I have a betta going on 3 years old. He's always been very healthy, and always in the same 2.5 gallon tank. Last fall, I decided to add gravel and plant his tank (before he just had some silk plants). That's the only change he's seen, really.
I faithfully change about 3/4 of his water each week, and every time I test, his parameters are great. With a heater in his tank, his water stays between 80 and 82 degrees during the winter. (It's harder to maintain a constant temp in the summer, as the heater tends to OVERheat the water when the house is warmer.)
Last weekend, I noticed his tail fin looked like it had torn, so I've been dosing his water every day this week with Melafix and Pimafix to promote healing and stave off any bugs.
This morning I looked and his fin looks worse.
I'll be dropping by the LFS on the way home from work this afternoon to pick up some Tetracycline and Jungle Fungus Eliminator, as suggested by a couple of trustworthy betta health sites.
But I wondered about this: Is it possible that the gravel and plants were a bad idea in this small tank? I'm wondering if I've just provided a nest for bugs to grow. Should I remove it all and clean his tank and start fresh? Particularly since the Tetracycline will most likely kill off any nitrifying bacteria anyway, this would be the time, since we'll be starting a new cycle anyway. (I will take some filter media and keep it in one of my healthy tanks to put in once the meds are done).
Any thoughts/suggestions?
L
I faithfully change about 3/4 of his water each week, and every time I test, his parameters are great. With a heater in his tank, his water stays between 80 and 82 degrees during the winter. (It's harder to maintain a constant temp in the summer, as the heater tends to OVERheat the water when the house is warmer.)
Last weekend, I noticed his tail fin looked like it had torn, so I've been dosing his water every day this week with Melafix and Pimafix to promote healing and stave off any bugs.
This morning I looked and his fin looks worse.
I'll be dropping by the LFS on the way home from work this afternoon to pick up some Tetracycline and Jungle Fungus Eliminator, as suggested by a couple of trustworthy betta health sites.
But I wondered about this: Is it possible that the gravel and plants were a bad idea in this small tank? I'm wondering if I've just provided a nest for bugs to grow. Should I remove it all and clean his tank and start fresh? Particularly since the Tetracycline will most likely kill off any nitrifying bacteria anyway, this would be the time, since we'll be starting a new cycle anyway. (I will take some filter media and keep it in one of my healthy tanks to put in once the meds are done).
Any thoughts/suggestions?
L