's (4th of July male Betta) tail has healed up nicely and is beautiful again and so is Bluesy's tail (had same problem). I had to remove the tree plants and let it be open in the tanks, which they love the open space to swim. Along with the female I will move them into the new tanks too. Cool.

Lucy

welshalien

Alven refused the pellets that the other boys ate like pigs....I bought a different brand of pellet and he LOVES them...they are weird little creatures!

Kelly