My betta is close to death!! Help please!!

[Marissa]

I need some serious fast help. I have a betta (my second) his name is Baloo!! I rescued him 3 months ago from Walmart shelf. He had fin rot minor at time and recovered! I will save the long story. The short version is hos fin rot got better then worse and finally about 2 weeks ago his fin finally started growing back. This was all with just increased aquarium salt and daily water changes. I know people will say daily is bad but I have found with him if I went longer than1 day the fin rot worsened!! So finally we were goingin right direction!! About a week ago I noticed 2 little pin holes on the bottom fin. I thought the rot was back. It originally was on tail fin only. This progressed to what looked like it was filling in translucently, as expected when it heals, however instead the translucent area spread!! Every day this week it has gotten larger. It actually ate away almost all of his dorsal fin this week and the bottom fin is almost all clear. I will try to attach pics. I started pimafix 2 days ago and melafix (i know its stronger than bettafix) i was using bettafix and pets mart recommended melafix since it is so severe. I only did melafix last night. Today he wont swim anymore. He is floating near top in one spot. He moves to get his food. I have worked tirelessly very hard to save my little guy and Im devistated knowing hes prob going to die in day or two If I cant figure this out. I cant find any pics of what is happening so I dont really know if it is fungus or bacteria!!! What should I do? Also to top it off i think theres a parasite by his eye. It was there last week then gone so I tjought it was lint, but now it is back in same spot so I think its related to disease!!!! Please help. Hes in a 1 gallon( i know its small but easier for daily changes/medicating) heated, filter out now for all the medicating Im doing. I use bottled water so it is constant paramaters!! I still check though!! It is constant!! I do everything that I read for fin rot, just dont know what this is now!! Thank you so much for help!!

 

[NickAu]

Hi

I do not know where to start. So bear with me.

1 gallon is too small,

Melafix and Betta fix are rubbish and can in fact be harmful to labyrinth breathers
All Betta Owners Read!!!!! Melafix Alert!!!!!! Read!!!! Read ...

Most bottled water is not suitable for aquariums.

What brand of bottle water are you using?

Whats wrong with tap water?

Can you please answer the following questions, be as detailed as you can, the answers you provide will enable us to help you.

• is the tank cycled - how did you cycle it?
• does the tank have a filter?
• does it have a heater - what temp is it set to?
• how much water do you change and how often?
• what water conditioner do you use?
• apart from the fish what else is in the tank - fake plants, live plants etc?
• apart from the new fish have you added anything else recently?
• What do you feed him?
• How much and how often do you feed him?
• What is the PH of the water?
• Do you have a test kit?
• Do you know the Ammonia Nitrite and Nitrate levels and if you do can you post them?

 

[neoyyf]

Please answer NickAus questions. You need to reduce all other kind of stresses for Baloo to recover quickly and properly. Baloo cannot be in a small bowl of still water with no heating or filtration, that kind of setup is stressful to fish but there are some quick fixes you can do. But first answer the questions

 

[Karen_2656]

All I can say is that my betta who was in a 20 gallon looked the exact same. In 1 hour he passed, hope u have better luck. Please answer NikAus questions. Also 1 gallon is wayy to small. 5 gallons minimum.
~Karen


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Marissa]

Ill answer best I can!!
1. I dont usually use bettafix or melafix except a few (10) drops in Plumbs tank after she has recovered from fin rot. Which we have had numerous times as well. I just was reading on forum in desperation and saw that it would help with fungus and I had no other meds at time besides salt and emycin... both of which I had tried and wmycin not for fungus.

2 i used to do tap water and when Baloo first got fin rot I was in shock!!! I immediately tested water and our tap water had nitrates and ammonia in it!! High levels!! Dark purple!!! Soooo i called the city and also switched to crystal gueyser after doing much research on bottled water and ph levels. It stays at 6.8. (Although 1 day a bottle was lower and i didnt use it) i check most every bottle with a test kit!
3. I know 1 gal is small!! I have had them both in their own 3 gallon tanks but you try doing daily water changes with 3 gallons of store bought water!! It is my opinion that a smaller hospital tank is the best option until I can get them both to stay healthy! Plumb has been healthy for about 4 weeks now so I actually may move her this week back into larger tank! However I will keep Baloo in 1 gallon until healthy or the worst! I fear its imminent!!
4. The tank is heated to 75 degrees. Its a 10watt nonadjustable!
5. No filterbecause a) im medicating and b) do daily water changes c) ive worked my behind off on both of these fish!! I come home after work every single day and spend an hour cleaning by hand very tediously everything in the tank trying to keep him alive!! Ive spent hours and hours researching the last 6 months for other fish too and ive noticed personally and read also thefilter flowcan be bad when fins are super fragile like sick!! So I opted to jist be more tedious with water cleanliness for the time being! I didhave it filtered until a few weeks ago!
5. I have not added anything and infact have renoved all except the betta leaf, silk plant and thermometer and heater. I clean each very well with hot water daily!
6. I feed them a rotating diet
Mon fast
Tues pellets 2-3 in morning and night
Wed flakes small pinch 2 x day
Thurs daphnia or bloodworms
Fri pellets
Sat flakes or pellets
Sun pea 1/2 or so
Im very anal with their feeding as Plumb has had constipation problems. I watch both of their stomachs as I feed and guage how much on how full they are and how much they have pooped that day/prior day. Baloo is my good pooper. I clean poop every morning and after wirk from his tank. Plumb however goes 1-2 times a week. Usually cleans herself out with pea on fasting day.

7. I am checking water as I type
pH is 7.6
Ammonia is 0ppm
Nitrites are 0ppm
Nitrates are 0ppm
I attached pic of all test tubes

I have a pleathora of items I have used or use forconditioner. I have usedbetta safe for 6 months on Plumb, i switched when Baloo got sick to API stress coat and still add few drops of other. I have quick start and safe start plus but have not been using lately since Im doing more frequent water chamges.

I am more than happy to answer all these questions and please dont think Im ungreatful but I dont think those items are my immediate problem. This thing... wjatever is eating away my fishes fins nit rotting but actually eating it away is my problem. Has anyone seen it? Any ideas what it is ir how to treat it?
I have changed NOTHING in last 2 weeks to make thisappear. I have now done pimafix 3 days and few drops of melafix 2 days.
I know melafix can cause renal failure. I dodnt read article yet but Im assuming thats what it says and I don want to do thatveither!!! Im just desperate right now! Im actually a nurse anesthetist and fight every day for human lives and it is killing me that I may lose this fish!!!! I feel like im failing him and Im doing everything I know!!!
Fyi last night I DID just do 50% water change so I wouldnt stress him by removing him. Maybe Istress him to much but again this is how Ive done him for 2 months and this new fin stuff is only a week or so old!!!

Thank you for all your suggestions. Ill take advise on tanks, filter, ect but i thinkI need immediate help and if he survives this then Ill put himback into his large tank!! The salt isnt helping this disease right now, i cant filter other meds so the filter isnt gonna help now. If I can figure out if its bacterial or fungal I can get a new thermometer if it needs to be warmer, but if its bacterial that willmake it worse. I hope you can all see Im not just a new fish owner and Ive done my research but just need more personal help here!! Thank you again

 

[Marissa]

Ill answer best I can!!
1. I dont usually use bettafix or melafix except a few (10) drops in Plumbs tank after she has recovered from fin rot. Which we have had numerous times as well. I just was reading on forum in desperation and saw that it would help with fungus and I had no other meds at time besides salt and emycin... both of which I had tried and wmycin not for fungus.

2 i used to do tap water and when Baloo first got fin rot I was in shock!!! I immediately tested water and our tap water had nitrates and ammonia in it!! High levels!! Dark purple!!! Soooo i called the city and also switched to crystal gueyser after doing much research on bottled water and ph levels. It stays at 6.8. (Although 1 day a bottle was lower and i didnt use it) i check most every bottle with a test kit!
3. I know 1 gal is small!! I have had them both in their own 3 gallon tanks but you try doing daily water changes with 3 gallons of store bought water!! It is my opinion that a smaller hospital tank is the best option until I can get them both to stay healthy! Plumb has been healthy for about 4 weeks now so I actually may move her this week back into larger tank! However I will keep Baloo in 1 gallon until healthy or the worst! I fear its imminent!!
4. The tank is heated to 75 degrees. Its a 10watt nonadjustable!
5. No filterbecause a) im medicating and b) do daily water changes c) ive worked my behind off on both of these fish!! I come home after work every single day and spend an hour cleaning by hand very tediously everything in the tank trying to keep him alive!! Ive spent hours and hours researching the last 6 months for other fish too and ive noticed personally and read also thefilter flowcan be bad when fins are super fragile like sick!! So I opted to jist be more tedious with water cleanliness for the time being! I didhave it filtered until a few weeks ago!
5. I have not added anything and infact have renoved all except the betta leaf, silk plant and thermometer and heater. I clean each very well with hot water daily!
6. I feed them a rotating diet
Mon fast
Tues pellets 2-3 in morning and night
Wed flakes small pinch 2 x day
Thurs daphnia or bloodworms
Fri pellets
Sat flakes or pellets
Sun pea 1/2 or so
Im very anal with their feeding as Plumb has had constipation problems. I watch both of their stomachs as I feed and guage how much on how full they are and how much they have pooped that day/prior day. Baloo is my good pooper. I clean poop every morning and after wirk from his tank. Plumb however goes 1-2 times a week. Usually cleans herself out with pea on fasting day.

7. I am checking water as I type
pH is 7.6
Ammonia is 0ppm
Nitrites are 0ppm
Nitrates are 0ppm
I attached pic of all test tubes

I have a pleathora of items I have used or use forconditioner. I have usedbetta safe for 6 months on Plumb, i switched when Baloo got sick to API stress coat and still add few drops of other. I have quick start and safe start plus but have not been using lately since Im doing more frequent water chamges.

I am more than happy to answer all these questions and please dont think Im ungreatful but I dont think those items are my immediate problem. This thing... wjatever is eating away my fishes fins nit rotting but actually eating it away is my problem. Has anyone seen it? Any ideas what it is ir how to treat it?
I have changed NOTHING in last 2 weeks to make thisappear. I have now done pimafix 3 days and few drops of melafix 2 days.
I know melafix can cause renal failure. I dodnt read article yet but Im assuming thats what it says and I don want to do thatveither!!! Im just desperate right now! Im actually a nurse anesthetist and fight every day for human lives and it is killing me that I may lose this fish!!!! I feel like im failing him and Im doing everything I know!!!
Fyi last night I DID just do 50% water change so I wouldnt stress him by removing him. Maybe Istress him to much but again this is how Ive done him for 2 months and this new fin stuff is only a week or so old!!!

Thank you for all your suggestions. Ill take advise on tanks, filter, ect but i thinkI need immediate help and if he survives this then Ill put himback into his large tank!! The salt isnt helping this disease right now, i cant filter other meds so the filter isnt gonna help now. If I can figure out if its bacterial or fungal I can get a new thermometer if it needs to be warmer, but if its bacterial that willmake it worse. I hope you can all see Im not just a new fish owner and Ive done my research but just need more personal help here!! Thank you again

Hi

I do not know where to start. So bear with me.

1 gallon is too small,

Melafix and Betta fix are rubbish and can in fact be harmful to labyrinth breathers
All Betta Owners Read!!!!! Melafix Alert!!!!!! Read!!!! Read ...

Most bottled water is not suitable for aquariums.

What brand of bottle water are you using?

Whats wrong with tap water?

Can you please answer the following questions, be as detailed as you can, the answers you provide will enable us to help you.

• is the tank cycled - how did you cycle it?
• does the tank have a filter?
• does it have a heater - what temp is it set to?
• how much water do you change and how often?
• what water conditioner do you use?
• apart from the fish what else is in the tank - fake plants, live plants etc?
• apart from the new fish have you added anything else recently?
• What do you feed him?
• How much and how often do you feed him?
• What is the PH of the water?
• Do you have a test kit?
• Do you know the Ammonia Nitrite and Nitrate levels and if you do can you post them?

Thank you so much for replying! I just responded as best as I can! Im just very upset. I know the tank size is not perfect and I know melafix is bad!!! In general!! But to me this is a hospital tank and Im very desperate!!! I hope that makes sense!! These are not my normal conditions!!
Fyi this is Plumb my other betta! Ilearned a lot from Plumb in fin rot as I got her from a carnival!!! With fins rotting a few days later!!! I became such an expert on fin rot I felt inclined to rescue poor Baloo!! Now I jist dont know what this is! Do I get the seachem paraguard? Im just so desperate to save him!!! But Im preparing myself for not such a great outcome!!
Also I have kept them in dark for couple of weeks for fin rot treating!! I have had natural light but not tank light!! Do u think that could have allowed this other disease to come on?

 

[SeanTrollope]

Do a test on the tap water again and give us the readings please.

Sent from my SM-G570F using Tapatalk

 

[Marissa]

Do a test on the tap water again and give us the readings please.

Sent from my SM-G570F using Tapatalk

Ok? Im not using the tap water. I havent used it in over 3 weeks.

 

[SeanTrollope]

Yes I know. But maybe you can be again and it might solve the problem

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[Marissa]

Yes I know. But maybe you can be again and it might solve the problem

Sent from my SM-G570F using Tapatalk

So the tap water pH is 8.0 which is what it always was, ammonia is 0.5 ppm nitrates and nitrites are 0 ppm again. He now has cloudy stuff sloughing off, maybe his fins just breaking down. kind of stringy clear/white stuff. I have erythromycin I added to the water for now and will go to the store in a little bit to get something else if anyone can help me identify it.

 

[Marissa]

Im very confused. I spent over an hour replying to messages and no one has bothred to ever help again? He is doing a little better today I think but Im still hoping one of you that were quick to aak questions would be so kind to help. I answered thebest most thorough I could. Thank you aheadof time.

 

[BettaEm19]

Im very confused. I spent over an hour replying to messages and no one has bothred to ever help again? He is doing a little better today I think but Im still hoping one of you that were quick to aak questions would be so kind to help. I answered thebest most thorough I could. Thank you aheadof time.

How's his behavior today? Has he accepted food? Did you use any medication in the past 24 hours? Either way, I'm sorry that he's sick.

 

[Essjay]

The bottled water - is it pure water or does it have minerals in? In other words, is it distilled water or spring water? The label should tell you. Fish, including bettas, can't live in pure water, they need some minerals.
Can I ask which test kit you are using, and if it is a liquid one, do you wash the tubes thoroughly after use?
Could you please test your tap water again and post the actual numbers here? We can tell you if it is safe to use. As you are finding, bottled water is not ideal for water changes, tap water would be much easier.

Tap water that is as bad as you report is not fit for human consumption. If it is safe for humans to drink, it should be fine for fish. Most countries have rigorous testing protocols and any company that allows drinking water to get bad is in trouble.
Some ammonia is permissible particularly in areas that use chloramine. Any dechlorinator that detoxifies ammonia will make it safe until the filter bacteria have had time to 'eat' it.
Was it nitrate or nitrite that was high? With my test kit (API) it is nitrite that goes purple, nitrate turns red at high levels.
There should be almost no nitrite in drinking water - the UK allows a maximum of 0.1 ppm which will give the slightest hint of purple with the API tester. Your country's legislation is probably similar or lower.
Nitrate can be high in tap water especially if it is collected in areas where there is run off from agricultural fields (from the use of fertiliser). In some areas of the UK, for example, the level of nitrate in tap water is almost at the legal limit. This does make it difficult for fish keepers to keep nitrate below 20 ppm.

How much bottled water did you use when you changed over from tap water? When the chemical composition of water is different, it should be added slowly a bit at a time so the fish can acclimatise to the change. And I mean a bit now and a bit next week, bot a few minutes later.


The sooner you can put the bettas back in larger tanks the better. Water quality deteriorates so quickly in small containers that it could well be hindering Baloo's recovery.
Water changes and a suitable tank are the best aids to recovery. But having said that, the conditions Baloo was kept in at the shop may have pushed him too far to be able to recover.



Can Baloo see Plumb at all? Holes in the fin like your photos can be caused by a betta flaring too much.






And are you sure Plumb is a female? The ventral fins look too long for a female.

 

[NickAu]

And are you sure Plumb is a female? The ventral fins look too long for a female.

I agree.

 

[**sarahp**]

Fyi last night I DID just do 50% water change so I wouldnt stress him by removing him. Maybe Istress him to much but again this is how Ive done him for 2 months and this new fin stuff is only a week or so old!!!

Moving him in and out of his tank may be part of the problem. When I got my boy he was fine for ages then because of people coming to stay and having to decorate and re-carpet my office (where his tank is) I had to move him about 4 times in a fortnight. The stress of that caused him to fin bite and he got fin rot. His once beautiful flowing fins seemed to disappear over night.

Him not having to move and LOTS of water changes helped to fix the problem.

I know you're desperate but as all the meds that you are giving him are not working I wonder whether it would be best to go back to basics? Stop with anything except clean warm water. Are you making sure the new water is a temp match for the removed water as a sudden change in temp can also stress? Also, as Essjay said - make sure that it is not pure water.

Hope he pulls through