Fish stress?

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clara

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
2
Hi - I'm new to the forum, but could really use some good advice and hoping someone can help.

I have a 5.5g tank, fully cycled, with filter, carbon, heater, etc... Water quality is perfect, with the exception of low level (about 5) nitrates. Here's the composition:

  • 1 anubias nanas
  • 1 small driftwood with a little feathered java fern attached
  • 4 lucky bamboos with their tops exposed
  • 1 red betta
  • 1 bristlenose dwarf pleco - our "foster fish" - only about 1.5" now and will foster a new one when she gets bigger
  • 2 gertrude rainbowfish
  • The water is treated with Prime and Fish Protector
This will come as no surprise but it all started with our betta. We love him and immediately upgraded his 1g tank to something much nicer. When we first got him, we went through a bout of fin rot and got everything sorted out and his fin repaired.

After the new tank cycled, we decided to add the other fish, based on recommendations from a great LFS. The betta was already in the tank several weeks before the new fish and at that time, he seemed very healthy and very happy - made several elaborate bubble nests.

The new fish have been in for one week. Our tank is now spotless (thanks to dwarf pleco!) and everyone seems to be getting along. The problem is our betta's fins are now severely torn and he hasn't made any bubble nests. It's not fin rot - they are torn and split. I have watched very, very closely and the little gertrudes don't pay him any attention and are not nipping him. The pleco minds her own business.

At first, I thought it might be the driftwood so I took it out and checked closely - it's smooth. Plus, the dwarf pleco loves it, so I don't really want to remove it. I don't know what's causing the fins to be torn! Earlier in the week, I started a melafix treatment (the tears were small) and they healed up. But, I woke up the next morning and his fins were completely trashed! I'm very worried.

He is pacing quite a bit and I wondered if the gertrudes are stressing him out and the vigorous swimming is tearing his fins?? So, we added a tall, plastic (not sharp) plant in the back so he would have a nice place to hide. He does like the new plant (saw him snoozing there last night). However, he just doesn't seem himself. I showed him a mirror this morning. I've done this once or twice in the past to get him to flare. The first time this morning, he saw his reflection and quickly swam to the back of the tank to hide. The next time, he flared. But...what in the world? Is my betta scared? Did he lose his confidence with the new fish??

Any help is greatly appreciated. I am just about to put the two gertrudes in the QT and see if that helps him.

Thanks so much!
 
i guess your betta is stressed over the fact that his home is being invaded by 3 other fishies.
 
Do you by any chance have a picture of the betta? I know with a lot of fancy finned bettas some tearing is normal, but def not complete trashing of the fins. Fin rot was the only thing that instantly came to mind, but you said the water parameters are good and that you are sure it's not fin rot, so I am stumped without actually seeing a pic.
On a side note....are you planning on upgrading the pleco to a larger tank soon/when it gets bigger? 5g is really a bit cramped even for a BN...they get up to about 5 or 6 inches sometimes and even if thehy don't, their bioload is heavy. Not trying to be critical, just wondering.
 
Fish Stress or Fin Rot - HELP!

Hi -

First, thanks! I tried to take all the suggestions to heart. I removed the two little gertrude rainbow fish, who now have their own 6g tank home and are incredibly happy. I don't think gertrudes are that common but they are awesome, adorable little fish. After I did that, my betta blew a big bubble nest and his his fins started to heal and all seemed right with the world, again... (of note, I did catch him "going after" one of the rainbows, so, regardless of root cause, they needed their own space)

So...fast forward a week or so, and we're back to square one. Betta has the WORST ripped fins I have seen. The fins aren't rotting but they are ripped between the ribs of the fins (both caudal and anal) about halfway up. The pleco is still in the tank, with her driftwood, but we did a full scale search for anything sharp and removed anything suspect (though, there wasn't much in that category other than tabs on the suction cups of the heater, which we cut off). I've also treated with Melafix for over a week.

Our tank is fully cycled and has live plants. We went to our reputable LFS today and they told us it probably IS fin rot, but bacterial (i.e., not related to water quality) and none of our efforts have fully cured it yet. They gave us Triple Sulfa. I think this is plausible but I also feel Triple Sulfa treatments are a big deal.

I need help. I'm not sure what to do. We've done our best. His tank is gorgeous and he's a pretty happy boy (made me a bubble nest just today and eating great!). But, his fins are deplorable. Water quality is consistently great, using API Master Test Kit. He and the pleco don't have any obvious trouble - barely interact. [AND YES...the pleco is a "foster" fish - she's there until she gets to 2.5" and then has a new home. She's a baby right now.]

Questions, for anyone who can help:
- Should I use the Triple Sulfa? He had fin rot when we got him but it seemed his fins have been good and bad in cycles...maybe LFS is right and we never fully cured him. We've only done Melafix and a little aquarium salt.
- I have a filter but no activated carbon. Should I remove the filter while using Triple Sulfa?
-I do have the 1g tank with a filter still - should I put him in there while treating?
-If it's bacterial, is it isolated to just the fish or the whole tank??
-Is there a way to keep the beneficial bacteria going while treating my fish (if I keep him in his main tank)? I took tremendous care to cycle this tank and would prefer not to lose the biological filter!
-Any other ideas before I undertake this serious step??

Thanks for you help!!
 
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