u/Goummy_1

I’m really upset, i’ve been trying really hard to do better since I originally jumped in this hobby and I was way over my head. I found out my tapwater had chloramines in it, and the tap was high in ph, being 8.2. It was less so the pH that I was worried about considering a stable pH is better, and more so that the more alkaline pH is, makes more ammonia to ammonium, which ups the toxicity.

So I researched my ass off, trying to figure out how to lower pH so that I can lower the ammonia/ammonium. I got it RO machine, after a lot of frustration and having to send a unit back, I finally landed on one started using the water for my fish. I figured I could just remineralize once needed. but I guess I accidentally osmotic shocked them?

I have had lidless tanks for three years now, even with my crappy tapwater I have NEVER had a fish jump. Just recently, I had a neon tetra, and a guppy from a separate tank jump. Please don’t tell me to just get a lid. I don’t have a shit ton of money for lids right now, that’s clearly not the problem. Something is very messed up in the water and I need help. What can I do with the meantime to help my tanks, and what can I do with the future to prevent this?

I had gotten my first beta fish a few years ago, luna. and had her in a 10 gallon tank. For context at this time I didn’t know water chemistry and I didn’t know how to properly test my water. It wasn’t colored gravel and fake decor bad, but still, I didn’t know what I was doing, and I wasn’t quarantining fish before adding them.

Luna had gotten swim bladder problems, and a few months later passed away. Thinking it was just a fluke, I had gotten another Betta fish to put in that tank his name was spidey. Petco surrendered him to me, i’m assuming there was a ton of ammonia in the cup, and he was a long fin, so I’m thinking he had pretty poor genetics. already off to a bad start. He started getting better. Then started growing a massive tumor on his side. From here, he got fin rot, pop eye, and a kinda curved sticking out back, that I couldn’t cure. I ultimately decided it was best to put him down.

now my other two Betta fish have tumors. One of them, Cupid, who lives in a 17 gallon planter pot because God forbid she’s next to glass and she goes crazy on her reflection. I can only see her from the top so I didn’t notice the massive tumor on her bottom side. Since it grew slowly, I also didn’t notice the pop eye she had developed. I recently got her a betta tower so she could see up out of the pond, that’s when I noticed the fin rot.

My other betta pippit, has started growing a bump right before his dorsal fin. and I’m starting to notice a little bit of a swollen odd back.

First picture is spidey.

Second picture is showing cupids bump & pop eye

Third picture is cupids curved back

Forth picture is her fin rot

Fifth picture is pippit and his bump

Sorry, it was really hard to capture pictures of all of Cupid‘s problems.

I think it’s important to mention I’ve been adding tannins to try to help, and I treated once with Kanaplex, but it did nothing