Sick Betta

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

MMac

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Sep 19, 2017
Messages
17
Hello,

I have a sick betta. His name is Prince. He lives in a 10 gal heated and filtered tank. I keep his temp between 80 - 82 degrees. The filter is a Tetra Whisper Quiet 10 or 20 (can't remember). I usually run sponge, purigen and matrix in the filter box.

He eats Omega One Betta Buffet Pellets. I feed him 2x day 2 - 3 pellets each time. I have tried freeze dried brine shrimp and freeze dried blood worms. He won't touch either.

He has been in his 10 gal tank for about 11 months. Unfortunately we did a fish in cycle because my daughter brought him home from a chain pet store and a little .5 gal tank with a torrent of a filter and no heater. From there I have tried to learn more about betta fish than I ever planned to. However we tried to keep the ammonia/nitrites down during the cycle by using Dr. Tim's nytrifying bacteria - ammonia rarely got over .25 and the same for nitrites.

My water parameters are good: ammonia 0, nitrite 0 nitrates usually run under 5ppm. pH is steady @ about 8.0. KH measures 8 and GH 12.

About 2 month ago I had a huge bout of cynobacteria. The stuff covered everything. I tried physical removal (daily) and lights out - both to no avail.
Then Prince began to look affected by it - torn fins, black and read streaks in fins. He has been over bred and has huge fins (they call him a double half moon dumbo betta). I wasn't sure if his black streaks are his natural color or if they we fin rot.

I couldn't beat the cyno, so I finally I broke and used Erythromycin to clear it up. Got rid of cyno, but no effect on what I thought was fin rot (still not sure). Further research led me to use kayaplex. I ran one round of each per manufacture's instruction.

Directly after each, Prince seemed to perk up a bit. But soon would return to his pre-treatment state of lethargic, laying on bottom, coming up only to eat or sitting on heater at water level.

OH...all this happened after I followed some (bad?) advise to put a nerite snail in to help with the algae. Prince hated him and at first would sit directly next to him in a fighting pose...later though he became very reclusive. We got rid of the snail within 1 week.

My pre-sick days consisted of water changes 2x week @ 25%.

Still trying to figure out what was wrong led me to suspect ich. Light showed very small "sugar" like dots (not the typical salt light bigger dots). He also has something that looks almost like velvet on his head/back. SO...I started with Kordon Rid Ich plus. I have been doing the tank 4ml everyday after a 25% water change/vacuum. Today I did a 75% WC and vacuumed the top 1 inch of gravel and took plants out and flushed with very hot water. I have been doing this Rid Ich treatment for 6 days now.

Also he has read streaks in his fins and along his body.

Sorry for the long post. I will post some picture. I need help to try to get this guy better. My fear is that my constant interjection of WCs and meds are stressing him out contributing further to his condition. I am at the end of my knowledge/abilities. I have a class to teach tonight, but will be eagerly looking for any reply when I come home. THANK YOU!
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20170913_161925.jpg
    IMG_20170913_161925.jpg
    230.5 KB · Views: 128
  • IMG_20170913_162217.jpg
    IMG_20170913_162217.jpg
    210.4 KB · Views: 119
  • IMG_20170913_162305.jpg
    IMG_20170913_162305.jpg
    253.2 KB · Views: 103
He is still the same. Mostly sitting on the bottom of the tank, hiding in the plants. Sometimes he comes us and sits on the heater. Continuing the Rid Ich Plus, but am wondering if I should discontinue and begin salt treatment.

I don't understand the graying color he is experiencing and some of his scales on his face becoming shiny. He did chase a falling pellet today.

I am wondering if he is just getting old. I don't know how old he was when we got him, but about 3 months in he really changed...fins got twice as long.

I am also wondering if I should stop the ich treatment and try something for velvet. I just feel so inept. I increased the temp to 84 to see if that will help, but I know I am shooting in the dark. I am praying that all this is not making him worse while I try to find something to help.

Thanks for asking. I do hope that someone might be able to help and give me some advice.
 
I'm moonlighting at work but bacterial septicaemia would be worth looking into (to explain the torn fins / black and red on fins, etc).


All my cases of ich and parasites have been in days to a week from buying at store.
 
Thank you. Do you think the rounds of Erthomyicin and/ or Kanaplex would have taken care of this? Or maybe I needed to extend the treatment time of the Kanaplex. Do you think the nerite snail could have brought the parasites in? Should I clear the Ich Rid Plus out and dose Kanaplex again? Should I give the poor guy a few days break? Should I return the temp back down to 80? Does the higher temp contribute to stress?

Sorry for so many questions.

Thanks...
 
Copied in a few links. I can't see anything that suggests parasites but parasites are rare here (except white spot and that shows with flashing / white spots).

I'd go for furan 2 and treat for bacterial.

Table salt is also effective on a range of ailments and you could dose that at 1 tablespoon per gallon (starting at 1 teaspoon per gallon and increasing by a teaspoon every 12 to 24 hours). That amount of salt is more of an aid I find. To get rid parasites I've had no troubles dosing at 3 (US not Australian) tablespoons per gallon. I've seen threads go to one tablespoon per gallon but never got that high myself.

https://www.theaquariumwiki.com/wiki/Salt


http://www.fishnet.org/sick-fish-chart.htm

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/fish_palace/tropicalfish_disease_identification.html

http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Medication.html
 
Last edited:
Thank you. I will go and get some Furan 2 today. Should I run the carbon first to remove the Rid Ich Plus (last does was last night before bed about 8 hours ago). Should I dose salt at the same time?

Sorry if links answer this, will look at them now.
 
Sorry...one more question...should I treat internally (i.e. get the meds into his food) or treat the tank or both? I can google how to get the meds into the food if that is required.
thank you.
 
Thank you. I will go and get some Furan 2 today. Should I run the carbon first to remove the Rid Ich Plus (last does was last night before bed about 8 hours ago). Should I dose salt at the same time?

Sorry if links answer this, will look at them now.



I'd run the carbon / water change to remove the rid ich plus.

I'd dose the furan 2 first and if he looks fine after 12 hours, start the salt dosing (gives him time to adjust).
 
Sorry...one more question...should I treat internally (i.e. get the meds into his food) or treat the tank or both? I can google how to get the meds into the food if that is required.
thank you.



I've only used furan 2 as an external dose (not medicated feed). Had no issues with it not working. I wouldn't worry about getting meds into the food imo (in the case).
 
And temperature back down to 80 degrees.


Also if you are seeing anything else with him, feel free to post - it's all crystal ball stuff here just reading the posts.

And continue to check ammonia just in case the nitrifying bacteria don't like the meds as you would know but just in case.
 
Thank you. Just dosed the furan2. He is looking pretty sad. He is laying on a pothos leaf at the top of his tank. It just occurred to me that perhaps I am poisoning him with this...???... I read somewhere else that these are great nitrate suckers and are completely benign to fish. I hope this is the case. I think I will remove them just in case...ugh...
 
No improvement in Prince's state of being - still lethargic, lay at bottom (sometimes also completely flat). He is spending less time perched upon the heater. I think it takes too much energy. Day 4 of Furan2 treatment. He is still interested in food. I do see some improvement in his fins - black seems to be receding and lessening in intensity.

How long before I can expect a change in his demeanor before I know the treatment is not working. I hate to see him suffer. I don't think I have the heart for euthanasia.

Thank you.
 
With furan I've noticed a change after several days (but it's not like I'm treating every month or anything so just a general comment). I've often seen threads where a second course is required.

Since this would be the third med tried I can't think of much else.

What is salt level now?
 
salt is about 1/2 teaspoon per gal. I did bring the water level down just so he doesn't have to strained too much to get to the top for his food. I am guessing i have 3.5 to 4 gals of water in his 10 gal tank.
 
Back
Top Bottom