Help ASAP please!!

[Chrissa]

I rescued a betta who is in rough shape, from someone who I am not sure if it is because they care less or are just that uneducated in fish keeping

He is appox 3 years old was living in a FREEZING cold 1 gallon half- full tank, with no filter, no heater, and I am pretty sure no water conditioner!!!.. water changes were preformed so rarely I can't even give an estimate.. Needless to say this poor guy isn't doing good ..he's been in these conditions for 3years and by some miracle he has survived.

So fast forward to now... I have taken him home and placed him in a 2.5 gal heated filtered aquarium.. He appears to have some striping on him assuming because this has been a stressful transition .. he also looks to have fin rot I would say a mild case and it looks to be trying to heal ...His eyes are slightly bulging, I'm not sure if this is normal for him or if this is an early case of Popeye? ..I guess my question is ...do I leave him be in pristine freshwater conditions and see how he heals and adjusts on his own? or do I try medicating these issues? would it stressed him out even more?? I really want this guy to make it and he does not look fantastic so I want to give him the best chances.

Please advise!

 

[Autumnsky]

Getting him feeding on good quality food will help to see how he will respond with the physical issues. Having some nice clean water will be the best too. Poor guy has likely been freezing, rotting AND starving in polluted water.

I would make sure to see if he will eat some Hikari frozen (defrosted) or dried (rehydrated) blood worms and Hikari Gold Beta pellets, tiny amounts 2-3x per day since his tummy is probably tiny too. Ease into getting his system back in order with good nutrition.

Have had Betas for years but haven't had Popeye so I can't help with that.

If he can start getting healthy from the food and the water, there will probably be improvement in the other problems. The better environment and food and your care will give him a fighting chance! Beware it is hard sometimes to save a neglected fish. Keep taking wonderful care of him, the best you can!!! They are tough fish. What are you going to name him?

 

[Autumnsky]

So fast forward to now... I have taken him home and placed him in a 2.5 gal heated filtered aquarium.. He appears to have some striping on him assuming because this has been a stressful transition .

Please advise!

You said "he appears to have some striping"...what do you mean?

 

[Chrissa]

Thanks guys ... I have tried some thawed frozen blood worms and spectrum grow pellets as this is all I have right now. He is not interested in eating either he seems to have some swim-bladder issues as well and just floats to the top and tips sideways ... I noticed this afternoon his abdomen is swollen and when shinning a light looks to be filled with fluid is this dropsy? I have now medicated with kanaplex and removed the carbon and sponge from the filter.... What else can I do for this poor guy? I hate to see him not get a second chance he had such a miserable life

 

[Autumnsky]

Cooked fresh or frozen peas, inside parts from the little round pea, chopped in ity bity Betta bite-sized bits. Are you familiar? It helps with digestion.

 

[Joshfishguy]

Feed him regularly and make sure all levels are good give him medicine see how it works if it doesn't leave him alone and we shall see

 

[Chrissa]

I tried feeding him mysis treated with kanaplex to no avail he won't eat anything just spits it out.. He has some white stringy poo trailing behind him so look like along with all other ailments he also has internal parasites gosh I just hate how negligent people can be ... Just did a 100% WC and retreated water with prime and kanaplex. He's looking more bloated today and is floating on his side is there anything else I can do to increase his chances??

 

[Rlavassor86]

I tried feeding him mysis treated with kanaplex to no avail he won't eat anything just spits it out.. He has some white stringy poo trailing behind him so look like along with all other ailments he also has internal parasites gosh I just hate how negligent people can be ... Just did a 100% WC and retreated water with prime and kanaplex. He's looking more bloated today and is floating on his side is there anything else I can do to increase his chances??

I had a sword tail get dropsy a while back. I just qt him in a tank with a mix of 1 tbs per 5 gal of aquarium salt. He was back to his old self inside of a week.

 

[Autumnsky]

If you use salt which would be good, you need to mix it ahead into a liquid solution and add it to the water over a period of a couple of days. I think you can do 1 tsp per gallon just for most fish but for illness I think it is up to 1 TBL per gallon. Maybe some one here can give you better guidance for the amount.

Aquarium salt or salt only no additives. Pickling/canning/kosher and sea salt are possibilities, with nothing but salt as the ingredient.

Also Epsom salt was another option, maybe you could check into that one. I have used that one time long ago and don't know the quantities.

Someone recently said you can use marine salt, has better stuff in it. That though I don't know as a fact.

Poor baby.

 

[Rlavassor86]

If you use salt which would be good, you need to mix it ahead into a liquid solution and add it to the water over a period of a couple of days. I think you can do 1 tsp per gallon just for most fish but for illness I think it is up to 1 TBL per gallon. Maybe some one here can give you better guidance for the amount.

Aquarium salt or salt only no additives. Pickling/canning/kosher and sea salt are possibilities, with nothing but salt as the ingredient.

Also Epsom salt was another option, maybe you could check into that one. I have used that one time long ago and don't know the quantities.

Someone recently said you can use marine salt, has better stuff in it. That though I don't know as a fact.

Poor baby.

I've used Epsom salt in the same concentration. 1tbs per 5 gal. No ill effects. And yes dissolve the salt in a glass or bucket of tank water before adding. I've never gradually added salt when using as medication and have never seen any elevated stress or had any losses. In over concentrated doses I'm sure you'd have issues tho. But at the recommended dose I've never had problems.

 

[Rlavassor86]

I may be wrong here but I think the 1tbs per gal is for use as a quick dip bath not for prolonged use. It helps to clear the intestines pretty fast.

 

[Chrissa]

Just a little update been gone most of the day .. came home to a fishy swimming somewhat normal, less bloated and over all looks better! This has given me hope! He might just make it! YAY!! ..hopefully each day is like rhis until he gets better ...gonna have to come up with a real good name for this one.. Lol .. Open to suggestions

 

[maestromad]

Gosh he sounds like a proper survivor, well done for taking such good care of him. Do u have any pictures?

 

[Chrissa]

Unfortunately I didn't really take any pics when he was so sick I did not think the poor guy was going to make it... But by a miracle he came back to life...He is doing great now, his color is coming back, I can see new growth on his fins, his eyes appear more normal he is swimming eating no velvet, no bloat, and internal parasites seem to be a thing of the past.. I think his dropsy was caught just in time! I will try and upload a pic of the little trooper!!

 

[Chrissa]

This is probably around day 3 he was just starting to come around and was somewhat able to stay upright vs laying on his side..you can see his burns and poor color

 

[Autumnsky]

Keep up the good efforts!

 

[maestromad]

He's very similar to mine you had any thoughts on a name?

 

[Chrissa]

I am thinking I might call him "Trooper" lol.. with all that he has been through.. Suggestions are welcome

 

[Autumnsky]

That sounds like a fitting name!