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Post by abm on Aug 25, 2004 9:10:31 GMT -5
I'm posting this as urgent because I'm upset...if the moderators want to move it later, fine by me. I'm concerned about Anakin...he is rather listless and stopped eating a few days ago. I'm not totally panicking yet but I need some of you to remind me of things I can check and fix for him.... He's in a 2-gallon unfiltered, uncycled tank, gets 100% water changes every 2 weeks. Tank is heated to 78 degrees, no changes there. Tank contains glass beads, an aquarium hidey/mountain cave like thing, a silk plant and a thermometer. Had a water change on Saturday. Water is treated with Novaqua and Amquel +. Normally he eats 2 biogold pellets in the a.m. and 3 Bettabites in the p.m., occasionally alternating in daphnia or fd bloodworms (which he really doesn't like). His tank normally sits on a shelf in a corner of the room - when i noticed that he wasn't eating I brought his tank over to my desk where I could see him better. He reacts to fingers, other bettas, etc. by swimming and flaring, etc. as usual. And he has built a nice little bubblenest while I was at work today.  So maybe he's just in a funk and I'm worried for nothing? But when I offer food he looks sad, withdraws and sinks near the bottom of the tank until I go away  . Anything I haven't covered here? Jog my memory, people! ~abm |
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Post by amanichen on Aug 25, 2004 10:33:14 GMT -5
Try feeding him something other than the pellets first, and see if he'll respond to them.
The lack of appetite might be caused by the onset of disease, possibly brought about by poor water quality. You say that you do water changes every two weeks on the two gallon...that may not be enough. Test your water and look at the pH and other chemical levels.
If the problem is a disease, then from what you've said there aren't enough symptoms to really make a diagnosis. Appetite loss can be an indication of many different problems, so at this point start with the easy stuff, and see if it checks out.
Don't even think about meds till you've tried the food switch, and tested your water first =)
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Post by abm on Aug 25, 2004 11:05:59 GMT -5
Nope, definitely not thinking meds....and I am tempted to try, in sequence, every betta food source I have  which I know is not the best course of action. But the "mom" in me wants him to EAT!  Water condition details: His water is aged tap water; in my area the pH out of the faucet is 9+ but it drops precipitously over the first 24 hrs down to 7.0-7.2. Subsequent pH tests show the pH stable between 7.0 and 7.2 for up to a week, and I usually use water that's been aged about 3-5 days for each water change. (It depends slightly on how many changes I've gotta do in a day - I have one guy in a 3 gallon tank who needs changes every 9-10 days!!! That throws off my schedule somewhat). I do test pH etc. in between and have now, and nothing shows up. When I said I change the water "every 2 weeks" that's sort of shorthand for "about every 2 weeks, or more often if pH and ammonia tests indicate a need". Sorry for not being more clear:). But I haven't had a test result come back negatively in quite some time, so it is about every 2 weeks. He looks great. Clear eyes, alert, fins active and clean, skin color excellent. Acting healthy, although a little quiet, except for not eating. Sort of like he's testing me...  I think I will just watch him for a day or so, offering food at the usual times when I feed the others, and of course removing it if uneaten. Thanks for your reminders amanichen - I will post later (after he eats dinner, hopefully  ). I have a jar of zooplankton that I got last week....I hear these guys like that stuff... ~abm |
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Post by Sqwee on Aug 25, 2004 11:56:27 GMT -5
mine still isn't eating either, but he's battling one heck of a case of fin rot.
The only thing I can get him to occasionally eat at the moment is freeze dried brine shrimp. But even then, he only takes a bite...
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Post by abm on Aug 25, 2004 16:06:41 GMT -5
No real change:( didn't like the daphnia I offered, although everyone else seemed pretty happy with "dessert" for dinner:) Wish me luck. Actually, I don't need luck. Wish Anakin well, please . |
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Hannah
Junior Bubble Nester
Aquila
Posts: 224
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Post by Hannah on Aug 27, 2004 16:18:42 GMT -5
Hey, how's Anakin doing? Do you know it there's been anything close to his tank that has changed (like a camera being near his tank. Heard a story about a betta acting quite sick and the person finally realized that the betta thought the camera was a big fish so the guy quickly removed the camera that was near the tank and the betta acted normal again  ). Other than that I really can't think of anything else plus you said that he was acting normal. Maybe he had a bad food experience  (just a thought cause whenever I have a bad food experience I'll end up not eating that particular type of food again :  . I hope Anakin starts eating again soon. |
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Post by amanichen on Aug 27, 2004 16:34:19 GMT -5
So is he still active, or is he just not eating?
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Post by abm on Aug 27, 2004 22:50:58 GMT -5
Sorry for the lack of response...I try to be a well-rounded betta owner and occasionally venture out to sporting events (translation: I went to the Braves game tonight : . Hannah, no, nothing near his tank has changed in months. I did move him out where I could see him better, but that was after he began his not eating behavior. In fact, since he, Pentecost and Taz all live on shelves in a corner of my bedroom, I have thought many times of moving them elsewhere where they could have more interaction with the world - but they've been so healthy and so happy, I didn't want to mess with success . Anakin sort of scared me this morning, I offered a pellet along with the other guys' breakfast and Ani ate it immediately, then popped it right out, like he couldn't eat it.  I opted not to panic, God is in control . So I removed the pellet from the tank and went to work as usual. Before we left for the baseball game I offered him some Pepso food (teensy, easy to eat) . He gobbled it up! I didn't get to do a water change today (the Braves game was a sort of spur-of-the-moment decision ;D) but will do one tomorrow, and will post afterwards on his response. Thanks for caring, everyone!!! ~abm |
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Post by starlight on Aug 28, 2004 1:53:59 GMT -5
ABM did you take Anakin to the game?
It's nice to do things with our bettas. I just hope that you brought along food to feed him. Food is so expensive at the ballpark and most of it is not suitable for bettas.
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Post by abm on Aug 28, 2004 9:40:30 GMT -5
Well, to be honest, I'm a cheapskate, and I got good seats this time and didn't want to hold him in my lap the whole time, nor did I want to pay for a seat for him, sooooo..... no, Anakin stayed home . It's ok, though, because he got a good night's rest in a nice quiet house and he's eating this morning! Plus, starlight, I have 8 bettas....if I took Ani to the game, then next thing you know Taz is going to want to go to the movies...then Moonie would want to go shopping....and Tomahawk....well gee, Tom was NAMED for the Braves....if I took Anakin to a baseball game and Tomahawk found out....GEEZ what a problem I'd have! |
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Post by abm on Aug 28, 2004 17:24:57 GMT -5
Follow-up post: I did change Ani's water today He ate well earlier and is acting like his old self again Wish I knew why he had gotten in a snit, but I think he's ok for now. Thanks, everybody! ~abm |
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Lucy
Fry
Sophie my Opaque Female
Posts: 49
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Post by Lucy on Aug 28, 2004 17:52:10 GMT -5
Thats great that he is better Lucy |
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So maybe he's just in a funk and I'm worried for nothing? But when I offer food he looks sad, withdraws and sinks near the bottom of the tank until I go away 
.
which I know is not the best course of action. But the "mom" in me wants him to EAT! 
). I have a jar of zooplankton that I got last week....I hear these guys like that stuff...
). Other than that I really can't think of anything else plus you said that he was acting normal. Maybe he had a bad food experience 
(just a thought cause whenever I have a bad food experience I'll end up not eating that particular type of food again :
. I hope Anakin starts eating again soon.
I opted not to panic, God is in control . So I removed the pellet from the tank and went to work as usual. Before we left for the baseball game I offered him some Pepso food (teensy, easy to eat) . He gobbled it up! 
