Pineconing Female Betta

[shellieca]

Today has not been one of my better days & to end it I come home, feed my female Bettas & notice my eldest & favorite is pine coning. She doesn't appear bloated & she did eat but she's pine coning. I've moved her from the community tank to a 10g QT tank. From what I've read online there's not really anything I can do is this true? All I have on hand is Pimafix, Melafix & Aq salt so I'm starting with those. I know the fixes are controversial, some say yes others say no. I'm open to suggestions. The water parameters are normal, 0 ammonia & nitrites, about 5 for nitrates. I do weekly 50%+ water changes, last one was last Friday. All the other fish appear fine . . . for now.

 

[marsh]

Oh no! I hope she pulls through, warm clean water and calm surroundings. Good luck.

 

[_skyla_]

I had this happen to my female betta once before about 5years ago. She had dropsy and a big swollen tummy. I moved her into a quarantine tank and used Epsom salts and water changes everyday and fed her peas to help with the bloating. Amazingly she recovered and was fine for a few months untill it happened again and she didn't pull through . I don't remember how much I used of the salts and have read there's not much chance of them pulling through but it can happen. I really hope your little one makes it

 

[shellieca]

Thank you marsh & skyla. From what I've read they can pull through but if they do it's likely to happen again just like you said skyla. This saddens me because she is my favorite & already survived my inexperience. :-/

 

[jlk]

I am so sorry! Do not add aq salt- this will put further stress on her kidneys (which are not functioning correctly right now) and increase the fluid retention which is already an issue. Epsom salts/magnesium sulfate can be used either in the tank or as a bath. You can trytreating metronidazole. A good lfs will carry it but petsmart/chain store typically carries API General Cure (mix metro & prazi). Unfortunately, the prognosis for a dropsied fish is not very positive.

 

[Bettafanatic]

Oh I'm so sorry about your betta. I once had a female betta that I adored, but she got swim bladder and the worst case of fin rot I'd ever seen, and my efforts were useless so I had to just watch her rolling around on the ground until she died. It was terrible. I really hope your betta pulls through, she's beautiful.

 

[shellieca]

She was not looking well when I left for work this morning, she was resting on the broad leafed silk plants. I am not hopeful she will still be alive when I get home this afternoon. :-(

 

[Bettafanatic]

She was not looking well when I left for work this morning, she was resting on the broad leafed silk plants. I am not hopeful she will still be alive when I get home this afternoon. :-(

Hopefully she will pull through.

 

[shellieca]

Hopefully she will pull through.

Well, not sure what's going on but she didn't much like the QT tank & improved as far as the pine coning. So after much deliberation with myself I moved her back to community tank yesterday. She is actually doing even better. She's swimming everywhere her appetite is 100%, her color is back & at times she still looks a little fuzzy around the edges due to slight pine coning but overall seems her old self. Very strange, I mean you can clearly see in the original pics I posted she was pine coning.

 

[_skyla_]

Oh thats great news what did you use in the quarantine?

 

[shellieca]

Oh thats great news what did you use in the quarantine?

Well, before I knew I wasn't supposed to I had added some Aq salt & the ever controversial Pemafix & Melafix but I only did it once. I think she was stressed in the QT tank & is happy to be out of it because today she seems even more peppy. I just hope its not a temporary thing.

 

[shellieca]

Well, before I knew I wasn't supposed to I had added some Aq salt & the ever controversial Pemafix & Melafix but I only did it once. I think she was stressed in the QT tank & is happy to be out of it because today she seems even more peppy. I just hope its not a temporary thing.

She is back in QT. She has been pine coning worse the last couple of days & this morning I thought she had already passed as she was in the tank floor not moving. She finally came to the top, I scooped her I to my hand & have placed her into QT, its only a 1g because she is struggling a little. I added some Epsom salt but not sure I added the correct amount, 1/2 tsp premixed in a glass until dissolved, added 1/2 then later the other 1/2. She hasn't eaten today which is highly unusual for her. If she seems to be suffering more in the morning I'll seriously consider euthanasia. I'm so bummed, she's such a character.

 

[Bettafanatic]

That's too bad. I've got a betta myself that I have to consider euthanizing. So sorry about your fish. I was hoping she'd pull through.

 

[shellieca]

That's too bad. I've got a betta myself that I have to consider euthanizing. So sorry about your fish. I was hoping she'd pull through.

Ahh sorry you have one not doing well. I hate when this happens because there's nothing you can do to make it better. At least with one of my 5 dogs I can take them to a vet if I can't treat it myself.

 

[Bettafanatic]

Ahh sorry you have one not doing well. I hate when this happens because there's nothing you can do to make it better. At least with one of my 5 dogs I can take them to a vet if I can't treat it myself.

My fish actually just died now. I guess that's what I get for forgetting about him. He was only in a 2.5g tank, and because of my new tanks and pure stupidity, I completely forgot I had him and forgot about his water changes. It's 100% my fault.

Sorry. I shouldn't be talking about my fish. This is your thread.

 

[shellieca]

My fish actually just died now. I guess that's what I get for forgetting about him. He was only in a 2.5g tank, and because of my new tanks and pure stupidity, I completely forgot I had him and forgot about his water changes. It's 100% my fault.

Sorry. I shouldn't be talking about my fish. This is your thread.

That's OK. Sorry he didn't make it.

 

[Bettafanatic]

It's alright. I really hope yours does.

 

[shellieca]

It's alright. I really hope yours does.

Sadly I just euthanized her. I hate having to make those kinds of decision. I don't know what happened, it appeared her one gill had exploded for lack of a better description, I just couldn't see her recovering from that in combination with what was causing her pine coning.

 

[Bettafanatic]

Sadly I just euthanized her. I hate having to make those kinds of decision. I don't know what happened, it appeared her one gill had exploded for lack of a better description, I just couldn't see her recovering from that in combination with what was causing her pine coning.

So sorry. I think it was the better option than having her suffer until the end.

 

[Wade91789]

So sorry about your betta :/ she was pretty. Was just wondering how you euthanized her? I have a sick molly I might have to too.