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Long-term update:

I switched from Melafix to Triple Sulfa after a lot of Googling. I also did a what-the-hell-couldn't-hurt daily drop of Vita-Chem, which I've continued. Also in the...

I would never hit a dog on principle.

I have had giant breeds (Neapolitan mastiff, Rottweiler mix), as well as medium-sized dogs, and I grew up with Boston terriers (dumb as house plants, bless...

That might be his natural color. My Mooch has lovely white fin tips.

Day 4 of Melafix: Mooch is just awful today. The dorsal fin has lost almost all its webbing, anal fin is almost as bad. He's also alternating between lying on the bottom curled up like a pork rind,...

Oh, yikes.

He just went swimming across the tank, fluttering his little fins and tail and leaving a confetti-like trail of white shards behind him.

I've added some melafix to the tank. I'm...

I've never seen him pay attention to his own body in any way. Would this be something at night?

And if he's doing it, what can I do to stop it?

His behavior remains lively, he's eating, color is good,water parameters good.

But this morning, there were bits of tail fringe scattered on the bottom of the tank (the white flecks on the...

850R banned because I won The Game.

Long story that I posted in the Betta folder. The pH had been very low (<6), and I didn't like having it off-scale, so I'd added some coral to try to bring it back above 6. The coral, unfortunately,...

While I was on vacation for a week, my tank had a minicycle, pH and temperature crisis (it went to about pH 8 and 74 degrees, with ammonia about .25-.5), and Mooch the Betta became very lethargic and...

What a gorgeous pup! Is he a Bernese?

Scary (and expensive) experience, but glad it got taken care of. I bet he'll be up and around soon.

I would like to nominate Jayne Cobb for his name.

I recently read a suggestion of tying a sliver of unseasoned cooked chicken on a string and bobbing it around for the betta to attack and eat.

I'm intrigued and will do this unless someone can...

Crisis seems to be over! He's swimming around, alert, color back, and eating!

Temp 76
pH 7.0
Ammo <0.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0

Morning report:

Before I left last night I removed the coral and bumped up the heater setting (gingerly; it's a stiff dial and I didn't want to overheat).

He's back on the bottom of the tank,...

This is poor Moochie-Moo at the end of a hard day:

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz144/Packie_Rattie/Fishtank/724FBB73-DBA0-4E2B-8F5D-DCA1C233E24D-3294-0000033901FDCE60.jpg

He swam freely...

How do you stabilize water?

The tap water here is 8-ish (north Texas; hard limestoney water). For some reason, once it's in the tank it plummets to <6. The coral is there to try to bring it to 7ish.

Another co-worker, who is...

More info: I notice that he's waving his right pectoral fin just fine, but his his left one is hanging at his side.

I came back from vacation to find Mooch in very bad shape. He was lying on the bottom, nose down in the gravel, with his body arched. His fins are clamped.

He's since straightened out his body,...

I'm about to leave on vacation, and won't be around for Labor Day. My co-workers have agreed to look after Mooch.

Mooch has done fine with his regular weekend two-day fast, but I'm a little...

I have a planted 5 gal with just one betta, and it seems just right. He had lots of hiding places throughout the tank. I had a mystery snail for a while (it died) and it seemed crowded.

I work at a medical center. If anyone maliciously harmed Mooch, there would be hell to pay (I report to one of the VPs, who likes him).

I told our office manager about the midnight feeding, and...

My 5-gallon betta tank is in my work cubicle. Normally, I keep the food in a wooden cigar box, but I recentlly got a large container of flake food that didn't fit, so I've left it out on my desk.
...

The lighting is a 16-led Tetra fixture that came with the tank (Marineland 5 gallon bowfront). I have it on a timer, 10 hours/day.

I add about half a capful of Flourish (not Excel, just regular...

I use Flourish, but not the Excel variety.

Label says "Flourish/Comprehensive Supplement for the Planted Aquarium."

My anubias is looking a little puny, too. The larger/older leaves are fading...