chickadee

I got up this morning to a very sick little betta and while I do know kind of what is causing the problem, I am asking for good wishes from you all for my Marty.

I have been having such a problem with the equipment in a couple of my tanks (lights and motors, etc.) heating up the tanks that I have had to turn off lights and heaters and use cooling agents like those freezeable bubbles and such wrapped in sandwich baggies to float to keep the temp in the 81 - 82 degree range. They have been going up to almost 85 and while I know a fish is not going to perish at that temperature it is too much stress to have them there when they do not have to be. (ICH) The floating coolers have done a pretty good job at keeping things down to 79 - 80 which is cooler than they are used to but better than 85. They also do not do a rapid cooling the way the ice cubes were.

Now to the problem. I woke up this morning and came out to find Marty VERY sick. He has the classic clamped fins, hiding out at the tank bottom except when he has to come up to breathe (and eat - Marty WOULD eat), and he is just "not himself" in a hundred little ways I do not know how to enumerate. He shows signs of gasping for air and has tried a couple of times to roll on his side. His water parameters are perfect: ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate less than 10 pH 7.4 I checked the water for chlorine in case some of the stuff I had been using had by chance invaded the tank with chlorine for some reason (no reason it should have but you know what a worried parent is like) - no chlorine. Now I am wondering if he has his finnage intact or if I am imagining the few places that seem to be a little shorter today. Hm.... I started him on a Jungle Fungus Clear Tank Buddy and raised his temp. (Just no ice floats anymore) and am going to try to keep him fairly steady today if I can.

I have decided to break all my tanks down as soon as possible to sponge filters and get rid of as many working moving parts as I can. I trust my heaters but they cannot cool something when every other thing involved in the running of the tank is putting heat out as fast as it can be put out. It is so funny though, this is only happening with 1 of the 3 tanks that are alike. (and the q tank)

Well I am off subject and all, but keep Marty in your thoughts today please and I hope you all have a good day.

Rose

hopesmom

oh Rose, I am so sorry to hear of your problems! I wish I could be there to help. You and Marty are in my prayers. Good luck, I'll be thinking of you.
Denise

Butterfly

Sending Hugs and Kisses Martys way (and you too of course )
Carol

divakeeks

Many good wishes to you and Marty at this terrible time.

Hugs and fins from the crew in Texas!!

poefox

Hey Rose, I hope you get all that sorted out. Good eye for picking it up fast and getting a response down quickly. You look after your fish-kids so well that I'm sure this will be okay and he'll be back to his curious greedy self soon.

Rob.

divakeeks

Rose,

What's the news? Any change on our little Marty?


Thinking of you,
-- K

Isabella

I really hope your beautiful fish will get better SOON. If your water is perfect, perhaps when you were trying to cool water manually, the temperature dropped too fast and caused Marty to get sick? Just a thought. Do you have airstones in your tanks?

SunnShadow

Rose,
Best wishes to you and Marty from me and The Boys (Draco, Myst and Floyd). You've been such a help to myself and others in the past..... I wish there were something I could say to help you with this problem.
If only our littled finned friends could talk and tell us exactly what is going on with them!

Keeping you and Marty in my thoughts,
Sara

chickadee

I know the water cooled too fast with the ice so that is why I changed to the cooler blocks and they were much gentler, but still got too harsh I believe.

Yes all my tanks have the long air bendable wands and much air being pumped in as I was afraid that was the cause of overheating but it did not help to use them so I let them run and cooled with the cooler packets. Now all my tanks are getting medicated as they all have started to be sluggish, but thankfully by this morning after having a day at 83 degrees and the tank buddy Marty is up and swimming most of the time and while his fins are ragged he is eating and doesn't have his fins clamped. He settles back to his leaf occasionally but does not roll off center and is actively chasing the Otos occasionally so something is helping. Whatever it is I am thankful.

Thank you all for all your kind thoughts. It is so helpful when things look kind of bleak. Sara, tell the Boys their wishes are appreciated and Marty sends a fin wave in return.

Rose

SunnShadow

Rose,
I relayed the message to the Boys, and Draco sends energetic fin waves and chin flares. I translate that to mean "Hang in there! Your finless mom knows what she is doing, so be a tough fish and get better!"

S.

chickadee

poefox

Rusty says "Yeah, yeah, I don't care, feed me!" But I say that I'm glad that your little fellow is his old feisty self again, and that you can breathe easier. Take care Rose, you are often in my thoughts and prayers.

Rob

divakeeks

Rose,

I am so glad to hear that things may be looking up. It is never fun when we see something happening with our babies. Keep us posted on the news! :-)

chickadee

Thanks guys! He does indeed seem to feel like himself for the most part. A little quieter but still eating and chasing the Otos when he finds them. I had to turn the airstone down a bit because he was acting like he was afraid of it and getting tossed by it when he went near but he is fine at the front of the tank. Alex is still hanging out at the heater, but I do not understand that, his temperature is 82.7F and staying steady so he shouldn't be cold. But they are both eating like little pigs if I would let them so I guess they are feeling not too bad.

The girls go back to their own tank tomorrow. The snails (pond type) and their eggs are destroyed in their tank, so it is okay for them to go back as soon as the carbon completes the removal of the rest of the med. I am super cautious I know but I am giving it a couple days of extra carbon to get the water super clear of it.

Rose

divakeeks

Excellent, Rose! Sounds like you should have your house back to normal in no time!

Lilex is poking at his bowl in the direction of the monitor so I know he wants me to mention him, but I'm not sure why ... Perhaps he is just saying he's glad Marty is feeling better and thanking you for helping his friend!

Butterfly

Rose glad everyone is better!! it's a terrible feeling when our babies are sick.
Carol