Who Gives A Fish Forums

I'm wondering if there's a safe way to lower my pH levels. I'd like to try and see if that makes a difference for my betta.

My friend who breeds bettas did have some that lived for five years, and most of them made it to two or three years old.

In the photos, I noticed some white dots that caught my eye. Could Ich be the culprit here? It's tough to say for sure, especially with the first image, since those free-floating bubbles might be what I'm mistaking for white spots on the fish.


I'm pretty sure it's not ich. My betta has this ...

I'm thinking the rough fins on your betta might be due to something in the tank causing damage. Have you checked for any sharp rocks or plastic plants that could be snagging his fins? A simple test you can do is the pantyhose test - just rub some pantyhose over the suspected area and if they snag ...

Tank size is 8g, been running for a year now but moved six months ago - kept the BB on the filter media so the tank stayed cycled.
Current stats:
- pH is around 8
- ammonia and nitrite are 0
- nitrate is 20-30
- kH and gH, I don't have those readings
- temp is usually 25C, ranging from 23-28C

My ...

You could try making a hideout for the shrimp, something it can climb into but the betta can't fit in. This way the shrimp can escape the betta or hide when molting. Just be careful with the size of the hole, you don't want the betta getting stuck.