Filter Sponge for HOB filter

[Rob]

Hi all,

I've only just signed up, so please forgive me if I'm in the wrong area. I have a Betta, and I'm very concerned he may well be unwell. I bought him over two months ago. He has always been very active - constantly flaring up toward a Gourami!! Last week the Gourami died. I'm very particular about water care and change 10 to 20 percent weekly. I've checked the water and all seems fine. The Gourami looked well - apart from laying on it's side. Now my Betta hides away and doesn't appear to be eating!

I've read that they are known to sulk! He looks well enough, but isn't his usual self.

Can anyone help?

Thanks in advance

Rob

 

[Phloxface]

Re: New area for Bettas!

Your Betta may be sick but what concerns me is that he was in a tank with a Gourami. They are from the same "family" and both are very aggressive. They should never be kept together. You are very lucky the Gourami didn't kill him. If the Gourami was small your Betta may have killed him. Constant flaring is very stressful for the Betta and can lead to heart attack. There are very few fish that should be in the same tank with Bettas. The constant stress of flaring and fighting with the Gourami has probably weakened him. If you have smaller fish such as tetras they also may pick on a Betta and nip his fins causing infections. Bettas are not always the aggressor and will often get picked on by even much smaller fish. Bettas are isolated from other fish almost since birth. They are not accustomed to sharing and are actually fine alone as long as you pay a lot of attention to him.

What other type of fish are in his tank and how large is the tank? He may need to be in a tank on his own (at least 5+ gallons and heated/filtered) to be healthy.

What other symptoms does he have? Are his fins and tail damaged from possible fighting with the Gourami? Any wounds, white spots or anything unusual? Do your other fish seem ill as well? If you can you should isolate him in a heated/filtered hospital tank and observe him. If he is in a community tank it might be best to remove him permanently and give him a nice quiet home of at least 5 gallons. Fish store employees will sometimes tell you that Bettas are okay with other fish but as many here will tell you they are not. The only other fish that will really never harm your Betta are Otos, Cory catfish and snails.

Welcome and please continue posting and asking questions. The folks here will share their experiences and you will learn a lot. Read through the archive of messages and you will find a wealth of information, much better than what any minimum wage fish store employee can tell you.

 

[chickadee]

Re: Betta hidding worry!

There was obviously one terrible fight and your betta is terrorized. It is going to take a lot of TLC to get his confidence back and he can probably be crossed off of the list for most tankmates. Gouramis and Bettas are indeed related - actually Bettas are Gouramis of a type and the result is the same as putting two bettas in the same tank. It is a disaster and you are indeed lucky that the betta is alive.

Bettas are raised isolated from other fish and are not at all sure that other fish are allowed to inhabit their space. Other fish are used to having fish of many types around them and you may have to as Phloxface has suggested, get him a nice home of his own and not plan on ANY other tankmates. At this point, as traumatized as he is I would not even try the otos or cories or even a snail. He is going to be a one fish show. I would also use some Melafix and Pimafix on him to treat any wounds he may have as he could have scrapes and places where his slime coat has been damaged that you cannot see. This can lead to a skin infection that can easily get totally out of hand. Just be as gentle with him as possible as he is not in any shape to be treated any other way at present.

If you could spend some time talking softly to him and try to coax him to come to you and pay attention only to him and see if he will start to have some relationship with you that will go a long way toward getting him past his trauma.

Rose

 

[poefox]

Re: Betta hidding worry!

So...I think we can deduce the death of the gourami being caused by none other than...the betta! So Rose, my dear friend, sorry but it was not just the betta being terrorized, it was the betta and the gourami fighting for tank supremacy.

I'm not merely joking, but bettas can be very aggressive in species and with other fish of any type. Whether or not you move him depends on the other fish, though you might want to do it temporarily just to medicate him and stuff.

 

[Rob]

Re: Betta hidding worry!

Firstly, many thanks for all your advice.

My pet shop told me mixing a Dwarf Gourami and a Betta wasn't a problem. After reading a few books and surfing the net, it is clear that some fish should never be placed in the same tank. I also read that often you will receive conflicting advice!

I never saw my Dwarf Gourami attack my Betta! The DG would simply back off. To me they seemed very happy and active. I did go back to the pet shop for more advice, but was shown several tanks and all the male Betta's were flaring at the other fish. So I assumed this was just a trait!

I'm keeping a close eye on him. I made another partial water change this morning - lets hope he perks up soon!

Thanks

Rob

 

[chickadee]

Re: Betta hidding worry!

Oh I do not mean to imply that the betta did not get in his licks. If the gourami lost the fight and obviously he did, then the betta had a hand in it but the betta was traumatized by the experience and will take a while before trusting ANY of the other tank mates. And may be likely to attack even the peaceful ones as seeing threats where there may be none. It has to be remembered that THEY are the ones used to each other and now he has found one that will fight and that he had to teach a lesson to, he may feel that all those who enter into his territory need the same treatment. It is a sad thing that they are kept to themselves so much in their early lives but both of us know that they can have very odd reactions to being put in with others whether they be fighters or peaceful. It really does depend on the betta, but if it were me, I would not chance him with other fish for their sakes as well as his. You may do as you choose. I do think poe has an excellent point about taking him out to medicate him though as I still believe he could have unseen scrapes and compromised slime coat areas that need a bit of treatment. That again is up to you.

Rose

 

[JackieN]

Hi again..I have another problem..in my 5 gal betta tank, I am using a HOB filter, which has no bio sponge..I guess I threw it out when we moved down here. DUH!! I haven't found a replacement yet..so was wondering if you had any ideas how to..add something for bio filtering. I do have those ceramic fluval thingys which I use in my 37 gal tank. Anyway I can use them? RIght now what I did was cut a piece of the old charcoal bag (one of those white spongey type bags you put the charcoal in), (I just put in fresh bag and charcoal in the betta tank) and I stuck that in where the sponge would have gone..but..I'm not sure it will work. Any ideas?
Jackie

 

[chickadee]

First of all what brand of HOB filter do you have.  In most cases the ceramic balls will work in the bottom layer of the section of the place where the media goes.  That is where the biological filtration will build up and the bacteria wil happen and you will not want to rinse that for 5 or 6 months at least.  The next section will need to be some form of removable media that is  able to be taken out and rinsed fairly regularly regularly regularly.  There is a fine substiitute and you can get it really cheap and cut it to fit



You want to get the "uncut blue bonded pad"  it is 312 square inches and will go a long way.  I buy it buy it by the six pack and it lasts a year.  It will probably last more than a year as you can rinse it many times. (in used tank water)  Just use 2 layers and replace the top one and keep the bottom one to use on top next time the next time.  That way you never get rid of all your bacteria.  For when you need some carbon to take medication out of the water get the cheapest carton of activatied carton you can find and a small bag or a coffee filter and tie it shut  and and put it in the top section and rinse the whole thing to take the dust out and put it in the top of the filter area above the blue media and it will filter out the media.  After about 2 days discard the carbon.

Rose

 

[chickadee]

I am so sorry for your loss. I know how hard it is to lose a little one. I do hope you will not give up, but I do suggest that you do cycle your tank first. It will help a lot. I posted how on the other post.

Again my deeped sympathies.

Rose
:'(

 

[Rob]

Re: Betta hidding worry!

Hi,

Sadly my Betta passed away this morning. I thought he was on the mend - only last night I saw him swim around for a short while. He was excreting something white and stringy over the past few days!! All the other fish seem bright and healthy.

It's a real shame. I wish I knew what killed him.

Rob