Very Sick Betta PLEASE HELP

[memfish magic]

Please, please, please, someone tell me how I can help my poor sick betta! I have done everything I know to do and he's just not getting better. Here are the specs: I've had my crowntail betta, Sushi, for about 2 years, but he could be older. He lives in a 5 gallon tank, a Fluval Edge. I looked everywhere in the literature for specifics on the filter, but other than the fact that it's 3 part (foam, carbon, & biomax), I don't know. Sushi usually lives with a mystery snail and small algae eater (that I don't know the name of), but he is currently isolated in the tank for treatment. I vaccuum the gravel and do about a 50% water change once a week. I treat the water with Nutrafin AquaPlus and a little aquarium salt. I usually don't mess with ph levels but in my recent desperation I have added a little ph down (tests show the levels at appx. 7.8). Since ph down is an irritant, I don't want to change it too drastically while he's sick.

Several weeks ago I thought Sushi had swim bladder (which he has had before and recovered from) because he was sitting at the bottom of the tank, head down, tail up. I fasted him for a few days, but he has never gotten better. His breathing seems labored, he's completely lethargic, and assumes strange positions at the bottom of the tank, like lying on side or tail-up. He no longer eats at all (and hasn't for over a week). I've used progressively more aggressive medications: first the heater and API BettaFix, then added Acurel Health Guard and Health Guard Rx when he didn't get better, then Tetra Lifeguard, which is an all-in-one for various diseases. I've talked to multiple people at pet stores and online and finally concluded he must have a bacterial infection. Today is the last day of a full 4-day course of Tetracycline and he is not improved at all. I've tried hand feeding him bloodworms and dried pellets, to the point of brushing his poor little lips with it, but he just won't eat. It's breaking my heart to see him like this. If anyone has any advice, please help!!! I can't believe he's still hanging on, and I know he can't live much longer without eating.

 

[memfish magic]

HELP!!!!!

No one has replied to this post yet so I'm adding a picture of my poor Sushi that will hopefully inspire some sympathy! Please don't judge the care of my fish by this photo; he is very sick and the water is red from the tetracycline. I promise I take good care of my fish! I can't stand to see him like this, someone please offer me some advice!

 

[stevedocs]

He may just be old sorry to say he is at least 2 years old you said. I'm sure he is very loved

 

[shellyx]

I also think it could be his age, your doing everything possible for him. Really sorry

 

[memfish magic]

Thank you for your input. At this point that's all I can conclude, because I think surely one of all these medications would have helped him by now. I just want to know I did everything I could if he dies. I don't think I could bring myself to euthanize him but he just looks so sad and uncomfortable. I don't want him to be in pain.

 

[shellyx]

Thank you for your input. At this point that's all I can conclude, because I think surely one of all these medications would have helped him by now. I just want to know I did everything I could if he dies. I don't think I could bring myself to euthanize him but he just looks so sad and uncomfortable. I don't want him to be in pain.

It must be hard for you,

 

[stevedocs]

It sounds like you did more than most would of to help him. Chin up he's has had a pretty sweet life

 

[jlbfish]

Poor Sushi and poor you Sorry you have to see him like this. I would say if she is showing no other signs of illness it might just be his time. I hope you find a miracle sure.

Have you tried just using salt and daily water changes? I know you said weekly but daily was recommended when my betta got fin rot. I would stay away from the pH up or down. I have consistently read it can cause crashes which would probably not help Sushi at all.

Good Luck!!

 

[memfish magic]

Thanks for the advice. I'm still using the tetracycline, so I'm doing partial water changes every other day. I feel like the tetracycline would have made a difference by now if it could, but I've also read it might take 2 rounds so I figure it can't hurt. But I'll cool it with the ph down; good call.

 

[shellieca]

So sorry Sushi & you are going through this. I'd have to agree that he may just be old, unfortunately Bettas don't have as long of a life as we might like. You can definitely rest assured that you have done everything you could.

 

[pattyfurg]

I'm sorry but I feel the need to retaliate. I had one of my bettas for 4 years but unfortunately he died about 4-5 months ago and it was also the time of my internal parasite phase where I lost about 10 fish.
I also thought the problem was a bacterial infection but then I tried flukeworm treatment on one of my other bettas and he got better but my other one died.
Try looking at it's poop. It might be hard because he hasn't eaten in so long and you've been doing water changes...

 

[Danii]

Awwww

 

[mrwizard]

If you have carbon in your filter then that will be removing some of the medications that you have been using, you should take the carbon out until the treatment has finished. Hope sushi gets better

 

[memfish magic]

Thanks for the continuing advice, he is still hanging on! I do have the carbon out right now, but I'm not going to continue the tetracycline treatment anymore. I just don't see that it's doing anything for him, and I can't see him well to tell how he's doing when the water is so colored.

That's an interesting point about the flukeworm treatment; I hadn't heard that yet. Was your betta experiencing similar symptoms? I don't know how I can check his poop because it's been so long since he's eaten, but I'll try to feed him again and put him in a smaller bowl with clear water. He isn't swimming around anyway.

 

[pattyfurg]

I just did 2 water changes a day, even 3 sometimes lol
He was the only one that I tried flukeworm on but I only added half the dosage. He was EXACLY the same. He only ever moved to breath and even then, it looked like he was having a lot of trouble because his fins were all clamped.

 

[memfish magic]

where did you get the flukeworm treatment? Was it expensive?

 

[memfish magic]

Sadly, my sweet Sushi died today. Thank you everyone who responded to this and offered advice. It's been difficult to see him struggle, but it's difficult to say goodbye too. When I got him 2 years ago I never would have believed someone could get attached to a fish, but I cried like I had lost a friend today. He sparked my love for fish & aquariums, and brought so much joy to my life. It's nice to have other people who understand that even if your pet doesn't cuddle with you, play fetch, or meet you at the door, that doesn't make them any less a part of your family.

 

[shellyx]

Sadly, my sweet Sushi died today. Thank you everyone who responded to this and offered advice. It's been difficult to see him struggle, but it's difficult to say goodbye too. When I got him 2 years ago I never would have believed someone could get attached to a fish, but I cried like I had lost a friend today. He sparked my love for fish & aquariums, and brought so much joy to my life. It's nice to have other people who understand that even if your pet doesn't cuddle with you, play fetch, or meet you at the door, that doesn't make them any less a part of your family.

So sorry to hear that, you gave him a wonderful life & did all you could if not more

 

[pattyfurg]

I'm really sorry I couldn't help you yesterday
I know how you feel my sister and mum laughed at me when i cried about my fish but they can actually mean alot to you.
I buried my fish in a pot plant and plated some orange flowers (colour of my fish)
Are you going to do something for him?

 

[memfish magic]

Yes, I absolutely will! I had a full-on funeral for my first snail when he died; I couldn't send Sushi off with any less! I haven't quite decided where I'll bury him yet...he's securely wrapped and in my freezer until I do.