Who Gives A Fish Forums

What essentials should I keep in a betta first aid kit? My guy's been acting off lately, and I wanna be prepared. Tank's a 5 gallon, filtered, heated to 78F, with live plants. Parameters are 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5 nitrate. He's a halfmoon, about a year old.

You'll wanna grab some aquarium salt, stress coat, and kanaplex. Also keep a spare heater and air stone handy. I've got a 10 gallon hospital tank set up just in case, but a quarantine container works too. How often are you doing water changes?

Weekly changes, about 20%. Thanks for the tips, gonna order that stuff today. Forgot about the spare heater, that's smart.

Yep, floura's got the basics covered. I'd add some Indian almond leaves too, they're great for calming 'em down. Also, grab a pipette for spot feeding if they stop eating. My dude bounced back fast when I could target feed him.

breezo wrote: ↑Tue Jul 22, 2025 5:25 pm Yep, floura's got the basics covered. I'd add some Indian almond leaves too, they're great for calming 'em down. Also, grab a pipette for spot feeding if they stop eating. My dude bounced back fast when I could target feed him.

Second the almond leaves. They're a lifesaver for fin rot too. Keep 'em in a ziplock so they don't dry out.

Don't forget a small net and a turkey baster for quick cleanups. Had to emergency remove a dead snail once, and it was messy without the right tools. Also, test strips are faster than liquid kits when you're in a pinch.

I keep a tiny bottle of clove oil in mine. Hope to never use it, but it's better than watching them suffer if things go south. Dark, controversial take, but it's part of my kit.

foggy_mind wrote: ↑Tue Jul 22, 2025 10:24 pm I keep a tiny bottle of clove oil in mine. Hope to never use it, but it's better than watching them suffer if things go south. Dark, controversial take, but it's part of my kit.

That's responsible, honestly. I'd add methylene blue too—it's saved two of mine from columnaris. Just be careful with dosing.

Mine's got epsom salt for bloating, plus a little mirror for stimulation if they're lethargic. Sometimes they just need a pep talk from their reflection, lol. Also, a spare sponge filter's cheap and handy for hospital tanks.

y'all got fancy kits. i just got salt, water conditioner, and a prayer. works most the time.