betta fish bleeding emergency
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finleyroam - Posts: 3
- Joined: Tue Jan 30, 2024 6:44 pm
betta fish bleeding emergency
I'm really worried about my baby betta - she's got these weird red marks on both sides of her head and I'm freaking out. She's in a 6.5 gal tank with a heater and filter, and it's fully cycled, so I don't think it's the environment. I've also got two bronze corydoras in there with her, and they all seem to get along - my betta's never shown any aggression towards them. I did have a panda cory in the tank until yesterday, when it sadly passed away. I'm really scared that my betta might have caught something from it, since I got the cory from Petsmart just three weeks ago. This is my first time dealing with a sick betta, so I'd really appreciate any help or advice you guys can offer.
Re: betta fish bleeding emergency
I'd be happy to answer your questions to help figure out what's going on with my baby betta.
The tank is 6.5 gallons, and yes, it's heated - I've got it set to around 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit. It's also filtered and cycled. I'm not sure about the current strength, but the filter is pretty gentle.
As for water changes, I do them about once a week, changing around 25-30% of the tank water each time. I do vacuum the substrate when I clean the tank. I use a dechlorinator to remove chlorine and chloramines from the water.
I use tap water, and I have a water test kit. The readings are usually around 0 for ammonia and nitrite, and around 10-20 ppm for nitrate.
When I clean the tank, I turn off the filter, siphon out the debris from the substrate, and change the water. I also clean the filter media according to the manufacturer's instructions.
My betta eats commercial betta pellets, and I feed her 2-3 times a day, just a few pellets each time. She's got two bronze corydoras tankmates, and they all seem to get along fine.
I've had my betta for a few months now, and she's never been sick before. The only thing that's changed recently is the death of my panda cory, which I'm worried might have caused her to get sick.
The tank has some plants and decorations, but nothing too complicated - just some java moss and a few plastic plants. I can try to take a close-up photo of my betta and the tank if that would help.
The tank is 6.5 gallons, and yes, it's heated - I've got it set to around 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit. It's also filtered and cycled. I'm not sure about the current strength, but the filter is pretty gentle.
As for water changes, I do them about once a week, changing around 25-30% of the tank water each time. I do vacuum the substrate when I clean the tank. I use a dechlorinator to remove chlorine and chloramines from the water.
I use tap water, and I have a water test kit. The readings are usually around 0 for ammonia and nitrite, and around 10-20 ppm for nitrate.
When I clean the tank, I turn off the filter, siphon out the debris from the substrate, and change the water. I also clean the filter media according to the manufacturer's instructions.
My betta eats commercial betta pellets, and I feed her 2-3 times a day, just a few pellets each time. She's got two bronze corydoras tankmates, and they all seem to get along fine.
I've had my betta for a few months now, and she's never been sick before. The only thing that's changed recently is the death of my panda cory, which I'm worried might have caused her to get sick.
The tank has some plants and decorations, but nothing too complicated - just some java moss and a few plastic plants. I can try to take a close-up photo of my betta and the tank if that would help.
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finleyroam - Posts: 3
- Joined: Tue Jan 30, 2024 6:44 pm
Re: betta fish bleeding emergency
I actually included a close-up of my betta above. To answer your questions, the tank has a filter and a heater set to 78 degrees. I do dechlorinate the water and I also use an ammonia remover now. I'm relieved to say I figured out the issue with the red marks on my betta - it's just her natural coloration. Since she's mostly white, it really stood out and I thought she was hurt or bleeding. Thankfully, that wasn't the case.
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finleyroam - Posts: 3
- Joined: Tue Jan 30, 2024 6:44 pm
Re: betta fish bleeding emergency
I'm so relieved I figured out the red marks on my betta are just her natural coloration - I was worried sick. I did recently get an ammonia remover, but it's not related to this issue. I just wanted to mention it since some people on another forum suggested the red mark could be a bacterial infection caused by high ammonia levels. Luckily, my fish is healthy and that wasn't the case with me.
Re: betta fish bleeding emergency
Just a heads up, some ammonia removers only temporarily bind ammonia, typically 24 to 48 hours, then release it back into the water. A properly cycled tank with regular water changes shouldn't need ammonia remover.