I'm perplexed! Ich or fungus - Betta

[waffelo]

Hi everyone:
I'm a fishie newbie.
My betta, Fishman, is ill. I can't figure out if this is ich or fungus. He has a few white spots that look ich-like, but they are only a couple on his head and one by his mouth - nothing on his body/tail/fins. The treatments I've tried so far:
Aquarisol
Pennicilin powder
Bettamax
CopperSafe
(all with about a week's time, and water changes in between)
As of today, there is no difference. This has been going on for about three weeks.
I'm not sure what to treat him with. He's been in his one-gallon bowl for at least three years with no issues. Don't know the PH and ammonia, Ive never checked it and never had a problem before this. I just use room temp tap water for his water changes. He's still acting fine and eating and blowing his bubble nests. But I don't like these spots. :?
Sorry for the long post... If anyone can give me advice... Thanks!

 

[Menagerie]

[center:8d7f020338] Welcome to AA, waffelo! [/center:8d7f020338]
Long post?? What long post? No such thing here
I'm not a betta keeper, but as a fish keeper, I will tell you that sounds like you didn't give any of the meds long enough to work.
With "Betta" in the thread title, the betta keepers will show up soon.
BTW--one gallon betta bowls are not an ideal habitat for a betta, but I'll let a betta keeper get into that.

 

[An t-iasg]

Hi waffelo,
Take a look at this article about ich: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=32

Look at the pics and see if the white spots look like your betta's spots. I'm guessing that it's not ich, because you said it's been going on for three weeks with no change.

Generally, bacteria infections are more common than fungus. I would try Bettamax again. Use the treatment as suggested on the box, for 5 days. When I treat with Bettamax, I put my betta in the 1 gallon QT bowl, and add a capsule of Bettamax. On day 3, I then mix up another gallon of Bettamax and water in an empty bottled water jug, and use it to change 50% of the water in the QT bowl. On day 5, if necessary, use the remaining Bettamax/water to change 50% again in the QT bowl. You should stick to the treatment length as suggested on the package, unless the fish is really looking stressed. Like Menagerie said, you need to give the meds time to work!

About the 1 gallon bowl -- no, that's really not the ideal habitat for a betta. My bettas are in 5.5 gallon tanks. Bettas need a constant temperature, with no fluctuations. 80 degrees is an ideal temperature for bettas. If the temp fluctuates often, like when the lights go out for the night, then the stress due to the fluctuating temps can cause disease. 5.5 gallon tanks are the right size for a 25-watt heater.

Another benefit to a tank is that you can use a filter. In a bowl, I would change 50% of the water twice a week. But in a tank, I change 1 gallon once a week. The filter keeps the fish wastes like ammonia at an undetectable level, which is good for the fish and makes water changes easier for you. I use a sponge filter, connected to a small airpump through a gang valve. A gang valve regulates the airflow through the sponge filter so the current isn't strong. Bettas don't like current, but the sponge filter and the gang valve don't produce current, like larger filters on bigger tanks.

If you have any questions about a tank, just ask, and post back and tell us how the betta is doing!

 

[waffelo]

Hi:
Thanks for the welcome and advice. (I like the "newbie" smileys!)
I had a feeling I was going to get repeimanded for my one-gallon bowl. He's really done well for the past three years, but when the old guy pulls thru this illness, I'll treat him to a new home
I'll go back to the Bettamax... The white spots really do look like ich, tho - like the fish in the ich article. All the pics I've seen of fishies that have ich, it seems to be uniformly spread over their entire bodies. Not the case here, he only has maybe 3 or 4 all on his head.
If I treated with CopperSafe and Bettamax at the same time, that would probably be too much for him, huh?
Just want the lil guy to get better (so I can feed him a pea and see what all the fuss is about!! I've never heard of that before...!)
Thanks!

 

[Menagerie]

It's pea night at my house--once a week whether they want them or not
I would not use two meds to threat. I would go with An t-iasg's advice and keep an eye on your little friend. I hate to bring this up, but keep in mind as your betta ages, he will be unable to fit off infections like he used to. Give the med time to work and of course, try to keep him stress free!

 

[waffelo]

Rut-roh. I re-read my first post and don't think I was clear... Each treatment I did for approx one week.
Aquarisol > one week > changed water
Pennicillin > same thing
Bettamax > same thing
I would think a week's time would be long enough to see an improvement if any? I've been treating for three weeks total. I'll letcha know.
Again, thanks --

 

[Menagerie]

Ah...that is a big difference. I will say that one week may not be enough. If the betta isn't getting worse, I would definitely give the med a little longer. It also helps to know what your betta is infected with. Can you tell if it is bacterial or ich?

 

[An t-iasg]

Yes, in some stubborn cases, you have to give the med a little longer, and like Menagerie said, when bettas get older they may not heal as fast. You said the betta is eating and blowing bubble nests? That's a very good sign. Are there any signs of excessive or large tears in his fins? (most older bettas get some small tears).

I thought of something that happened with one of my previous bettas. When he got older, he had a spot on his head. I would wonder if it was ich. He only had that one spot and no other spots. It sounds strange, but I came to the conclusion that a scale had fallen off, or maybe a very minor injury of some kind. He had a dark head, and maybe that made the spot more visible. When he went to fishy heaven, I don't think that spot had anything to do with it.

 

[An t-iasg]

Oh, and P.S. -- No one's "reprimanding" you for having a bowl. But it is my personal experience that a tank, with the proper size heater and filter, is not expensive to put together, and the betta will be much happier.

When I got my first betta, he was in a bowl, and also my second betta. The first betta became ill due to the temperature fluctuations (there was a thermometer in the tank so I could monitor the temp). It would fluctuate quite a bit. My second betta seemed to do well in his bowl. But by then I had figured out how to set up the tank. Both bettas went into the same tank (5.5 gallon), with a divider. They lived the rest of their lives very happy and healthy.

When one died, I removed the divider and let the remaining betta have the whole 5.5 gallon tank. When he died, after a few weeks I got another betta. The new betta had the whole tank to himself. A few weeks after that, I saw another betta that I couldn't resist. So I got another 5.5 gallon tank for him. So that's how I came to have 2 bettas(these are bettas #3 and 4), each in their own 5.5 gallon tanks.

So while I don't think my second betta suffered in the bowl, my first one did, and I saw that having a better setup really helped him -- helped them both. That's why I try to encourage a tank setup for a betta -- I saw how they perk up when they are in a good environment!

 

[waffelo]

Hehe - I was teasing about the reprimand thing...
But when he pulls thru, I"ll try the small tank setup, per your guidance - (*hint* look for another post! I"ve never used a heater and don't want to poach the lil guy)
Yes, still eating and blowing nests. His last water change was tuesday nite (when I started CopperSafe) and he has a nice little nest going already, and woofed his breakfast today.
Re: Ich vs Bacterial, I'm really leaning towards ich. No tears or holes in his fins or tail, no rot at the ends, no clamping. The few white spots that he has are a bit raised, looking exactly like ich - it's just not spreading. Wish I could tell for sure, so I knew how to treat!
I'm keeping an eye on him, sticking with ich meds for the time being - it may have been my imagination, but the largest spot may have been a bit smaller this morning.
I think I also caught him giving me the *stink-eye* this morning because he's getting tired of me constantly shining the flashlight beam on him -
Take care and thanks again, An t-iasg and Menagerie - hope you have great weekends!

 

[Menagerie]

Fish really get tired of the ole flash light!! Any time there's trouble or a hint of something amiss, my fiance calls for me to bring the flashlight!!
Glad to hear the betta is still doing well.

 

[An t-iasg]

Hi waffelo,
I'm also glad the betta is doing well. I think making bubblenests are a good indicator of how they are doing! Just keep doing the treatment that seems to be working, and keep an eye on him!