Sad crowntail needs help

I was in nasty Walmart today and saw that they were going to "toss" a beautiful blue-eyed white crowntail with greenish tail who was swimming in a filthy 1 inch of water. He kept sitting on his tail and gasping. I took him home. At home I tested the water in his little container and the ammonia measured over 8.0 ppm! (This is why I HATE Walmart. I wouldn't have even gone there if I didn't need a few things there that I couldn't find elsewhere.) Also rescued a baby black mystery snail with a badly damaged shell. I attribute this also to poor care. I took photos and am sending them to the Walmart corporate office with a huge complaint, once again.

Anyway, I cleaned the fish's water, got the ammonia down to about .2. Added some aquarium salt and a little bit of Melafix. Haven't transferred him to a tank as I don't have anywhere to put him at the moment. Am keeping the container warm by sitting on an electric blanket. He ate a couple frozen bloodworms. But he's struggling to get to the top of the water to gulp some air. He tends to sit on his tail and wants to lay on the bottom though he's really trying very hard to swim around. I think he's a fighter and I want to help him. Can any of you give me suggestions on what to do?

Good of you to pull a rescue!

First I'd consider transferring him to a larger container if you haven't already.

Keep the water level reasonably shallow as to allow easier breathing.

I'd pay extra special attention to the water temp. if you are only heating
the bottom with the blanket. There could be a strong contrast from top to bottom. Maybe loosely bunch the blanket around the makeshift tank.

Anything you might be able to add to provide cover and comfort.

Good luck with him and I'm happy hes in much better hands!

Great tips! I read somewhere that when bettas sit on their tails it means they might have a bacteria infection or something to do with the swim bladder. It's almost like his tail is weighted down. It's like when he tries to swim to the top of the water the tail seems to be heavy. Anybody have experience with this?

I have no experience with illness so I can't help there.

Hopefully he's just down in the dumps and will come out of it soon. They are
treated very poorly sometimes as we all know!

What you've heard can be true as a betta's swimbladder is located in the "skinny bit" of the body right near the tail. It can be affected by internal bacterial infections which would be better solved with a med with antibiotics in them

Watch the melafix - in unfiltered, still water it forms a film on top of the water which can burn the betta when he breathes from the surface. If you have a bubble stone you can put in then that would help keep the med circulated evenly. Would be better to use a half dose as this could be what is making the betta gasp - it is quite strong and is the equivalent of us putting plain tea tree into a cut.

Hope he gets better for you, I hope you get a reply to your complaint letter x

Is there a good alternative to Melafix, if the fish in fact has swim bladder issues? I am new at this. By the way, the fish was gasping when I rescued him. Was not gasping after I cleaned the water and put in a drop of Melafix and salt.

I changed the fish's water again this morning -- this time I just put some salt in but no melafix. The fish's eyes have changed color! Last night, they were bright blue. Now they are so dark they are almost black. Yet the fish seems OK. Can anyone explain this??

I can't explain the change of colour, sorry.

I don't know what meds you have over there but here we have a specific swimbladder treatment, but I think any meds with antibiotics in will help - jungle do some good ones, think the Tank Buddies Fungus clear does bacterial probs. Or the Maracyn ones is it called?

could be the meds changed the eye colour.
Have you got any shallow plastic containers with lids on? I use these and just make a few holes in top with a hot knitting needle. It sounds as if you are doing your very best for him, so glad he is having some loving care at last..xxx

Just put him temporarily in a 1 gallon bowl, filled with water halfway so it isn't so hard for him to swim to the surface. He really struggles -- poor thing. I just read that when a fish has swim bladder problems to try giving him a shelled pea and to try fasting him for a couple days. Will give that a try... Crossing my fingers! He's such a pretty fish. Now he is starting to get more of a pink color. Probably was white-ish before due to the obscene amount of ammonia he was living in.

Best of luck with him! I'm sure he'll get better now he's with someone who cares

There are two antibiotics available at Petsmart.

Erythromycin Powder or Tetracycline Powder made by API. I was informed
here that Tetracycline is stronger so I went with it for fin rot on one of my
boys. I just finished treatment(4 days) and the black edging has gone for the moment!

They are both pricey at $14.99 and 1/2 the price or better online at Pet
Mountain. They have a wide selection including some Jungle products which
as you know have been recommended. Remember with any of these you should add at
least an air stone to circulate the water some.

If you like I would be willing to mail you a couple of packets. Each one
treats 10gls. I just divided the contents by eye as hes in a 2gl. Hex.

Just PM your address if you wish me to mail some off.

Good luck with him and have you thought of a name?

You are so kind!
Thanks! I will take you up on that. The fish's belly is not distended, as it probably would be if his swim bladder trouble was due to constipation, so maybe those meds would help him. I haven't given him a name yet. Maybe "Lucky"!

the one I got today sort of swims tail down a bit, roach back as well. yours sounds a bit better today, do you think? touch wood

He's trying really hard to swim around. He flared when I put his bowl in front of one of my aquariums, so he has some spirit in him. But he always sinks to the bottom of the bowl. His swim bladder area looks totally deflated. This morning I noticed his eyes went back to being blue. Very weird how he was changing color. He also has more pink with greenish towards the tail, kind of "peacock" markings on the tail and white fins splotched with maroon.

well t least he is still with you....fingers crossed for next few days x

SiennaBay wrote:You are so kind!
Thanks! I will take you up on that. The fish's belly is not distended, as it probably would be if his swim bladder trouble was due to constipation, so maybe those meds would help him. I haven't given him a name yet. Maybe "Lucky"!

I'll get it in the post office box this weekend so it will get to you soon. If you decide not to use it you have some in the medicine cabinet. Glad to be of assistance and hoping it all works out for Lucky and you!

Thank you for being so generous, F. Banks. My sick fishie thanks you too. I will definitely be using it. I'm convinced there is some kind of bacterial infection going on here. Meanwhile I'll just keep his water really clean.

Hope he gets better with the meds

UPDATE: Lucky is now swimming! His tail dips down just a little as he swims but he is much better! The meds & clean water must have done the trick. His swim bladder area looks inflated now. Yay! He's just dancing all over the place like he can hardly believe it. I will try to get good pics as soon as I get him settled in his new tank! Thanks again to F.Banks for sending the meds!