| Author | Comment | ||
|---|---|---|---|
itsybelle |
|||
|
I didn't think of compulsive fin chewing, interesting thought! I was thinking moreso about the long rays of a crowntail looking like worms to other fish
who would enjoy the occasional nibble.... but I'm sure that the recommendations for meds are going to clear him up. ...was just curious as to tank mates
and filter coverings
|
|||
Jennie |
|||
|
Sorry Itsy, no tank mates, not even a snail. I use an internal Duetto filter. It has a nice steady gentle flow and there no intake to worry about. I think his
fins broke off. Take a look at his dorsal fin in the May '08 picture and you can see a bent tip. I also don't think he is a compulsive fin chewer. As
Michele pointed out, he'd have to be a contortionist to chew his dorsal fins. Besides, the wear would be more uneven. I will complete the course of M2, and
probably try a second course but I'm not optimistic.
Given the length of his fins when I adopted him in February '08 he was at least a year old then which means he is at least two years old now. It may not be normal, but I still think it's just the way it is for Sunny. |
|||
pegzee |
|||
|
Hi Jennie. What is your feeding regimine and what are you feeding? The reason I ask is that he looks a bit thin to me.
|
|||
pLaurent2007 |
|||
I will complete the course of M2, and probably try a second course but I'm not optimistic.My betta looked so bad with the fin loss, darkened body colour and lack of appetite, I came within a hair of euthanizing him. I gave the 2nd round of meds just to be sure I had exhausted all possibilities. I was truly amazed at his recovery after this, so don't think your guy can't perk up too! |
|||
Jennie |
|||
|
He looks thin? Really? I feed him five thawed Hikari frozen bloodworms in the morning and two Hikari soaked pellets in the evening. One day a week I fast him.
Once a week I substitute brine shrimp for the bloodworms although I skipped it this week. That's about right isn't it?
When I said I'm not optimistic I meant about his fins growing back. I'm encouraged to know your fish recovered like that pL and I will continue with the meds, but, unlike your betta, I don't think Sunny looks or acts ill. I certainly have no plans to euthanize him. |
|||
Mattsmommy2 |
|||
|
Hmmm... I had a second look at his pics... imo, I don't think he looks thin... size wise... he looks healthy in my eyes. He doesn't look emaciated
which could be concerning given the amount of food you offer, Jennie... |
|||
itsybelle |
|||
|
Even though the duetto doesn't have an "intake tube", it still has some area that literally sucks the water into the filter. In this case, it
looks kind of like a grill. The betta could still get "stuck" to that grill and with that gentle pull of the intake, it could still cause damage.
Even if this isn't the problem for the loss of rays, it's still something to consider covering up.
I cover up all of my internal whisper filters with a never seen soap nylon knee high so that no one gets "stuck" or decides to rest on the intake. I have had a few bettas in the past who seemed to like to lean on the intake like it was a place to "hang out". Doh! |
|||
Jennie |
|||
|
Okay. Thanks everyone. I will let you know how it goes after the second rounds of meds. I'll cover up the intake Itsy.
|
|||
Mattsmommy2 |
|||
|
Good job Jennie! Keep us posted!
Michele |
|||
Jennie |
|||
|
Oh, and Michele, I cut back to four bloodworms in the morning. Sunny won't thank you for that!
|
|||
Mattsmommy2 |
|||
|
|
|||
Jennie |
|||
|
Sorry it took awhile for me to post the results but here is a picture of Sunny after two rounds of M2. Notice the difference? Me neither. I don't know why
his fins shortened but he looks and acts healthy and he's not tearing or chewing on his fins. I posted his picture on another fish site and the moderator
said Sunny looked fine to him and he had the same experience with a betta whose fins shortened. He treated him with M2 and it made no difference. He said the
betta lived longer than his others so go figure.
The treatment may not have made a difference but it was worth a try and I really appreciate all the advice. It's great to have a site where people care so much about their fish and are so willing to share their experience and knowledge with others. |
|||
Mattsmommy2 |
|||
|
Hey Jennie,
I know Sunny is in a 5.5 cycled tank... and you've said that you do 25% weekly waterchanges... do you test the water? I'm just wondering if there is an ammonia issue that we're just assuming is not there b/c you're doing the recommended maintenance. I ask b/c of the brown spots that have showed up on his body, which didn't look like they were present in his early days. Having said that, I know cambodians often "morph" as they get older. In much less frequent instances, there is inexplicable reasons for fins rotting / disintegrating but it would be wise to ensure all avenues have been investigated first. Have you tried increasing the frequency of water changes as pL suggested? Have you covered the intake tube and ensured that there is nothing he can injure his fins on? He's acting and eating normally, correct? Does anyone have any other opinions? Michele |
|||
Jennie |
|||
|
Michele, I test the water every week on water change day. During treatment, I had to do a water change every 5 days and I did the next one 5 days later. I
don't have ammonia spikes. LIke I said, I appreciate the help but Sunny's fine and I think we've covered all the possible issues already.
|
|||
Mattsmommy2 |
|||
|
Keep us posted on him!
Michele |
|||
pLaurent2007 |
|||
|
Sometimes we can't get to the bottom of certain issues,especially with fish, but if Sunny is lively, happy and eating well, that's all that really
matters!
|
|||
Jennie |
|||
|
Thanks pL. He used to eat better but Michele "made" me cut back
|
|||
Mattsmommy2 |
|||
|
I know... being the bad guy is tough...
I agree with what pL said... if all avenues have been explored... and Sunny is otherwise healthy & happy (even on a diet)... then it's best to just observe and keep the water params in order (to keep any stresses as low as possible).
|
|||
itsybelle |
|||
|
Maybe Sunny thought that one of the other betta "looks" suited him more?
|
|||
Agriel |
|||
|
Some bettas just seem to stress their fins away. Is he a quick swimmer?
BTW, I don't know if anyone addressed this, but just from the pics I'm almost 99% sure that the black spots are just a coloration change that indeed seems to happen with age. For instance, I bought a white betta that gradually turned blue and green. Red betta turns burgundy. Sometimes blue bettas turn green as well. The black may be those blue genes creeping into the red. |
|||