Yikes! Advice?

beckyd

beckyd

Large Fish
#1
Mar 16, 2009
381
0
0
#1
I got home tonight and my betta and his way-too-long-for-his-own-good fins was sucked up against the filter intake. I detached him and have him floating in a breeder box with the lights out. He is exhausted. His fins are torn to hell and he is breathing rapidly. Oh my poor little guy. Any advice on what to do for him? He is getting air from the surface now, but who knows how long he's been down there. Is he gonna make it???

I planted his tank. Its lovely, but was advised to change out the out-dated undergravel filter I had in there. To hell with that, if he makes it, he goes back in a tank with a nice gentle, happily out-dated undergravel filter!
 

beckyd

beckyd

Large Fish
#3
Mar 16, 2009
381
0
0
#3
Thanks chuy. And his fins were just looking snazzy again from his last mystery mishap. I don't even know what he did last time. Geez, for a fish that just floats around getting compliments, he sure gets himself into trouble!
 

Newman

Newman

Elite Fish
#4
Sep 22, 2009
4,668
0
0
Northern NJ
#4
dang its that poor betta in your avatar right?
His fins should heal right up eventually.
I had a similar situation with my female betta in terms of getting trapped underwater with no access to open air. I once found her trapped in between (not behind like expected) the mesh used to hold a moss wall in place. who know how long she has been trapped in there for, but the water temp in her little 2.5 is at a constant 80F so dissolved oxygen is low. She was breathing very hard when i finally got her out and went all pale...
Needless to say i dont keep any fish in that 2.5 with the moss wall, and wont until the moss wall fully frows out. The betta made a full recovery within a day and was fine after that. she's now in my 10 gal.
Yea, its not a filter incident but i dont think your betta should die from oxygen deprivation, he should really make it unless an infection gets him...(i have almond leaves in my tanks for that)
Also i kept the betta around a HOB and now she in the 10 with a cnister, but i make sure the intake is always completely shielded with stocking mesh...are you doing that with your filter?
Your story kinda makes me glad i steered away from buying a halfmoon betta on AB...i went with plakats instead.
Best of Luck with him.
 

DarkLies

DarkLies

Large Fish
#5
Nov 9, 2009
173
0
0
Louisiana
#5
Aww, I'm sorry! Your betta (if it is the one in your avatar) was absolutely gorgeous!
I would THINK (there's that dangerous word again) that you can add fin repair meds and water conditioner to help his slime coat =/
But again, I'm probably wrong as I'm still learning like crazy
 

Newman

Newman

Elite Fish
#6
Sep 22, 2009
4,668
0
0
Northern NJ
#6
almond leaves are a safer alternative to meds. so is a little bit of salt and higher temps (bettas already live at temps of 80F so the temp doesnt matter)
 

bassbonediva

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
#8
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#8
Wow, I've never had issues with my bettas and their HOB filters (or in the case of my Hex5 and the Eclipse 1 I used to have, the filter intake). In fact, in my Eclipse 1, it had a nice big rectangularish cap thingy on the intake (yeah, I'm being incredibly technical tonight...I'm tired, forgive me) and my girls used to just let themselves get sucked up against it and hang out there for hours at a time. I was always afraid that they were dead, so I'd take my net and put it in the tank and they'd un-stick themselves and come to investigate. Hope your guy is okay! He's gorgeous!
 

bassbonediva

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
#10
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#10
You have no idea! They are the most insane fish I have ever seen. The one thing I've never seen them do is try to jump out of the tank as bettas are sometimes wont to do(which they have plenty of opportunity to do since there's no cover on the 45gal). I've been bitten by these fish sticking my hand in the tank to move around decorations (most other fish I've had will run and hide when you reach into their tank). They follow you like dogs when you're near the tank and will just hang there staring at you. It's rather unnerving. What's scary is that they're all like that! All except one of the males. He used to be like that, but he's on my desk where he sees me every day for hours, so now he's like "Eh, whatever." But everyone else is all "HI! Whatcha doin'?" when I get near their tank. :p
 

Newman

Newman

Elite Fish
#11
Sep 22, 2009
4,668
0
0
Northern NJ
#11
lol, nice, bass.
I suggest all three darklies. i keep all my tanks at warmer temps, i add a little salt in each water change and i keep indian almond leaves in all of them. I actually ordered my leaves. I have 19 left right now with 100 more coming in soon. they really last a long time. i doubt you can find then sold at LFS but it never hurts to try to find them there.
 

DarkLies

DarkLies

Large Fish
#12
Nov 9, 2009
173
0
0
Louisiana
#12
Wow, bass, I'd have so much fin playing with your fish! All of mine (except the guppies) are like "AHH, HUMAN! HIDE! *freak out*" -.-

And Newman, what temp have you found is the best your Bettas?
 

beckyd

beckyd

Large Fish
#14
Mar 16, 2009
381
0
0
#14
SO sad:( He did not make it.

I feel so bad that I made a poor decision for him. I have known since I got him that his fins are his own worst enemy. The undergravel filter was best for him. Everyone, please keep this in mind and warn others in the future. This fish was an over halfmoon whose length of the dorsal, caudal and pelvic fins were equal to the length of his body. His tail end hung down from the weight. Swimming in any current at all was a struggle for him. A little HOB caused his death because he could not escape it. I will never buy a fish so overbred for fin length again. Hopefully a shorter, more viable fin length will become more popular as people learn this downfall and the breeders will adjust accordingly.

Until then, I hope others will learn from my mistake:(
 

brian1973

brian1973

Superstar Fish
#15
Jan 20, 2008
2,001
3
38
Corpus Christi, Texas
#15
beckyd said:
SO sad:( He did not make it.

I feel so bad that I made a poor decision for him. I have known since I got him that his fins are his own worst enemy. The undergravel filter was best for him. Everyone, please keep this in mind and warn others in the future. This fish was an over halfmoon whose length of the dorsal, caudal and pelvic fins were equal to the length of his body. His tail end hung down from the weight. Swimming in any current at all was a struggle for him. A little HOB caused his death because he could not escape it. I will never buy a fish so overbred for fin length again. Hopefully a shorter, more viable fin length will become more popular as people learn this downfall and the breeders will adjust accordingly.

Until then, I hope others will learn from my mistake:(
Click to expand...
Undergravel filters trap all debris under the filter plates and over time cam cause major water issues, 20yrs ago I thought they were the best thing in the world until I cleaned the tanks and found all the crap that has settled at the bottom. This isnt the first time I have heard of this happening to a betta, it isnt the fins that cause the problem as much as the filter suction is to strong for the betta to swim out of. Your best bet would be a small sponge filter.
 

M

Mixicano

Small Fish
#16
Aug 7, 2009
29
0
0
Milwaukee
#16
Atison's betta conditioner is a really good product, you CAN go for the whole indian almond leaves, it is definately more natural, which i like... but i the betta conditioner even better, and next just put a prefilter sponge on the intake to prevent this from happening.
 

M

Mixicano

Small Fish
#17
Aug 7, 2009
29
0
0
Milwaukee
#17
Atison's betta conditioner is a really good product, you CAN go for the whole indian almond leaves, it is definately more natural, which i like... but i the betta conditioner even better, and next time just put a prefilter sponge on the intake to prevent this from happening.
 

bassbonediva

bassbonediva

Superstar Fish
#20
Oct 15, 2009
2,010
0
0
Northern Arizona
#20
beckyd said:
SO sad:( He did not make it.

I feel so bad that I made a poor decision for him. I have known since I got him that his fins are his own worst enemy. The undergravel filter was best for him. Everyone, please keep this in mind and warn others in the future. This fish was an over halfmoon whose length of the dorsal, caudal and pelvic fins were equal to the length of his body. His tail end hung down from the weight. Swimming in any current at all was a struggle for him. A little HOB caused his death because he could not escape it. I will never buy a fish so overbred for fin length again. Hopefully a shorter, more viable fin length will become more popular as people learn this downfall and the breeders will adjust accordingly.

Until then, I hope others will learn from my mistake:(
Click to expand...
Oh, beckyd, I'm so sorry! I know how hard it is to lose one you really love like that. :( {{{hugs}}}
 

You must log in or register to reply here.