Ick Guard/ Betta Not Eating

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sugarloves

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
May 16, 2004
Messages
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canada
I noticed some white specs on the new betta I brought home from the fish store. Hes in his own bowl about a gallon and i recently treated him with ick guard using the instructions on the back. The back says to add the medicine, wait 24 hours, do a small water change, then treat again. The thing is, how many times do I treat him. Only two? Everything Ive read about the lifespan of Ich makes me think that it isnt possible to cure it in just two days.

Also, I havent had this fish for long so im not sure on his eating habits, hes a bit picky, but he seems to eat everything Ive given him up to this point. Since Ive been treating him with the ick guard he wont eat. He gets excited about his food and dashes for it, but then he will just spit it out....then he'll go for it again, and spit it out again....its almost as if he isnt able to swallow. Ive tried betta bits, peas, frozen bloodworms, dried blood worms, flakes, different types of pellets, even soaking the pellets first so that they are soft. He attempts to eat all of the foods but then spits them out. I dont understand, is he not eating because of the ick guard bothering him?
 
Try the natural way to fight ich as described in the FW ich article, which can be found in the articles section.
 
The bowl is so small that I cant put a heater in it. Im not sure how to measure salt levels, do you need to have a kit of sometype? I dont know if im confortable putting salt in his bowl. Theres no filter so would i have to work it out with water changes? I presume you mean aquarium salt. How much would I add to a gallon? Thanks
 
Not to be too harsh but I would invest in a 5.5gal tank with either a aquaclear mini or penquin mini as filtration and a 25watt heater. The bowls are not healthy for the bettas and can cause problems when trying to medicate(as you can see). As for aquarium salt, it will give you directions on the package as to how much to add. Our betta is in a 10gal and he is full of life and color...

JMHO though :)
 
I have to agree with Keeper on that. Even a 2.5 or 5 gal tank. Then you can add silk plants, heater and filter. The betta will be healthier in the long run.
As for the salt, a salinity meter is what you need, but it may not fit in the bowl.
 
yea I know, but i just got him a week ago so I want to quarantine him for a few weeks before putting him in a divided 10 gallon.
 
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