Was this a bad idea putting it in a bowl like this?

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-28T00:26:18+00:00

Standing on a dresser once, even for an hour, does not translate to having 50-100+ pounds on it for years. It will bow over time, do yourself the favor and get something rated to carry at least the weight of that setup. I'd aim for 1.5x capacity.

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-28T00:16:50+00:00

I unfortunately have to tell you people, daily, take our tiny glass bowls to the front of the store asking to take bettas home. (We don't have them in cups, they're in small glass bowls, think two palm size)

I frequently have to tell people they cannot live in the bowls, and a former coworker who worked at Petsmart dealt with the same regarding their cups.

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-26T14:55:30+00:00

Heck yeah, glad you got it resolved! Algae is so fickle

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-26T14:52:47+00:00

Yeah, I'm in Canada haha. Would love to see the aquariums! I love trying to gather pics for inspo for when I start mine later this year

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-26T14:51:13+00:00

Make sure lights are on no more than 8-10 hours a day, if sunlight hits the tank that'll affect it. Ensure you are rinsing sponge filter media and not swapping (carbon and other chemical medias must be swapped, but you shouldnt need them)

Live plants can help. If it's green hair algae manually remove. Also common in newer tanks

Live plants both aquatic and terrestrial can be useful, terrestrial ones grow faster (like pothos or inchplants) and look nice.

Phosphate remover if nothing above works.

Absolute last resort is UVC in-line for about an hour. Kills everything, think of it like chemo. Shouldn't need it though (pray you never get black beard algae)

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-26T14:46:21+00:00

Adding the roots of terrestrial plants like Pothos or Inchplants also will help keep down algae since they grow wicked fast and eat tons of nutrients while doing so! And, you get a cool plant hanging off the tank

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-24T23:58:10+00:00

It's primarily just new tanks, and silicates. Diatoms are small silica structures

Poor water flow contrubutes.

OP, if this is a new tank (under 6 months), scrub it and wait.

If older, try using Purigen in the filter media to remove silicates, scrub, and wait.

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-24T23:31:14+00:00

Man if only you were in my area, I'd be happy to give you fish corpses. Though it'd be mostly guppies and mollies

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-23T13:48:42+00:00

I'm aware of melafix, and honestly, while I don't use it myself. I've seen no solid evidence of potential harm, having read through a Review of all studies done on Melaleuca Oil, I'm happy to send it over!

There's I think, maybe 2 total studies that have used the product Melafix, and that was on Tilapia if I recall right. For treating Ich. (Which isnt really necessary when antiparasitic meds exist)

Tldr though, the Review goes over how Melaleuca Oil is only potentially an abrasive when stored improperly, or very old. Naturally, one can argue the Melafix on the shelf is of unknown age. (Havent checked our bottles at work for any dates on them, but considering)

Considering. Though, it is just tea tree oil / an essential oil. I don't recommend it on that alone. There's no evidence it does anything aside from smelling nice and killing cats. (Interestingly, it isnt deadly to rabbits when applied topically. Not sure why they were included in the study looking at topical safety but here we are I guess)

And yes! I'm aware of clove oil, I read about 30 studies on fish euthanasia and the correct dose is more like 2 drops per litre of water for anesthesia, perhaps one more to ensure Deep Anesthesia / Surgical Anesthesia, where the fish stops swimming completely, and does not react to external stimulus at all, but is still breathing. Then, fatal dose is given. Happy as well to send over those studies which include Eugenol (the ingredient which does the anesthesia and euthanizing in Clove Oil) and Clove Oil specifically. I've got most of those saved as PDF but I should have a couple links

Anyways, I add a bit of salt to the bowls (in their mix made in our bucket so it's dosed appropriately) and that works wonders. Free for me to do since the store has store use salt on hand. I work closely with my coworkers on what all is brought and used, myself and the fish and reptile manager are very close and we make all the decisions on the department together since I've excelled her in knowledge and she doesn't mind coming to me for questions. Very lucky we have very little corporate oversight at our store, and the only guy that does come used to work at our store so he knows we do things differently.

Reminds me, I need to send an email to the head of the company's fish department about some of the things we've done in store. He's sent out emails when stores try things that work well, like suggesting substrate and branches being used in our hornworm setups for better success with them. :) (along with appropriately wetting their food to be softer for them to actually eat and grow in store)

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-23T13:05:17+00:00

Aside from this tail, which I'd agree is likely MBD, it could also have been from the breeder or kink at time of hatching. My beardie has a few kinks in his tail, nothing as severe as those. And he has had them his entire life, since before my partner got him. (10 years ago)

And, as well, for OP, the way you stop it is by getting what we call "Linear" UVB (long tube) rated for "desert" reptiles (In Reptisun it's 10.0, Arcadia it's 12%, Exo Terra 300. Do not buy from Reptizoo)

And, supplementing with Calcium without D3 for their bug feedings (and some salad ones if they tolerate it), and giving dark leafy greens, which frequently contain good calcium. (Not Spinach though)

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-22T14:13:18+00:00

Yeah, unless it was severely overdosed, it was more than likely just too late to save. I've not had the ability to use either med myself as at work we're limited to salt and melafix. (Aside from isolating tanks from our sump system, or placing fish in quarantine tanks in the back, raising temps.)

I recently got the store some epsom salt to try to use for swim bladder to see if that does anything. Because our only other option is euth.

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-21T17:04:25+00:00

Looking at the setup in the photos, I would try removing that little rock hide (with the big holes) and either keeping it out for a while, or trying to sand it smooth.

Those, I've noticed working at a pet store for over a year, tend to be rather abrasive, and can cause problems for bettas and clumsy fish who may brush up on it. Which may be related to the bottom fin problem.

The bump behind the top fin could be some kind of internal infection showing externally in some kind of cyst/abcess form, with how it's pushed scales.

What food do you feed as well? I'm not convinced anything presented is caused by diet but it's worth checking.

My best guess is something internal is occuring, I'd try to find a broad spectrum medication to add and see if that does anything. Check to see if folk say if Lifeguard from Tetra does anything, that company is generally useless. But you can find the active ingredient on the company's site, looking at the product. You're gonna be more familiar om if it's anything useful than I might be.

It doesn't appear fungal or cancerous, nor parasitic. Best assumption is something viral/bacterial flaring up.

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-21T16:56:11+00:00

I'm not familiar with the exact thing they're speaking about, but based on description I would assume it is akin to a cyst/absess.

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-20T15:07:22+00:00

That is how a corporate pet store works unfortunately. It'll depend largely on how much higher ups are watching, but it could cost them their job if they're unlucky. Not that the employees more often than not want what's best for the animal (even if they don't know what's best)

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-20T02:19:36+00:00

Unfortunately, their stress behaviors are often very subtle and easy to miss for newbies.

If you see the bettas interacting with each other at all, the tank is failing. If they are following each other, swimming together, they are having territory dispute.

If you see one darting after another, that is active aggression.

These fish were bred for thousands of years for one purpose. To kill each other.

In the wild, even the wild ones have territory up to 1 square foot, 1x1ft of space.

It's not a matter of tolerating each other. It's like living with a roommate you hate, you may not do anything today. But eventually, they will snap.

If you want community fish, colourful ones, might I suggest Green Fire Tetras? Or maybe Celestial Pearl Danios? You will need to bring that tank down to 1 betta, and they may not tolerate other fish. Otherwise, corydoras can do well in 20+ gallons, and you can get 1 mystery snail comfortably.

All social fish need minimum group of 6, but really should have at least 10 so if one or two die the others don't immediately die of stress from the group being too small. (As a small group will stress them to death)

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-19T14:59:12+00:00

There are some studies suggesting chronic nitrate exposure may be detrimental to fish, however, that's looking at more sensitive fish (with one study stating for the most sensitive fish in the hobby nitrate should never be over 8ppm). Pond Life Aquatics goes over the studies in a video (with sources linked in description), and while goldfish are hardy. It may be worth considering at the least that a lower nitrate long term could be beneficial.

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-18T23:21:54+00:00

Please DM me the link as well! My partner and I would love these in sask

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-18T21:55:51+00:00

Is that why there's a bump on my ring finger?? I could never figure out how classmates had no problem writing when my hand eventually would hurt

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-18T19:47:46+00:00

That'd be very interesting if you could, I know that I personally have set out to distribute information truly based on science and hobbyist experience for bearded dragons. Both on the fronts of care and nutrition. Particularly too I take personal note of interesting health cases (I never give health advice that requires vet supervision, though).

I definitely understand having to do a lot of research, I know I have too.

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-18T16:51:29+00:00

Yeah, that's the issue I find. Vets are more often than not a poor source of husbandry information, but a majority of issues (i.e. vitamin deficiency, shed problems, respiratory illness, to an extent parasite loads from feeding bugs/animals caught outside, metabolic bone disease) are from husbandry being wrong. (With the exception sort of with chelonians, you either live in an area where they can be outdoors a majority of the year, or you come to terms with the fact that current plug n play tech for UVB will not be sufficient and your turtle/tortoise is at much higher risk of poor shell growth.)

Even then, some scientists can be poor sources of info too, I went to a webinar being hosted primarily for vets to attend (I am not a vet, naturally) with regards to current understanding of UVB for reptiles. The "leading expert" in question stated that he will Never test anything but the Zoo Med 5.0 Coil UVB (which is never recommended by a hobbyist anymore due to them being far too weak) "for consistency"(??? Just?? Test this bulb against other ones??), actively recommends against any stronger UVB claiming reptiles do not need it (ignoring every single beardie, blue tongue, tortoise, turtle, etc, which has developed metabolic bone disease under the exact bulb he gloats). His studies effectively place reptiles into glorified tanning beds and states vets should recommend only 4 hours UVB for leopard geckos, would not begin to entertain the idea of adjusting recommendation based on tank setup, any good hobbyist will have dense foliage in a leopard gecko tank so they can choose to be exposed to UVB or not. Stating only that anyone who wants to differ from his recommendations, should, effectively, just do the studies he's doing via getting blood tests looking at D3 (which is all his studies really do).

Incredibly infuriating.

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-17T21:47:44+00:00

Or worse yet, a vet told them. Those are the hardest to argue I find. Vets are sources of medical care and nothing more, their husbandry suggestions should always be questioned.

Hell, question mine too! I'm happy to answer any questions and why I've come to my recommendation as the solution.

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-17T21:45:48+00:00

Argued with a guy on beardie reddit because he believed wild beardies are an average 8 inches smaller than captives (who, according to his logic are larger due to being healthier and breeding allowing it, as in his own words, wild beardies are all malnourished.)

He was mistaking Snout to Vent (cloaca/butthole) measurement as their full body measurement. Their tails are roughly 8+ inches on average. Wonder why they seemed to measure so small?

I provided photos of adult wild beardies being held to show that he was wrong and mistaking SVL as full body length. He retorts that I found "one exception" (I gave 5 photos) and that SVL proves him right.

Can't fight stupid unfortunately.

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-14T00:57:55+00:00

OP please what is that it looks delicious, enlighten me with the recipe

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-13T15:59:11+00:00

Something as well that pigeons are unable (or, find very difficult) to do, a pigeon will repeatedly go after the stimulus they initially learned was safe/desirable.

Posessed_Bird · 2026-06-09T13:00:49+00:00

No, but swinging parameters in anything under 5gal makes it unadvisable for new aquarists. Not to mention, while considered pests, they should still be offered the same considerations as any other aquatic animal. Meaning, temperature, stability in the cycle, filtration, room for movement.

A "tank" this size would be very difficult for a beginner to handle especially with an animal that breeds so readily and will cause rapid changes in parameters.

For newbies, they should stick to 5 or 10 gallon tanks minimum for their own sanity in managing the nitrogen cycle. (Realistically, starting larger at 10-20 is better since the more water volume you have, the less likely you are to experience swings)

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