oh no betta going downhill fast

[peaceablegarden]

I've had my Betta for about a week now and he's been happy and healthy. Getting along well with his tank mates (see Tank 1 in sig line). Parameters are Ammonia 0 NitrItes 0 Nitrates 5 pH 7.6

Yesterday I noticed him sleeping for the first time and took some photos. It was such a hoot. Today he's been sleeping most of the day and seems to be losing color and almost seems to have some whitish or off color splotches around his head. He ate well this morning (flakes). No interest this afternoon. Increase in breathing and doesn't flare fins at mirror. I've segregated him in his 'cup'. He will perk up for a few seconds and then settle right back down to the bottom. I'm worried.

 

[joy13]

What is the temperature you have his cup? Does splotches have a cottony look? Some bettas with a marble gene does have color changes that mean nothing.

 

[peaceablegarden]

He's been in a tank that's 78 degrees. I've segragated him in about a quart of tank water in a container right now (room temp about 72 degrees). Having looked closely at him and his symptoms (lethargic, fins closed, no appetite and the white splotches), I think he's got a fungus. I ran out to my lfs and got an anti fungal.

I'm just wondering if I also need to treat the tank he has been in?

 

[joy13]

There are some bacterial infections effect bettas more than other fish, flexibacter columnaris is one I am thinking of. One of the main differences between flex and fungus is the flex is cottony patches usually around the head. Some medications can cause a mini cycle which is dangerous for all fish, so I usually treat just the fish that is sick with medications.

 

[peaceablegarden]

Thanks. I'm treating just the Betta now as you suggest (and keeping my fingers crossed). You can see the patches around his head in the photo. I talked it over with the lfs guy (they're not always the best for advice) and he gave me a med that is specifically for Bettas. I guess it's just wait and see for now.

 

[joy13]

I just see a difference in the color of the betta which could be caused by a marble gene, stress or fungus. I got a pretty peach colored betta that in of a week turned into a deep chocolate brown, the fish was so stressed that it actually changed his color. He is 3 years old now and still going strong. Some bettas do better as a single fish, others are fine in a community tank.

Really you are doing what I would do isolate him and hope for the best.

 

[peaceablegarden]

My Betta is still sick. Day two of treatment for fungus. Yesterday I thought there was some improvement. He started eating again and was making more trips to the surface. Did not show any interest in food this morning. He is currently in a container segregated from the tank. I've been using an API product specifically designed for Betta fungus issues and added a few grains of aquarium salt. I'm wondering if I have velvet instead of a fungus.

If there is no improvement by this evening after two treatments, should I try for a third treatment (which would include a water change) or should I perhaps treat with Maracyn?

I'm adding a new photo.

 

[joy13]

If it was velvet it would be flashing, rubbing itself against things. Velvet looks more orange/gold than your bettas face a lot like glitter when you shine a flashlight on it. I usually don't use a lot of medicines on my fish so I won't comment on the what you should do about the medicine. I usually treat with clean water, and heat if needed salt. Some times the stores sell older bettas so he could have already been old when you got him.

I know it is hard to watch them go through illnesses because we feel so helpless.

 

[mitcore]

sorry to ask but have you been feeding him blood worms lately?

 

[peaceablegarden]

Yes, a few now and then. He mostly gets flake food. The blood worms are freeze dried. Yikes, why?

 

[mitcore]

i asked because even though the betta is a meat eater, they can still develope bloating due to eating to much meat,
Possibly swim bladder, you said about a possible white fungus on his face, it is possible also he may have a parasite not a fungul infestation

 

[peaceablegarden]

Yes, my thinking is that he may actually have velvet. He was doing some flashing and if you look at the first photo, you can see around his gill area is a gold color and he does look glittery as suggested by someone. Additionally, there has been rapid breathing. I did a water change today and am trying a velvet medication for Bettas. The fungal medication didn't seem to do anything. I also fed pea the other day as a precautionary measure.

 

[mitcore]

the pea will help him alot
bettas can handle most water conditions, though i tend to keep mine to these stats
ph 7.0
hardness range between 85 to 150
temp 26deg cel
no ammonia and no nitrites or nitrates,
Has he been around any other fish?

sometimes, bettas can become sick for reasons un thought of,
water stats could also help him if you altered them slightly and slowly

 

[mitcore]

i added a pic of my betta to my fish photos for you if you wanted to have a look
my betta is a rare betta as he is not coloured and worth a small fortune here in Australia

 

[peaceablegarden]

He's gettin' betta!

Yippee. He's gettin' betta! Up eating, swimming around, paying attention to me. Here's a new pic showing how his gills are clearing up. Now the question is the white stuff around his face. Two fungus treatments haven't touched it and it's not clearing like the gold around the gills is. His overall color is also perking up. There is still white around his face and it looks about the same (it could be just his coloring, but I don't remember seeing it before he started getting sick). Is it possible he has both velvet and a fungus? Though the fungus med did nothing to help clear it.

My question is once he seems completely clear of the velvet symptoms (and/or fungus). How long should I wait to return him to the community tank?

 

[mitcore]

wait until it clears,
This is going to sound weird, but is it possible it is algae on him,
yep weird, see the fungul should have cleared it, and it hasnt,
now that he is getting better i was thinking it may be an algae on him,
can you try very very carefully to wipe it off?
does it clear when you did it?

 

[GhostKnife]

I dont own a betta or a tank that is un-filtered. If you feed the betta in the saucer what is happening to the uneaten food. Ammonia???? Also that quick of a drop in temp from 78 to 72 all at once more than likely isnt good for the fish.

 

[GhostKnife]

nice on the clear up around the gills!!!

 

[mitcore]

i have also been thinking about the water movement in the tank, when a fish dies and you dont know it, i have found it is covered in this white algae, which is why i think this betta has this from lack of water flow and movement

 

[peaceablegarden]

Just to clarify. The betta was living in a community tank (filter/heater, parameters of that tank in the first post). I had to move him out to treat him, which is why he's in a bowl, so the transition to the different temperature was slow since he went in tank water. I've been changing the water in the bowl every 48 hours and he's only fed a few bits of food at a time. So far not much has remained uneaten, but again I'm changing water (using tank water) frequently. Plenty of water flow and movement in the tank he was in so I'm not sure about algae unless he brought it with him. More likely all this was as a result of stress. He's a new fish. I've only had him for about two weeks. Thanks for all the words of encouragement and help. While his fins are still clenched, he's still moving around this evening a looking betta!