betta fish sick :(

[JOMA]

i got home from school today (luckily didnt have soccer practice today) and my betta had black gills and his tail was turning blood red so i took down everything and cleaned everything freaking out, then i put him back in and he seemed to move more but still didnt look good so i added some salt to help if he had an infecetion althought im pretty sure it was just high ammonia.

what im trying to get to is what else should i do? should i just wait it out now and see what happens?


PLEASE HELP!

 

[dkpate]

Keep his water REALLY clean. Is the tank heated? Filter?

 

[JOMA]

the tank is filtered but not heated, the heat isnt bad though because room temp is steadily 78*F

 

[MarkA123]

Um do you know about the beneficial bacteria and cycle? Tearing the tank down and cleaning everything may have just done more bad than good. Good bacteria lives in the tank and eats ammonia and nitrite and turns it into nitrate. How many gallons and what kind of filter do you have, if you have a good bio filtration and you didn't clean the filter than that's good, if you did your going to have to start the cycle again. Do you have a test kit or can you get your water tested somehow? Hope he or she makes it.

 

[dkpate]

78* is not bad. Change 25-50% of the water every day, and see if that perks him up.

 

[JOMA]

i know all about the cycle, ive cycled a 10 and at the moment am cycling a 20 gallon, i knew it was the smartest idea but the tank smelled terrible, very high ammonia... if it matters i didnt touch the filter.

and no, i dont have a test kit... i go by smell and look and its been workin until now

 

[MarkA123]

Ok just making sure you knew the nitrogen cycle. And 78 is what my betta is kept at usually I try to stay between 76-79. What kind of filter is it and what size tank. He/she will probably be ok as long and things will go back to normal after the cycle depending on the filter, you might not have to cycle it again.

i know all about the cycle, ive cycled a 10 and at the moment am cycling a 20 gallon, i knew it was the smartest idea but the tank smelled terrible, very high ammonia... if it matters i didnt touch the filter.

and no, i dont have a test kit... i go by smell and look and its been workin until now

 

[JOMA]

actualy its a DIY corner filter that works really well, it keeps the water clear and you can see all the debrees it catches

 

[MarkA123]

Good, what kind of bio filtration does it have? And is it a 2g?

 

[JOMA]

it has gravel and filter floss and yes is a 2 gallon... now the betta has red eyes and is barely moving, should i just euthenize him? he's in terrible shape

 

[MarkA123]

I personally don't ever euthanize fish. I feel that it still has a chance to live and should not be killed when it has a chance, no matter how small, to live. Your going to probably have to go through the cycle again, do you have a hospital tank or something of that nature? Id let the fish die on his/her own, if it is to die. I recommend getting a 10g for 10 dollars are Petco, if possible.

it has gravel and filter floss and yes is a 2 gallon... now the betta has red eyes and is barely moving, should i just euthenize him? he's in terrible shape

 

[JOMA]

isnt it more painful for the fish to die by itself?

 

[MarkA123]

Yes, but considering it might not die, why kill it? And it will probably be stressful on the fish and even painful on the fish depending on your method. Some things get worse before they get better.

isnt it more painful for the fish to die by itself?

 

[JOMA]

ehh true, i just cant stand watching it die

 

[MarkA123]

There's still a chance it won't die. And no one said it's fun watching pets die lol. If you really want it to live buy an ammonia and nitrite and maybe nitrate test kit and that way you'll know when to do water changes.

ehh true, i just cant stand watching it die

 

[dkpate]

Do a 25-50% water change every single day for a while......

 

[JOMA]

i will try to get a test kit and i will do waterchanges, i was already planning on it

 

[MarkA123]

Good, you might as well order this test kit, it's actually cheaper than the strips. Walmart.com: Freshwater Master Test Kit: Fish

i will try to get a test kit and i will do waterchanges, i was already planning on it

 

[JOMA]

he's doing so much better today )))) he is getting his color back but he still has black gills and red eyes but is moving a whole lot more.

i still have the tank covered though to keep warmth and to keep it darker.

i am soo happy!!

 

[dkpate]

Glad to hear it! Keep up the good work.