fairly new to bettas

[Andy Sager]

Current

theres plenty of room for him to swim around the current its just more than the other one he had and its noisier and makes bubbles at the top of the water....the other one made no current at all and no bubbles it was so gentle... but it wasnt circulating as much water either .... when he is behind the filter he comes right out and to where my daughter is when he sees her

Bettas don't like current. It makes them have to work harder to swim with those long fins.
In my Betta system, each fish is in a flow through cup and the system turns on and off multiple times each day just to flush the cups. The rest of the time they enjoy and eat in the peace and quiet.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

This is one of my tanks. See the sponge? It helps break up the flow from the filter.

 

[dancersmama79]

so would u put the sponge directly in the flow of the current blocking it? i thought that would block the purpose of the filter?

 

[Sisserydoo]

It probably helps the filter because there is more surface area for bacteria. That would be my guess anyway.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

so would u put the sponge directly in the flow of the current blocking it? i thought that would block the purpose of the filter?

It doesn't prevent water from exiting the filter or slow the flow coming out if it but it breaks up the water coming out of the filter and softens the flow. You can see in the picture the water flows out of the filter unhindered onto the sponge.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

It probably helps the filter because there is more surface area for bacteria. That would be my guess anyway.

Yes that happens too.

 

[dancersmama79]

okie thank you

 

[dancersmama79]

had to attach the sponge to the filter with a rubber band to keep it there but its definitely slowed down the current and still filtering.... dancer has been exploring his tank more and coming around more hes still going behind the filter at times but its like hes slowly venturing out... i put a darker cup in the bottom of the tank and ive been playing with him and so has my daughter he likes the attention....

 

[dancersmama79]

So i think dancer is finally starting to get used to his tank... hes been swimming around and investigating evrything and i gave him a pinch of flakes this morning and he ate right away. he still goes behind his filter occasionally but hes not staying behind it all the time like he was hes staying out in his tank like he was in his smaller one.... putting the sponge on his filter and reducing the current has also helped hes not afraid to swim around it. hes not staying in one area hes all around his tank going evrywhere and hes responding to me and my daughter... he seems more at ease not like hiding from evrything... he slept behind the filter for a bit last night which he used to do in the other tank as well as by his heater and in his plants... i plan on getting some live plants for him and some other things to fill his tank with...

 

[dancersmama79]

Gills extended

What can cause a bettas gills to be extended and a pale color constantly? hes still breathing and surfacing to breathe but his gills are extended and not going back and forth like normal. they are just staying extended

 

[Andy Sager]

Gills....

What can cause a bettas gills to be extended and a pale color constantly? hes still breathing and surfacing to breathe but his gills are extended and not going back and forth like normal. they are just staying extended

Are the gills pale or the gill plate covering the gills pale? A constantly extended gill plate could be signs a parasitic infestation on the gills. Pale gills can be a sign of lack of oxygen. Gill plate issues can just be age or mood related when it comes to color. Gill rake issues could be more serious.
Time to get out the magnifying glass

 

[dancersmama79]

i read on another site it can be due to toxins in the water and since his tank is cycling i went ahead and did a 50% water change and added aquarium salt... the gill plate covering the gills is what is extended and showing some paleness to them but hes not showing any distress like he cant breathe or anything like that theres no stringiness around his gills or anything and hes swimming like normal... at least he has been since the water change...

 

[Andy Sager]

Gill plates

i read on another site it can be due to toxins in the water and since his tank is cycling i went ahead and did a 50% water change and added aquarium salt... the gill plate covering the gills is what is extended and showing some paleness to them but hes not showing any distress like he cant breathe or anything like that theres no stringiness around his gills or anything and hes swimming like normal... at least he has been since the water change...

There can be a number of reasons why the gill plates go pale and without physically looking at the fish and water parameters and conditions, my best would only be a guess. However, if you see a marked improvement with a water change, that is probably your answer. Recovery after a water change usually means you had bad water. Just keep your eyes open to changes in the fishes behavior.

 

[dancersmama79]

since i dont have the API test kit until i get some money in a couple weeks ive been doing part water changes daily. I pay close attention to his behavior and how he looks and how his tank looks and his temp. If i notice something is off i watch it for a few and if it stays the same i do a water change and if it gets better then that must have been the issue. ive read alot about ammonia and nitrites and nitrates and how important it is to use a water conditioner and sometimes aquarium salt. Hes only been in the new tank with the new filter for a few days so im sure things are gonna go up and down at times and not being able to monitor it makes it bad on my part but the best i can do right now is watch for changes and and change his water as necessary...

 

[dancersmama79]

dancers gills

here are pics of his gills... they still look like they are partly open to me

 

[dancersmama79]

got my daughter off to school and checked on dancer and he seems to be staying towards the surface of his water mostly... he ate but his gills almost look "folded out" if that makes sense.... his head and that part of his body are a lighter color than his vibrant red and blue so its hard to tell if its pale cause thats the color....