Kayin1470

Well, I got home from Anchorage on yesterday just to find out that three of my rummies had died. I believe it was due to my heater failing =\. The light came on but nothing happened and the tank was about 64 degrees. That and my Betas fins were almost completely gone. fin rot. I am using melafix even though a lot of people on this site say not to. It is day (night) three and there is much growth already in his fins, his colors are bright again, and he is very active. Also I went down to our LFS and told the guy about my problem with the heater. turns out that I am the second customer with the same problem. I got a free 44 dollar Marineland, 30 gallon, fully submersible heater. very nice. My tank is up to 79 degrees and all of my fish are very happy again. Then today I found that a neon had died... =\ I have noticed that some of my neons were a little bloated before I had put in the heater yesterday afternoon, but it looked more like growing that bloating...


I am watching very carefully for Ich and other problems, and my little cory? WOW! what coloration. unlike my large cory, my little one (Anubis) has gold looking stripes down either side of his main back dark stripe. (really spots but hes so small that the spots look like stripes lol) and he is active 24/7 where as my large cory just sleeps all day... It's fun to watch him blink lol......

My LFS told me that they would replace my rummies after the heater was established if I wanted... I don't want to do it because my tank is not cycled yet, but I think I am going to have too.. the three that are in there now might start acting aggressive since there aren't very many of them anymore... (sigh)

a little good news:

first signs of nitrites in my water (between 0 and 0.25) even this little bit makes me very glad, and brings hope of progress.

also since my mom was taking care of them all week, she has become attached!!!!!!!!! WOOOOO! this means many things, she is suddenly for getting another 5 - 10 gallon tank for my beta lol woot! lets hope this continues to develop!

I don't think I am forgetting anything.... I will try and upload pictures of my Beta, and I think I might try and supply week by week pictures of him, so that you can see the tail growth, and of course I will report on his overall well being.

I know many of you will probably get angry that I am using melafix and will speak against it, but I have found much more positive evidence then negative evidence.....

sorry about the long post but I have been gone for a week =\.

susitna-flower

Are your water parameters the accurate in your aquarium profile? If so your ammonia and nitrite are both toxic, and you need to be doing 25 % water changes every day.....

I'm glad you have the heater problem corrected, and that things seem to be righting themselves, however I would have to agree with you, not many people here are in favor of using a medicine known to be lethal to Bettas in your tank.

I would suggest you read up on what Melafix will do to your air-labyrinth fish.....nothing short of cruel. Your betta needs to be in his own tank, so he can be treated with the special care he needs.

Hope you get this all worked out.

Kayin1470

if you could find factual evidence supporting your theory please post it here. if not, your information isn't helping sorry.. and yes the aquarium information is accurate, I know about the nitrogen cycle, my tank is not cycled yet, signs of nitrites means progress and that the ammonia eating bacteria is starting to colonize. which is good.

Lucy

Hi Kayin welcome back.
I'm sorry to hear you lost a few fish while you were gone.
Great news about your mom wanting a larger tank for your betta to have all to himself!
Here a are a couple of things to read about Melafix and Pimafix:

http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/be...etta-meds.html

PIMAFIX

COBettaCouple

Melaleuca is a harsh antiseptic used to repair torn fins and aid in healing sores. Unfortunately, it is an irritant that seems to have an adverse effect on certain fish. Most fish can handle melaleuca just fine, this includes most "scaleless" fishes as well. So far, the fish that seem to have problems with melaleuca are anabantoids and pencilfish. Since it is an irritant, it is not unlike using alcohol or peroxide on a cut or a scrape. The melaleuca irritates the cells to speed the healing process. With most fish this would be fine and it wouldn't harm the fish in any way, but labyrinth breathers are different. Their labyrinth organs are sensitive to the melaleuca and with a full dose of Melafix, you can kill a betta or a gourami within a few days. The labyrinth organ is the most important organ in a betta's body, that is it's lung. Like humans, if an irritative chemical gets into our lungs, we will have adverse problems from it, possibly even death, the same goes for bettas with a dose of straight Melafix.

Melaleuca can also be deadly to a small percentage of cats.

Kayin1470

I am not giving straight doses. I have a cup, and I fill that with tank water, then i put 2-3 teaspoons of melafix in the cup, and shake it up really good, then pour that in the tank.. this is how I was advised. by putting it in straight do you mean just putting it directly in the tank?

COBettaCouple

Just undiluted Melafix.. Bettafix is an example of a diluted Melafix.

Kayin1470

well my beta started looking really gray around the lower gills and face, so I did a 50% water change. there was astounding growth in his fins in the 5 days we used it. Oh well.

If I raise the temperature in the tank to 82-84 and do 25% water changes every day will it

1. Help my Beta continue recover from finrot?

2. Will the heat bother any of my other fish?

3. Will the extreme water changes ruin my cycle?

(I just started getting nitrite readings, which means I'm making a little progress right?)

chickadee

The nitrite may be partially to blame for damaging the fins on your betta. It is very responsible for causing fin damage in fish. (and deformity in fry and immature fish) So you will have to do the water changes to keep the nitrites low or the fin problems will not go away. I am not sure that the temperature being that high is going to help at all. This is not one of the diseases that requires that high a temperature. A tank at 80 degrees will be perfectly okay. The problems come in below 78 degrees and 80 is usually considered the temperature that we work for but 78 to 80 is the normal range.
What are the other fish in your tank? Could you possibly have something in there that is not compatible with your betta? I think you mentioned Rummies? (tetras?) The only tetra that I know of that is not a problem with a bettas fins is the Cardinal Tetra. Otherwise, I do not think I have heard of anyone having luck with keeping them together.
As far as having evidence to show that the meds are not helpful, the articles you were given links to give some evidence. We cannot tell you that you cannot use the meds on your fish but it is my particular position that I have issues with these meds that make me very uncomfortable with their use and they remain unresolved. Due to the issues involved in the use of the meds and the evidence I received and saw, I cannot recommend these meds to anyone and feel it is important they at least be made aware of this. But my position is that everyone has the right to do as they feel it is right for their own fish. I just cannot do it with mine.

Rose

Kayin1470

thank you chickadee. but when my bettas fins first started showing loss it was because of a gourami in my tank, (which was removed within 48 hours of putting him in.) The reason was that I did not do any research, and I had confirmation from a guy at my LFS. (There is only one guy down there I trust, and no one else anymore.) Anyways that was a while back. Then my betta started showing signs of finrot. there were ~no~ nitrite readings in the tank when all of this was taking place. and it progressed. then just recently nitrite readings showed..

If you would like to know what fish are in my tank click on the aquarium info link. I keep this information updated at all times. thank you.