White fungus

[Gawang]

General whit fungus has appeared on my betta after purchase. What sort of medications would work in treatment? Thanks!

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Well that depends on what exactly is wrong with him. Most 'fungus' is actually a bacterial infection. What are your water conditions like? Tank size? Filtered/cycled? Heated? A lot of the time it clears up with clean water and some salt.

 

[Gawang]

I recently acquired him from the store, the water I filtered on a 3 gallon tank with ghost shrimp. However, I am unsure as to whether it is cycled (or if tanks that small ever really cycle) but I do 50% changes every other day.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I recently acquired him from the store, the water I filtered on a 3 gallon tank with ghost shrimp. However, I am unsure as to whether it is cycled (or if tanks that small ever really cycle) but I do 50% changes every other day.

Do you have a test kit? That's the only way to tell. Is it heated? Bettas need 80*F/27*C. Small tanks cycle just the same as a larger one. Size doesn't matter.
50% every second day may or may not be enough hard to tell without a test.
I'd suggest upping the water changes to daily and adding some aquarium/kosher salt to his tank (1 flat tablespoon per 5 gallons). Add it slowly over a day or so to give him a chance to adjust to it. Can you post a picture of him? Did he have it when you got him? How long as he had it?

 

[Gawang]

The tank is heated to about 79~F and ammonia 0, trites 0 trates 10~. Ph of 7.0

 

[Mumma.of.two]

The tank is heated to about 79~F and ammonia 0, trites 0 trates 10~. Ph of 7.0

Great!!
Try the salt and see if he improves. If it keeps spreading or doesn't improve soon we can look into medications.

 

[Gawang]

I'm probably going to have to move him to a 2 gallon bowl as i have plants and inverts that might be sensitive to salt an medications.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I'm probably going to have to move him to a 2 gallon bowl as i have plants and inverts that might be sensitive to salt an medications.

IMO the shrimp should be ok with the salt but if your worried you can move him. The more water you can provide the Betta the better at the moment. Also the stress of moving wont help. What plants do you have? Most can handle salt for a couple of weeks during treatment.

 

[Gawang]

IMO the shrimp should be ok with the salt but if your worried you can move him. The more water you can provide the Betta the better at the moment. Also the stress of moving wont help. What plants do you have? Most can handle salt for a couple of weeks during treatment.

Java ferns and moss.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

They will be perfect fine with the salt! They can even be in brackish tanks.

 

[Gawang]

They will be perfect fine with the salt! They can even be in brackish tanks.

Just in response, I got home from work. Little guy is almost gone.... Honestly, I just found out that I'm out of aquarium salt somehow... I had a protazoan medicine, that honestly I gave to him out of desperation. I have no clue how he's going to fare at this point, but I'm going under the assumption that the medicine will either work, or he'll be dead in the morning. I'll give ye an update when I wake up.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I'm sorry to hear that. All you can do is try your best.

 

[Gawang]

I'm sorry to hear that. All you can do is try your best.

He bit it, he was fighting but... You know, I've never had a fungus spread so fast. There was a tiny bit in the morning and about 8 hours it almost completely covered his body.

 

[Zaedon]

Sorry to hear about your betta. Try including pictures or describing how bad the condition is when posting to this type of forum. This will allow people to better understand how serious a situation is. Treating for bacteria/fungus with meds right off may have given him a better chance.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

He bit it, he was fighting but... You know, I've never had a fungus spread so fast. There was a tiny bit in the morning and about 8 hours it almost completely covered his body.

Poor little fella. I'm sorry.
8 hours is awfully fast. I would suspect columnaris. A fast multiplying gram negative bacteria. You will need to disinfect the tank IMO. Disinfect anything that has come Ito contact with the tank. It can be spread to other tanks easily.

 

[Gawang]

It didn't appear to be stringy like columnaris is but more fluffy like a fungus. The store did accept the return an the blame, as it did acclimate him properly, and I find it hard to believe that water conditions would be so incredibly poor in a matter of days and they had been very consistently clean with my shrimp.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

IME it's fuzzy around the head, mouth and back. Usually accompanied by fin rot/tattered fins.
Anyways. Its good your getting a refund. Again, I'm sorry for your loss.