Help! Sick betta: gill fungal infection?

[CP1]

My betta fish has been lethargic and not eating for the last couple of days. He sits at the bottom of the tank with his mouth open and only comes up to breathe. Yesterday I noticed a puffy / cottony area on his "chin" / below his gills. It seems a bit swollen on that side. He also "gasps for breath" (dashes forward) when he does come up for air, although he's not breathing more frequently.

He is normally very happy, healthy, and active. He usually puffs out his gills whenever I come over and he hasn't been doing that at all. I keep him alone in a 3 gallon tank with a heater and a filter, and I change the ~20% of the water regularly. The temperature is 78 degrees right now; I can't get it to go any higher with the heater I have. He has plenty of places in the tank to hide and rest. I've been doing more frequent water changes since he's been sick.

At first I thought he might have dropsy because he seems a little unsteady. But I don't think he's bloated, no pineconing, and his eyes aren't popping out, so he might just be having trouble swimming because he's so weak from the infection? He's also at least 3 years old so maybe this is just age?

I went to an aquarium store nearby and the guy working there insisted that it is all just a minor skin lesion and I should just use BettaFix / melaleuca. When I said that I had been doing that and insisted I needed more help, he gave me this small bottle of blue dye with no instructions on it. (See picture.) He said to net the fish and apply the dye directly to the wound / fungus. It looks like concentrated methylene blue but it has no instructions on it and I had a really hard time getting it right on the wound. I'm also kind of concerned to do too much BettaFix because it seems like he's having trouble breathing?

Has anyone seen this strange fish medication before? And do you know what could be wrong with my fish?

Please help me, I am distraught! Thank you!

 

[Angellove78]

I believe that med. Is Betta revive. If I remember correctly. I've never used it. Try soaking his food in garlic to get him to eat. Test your water!!! I'd clean the gravel clean the filter with your old tank water, or replace it. Something's wrong with the water somewhere. Most likely the filter. Don't forget to clean the intake tube! Do 2- 50% water changes. Or put him in a bowl and clean the tank and everything in it. And I use aquarium salt or melafix. Alot say melafix isn't good for them. But it works and it's natural. Follow the directions, don't overdose. He's still swimming so that's a good sign. If you do all this it should get him better within 3 days.

 

[CP1]

Thank you SO much for all the suggestions and the encouragement! I was thinking of cleaning out the whole tank because I know there's a lot of crud in the gravel at this point :/ But do you think that would be too stressful for him?

 

[Angellove78]

Thank you SO much for all the suggestions and the encouragement! I was thinking of cleaning out the whole tank because I know there's a lot of crud in the gravel at this point :/ But do you think that would be too stressful for him?

No, he'll be fine. Just put the old water in something else for a min. With the heater and him. Scoop him up with a bowl. Be gentle! Or let him swim into it. Then I'd take that whole tank apart and clean it. Change the filter.. don't clean inside the filter system much. But get the bigger junk out. Then put it all back together. Add conditioner and what ever mediation your using and put him back in the bowl slowing add the new water to the bowl with him. Just give him alittle time to get use to it. 5-10 mins. Let it float. Make sure the water is all same temp. And after about 10 mins. Let him swim out of the bowl into the tank. Should be good.

 

[Matt68005]

Also betas dont have gills