while I was feeding her and she's not looking so good =(
When she swims she tilts slightly to one side and I think she may have damaged a fin. She fell about one and a half feet onto the carpet. She wasn't out of the water for that long though, thankfully.
Is there anything I can do for her?
2007-09-04 18:27:16 · 12 answers · asked by Lisa Marie 7 in Pets ➔ Fish
Her tank has a cover, but I have to take the whole thing off in order to feed her.
2007-09-04 18:35:03 · update #1
She's probably damaged a fin as well as some of her stress coat; and is, understandably, a little dazed.
I would stay clear of any medication. She's a little jolted and needs some rest, so keep the light off her tank. If it is small enough, you can try moving her tank to a lower-traffic area of the house, or a darker area of the house, in order to allow her the rest she needs. You can try wrapping a towel around the sides of her tank as well.
If her fins are torn, they will grow back on their own, quite quickly as long as she is not too stressed. You can add some aquarium salt (half a teaspoon per gallon) to prevent infection from setting in in the meantime, but she will take care of the growth herself.
2007-09-05 01:36:09 · answer #1 · answered by ninjaaa! 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The most you can to for her right now is to make sure she's in good water quality and that any water movement isn't too strong for her to swim (if her damaged fin causes her to have trouble swimming). She's probably a little disoriented as much as anything else.
You can also keep the light in the tank off (she'll be more likely to rest than swim) and if the fin's torn, you can add some non-iodized salt to the water (there's aquarium salt you can buy, but if you have canning, pickling, kosher or rock salt, or table salt without iodine added, these are the same thing, but cheaper). Add 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons of water (or about 1/2 teaspoon per gallon) to help prevent the tear from becoming infected by fungus.
2007-09-05 01:44:05 · answer #2 · answered by copperhead 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Keep her water clean and her stress levels low.
If you've been doing full water changes, try changing only half at a time by using a siphon so you don't have to move her. Feed a little less than usual until you're sure she's feeling better, to help keep the water even cleaner. And keep a close eye on her for red streaks, bloating, anything odd.
Hang in there. It's only partly up to you. I've had two betta jumpers in the past. One, a male, got past his lid (badly put on, I guess?) and lay on the floor drying out for at least a couple of hours while I was in class. I almost flipped him into the trash but he started wiggling. He lived 2 years after that. The second, a female, jumped during a water change and I noticed she was gone pretty quickly. Still, she only lived a couple of days after that.
2007-09-05 03:29:14 · answer #3 · answered by ceci9293 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
She may just be a little stunned from the experience. I've had bettas jump out into sink when I was cleaning their tanks. I've had them spill out onto the carpet in the car while I was transporting them. They're pretty hearty little creatures, especially the females.
Just put her in her tank, add a little aquarium salt to her water (1/2tsp per gallon), which will help with the stress and any little nicks or scrapes that she might've gotten, and if she's still wobbly tomorrow, get some Betta Fix at the pet store.
2007-09-05 01:42:42 · answer #4 · answered by Jennifer 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd put a lid (or different type of lid, one that would allow easier access for feeding) on the tank and keep an eye on her for the next few days
also, if she damaged her fin (like tore or ripped it) then giving her some beta vitamins might help in the re-growth and restoration process
2007-09-05 01:34:01 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
A vet is not going to be able to fix your fish. Besides who want's to pay a bill for a fish that you can get for 2 dollars. Most likely it will be fine as that was not a long fall. I have had fish jump out and fall 4 feet onto a wooden floor and they turned out to be ok. Just give it a little time, most likely it is just shocked and stunned.
2007-09-05 01:36:09 · answer #6 · answered by Nate R 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Stress coat with aloe vera healing power... you can get this at pet stores, if you dont already have it. I believe it is 10 ml per gallon. This repairs the fins and natural slime coat which is probably what is wrong with your betta
2007-09-05 06:53:16 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
i dont own fish for that reason. They'd always find a way out of the tank. Though, a lid sounds handy
2007-09-05 01:35:36 · answer #8 · answered by luvoo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try to take her to a vet to get checked on. Also get a top for the bowl/tank and something that you can just slightly open so she can't get out again.. It's kind of like nemo, just watch it carefully :)
2007-09-05 01:32:19 · answer #9 · answered by Liz 2 · 2⤊ 4⤋
mine 2, we put a top with holes over
2007-09-05 01:37:36 · answer #10 · answered by Chad 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋