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i'm really worried about my betta, he's got this open wound on his side and it's been getting bigger. i first saw it last week when i was doing a water change and there was blood in the container i had him in. i've been using betafix and changing 1/4 of the water every day to keep everything clean, but it's not getting better. my betta's still swimming around, blowing bubbles and all that, but he's been hanging out near the heater/filter a lot and laying on his side. when he does swim, it looks like he's struggling and he sinks sometimes.

!!!!!!help!!!!!!

last friday's pic




today's pic




thanks

florak wrote: ↑Tue Feb 13, 2024 5:33 pm i'm really worried about my betta, he's got this open wound on his side and it's been getting bigger. i first saw it last week when i was doing a water change and there was blood in the container i had him in. i've been using betafix and changing 1/4 of the water every day to keep everything clean, but it's not getting better. my betta's still swimming around, blowing bubbles and all that, but he's been hanging out near the heater/filter a lot and laying on his side. when he does swim, it looks like he's struggling and he sinks sometimes.

!!!!!!help!!!!!!

last friday's pic




today's pic




thanks

I'm no expert, but that wound looks like it could be a burn. You mentioned he likes to chill near the heater - do you think that might be the culprit? Are there any other fish in the tank that could be nipping at him, or maybe some sharp decorations or plants that he's bumping into? What about the filter flow - is it strong enough to knock him around and cause an injury?

florak wrote: ↑Tue Feb 13, 2024 5:33 pm i'm really worried about my betta, he's got this open wound on his side and it's been getting bigger. i first saw it last week when i was doing a water change and there was blood in the container i had him in. i've been using betafix and changing 1/4 of the water every day to keep everything clean, but it's not getting better. my betta's still swimming around, blowing bubbles and all that, but he's been hanging out near the heater/filter a lot and laying on his side. when he does swim, it looks like he's struggling and he sinks sometimes.

!!!!!!help!!!!!!

last friday's pic




today's pic




thanks

It's really hard to see much of anything in your picture, except for the betta's tail and the gravel. I've had fish before that would just lie against or on heaters to rest, not realizing they're going to get burned - my first BN pleco did this all the time, and I ended up having to crowd fake plants around the heater just to keep her from latching onto it.

You might want to hold off on moving your betta to a larger tank until his injury is healed. A sudden change of environment can be super stressful for a wounded fish, and you might end up losing him. You can use this time to properly cycle his new tank while you keep an eye on his recovery in his current one. Keep doing those 30-50% weekly or bi-weekly water changes to keep his tank really clean - clean water can do a lot to help an injury heal. It's probably a good idea to block off the heater with some plants so he can't rest on it.

When I say cycle, I mean letting the new tank establish a mature bacteria colony to keep the water parameters stable. If you add him to the new tank and do a fish-in cycle, you'll be putting him through extreme stress and it could kill him. I found a quick guide that explains the cycle process - it's worth reading up on if you're not sure what you're doing. https://aquariuminfo.org/cycling.html

Hey florak, I think I can see the heater and filter in your new pic. I'm glad you're being cautious about moving him to a bigger tank - I was worried you might rush into it. Changing 1/4 to 1/3 of the water every other day is a good idea, it should help with the healing process. It's great to hear that his personality hasn't changed and he's still blowing bubbles - that's a good sign. The scab on his side does look like it's healing, but I can imagine it's still causing him some discomfort when he swims.

florak wrote: ↑Tue Feb 13, 2024 5:33 pm i'm really worried about my betta, he's got this open wound on his side and it's been getting bigger. i first saw it last week when i was doing a water change and there was blood in the container i had him in. i've been using betafix and changing 1/4 of the water every day to keep everything clean, but it's not getting better. my betta's still swimming around, blowing bubbles and all that, but he's been hanging out near the heater/filter a lot and laying on his side. when he does swim, it looks like he's struggling and he sinks sometimes.

!!!!!!help!!!!!!

last friday's pic




today's pic




thanks

I'm curious about your water change process - are you taking the betta out of the tank and keeping him in a separate container while you do the water change? I've found that this can be quite stressful for them, and it's generally better to just keep an eye on where he is while you're siphoning the water out. You know how curious bettas can be, always wanting to investigate what's going on.

As for the Bettafix, I've learned that it's not the best choice for tanks with anabantids like bettas or gouramis. Those -fix products contain aromatic oils that can interfere with the labyrinth organ, which isn't ideal. I think it's best to just stick with plenty of clean water - it's often the simplest and most effective solution.

florak wrote: ↑Tue Feb 13, 2024 5:33 pm i'm really worried about my betta, he's got this open wound on his side and it's been getting bigger. i first saw it last week when i was doing a water change and there was blood in the container i had him in. i've been using betafix and changing 1/4 of the water every day to keep everything clean, but it's not getting better. my betta's still swimming around, blowing bubbles and all that, but he's been hanging out near the heater/filter a lot and laying on his side. when he does swim, it looks like he's struggling and he sinks sometimes.

!!!!!!help!!!!!!

last friday's pic




today's pic




thanks

Following essjey's advice, it's crucial to treat the replacement water with a conditioner and match the tank's temperature as closely as possible to avoid shocking your betta. When adding the new water, do it gently and slowly to minimize sudden movements that might force your betta to exert himself. This can cause unnecessary stress, and what he needs right now is a calm environment with plenty of clean water.

florak wrote: ↑Tue Feb 13, 2024 5:33 pm i'm really worried about my betta, he's got this open wound on his side and it's been getting bigger. i first saw it last week when i was doing a water change and there was blood in the container i had him in. i've been using betafix and changing 1/4 of the water every day to keep everything clean, but it's not getting better. my betta's still swimming around, blowing bubbles and all that, but he's been hanging out near the heater/filter a lot and laying on his side. when he does swim, it looks like he's struggling and he sinks sometimes.

!!!!!!help!!!!!!

last friday's pic




today's pic




thanks

When I do larger water changes, I do take him out so he isn't stressed out by the excessive water movement, but for smaller changes (250mL-500mL), I leave him in the tank as it's harder to catch him and I don't want to risk accidentally hitting him. With the larger changes, I try to minimize his stress.

Also, I pour the water in slowly behind the heater/filter area, using a beaker type cup, so it doesn't distract him from swimming or make him swim harder.

What's the tank volume, by the way? I'm thinking water changes should be more substantial, around 50% of the tank volume every week. Instead of just 250 to 500ml, you know? With his injury, I'd advise going for 25% a day until it heals.

florak wrote: ↑Tue Feb 13, 2024 5:33 pm i'm really worried about my betta, he's got this open wound on his side and it's been getting bigger. i first saw it last week when i was doing a water change and there was blood in the container i had him in. i've been using betafix and changing 1/4 of the water every day to keep everything clean, but it's not getting better. my betta's still swimming around, blowing bubbles and all that, but he's been hanging out near the heater/filter a lot and laying on his side. when he does swim, it looks like he's struggling and he sinks sometimes.

!!!!!!help!!!!!!

last friday's pic




today's pic




thanks

My tank is about 5L, and I usually do larger water changes of around 75% and smaller ones of 30-40% weekly, but I'll definitely increase the frequency as you suggested.

Does 5L mean 5 litres or 5 gallons? I'm guessing it's litres, but just to clarify. If it's litres, that's way too small for a betta, not nearly enough space for him to thrive.