Gyrodactylus

[BettaMomma]

I've been trying to officially determine what could be ailing Jasper, and I ran across this disease in my MarDel disease guide. The description says it affects the fish's skin, colors fade, dins droop, fold and gradually become torn. Fish may become sluggish and weak. He's been laying around the tank since I got him. Struggles up for air, has only eaten 2 pellets in 4 days.

Anyone ever heard of it?
Or dealt with something similar?

It looks like CopperSafe cures it, so what the heck - I might give it a try.

 

[WILDER]

no never heard of it, what are the symptoms of your fish.

 

[BettaMomma]

lethargic
clamped fins
doesn't eat (has eaten only 2 pellets in 4 1/2 days)
sometimes darts around like a madman, crashing into stuff
struggles to come up for air
sometimes he swims in a circle while looking up at the top of the tank

BUT
he has NO visible signs of illness
he has no white spots, no patches, no discoloration anywhere
he isn't gasping for air, he breathes normally
he's not swollen at all
his eyes are not bulging
sometimes he takes off swimming perfectly normally and then just decides to stop and rest on something - like a plant, his hidey cave, the bottom of the tank, etc.

AND
when I got him on monday, he was completely gray. he has now turned into a very pretty electric blue color - so at least his color is improving

Today's friday.
I got him on monday.
he's in a 2.5G heated unfiltered tank w/no aeration
temp's at 78 - 80 all the time
I'm treating him currently with Maracyn Two, and I just picked up some CopperSafe - i'm going to give that a try

 

[bigfish]

Isn't that a type of fluke??? not sure if its body or gill fluke. Ahhhhhh it's Skin flukes just refered to my little red book!!!!

Goodluck in treating the little chap. If it is skin flukes he may flick against objects and dart off in quick and in a strange manner.

 

[WILDER]

Stay apart from other, breathing is normal,they may refuse food, they may have cloudy or grey areas on the skin,fish may be suffering from a parasite problem, there could be internal problems or early signs of systemic bacterial infection, isolate and observe, test water parameters.

 

[BettaMomma]

Looks like he has Acute Viral Hemorrhagic septicemia.
In other words, outlook isn't promising.
But we'll give it the old college try.
thanks for all your support.