Just some additional thoughts. What is the outlet from the bio wheel filter.. ie the flow. Too high a flow can ravage their fins tissue which is a single cell thin. (I use sponge to slow it down or silk plants attached to outlet). Also, they can handle lots of salt during treatment, and adding 1/2 to one teaspoon per 10 gallon helps to keep them (my experience) free(er) from bacteria. It needs to be added slowly over time though. They have been so inbred that they are not at all as hardy as when I was younger and in my opinion need extra care. Plus the way they are shipped in a few teaspoon of water so on, they arrive highly stressed in medicated water. So, prone to bacteria. I have found that salt water dips, (aquarium salt of course) each day and fresh water changes helps a lot. I rescued bettas (ok did one more lately) and use to use meds but the salt water workes best even with the extremely hard to rid flexibar columinaris (which looks like stringy fungus but is bacterial). Or you can use a gram positive and gram negative med plus the salt. Use your hospital tank so as not to hurt plants, bio load. Take out all plants, salt treatment will kill. Use soft silk (large leaves better as they like to sit on or hide under when asleep).. Use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon per gallon for hospital tank, then each day tank him out with tub (plastic container and cover so he won't jump).. I lower lights place towel over container, (inside of larger incase he does jump) Then I slowly dribble additional salted water for a soak, while I clean his main tank. I have had fish recover nicely from this, but it took some work. Melefix will help with healing tissue after bacteria gone. I have found they can handle much larger salt loads, but am hesitant to suggest this, just watch for stress, ie frantic swimming. And go slow slow slow. Then reverse with his fresh (adjust to match) clean tank water until equal and gentle place him back in. I never use nets just cup them gently in containers. (there are pros and cons on salt but I've used it since I was a kid many decades ago, per Dr. Innes and no problems and much help. Has to be used properly though). ........................... from a forum The simple answer is that bettas do not like much salt in their water. Bettas will tolerate a certain amount of salt in their water; however, there is a limit. Salt will change the flow of water due to a change in the concentration. All fish will tolerate salt to some degree, but when there's too much they will dehydrate due to water flowing out of the creature. Saltwater fish have kidneys that allow them to expel excess salt while retaining their water. Freshwater fish do the opposite - they expel water because of the concentration gradient. When using salt, you should use it for specific problems or needs. If you don't know when it's right, do some research. For example, FishEnthusiast.com notes that: "Salt puts electrolytes in the water that stimulate production of the mucus coating that protects fish from infection. At the same time, it alters the chemical balance of the water, usually increasing the pH. Salt also helps inhibit bacterial growth at least the kind that seem to cause algal blooms in freshwater aquariums." Salt assists in the healing of injuries, promotes formation of slime coating, improves gill function, reduces the buildup of nitrite (useful when setting up new tanks: 1/2 ounce of salt per gallon), and is effective against some parasites. However, it is a double-edged sword; there are also some downfalls. For example, some plants and fish species cannot tolorate salt. This yet another reason you should do a little research before treating a problem. It is NOT advised to use salt with scaleless fish, particularly cordydoras. These species are particularly sensitive to salt, and even a small amount can harm them. Also, tetras are fairly sensitive to salt. More useful information regarding salt: Salt in a Freshwater Aquarium Re: feeding, in nature when animals are really sick they often don't eat, much as people don't. The body is working immune system wise to repair and has more resources then you can imagine. But since you mentioned that he came alive with worms seems he might have been finicky (as they often are at first). Remember their stomachs are as small as their eyes. It is easy to overfeed, esp with dry food as it swells inside when wet. A small amount will do it. I feed a few pinchs of flake, chaning types for variety (live brine shrimp when I can find them, and Hakiri sterilized blood worms, as the live and non Hakiri always caused bacterial problems with any fish that ate them. They are grown in sewage like conditions and freezing does not kill the nasty bacterial or parasites. Hence Hakiri is three times sterilized (forgive my bad spelling). I feed a bit of vegetable matter in late afternoon to provide a purging of earlier meaty meal.)

This is an interesting post! I was wondering what I was doing wrong because some of mine still just have red nubs. My Scarlet Meidilands have not broken dormancy. Sweet Promise has tiny little leaves, but is still soaking. I'll have to look at Heritage. I figured mine would be soaking whether I planted them or not, since we've had 40 days and nights of rain. I'm going to add more Superthrive to the water if I don't get them planted today. I ordered 2 Julia Childs very early in the season, and when the other plants I ordered arrived and it didn't, I gave them a call. They said it will be sent in the fall! Fall roses do not do well for me, and I especially do not want bare root roses in the fall. Luckily, last weekend I found several Julia Child roses on clearance, huge and healthy, so I have the grouping I was wanting. Every other place I've looked was sold out of that one, and the Wayside/Parks people said it had been a fast seller for them. They had the little 1 gallon one for $10, and I found huge 3 gallon plants for $11. The other plants I'm waiting on are the caryopteris and a daisy. The Japanese maples I got were so big and healthy--I'm really impressed with those. So much better than the orders I had last year. The upside of our rain and clouds is new plantings have not been stressed. The bad side is, the ground is waterlogged, the weeds are huge, blackspot is rampant, and I'm afraid to walk in the beds for fear of compacting the soil. Last year I had ordered clematis from the clearance sale and most were mush. I called and they said they would send replacements. I kind of forgot about it until I got a box in NOVEMBER! with Avant Garde clematis in it. That's way too late for me to plant those outside. Sometimes they send a shipping notice, and sometimes they don't. Doesn't seem to matter if you put a note in the comments box telling them to give you notice. I would say their shipping has improved vastly over last year, but they really need to work on communication. The plants are far better also. Cindi

I thought I messed up when seedlings stopped growing but was hoping it's because temps dropped and it's been raining cats and dogs. Relieved but sorry to see others have same situation and it's (hopefully) not my sowing incompetence. Dug hole to plant some roses and ground is like thick quicksand. Keep reading it's a cardinal rule not to dig in wet clay. Those poor little things just getting 1st set of true leaves would suffocate in that mess we call soil around here. Besides, need to add some rough organic stuff and sharp sand/gravel into clay to give the babies a fighting chance at some drainage. Bagged compost, green sand and sphagnum peat don't seem to have done much since worked in last fall to help with soil but it's slow process and I'm not patient! Seems like flowers won't be seen around here until July if rain and chilly weather keep up. I've been running in and out moving babies from pounding rain to garage and vice versa. They were just swimming if I left them out there 24/7. Instead of planting I've been pulling weeds which seem to thrive in downpours, making sure leaves are out from under all bushes and trimming back mammoth forsythia jungle that hadn't been thinned in 10 years. It took over one side of the driveway and I couldn't stand it anymore so I crawled under there and pruned from center. I know it'll grow right back by summer but we needed the parking space! Of course, Forsythia loves clay soil...and people actually pay for this stuff to plant it. Except for that glorious short blooming time it's a thug. Thank goodness I was too tied up and otherwise lazy to sow more containers. I did succumb to a recycling center score at my condo development. Got perfectly good spring sowing containers, underbed storage containers and 2 laundry baskets to carry small containers around and/or bottom water things I put under African violet lights in father's basement. Washed all in bleach and they have come in very handy. They're having bulk trash collection here in my father's town next week and I'm sorely tempted to drive around like a night scavenger as there are probably some very nice things thrown out that I can use as planters and/or use to make small raised beds. This gardening venture has gotten way too expensive with all the amendments, soil and things I've bought to grow these guys and there's perfectly good "stuff" people throw away.

I had to leave for awhile, and when I returned I found another message from the school staff. The school system wants all parents to complete a survey about whether they intend to send their children to school this fall, and if so, whether they intend to have the kids ride the school buses. If their decision is not to have the children attend, the board wants to discuss the decision with them. The message also mentioned the on-line learning option. I think this was in planning stages before the positive covid19 case was identified, but it's nice to know there are options. BTW, I'd heard that the neighboring town's mayor had announced a mask mandate (churches excepted), and my trip today was the first time I've been in the city limits since my father's last cardiologist appointment mid-March. I saw many people outside without masks, some walking together. Some people had masks pulled down, and I watched as one lady pulled up her mask as she entered a convenience store. My doctor told me his opinion is that wearing a mask is much more important than worrying about contact with money, mail, etc., although hand-washing is always important. A mask is required for an appointment, and of course the staff were all wearing masks. He also said that the staff is having a difficult time finding disposable masks, and when they can find them the price is more than double what it was before covid19.