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I've had my 6 gallon bookshelf aquarium up and running for almost a year now.
I do a water change once a week and the occupants of the aquarium are one betta fish and four fresh water snails.
Everything was going smoothly until yesterday, when Jor was at the bottom of the tank almost on his side. He would come up for air and then would go back down and rest. I thought maybe he was just dozing, as I keep the light in my bedroom dim at night.
I wake up this morning to find him resting on a silk plant. I went to feed him and he swam up, but just took a gulp of air and went back down, but this time to the bottom, again resting on his side.
I immediately remember reading about swimmers bladder.
I did a partial water change and isolated him in the plastic container he came in, and put that in the aquarium, so he wouldn't struggle to make his way to the top.
This is where I get confused: I've read to feed him a thawed, shelled, frozen pea piece after a couple of casting days. I've also read that doing this can easily cause more digestive issues and shouldn't be done at all.
Any advice on that?
On top of this issue, I noticed he has a good size hole on his bottom fin, smack in the middle of it, so I added aquarium salt in hopes it will heal him. (I've gone through fin rot with him, but it was just the edges, but he healed up with the salt added in after a few weeks.) is this the route I should take again with him?
Also, should I give my aquarium a good cleaning? I siphon the junk on the bottom, when doing the water changes, but I know a ton of stuff is left over. I know some of it needs to stay, but I'm just not to sure on what to do.
I love my betta and don't want him to get worse.
Thanks for any and all advice!
I do a water change once a week and the occupants of the aquarium are one betta fish and four fresh water snails.
Everything was going smoothly until yesterday, when Jor was at the bottom of the tank almost on his side. He would come up for air and then would go back down and rest. I thought maybe he was just dozing, as I keep the light in my bedroom dim at night.
I wake up this morning to find him resting on a silk plant. I went to feed him and he swam up, but just took a gulp of air and went back down, but this time to the bottom, again resting on his side.
I immediately remember reading about swimmers bladder.
I did a partial water change and isolated him in the plastic container he came in, and put that in the aquarium, so he wouldn't struggle to make his way to the top.
This is where I get confused: I've read to feed him a thawed, shelled, frozen pea piece after a couple of casting days. I've also read that doing this can easily cause more digestive issues and shouldn't be done at all.
Any advice on that?
On top of this issue, I noticed he has a good size hole on his bottom fin, smack in the middle of it, so I added aquarium salt in hopes it will heal him. (I've gone through fin rot with him, but it was just the edges, but he healed up with the salt added in after a few weeks.) is this the route I should take again with him?
Also, should I give my aquarium a good cleaning? I siphon the junk on the bottom, when doing the water changes, but I know a ton of stuff is left over. I know some of it needs to stay, but I'm just not to sure on what to do.
I love my betta and don't want him to get worse.
Thanks for any and all advice!