Sick Betta, Please Help?

[Critterlvrok]

This is Peeps, my Betta that I have had 3 weeks. He has been fine until this evening when I realized that he has been hiding most of the day. I noticed a pronounced color change near his tail. In the picture you can see it on his back half and is marked by the sudden almost diagonal line. Please note the color change near his head is his natural color as well as the dark spot on his tail. I'm concerned about the dramatic diagonal stripe that has developed since yesterday. He is in a 10g tank with ghost shrimp, the tank is lightly planted with Wisteria, Pennywort and Windelov. The water parameters are ammonia 0, trites 0 and trates 10. my water is hard and in the 8 range ( i did not run the high PH range test this time). Any advice is greatly appreciated, i'm very worried about him as well as the ghosties.

Thank you again for your assistance.

 

[Critterlvrok]

I'm sorry to bump this but does anyone know?

 

[Critterlvrok]

Update: Peep is much worse he is nose down and I actually thought he was dead. He moved when I went to net him so I'm torn as to if I should wait or euthanize him now. Help anyone? Can he be treated?

 

[librarygirl]

Sorry about your Betta. I've never had one so I'm not too familiar with them. His spine looks a bit crooked to me too. Is he in a tank by himself or with other fish? You could try QT him if he is with other fish and then try a general medication like Melafix or Pimafix but since I have no idea what's wrong with him it's hard to say what to use, but it might be worth a try since he's getting worse anyway. If it looks like he's suffering though and if the spine really is crooked then it might be best to euthanize him (theres' a sticky on this forum about best ways to euthanize fish). Sorry about your fish.


*Edit: sorry re-read the original post and saw the ghost shrimp as tank mates. I''m not familiar with them either but if you do decide to try a medication read the bottle and see if it says anything about it not being safe for inverts, etc. If not then maybe move the betta to a quarantine tank if you can and try a medication there.

 

[Critterlvrok]

Thank you librarygirl. I unfortunately did have to euthanize him this evening. I used clove oil that I keep just in case. I had started treating the tank with melafix yesterday and he must have been to far gone. I am sick that he is gone, he was suck a corker.

 

[absolutangel04]

I am really sorry about Peeps. Honestly, even if I had found the thread earlier, I wouldn't have had any ideas. It sounds to me like a congenital issue of some sort.