NanoNano

Saw the "newbie fish keeper" tag, so feel that sharing these thoughts might be appropriate: * Are you currently feeding your Bettas live brine and are they eating it well? I have 8 Bettas and 3 of them are completely disinterested in eating brine shrimp. * My experience is that feeding Bettas live food often increases their aggression and exploration of "I wonder how this tank mate tastes?". If your plan is to keep your Betta's in with inverts (shrimp) or live bearers that produce live fry and not have them eat the young, feeding live food on a regular basis might work against that goal. For the record, I've found that female bettas are usually as if not more aggressive with other tank mates than males. Literal food for thought 🙂- Good luck and enjoy your Bettas!

Some general off the top of my head comments: * Bettas take a good amount of their air from the surface, so aeration in a Betta's tank is *important* but it's primary value isn't helping a Betta respirate from the water column, it's in moving the water column so that the biome can break down the substantial waste Bettas generate and in breaking the tension of the water surface so that Betta's don't have to break through a level of floating protein "scum" to get to atmosphere. * Building on the point above...There's been mention of "fix" products in this thread. These often contain oils, which ultimately separate from the water and end up on the water surface creating a layer of film. I'm in the "say no to fix" products camp, but again, there's more than one way to keep fish. * I've noticed that several of my Bettas like to hang out near where my filter/heater chamber output is after a water change, or rescaping of their tank. I've interpreted this as "self soothing" - kind of like humans climbing under a blanket and pulling the covers up over their head when they get a little scared or when they've had a bad day. Point being that dude is likely not cold- he might have decided that the warmth and vibration of the heater (and maybe some of the electromagnetic field) help make him feel a little more at ease. * I saw you mention Hikari food on your list. I'm going to make another plug for Fluval Betta Bug bites as the protein that it includes is insect based (black solider fly larvae...ugh...er yum!). Nearly every other food uses an aquatic based protein, so this food does have a major difference from most others. * I'm not really well versed in dealing with constipated Bettas, so hopefully someone will chime in here. The two things that I've seen recommended as treatment are live daphnia and peas, so you want to search on both. I can't wrap my head around peas working. Bettas are carnivorous. Some will eat vegetable matter here or there (often just to "hog it" and simply to keep something else in the tank from eating it), but I can't see a Betta that's already not eating well look to eat something that's not on their daily menu. Hopefully someone with some fish gastroenterology expertise can advise on options here. * Male bettas are supposed to be the aggressive loners in the fish world, but I've found that they secretly crave attention and simply seeing someone outside their tank. I've had a couple that started hiding in plants and generally becoming "mopey" and I've found if I get a cup of coffee and simply pull up a chair or hang out where they can see me (which is different interaction than doing tank maintenance), it often seems to peak their interest and make them more active. You might want to try that if that's not already part of the routine - it may take a couple 4 or 5 times for them to warm up to seeing you. Good luck- keep the faith. Dude is lucky that someone like you brought him home and are working so hard for him.

So one thing to be cautious of is doing too many things at the same time to try to solve multiple problems. I've had the best luck "doing tai chi" - gradual consistent behavior/treatment gives you great power. "Doing karate" where you try to fix things in one chop can end up with bigger problems if you've guessed wrong on your course of action or chosen to fight the wrong opponent. Getting dude eating is priority- fins can wait. Meds can kill an appetite and make the water "taste funny" to humans, so I'm assuming the same goes for fish- if dude is already not inclined to eat, potentially making things "taste weird" for him complicates fixing that. Edit- Per @Colu and @James Black Betta's actually seem to like the taste of garlic, so potentially trying that is "food" and not "bad tasing medicine". We haven't asked two very basic questions here- 1) What is the PH of the water dude is in? Betta's can tolerate a pretty good range, but prefer water more on the acidic and soft side. Not looking to go changing PH - but this is an important data point. 2) Is dude pooping regularly (or has he pooped at all)? Are you convinced that he didn't arrive constipated or blocked up? There's some very small 1.5 watt air pumps made by Hygger that *I've* found give good aeration while not buffeting a Betta around even in Nano tanks as small as 3 gallons. They're super quiet as well. I don't think the chains carry Hygger, but many independent pet stores as well the giant internet seller from Seattle do. I always buy from and support independent stores when possible, but in an emergency situations you can get meds express shipped. I can literally get Seachem Prime (and pretty much the entire product line of treatments) delivered to my door the same day where I am by using my you know where's Prime account. Again, this is my "break the glass" last resort emergency fall back plan- buying my stock of medicine, water products, and food stock to have on hand from a full service store is what I want to do.

Dude's a looker! I have a particular weakness for blue Bettas with red fins- nice choice! A Betta with some meat on his bones can go a week without food without really any ill effects and probably another 2-3 weeks on top of that to skinny up before he approaches risk for irreversible problems. You have a time buffer before health problems come into play, but a Betta's normal eating pattern is usually twice a day and you want to get him back in a natural rhythm. Betta's stomachs are supposedly about the size of their eyeballs, so you want to kind of target providing that size portion of food for him. @Colu is putting you on an excellent path. Try some different foods per their suggestions (maybe even call the store you got him from and see if they can tell you what food they were feeding him?). As far as fin rot goes, fin rot typically causes the edges of fins to become ragged with either black (dead tissue) or a reddish (raw and bloody) tinge. I'm seeing clear fin tips on your betta which I've most often seen in new fin growth (pigmentation usually gradually comes into the new growth 1-3 weeks after the growth appears). If you don't have it already, I'd suggest getting a bottle of Seachem Stressguard (Paraguard will work too in lower dosages than Stressguard). Stressguard contains a dye that has topical antiseptic properties and will adhere to your Betta's fins and scales. I've found it very good at helping Bettas heal from fin damage of all sorts and you can dose it prophylacticly (I always wanted to use that word correctly in polite company!) without fear of harming your guy. Do be aware though that the dye can permanently stain some types of silicone. If you're new to Bettas and/or tank doesn't have long tall plants that your guy can prop himself on and snooze on, I'd suggest that you get one of those suction cup fake leaf "hammocks" or one of the resin "floating log"s they sell. You want to keep your guy from resting at the bottom of the tank where his fins can come in direct contact with his poop, decaying food, or the bacteria that favor either.

It's moving season, so there's been a lot of posts and advice given on r/Aquariums on Reddit as well. I'd definitely look at threads/advice over there too.

I would research your state's DNR online site(s) and wouldn't be hesitant to call/email them for guidance. My general gut tells me that there's some animosity towards exotic fish/reptile hobbyists in many DNRs and courts due to irresponsible actions in the past (again...pythons and zebra mussels), so showing that you're a current hobbiest that's trying to be responsible and follow the DNR rules to NOT make further mistakes should be met with support.

Really good advice from @Nirvanaquatics on investigating collection permits. If you watch some of the "guys with nets in Florida canals" videos on Youtube, you'll see that they pick up a bunch of non native species- many of which likely originated from the aquarium hobby. And then there's the pythons and zebra mussels. Many state's DNR (Department of Natural Resources) have adopted a zero tolerance / hefty fine strategy on any activities that move species out of their natural range and/or into non native habitats, so beware and educate yourself as best you can. I'd extend @Nirvanaquatics guidance to researching eBay/Etsy etc. listings as well. I've caught a bunch of recent listings (e.g. Sphixi Snails) where sellers have listed plants and animals that have active DNR and Department of Agriculture restrictions on their sale and/or transport across state lines. Ignorance of retrictions isn't a defense in avoiding fines.

I was using Wonder Shells in tanks with Rabbit snails and Neo shrimp because my water source is mineral/TDS poor and I was concerned about snail shell erosion/shrimp molting. Fish and inverts all did great for months with a shell dropped in about every 3 weeks...Then the place I buy my 'Shells went out of stock so my tanks had to go "cold turkey". After I did my first 'Shellless water change, I immediately had shrimp that had never bred in *three* different tanks produce young and two pairs of my Rabbit snails knocked out a set of twins each. Coincidence (spring *was* in the air)? Not sure, but it's put me on a path to better understand what the effects of the 'Shells content should be on my critters.

I have 8 different Betta tanks going on right now...A couple of thoughts and opinions (few scientifically proven facts) to share: Breeders almost always raise male Bettas in isolation in small bare cups, bottles, "tanks" etc. often less than a gallon. While you've put your Betta into something that mimics a natural environment, it's not natural to him yet. Little guy just made the transition from a black and white reality to color, so he's living through his own real live episode of Wandavision. A bit of shock and awe and acting cautious is normal and actually very desirable to me. If I get and brand new male and he goes charging around his tank in an hour or two, I know that I have a one track mind Alpha that's going to nip and chase anything else that goes in his tank. I've read on the internet (so, opinions not scientifically proven facts) that the prevalent aquarium nitrifying bacteria is actually one of the slower growing bacteria in water- taking a colony something like 8-10 hours to double in size under optimal conditions. Seems to make sense to me given that there's a lot of square footage on the surface of substrate for the bacteria to cover and that it can often take weeks for water tests to show "stable". Long way of saying that even with bacteria introduced on plants and decor, building a tank biome takes more time than any of us want. One thing that I've read (again, opinion from the internet) is that the nitrifying bacteria grow best where there's a constant water flow over them...so if your plants and/or decor are near your filter intake, or there's an air stone near by creating water circulation that could be helpful. I've seen Bettas get fed everything from live blood worms to flakes at different stores in the same chain, so it's tough to tell what this guy is accustomed to and "thinks" food should smell like. I've found it helpful with new guys to feed tiny portions of same food (every feeding) at the same corner of the tank a couple of times a day- most guys come around by their second or third day in the tank. I have yet to own a Betta that hasn't gone berserk for Fluval's Betta Bug Bites, so if you have someone that continues to refuse to eat what you already have on hand, I'd add that to your "try" list. There's multiple right ways to care for fish, so I'm not pooh-poohing anyone else's strategy. My preference is that if I have an elevated level of anything undesirable in my tank and *I have the time to do it*, I do a water change. Chemical reactions work by consuming some elements from the water column and elevating/introducing others- which can effect your biome (and plants and other critters) especially when it's trying to initially build itself. A subsequent water change is going to change the water column yet again if you "dose" with chemicals, so rather than "two step things" I prefer to go straight to a water change. Again, no one's advice is right or wrong here, just different thinking, different levels of effort, different levels of getting your hands and arms (and carpet in my case) wet, and different time commitments. Good luck to both you and your fish!

That *really* looks like a worm to to me and not anything to do with your puffer. Did you do a water test? Dead things in tanks usually result in an ammonia surge even when they decay quickly. A lot of critters are really good at hiding when they become sick. I'm sure that you've checked "the splash zone" around the tank and the filter about 700 times now- if you haven't done this yet, get a *bright flashlight* and carefully check all of the corner seams in your tank. I've had several cases where fish and snails have parked themselves tight against a corner and you could stare straight at them and they'd be "cloaked" due to strange reflections from the glass meeting and room/ambient lighting.

One good habit I've found is to kill your aquarium lighting early one night every week or two and then do a sudden lights on "midnight tank check". You'll probably be surprised to learn that there's things in your tank that you didn't know were in your tank. Case and point- I thought my elderly snail was the last Mohican from a batch of 6 I once had. Did a 1AM tank check last week and counted 14 juveniles in the same tank before they could dive back under the substrate.

I've found it common that those micro bubbles you see all over your glass and substrate when you first fill a tank form under the substrate as well and as your substrate settles those bubbles collect into larger pockets until they're disturbed and...burrrrrp! Unfortunately I have a lot of experience with hydrogen sulfide from (Edit) anaerobic bacteria as I used to live off a bay where sea lettuce would collect, die, sink, and rot in the summer. It takes a very small amount of sulfide gas to make a very big stink- if you're seeing bubbles break the surface but not getting an immedaitely detectable "ugh!" odor, you're probably not dealing with it.

I'll give this thread yet another necro bump - @Cory this one is for you as it needs to be driven from resellers back to manufacturers. Industry standardization on a common power connector that is smaller than and allows for greater density than the standard 2 or 3 prong "wall plug". I see way too many fish room videos with people that have reached the "prosumer level" of multiple tanks in a space that hasn't been rearchitected with extra wall outlets or industrial power strips. Instead there's 8 outlet power strip daisy chained into 6 outlet power strip because that's the only current option. One of my other hobbies is electric guitar and the effects pedals used in that hobby have largely been standardized on 9V power delivered with a standard barrel and pin connector. This allows you to send regulated protected power to as many as 16 devices from a single power supply with a single wall plug. Some of my nano tank lights already appear compatible with this system. Power via USB is another potential option (and starting to appear on aquarium products as well) that would allow greater density using off the shelf powered USB hubs. I don't have any allegiance to any specific standard- I just wish the industry would come together and agree on one as I currently have 2 10 outlet power strips on every outlet in a bedroom and that is unsightly, difficult to troubleshoot, and arguably unsafe (or so I've been told).

As far as I'm aware, there is no such thing as a "herbivore" leech- they all eat flesh and blood. The aquatic leeches that I've seen have all had their head at the smallest part of their body (the part pointing towards the floor in your picture) and have a a very distinct "inchworm" type movement where they double their body up and then thrust their head forward. I'm with @Colu - You want to remove any of these that you find and dispatch them so they don't end up in your local water. This guy is is either feeding on or planning to feed on your fish and snails. it might not out right kill any of them, but it can introduce pathogens and/or cause weakness and anemia like issues via it's feeding.

I think what you might have are Rhabdocoela worms (they hitchhiked into two of my tanks on plants). Unsightly, but harmless and another creature that will work your mulm and substrate. I haven't had any issues with them in a tank where I have breeding blue dream shrimp (other than my freaking out thinking that they were planaria or snail leeches of some sort). When they first appeared they would cruise over the tank glass and decor in bright light with no shame- now that they're established they're 99% nocturnal. Edit- I should mention that my Rhabdo worms tend to move at fairly constant speed, in fairly straight lines, and adhere to surfaces. The Planaria that I've seen seem to almost float over surfaces, move with a lot of stopping and starting, and frequently change direction as if they're hunting for things.

What's the PH of the source water that you're using?

I'd also add that I've had good luck using Seachem Stressguard (which has antiseptic qualities) helping with early cases of suspected fin rot.

I'll add my voice to the chorus of "let him be" for a few days. He was immersed in the same water for an extended time period while shipped, but he wasn't fed. If he does have fin rot going on- it's more likely a burn from the ammonia that built up from his excreted waste rather than bacteria. Important to also remember that Bettas, even those from reputable breeders, are almost always raised in tiny bare environments, so this guy's mind is likely being blown seeing a natural environment. Being a bit apprehensive and guarded for a bit is probably correct natural behavior. I use those little 1G Petco "critter keepers" as hospital tanks too. The three recommendations I'd make with them are 1) They don't hold heat well, so get a small 10 or 20w heater *that has a preset thermostatic shut off*. Not all small heaters have this (they will heat constantly), so look for it listed explicitly as a feature. 2) Put something floating or anchored to the side so that your Betta isn't resting in the waste that collects at the bottom of the tank. 3) Lid on at all times (you can pass the cord for the heater through the feeding window at the top. Small tanks and treatment can make mellow fish into jumpers and jumpers into pole vaulters. You don't want to end up with your buddy on the floor. If treatment with medication becomes necessary down the line, be sure to read the directions for the specific treatment carefully. Some medications state that there should be NO water changes during treatment.

Same experiences as @Fish Folk. The mottled coloration on this guy makes him look like a senior citizen to me, though fin rot can be in play at any age. A couple of things that I've noted in caring for older bettas: * They definitely become more sensitive to water quality, temperature, and general "bad bacteria" when they're older. If your schedule allows, small partial daily water changes and fast removal of uneaten food and waste (I use a turkey baster) to create a consistent water environment helps. Giving him a floating log, leaf "hammock", or plant perch if he doesn't have one would be good as well. You want to keep him from resting at bottom of the tank where his fins can get further damaged or where he can "wallow" in waste. Edit- You also want to try to keep his water in the 77-80 degree F range as that's the optimal range for his immune system to work it's best. *New fin growth on Bettas starts clear and then gets pigmentation later. I've had several where the pigmentation stops coming in on the new growth as they age. it looks like that might be going on with your guy. * While this guy doesn't look underweight, it could be that his fins are a sign that his metabolism has changed and he needs a different diet mix of proteins, vitamins, etc. You might want to consider introducing some new foods (keeping the old food if he's eating it well) and see if there's any improvement. He's handsome and looks like a good companion- good luck

Admins struck my last post on this, so I''l try to make my point another way. Multiple Aquarium Co-Op videos feature the extensive quarantining efforts that they go through when they receive new fish/snails/shimp. Buying and then returning fish (or snails) should at best force them back into several weeks of quarantine (not great time spent for creatures with short life spans) and at worst (which I've seen happen at the chains that shall not be named), puts them unmedicated directly back in the tank with other existing stock to be sold....ready to potentially pass on the pathogens of their last home to anyone that buys anything from that tank. Please be thoughtful about the creatures you buy...if you don't think you can handle some of their behaviors, they might not be right for you.

Instinctually programmed behavior (like birds flying south for the winter) and intelligence are two separate things ;).

I think I have 15ish Nerites spread across several tanks. My experience has been that they will suddenly lay eggs (sometimes prolifically) and then just as suddenly stop of long periods of time- sometimes for the rest of their lives. One thing that I'm suspicious of is if it might be related to variances in the availability of food- I've noticed that many Nerites will start to lay eggs either shortly after I've purchased them (more food- they're suddenly not competing for food with 20 other snails in a tank at the store) or if one of my tanks becomes especially clean (no food). In the tanks where I have Neo shrimp (that I give supplemental food to every 2-3 days) and Nerites, I notice fewer eggs/less laying. Obviously same water, same tanks, same basic care routines, so it could be specific to "me" or just a coincidence.

Darwinism at work? 🙂

I've read speculation that Nerites instinctually seek out driftwood to lay their eggs on as driftwood is the equivalent of "public transit" floating from freshwater (where the adults live) to brackish water (where the nymphs hatch and grow). The eggs are *tough* to remove for the week or so after being laid. After 5-7 days they become soft enough to dislodge with a flat blunt object (I use chopsticks as they're less prone to gouge decor). Dislodged eggs will sink to the substrate and degrade in a day to two. After removing the egg, there will still be a "ring" of adhesive that gets left behind...this can be nearly impossible to remove on some surfaces. I've found that other species of snails and shrimp will dislodge it, but it can take somewhere between days and months for the rings to totally disappear.

Hi Vanessa- Have you shown (or considered showing) your partner the last post you made? You're a good communicator and there's some really powerful stuff in there that leaps out at me: * Music and Fish keeping are *both* hobbies for me. Truth be told, I get the same exact sense of happiness and relaxation out of changing guitar strings as I do out of doing water changes. There's definitely a joint connection there that I think your partner can relate to and understand about you- you might have to help him a little bit more to see that you both feel the same sense of enjoyment from your hobbies. * You mention that you've made the efforts to share in his hobby. Has he shared in yours? Can you combine them? Personally, I'm pretty sure that I can't come up with a single person that I know that wouldn't find it enjoyable to watch fish and listen to Jazz (a good stiff drink in hand would make this into a perfect "hat trick"). * If you're getting older, could this be case where what your partner is really worried about is that you might have an accident (e.g. slip on a wet floor or fall carrying something) or that there might be circumstances where they might have to take care of your pride and joy tank and they feel overwhelmed or intimidated by that? Maybe try to tease this out and then talk about a plan to avoid both? * You call your partner "a good man"- make sure that he see this for sure...I think I can generalize here- most men see that in print or hear that out loud from their partner rarely-especially as relationships get longer. Having a partner acknowledge this about me would make my day, week, month, and year. * Consider if you can play "let's make a deal". Maybe your partner has had their eye on something for their hobby that they've been holding back on for themselves that they've assumed you wouldn't agree to or just feel guilty about spending money on (maybe something for their saxophone, or music collection, or a collectable from their favorite Jazz artist, whatever). If you're at the stage where you're financially secure, maybe you can agree to green light something "big" for both your hobbies? Good luck- I'm rooting for both of you to come together over this.