Whitish Bubbly Spot On Betta

[Emi Miyuki]

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Tank size: 2 litres
tank temp: below 14, usually. No testing strips. No heating system since tank is plastic.

Fish Symptoms: White, bubble-like spot on betta, in front of right gill.

Volume and Frequency of water changes: Full change every two weeks, 75% change inbetween, or 25%-to 50% in the middle of the week to add warm water if water is cold. His tank gets pretty dirty after a week. Eats only small pellets, spits out and runs after larger ones, never successfully eating them...acts normally.

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: Right now a bit of Primafix on suspicion of a fungal infection, some rocks. Not sure whether to add Aquarium salt with the medication.

Tank inhabitants: Just the betta, Aki

Recent additions to your tank: Aki's the recent addition. I had to remove the plant due to clumped-on dirt I couldn't remove (after Aki was in there awhile already).

Exposure to chemicals: Don't think.

Digital photo:

I had a topic posted in the Betta section, and it was suggested that I post here. I lost my first betta to something similar, only the spot was smaller.

 

[littlest]

Hi,

I know I responded in the betta section, and I'll leave the rest to the medical types, but I just want to check whether the temperature you gave was correct.

Below 14C is extremely cold and would be a major problem to a betta.

If that isn't a typo that needs rectifying straight away.

You can heat plastic tanks. Heaters don't get that hot and when you are using suction caps the heater doesn't touch the plastic. I've got a heated 3 gal plastic tank (with a 25 heater) and it''s fine.

The problem is it is near impossible to heat a tank as small as 2 litres as you simply can't fit most heaters in. There are mini 7.5 watt heaters available but they can only increase the temp a couple of degrees in my experience.

Whatever the medical problem with your betta, I would advise you to get a bigger tank with a heater.

In the UK, you can pick up a cheap plain Clearseal glass tank (they do quite small ones, about 3-4 gallons) or a plastic hex tank. I bought a plastic tank with a little filter for £15 from Pets at Home (3 gallon) and added a 25 watt heater.

In the US you should check Walmart or similar, I've heard of pretty good cheap tanks from there.

Critter keepers are also an option - just add a heater.

also, how often are you doing water changes? in a tank that small it needs to be every day probably.

 

[lilfishie]

does it look like a grain of salt? or fluffy?
as said the temp and tank size aren't ideal, also a water change every 2 weeks is no where near enough on a tank that size, it needs about 75-100% every day!

 

[Emi Miyuki]

It doesn't look like a grain of salt, but it is puffy, like a bubble.

Even when the wood furnace is going and the house is 25 degrees celsius, the tank's water is still cold, sometimes just a bit warmer than inside the refrigerator. It's in my room too, which is like a boiler room when the furnace is running. The heating pad I use every so often isn't supposed to stay on for long amounts of time, but doesn't seem to "melt" the tank, and leaves the tank just warm when on medium for several hours. I'm not sure whether to keep using it or not.

The Pets Unlimited I went to for heaters (and where I also got my tank from) said that the tank I have are meant for cold water bettas, and they thought betta's could survive well in them...they also talked so fast they didn't listen when I tried to tell them what the ideal temperature was for betta's...

The past three days I've done 50-75% water changes to get the water temperature up a little, otherwise the midweek, and weekly water changes with a complete one every two weeks.

I've been wanting a larger tank, preferably a glass one, but I went broke paying my father back for the stuff he picked up for my fish (the medication and aquarium salt), so I'll have to make do with this one for some time...

 

[Emi Miyuki]

Thank you all for helping.
Aki is gone now

 

[WILDER]

Bless him R.I.P.