[Worms in my tank]

On 4/15/2023 at 6:43 AM, Expectorating_Aubergine said:

After your fish died, did you turn the pump and filter off?

Nope. I left the sponge filter turned on.

[Worms in my tank]

On 4/15/2023 at 6:27 AM, Expectorating_Aubergine said:

That pic looks like some kind of insect larvae or detritus worm. Regardless of that, the best and safest way to clean your tank is to just let it dry out. Maybe put the gravel out to dry in the sun. The likelihood the worms are connected to the fish's death is super low. 

Thanks!

 

You think so? It's rare that it died so young and then it happens to have an infested 2.5g tank.

 

He started feeling weird and staying at the bottom. He would twitch sometimes and zoomed through all the tank very fast and then stop. It's like something was bothering him inside his body. His fins started to rot fast too.

[Worms in my tank]

Need help! So my 2 and half month old boy died yesterday after 16-17 days of being sick & last 7 days of him not eating at all. First time 1 of my fish died that fast.

 

So today after he died, I discovered his 2.5g tank was full of tiny worms of all sizes, biggest being like 1 inch or a little bigger. They were swimming/floating in the water. Most were tiny. They were similar to the one on my 1st photo, which is a photo from Google.

 

⚠️ My question is, HOW should I clean my fish tank, filter and all the decorations inside of it? Can I use chlorox or soap? What?

 

Also, any idea how they got into the tank? Fish brought it from the shop? A mosquito inserted larvaes in the water? Can food or poop create worms/parasites? Maybe it came from the tap water?

 

 Thanks.

[Sick betta not eating for the last 4-5 days]

Sadly my baby boy died after 17 days sick. He didn't eat for the lasy 7-8 days, which impressed me. Compared to my 1st 2 boys, he died peacefully and didn't seem like he was suffering like my other 2 boys, who were getting really bloated, were struggling a lot and gasping for air at all times. 😢

 

He's the 1st fish who died so young, only 2.5 months old.

 

He died today and later today I discovered that his main tank had a lot of (20+) tiny worms of all sizes (biggest like inch or inch and a half) swimming around... Wonder what kind of worms they are. First time I have worms on my tank.

 

First pic is how the worms kinda looked like. 2nd pic was my beautiful boy Boni 🙏

 

Now I suspect those worms are what killed him.

[Sick betta not eating for the last 4-5 days]

On 4/13/2023 at 3:18 PM, AntonioTheFishGuy said:

I'd definitely stop changing the water every few days until you've checked the water parameters. If the water parameters are fine, then you may just be stressing him out more!

I moved him to new fresh water on a small hospital 0.75 gallon tank.

I'm now treating him there with Kanaplex. 

Been 6-7 days and he still hasn't eat anything... I'm afraid he doesn't have much left if he doesn't eat. He still has a little energy and swims a little here and there and gets air. He's just floating.

Can I add a little aquarium salt in there with the Kanaplex?

[Sick betta not eating for the last 4-5 days]

On 4/11/2023 at 9:17 PM, Colu said:

Without noing your water parameters it's difficult to make an assessment as most case of disease are caused by poor water quality incorrect  temperature to low or high poor diet 

I just changed 50% of the water right now. Like 3 times in 4 days. And dosed Seachem Prime. 5 days and he still doesn't eat, mostly floats and swims a little from side to side. Still has some energy for a sick betta who hasn't eaten in 5 days.

 

I did soak him on aquarium salt 2 times for like 10 minutes. But I'm so scared I didn't put too much salt in his half gallon hospital tank. Maybe I need to dose more salt for it to have some effect. He seemed relaxed in the aquarium salt, even swimming a little here and there.

I will use a strip later for parameters.

[Sick betta not eating for the last 4-5 days]

On 4/11/2023 at 8:08 PM, Colu said:

What are your water parameters ammonia nitrite nitrate pH temperature @Sergio

I have changed the water like 3 times in the last 8 days.

I have no idea about parameters, but I have like a couple of API strips that I can use. Some people say they aren't as accurate, but it's what I have right now.

[Sick betta not eating for the last 4-5 days]

My 2 and half month boy has now been sick for like 13-14 days.

He was the most active fish I have ever had by a lot. Suddenly a day after a 50% water change, I noticed he started to act weird and couldn't swim as normally. Something was bothering him. He then started to stay at the bottom at all times and only went up for air and then zoomed back to the bottom. Sometimes he would like twitch and zoom so fast around the tank and the stop and stay at the bottom as always. Then sometimes he would stay at the top on a hammock leaf. Now almost 14 days later and like 4+ days without eating, he's just kinda floating. He still can swim a little and seems to still have some strength on him, maybe because he is young. Never had a young fish get sick this fast, only 2.5 months with me.

His fins got a little bad while he's been sick, which is common in my experience with sick bettas.

He's in a 2.5g tank with a sponge filter.

What I can do to make him eat and to save him? I really don't want him to die this early 😔

Btw I have Kanaplex and aquarium salt on hand, and also a .75 or 1g hospital tank.

[I have a sick and bloated betta fish]

On 2/8/2023 at 9:02 AM, Cyndi said:

Hi Sergio, I'm so sorry about the loss of your pet betta. We never know how old they are when we get them from the store - maybe he was older than you thought?  I was also thinking of two other scenarios: Do you have a heater? Even though they can live at cooler temps, my bettas do consistently better at least 79 -80 degrees. And the other thing is, could you possibly get a 5 gallon tank for him? It will be easier to keep a consistent temp and water parameters. I've kept a betta in a 2.5 gallon and it was a challenge (And come to think of it, that betta died prematurely).

You obviously love your Fish Friends and I wish you all the best. It always hurts to lose fish - especially when you don't know why - Best of Luck to you!

Cyndi

I don't have a heater cause they scare me, plus I also live in the Caribbean where it's hot most of the year. His temperature is always around 80, 78-82, even in the winter. I've seen it 76 a few times, but out of 365 days, like 360 days is 78-83.

 

I've been wanting a 5g, but I haven't been able to buy it for a couple of reasons. Maybe one day.

[I have a sick and bloated betta fish]

On 2/7/2023 at 11:03 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Aww @Sergio I totally feel for you and understand how attached we can get to fish, especially fish like Betta who have such individual personalities that we interact with them more than other fish like neons for example. Just know that sadly this does happen with Betta- they are more difficult fish to keep than the industry would have us believe. They are bred for looks and not health this is to their (and our) detriment. I had the exact same experience with one of my Betta who wasn't with me for a year too. I've had others die for no known reason, which for a while had me swearing them off forever. That didn't last long and now because of my experiences I walk on egg shells around my Betta worrying about every little behavior/eating/appearance change I see. 

You did the best you could and as has been stated the symptoms you saw were an indication that whatever caused the decline was past the point of treatment and/or may never have been treatable. Your fish was happy and cared for while you had them, take some comfort in that. That's better than a lot of pet fish can wish for. 

True! So sad they have such a short span of life, generally 2-3 years, but it is what it is. Ofc some can live 4-5 more I've heard, but it's not very common. Thanks!

Here are my 3 boys, 2 are little angels. My 1st one who died in 2022, my 2nd one who died in 2023 and my new one which is both pics of the bottom.

Coby was silver and red.

Soni was blue

Boni is white/beige.

All delta males. I just fell in love with delta males since my 1st one... My 1st one was named Coby, so I decided to name them all kinda like him too, with 4 letters and similar sound. Coby was because I got him right after Kobe Bryant died, my fav basketball player since I was a kid. Then Soni because he was blue like Sonic. Then Boni because this is the year of the bunny/rabbit in Chinese/Lunar new year (also my year, I'm a bunny in Lunar new year).

I honestly miss them so much and start crying every time I think of them, like right now 🥺

[I have a sick and bloated betta fish]

On 2/7/2023 at 11:05 AM, Theplatymaster said:

if its in the same tank im hoping you dissinfected it. Diseases can lay dormant in gravel for a while.

Yes! I always clean everything well with tap water. All decos, gravel, plants, filter, tank, etc.

[I have a sick and bloated betta fish]

On 2/6/2023 at 6:58 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

@Sergio any update on your poor Betta?

I'm so sorry I haven't posted any update, but I wasn't feeling good after I lost him. He passed away. This was my 2nd fish ever and I thought he was gonna last more than my last one. My 1st boy lived 2 years and this one 1 year. While I suffered more with the 1st one, I feel so heartbroken for this 1, because he deserved to live more. I want all my fishes to live at least 2 years or more, since people say the average is 2-3 years.

 

This boy was so beautiful. I loved his personality so much. At least I know he lived happily while he was healthy. It was so sudden... at first I thought it was swim bladder disease and nothing more serious. I still cry to this day. Lost him on Feb. 1. You guys might not know how attached I get to my fish and how much love I give them every day, I interact with them all the time, which is why I suffer so much sadness when I lose them. They are my companions. I always have 1 fish at a time and now I can't live without them, cause seeing an empty tank breaks my heart...

 

Both of my fishes died on the same day I started treating them with Kanaplex on the hospital tank. Within a few hours. But I think both times they might have been far too gone... I don't think it was Kanaplex. Kanaplex is supposed to save them. And I don't overdose.

 

Anyway, I have a new boy and I'm praying he can live 2 or 3 years at least.

 

Thanks for the help to everyone who replied!

I buried him on the same plant pot 🪴 I buried my first one, so they stay close to me 🐟🐟👼🏻👼🏻

[I have a sick and bloated betta fish]

These are even more recent pics, like from 30 minutes ago. He stays in that plant with his mouth almost out of the water gasping for air.

I'm hoping the pinecone is just from typical reaction from bloating and not bc it has dropsy... from the side his pineconing doesn't look bad. From top is noticeable. I'm just hoping it is not and he can heal. Hasn't eaten today. And yesterday I fasted him thinking it was just overfed/constipated. So 2 days without eating now.

[I have a sick and bloated betta fish]

On 1/31/2023 at 10:42 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Oh dear @Sergio, I'm very sorry to have to say that it very much looks like Dropsy to me. As evidenced by the "pineconing" when they are bloated and their scales are coming off their body, this is a telltale sign typically IME. Also the way his body is bloated is exactly how my Betta, Kimono manifested Dropsy as well. There are "treatments" but the thing is dropsy isn't so much a disease in my understanding as a sign of many other failures like organ failure which medication won't fix but may only prolong life and if they aren't eating/pooping and swimming about it's not a lot of quality there. 

I don't like to be the bearer of bad news. I could be wrong, it's always good to get more opinions. @Colu @Odd Duck? Is it what I think it is friends?

Thanks! I still will try Kanaplex. Hopefully it is not dropsy and just some not so bad infection/parasite or constipation/overfed...

How could he get it all of the sudden?! Seemed more like he was constipated or something. He was fine like 4-5 days ago. I don't understand. I did change the water 5 days ago, but that's something I do all the time, ever 6-7 days.

He's really gasping for air on top of a small plant in my 1g hospital tank. He has his mouth constantly almost out of the water and breathing...

I'm waiting to see how should I medicated with Kanaplex. Maybe 1/5 of the spoon in the tank?

[I have a sick and bloated betta fish]

Need help on my 11 month old boy. He lives in a 2.5g tank with a sponge filter. I change like 50-60% of his water every 6-7 days.

He's always been fine, active & eats a lot. 
Yesterday when I woke up I noticed him sick, uncomfy, breathing more than usual and with a big belly. Very sudden. He usually has a slightly bigger than average belly when he eats, so I thought maybe he ate more than needed...

I always feed him like 8 small betta bug bites per day and I always soak them for 5 minutes before giving it to him. I always watch his belly as he eats.

Now for the 1st time ever he doesn't even want to eat... today will be 2 days without eating, since I fasted him yesterday. Now I'm scared, cause my last fish who was 2 years old, died like this, I fasted him for day 1 and then didn't want to eat more.

I have Kanaplex on hand and also a 1g/.75g hospital tank. What should I do? How much of the spoon should I put in a small 1g tank? Should I let the fish there at all times until he finish the medications (7 days max) or would that be dangerous? Should I change water daily and how much? Wouldn't that eliminate the Kanapex and its effectiveness? Thanks.

P.S. I added some pics. The first pics were in his 2.5 tank and the last ones in his 1g tank.

[Co-Op (Nano) Coarse Sponge Filter issues]

On 9/3/2022 at 8:05 PM, Odd Duck said:

The “cage” part and the “disc” part are definitely 2 parts.  I have had a couple of various sizes that were quite stubborn to get apart.  Most aren’t that bad.  Sometimes prying up at a slight angle by hooking your thumb under the edge of the disc will help while you push away on the other end of the cage with your other hand.  I have multiple nano, medium, and large ACO filters.  I have multiples that are double stacked (in everything but my 10 G’s and 5 G’s), including one nano stack since I had a tall, but slim driftwood piece to hide it in my 14 G.

Each piece of the ACO sponge filters come apart: base, inner “cage” (2 pieces except for the smalls), top, and lift tube.  The nanos are the only ones that have smaller inner parts and base.  All the others use the same size parts except the sponges themselves.

Thanks! I will try 1 more time next time I clean the tank in like 5 days. I grab the cage part so hard in order to remove the top part, that it feels and would break if I kept trying. But I'll give it 1 more chance.

On 9/3/2022 at 8:51 PM, KatTV said:

I have the nano and added the air stone. So yes they come apart. I'm also looking for an easier way to clean my sponge too.  I understand the bag idea. Just think it's a pain in the butt. 

That's like the only down side, taking the sponge out to clean it.

[Co-Op (Nano) Coarse Sponge Filter issues]

On 9/3/2022 at 7:18 AM, quikv6 said:

Part number 2 sits in part number 1. It is 2 pieces, and it definitely will pop out.

You can see both parts are seamless together. They can't be deattached like Cory did in the bottom pics I posted. I've tried 2 times already might have to try 1 more time. But I'm not blind and I can see that it is totally seamless both parts 😕

 

I need to solve this asap for my fishy. Bubbles are too big and flow is too strong without the air stone.

[Co-Op (Nano) Coarse Sponge Filter issues]

Hello! This is the Coarse Sponge Filter I bought:

 

So I tried again to take off only the top part so I can insert the air stone and it doesn't seem like it is 2 different parts. Part 1 and 2 as seen in my pic, seems to be stuck together, like it isn't deattachable... I tried hard again, but was afraid to break part 1 which is like a cage.

 

I want to deattach the top part like Cory did here, so I can insert the air stone and also take out the sponge much easier for when I want to clean it.

[Co-Op (Nano) Coarse Sponge Filter issues]

Reading all comments now that I have time. Thank you all.

Gonna have to try again when I clean the tank in a few days.

 

I've seen those videos, but I can't seem to take the top part out of it. Seems like I will have to pry it harder. Hope it doesn't break... I'm afraid of that.

 

Wish someome with a NANO sponge filter confirmed it.

[Co-Op (Nano) Coarse Sponge Filter issues]

So I bought my 1st filter ever after it was recommended by someone. I bought the Aquarium Co-Op Nano Sponge Filter with everything, the air pump, air stone, air valve, check valve, etc. So I set it up and so far love it, 5 stars, but at the same time it's a 2.5 stars for a few reasons...

 

1. I don't know how to open it to insert the air stone. Tried so hard and felt like I was gonna break it, so I decided to ask here first. I need to insert that air stone ASAP, because the water flow is very strong in my 2.5g tank and my betta is having trouble swimming. So please help me with this. I've seen videos of how it opens, but I can't seem to find how to...

 

2. How can I take out the sponge alone for when I want to clean it?! I don't want nor do I can take it out to clean it while still being attached to the tubbing. I need to take out the bottom part only to clean it...

 

3. I decided to buy clear tubbing from Petco instead of the black tubbing from Co-Op, because I preferred clear, and the clear tubbing barely attaches to the air pump, valve and sponge filter. Like it only attaches the tip of it and I'm afraid it could de-attach at any moment. So sad Co-Op doesn't have clear tubbing. I now wish I had bought their black tubbing instead... 

 

I need to know how to solve the air stone thing ASAP. Thanks!

 

P.S. Here's a pic of my entire order.