help, my betta is dying

[sandyl]

I'm really frustrated and confused. I took the time to answer all your questions as thoroughly as I could, and I'm still waiting for some guidance. Baloo seems a little better today, but I desperately need help figuring out what's going on with him. I know I've done my best to provide all the necessary info, so I'm hoping someone will take the time to help me now.

[sSjey]

I'm curious about the bottled water you're using - is it pure water or does it have some minerals in it? I'm guessing it's not distilled water, but rather spring water? The label should give you that info. I've learned that fish, even bettas, can't thrive in pure water; they need some minerals to survive.

Also, I'm wondering which test kit you're using and if it's a liquid one, do you make sure to wash the tubes thoroughly after each use? It's just something I'm thinking about since I'm trying to understand what's going on with Baloo.

If you don't mind, could you test your tap water again and share the actual numbers? I'm thinking that maybe it's not as bad as you thought, and it would be way easier to use tap water for water changes instead of bottled water.

I'm no expert, but I've read that tap water is usually safe for humans to drink, so it should be fine for fish too. I mean, if it's not safe for humans, then there are bigger problems to worry about. From what I've learned, some ammonia in the water is okay, especially if it's because of chloramine. And if you use a dechlorinator that detoxifies ammonia, it should be safe until the filter bacteria can take care of it.

I'm also wondering if it was nitrate or nitrite that was high in your tap water. With my test kit, nitrite is the one that turns purple, while nitrate turns red at high levels.

I'm thinking that maybe you should consider switching back to tap water, but you should do it slowly so Baloo can adjust to the change. I mean, a bit at a time, not all at once.

I really think that getting Baloo into a larger tank as soon as possible would be the best thing for him. Water quality can deteriorate so quickly in small containers, and that might be making it harder for him to recover.

I'm also wondering if Baloo can see Plumb at all. Holes in the fin like in your photos can be caused by a betta flaring too much.

And, just out of curiosity, are you sure Plumb is a female? Her vent fins look a bit too long for a female.

[goldminer]

I'm not sure about Plumb being a female, her vent fins seem kinda long for a girl.

[kalinda]

I desperately need help, fast. My betta, Baloo, who I rescued 3 months ago from a Walmart shelf with minor fin rot, is in trouble. After daily water changes and increased aquarium salt, his fin rot got better, then worse, and finally started growing back about 2 weeks ago. I know some people might say daily water changes are bad, but for Baloo, if I went longer than a day, the fin rot would worsen.

About a week ago, I noticed 2 tiny pin holes on his bottom fin. I thought the rot was back, but it was originally only on his tail fin. The translucent area spread, and every day this week it's gotten larger. It's eaten away almost all of his dorsal fin and the bottom fin is almost all clear. I've attached some pics.

I started pimafix 2 days ago and melafix (I know it's stronger than bettafix) - I was using bettafix, but Pets Mart recommended melafix since it's so severe. I only did melafix last night. Today, he won't swim anymore; he's just floating near the top in one spot, only moving to get food. I've worked tirelessly to save him, and I'm devastated knowing he'll probably die in a day or two if I don't figure this out.

I've searched everywhere, but I couldn't find any pics of what's happening, so I'm not sure if it's fungus or bacteria. What should I do? I also think there's a parasite by his eye - it was there last week, then gone, so I thought it was lint, but now it's back in the same spot, so I think it's related to the disease.

He's in a 1-gallon tank (I know it's small, but it's easier for daily changes and medicating) with a heater and filter turned off for now. I use bottled water, so the parameters are constant. I still check, though - it's always the same. I've done everything I've read for fin rot, but I just don't know what this is now. Please help.

I'm worried that constantly moving Baloo in and out of his tank might be adding to his stress. I've seen it before with my own betta - all the commotion from people visiting and decorating caused him to fin bite and develop fin rot. His beautiful fins just disappeared overnight.

But once I stopped moving him around and did lots of water changes, he started to recover. I'm not saying it's the same situation, but I think it's worth considering that all the meds might be doing more harm than good. Maybe it's time to go back to basics and just use clean, warm water?

Are you making sure the new water is the same temperature as the old water? A sudden change can be really stressful for them. And like sSjey mentioned, double-check that the water isn't pure - bettas need some minerals in the water to thrive.

I really hope Baloo pulls through - I can imagine how desperate you must be feeling.