Bacterial Infection? Pop-Eye? Ich?

[helwergles]

Hey!

Please, I once again need your help.

Until last week, my betta was just fine in his 5 gallon aquarium with thermostat (26ºC), Aquaclear20 Filter. The pH has been 7,2 for a while, now (no matter what I do, I cannot keep it down to 7,0, even though there is a natural log in the aquarium), 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites.

Then I noticed it began to get a little pale and became more and more quiet. Until yesterday, it was eating just fine, but not pooping (it has always had a hard time pooping, dunno why, since I always feed him with Bettamin flakes, not those little balls).

And then today I came home from work and I noticed that one of his eyes is swollen (here you can kinda see the difference between one eye and the other - http/picasaweb.google.com/helwergles/DerrickTheFish#5524352175997296578 ) and there is now a kind of a bruise on his cheek, on the same side of the swollen eye (pics below). The other side is just normal. And then he wouldn't eat!!!

And there is also a very thin white line hanging below his belly (that's why I'm also thinking ich or Oodinium). Therefore, I raised the water temperature to 31ºC and covered the aquarium, because I heard it's almost impossible for the virus or bacteria to reproduce significantly in these conditions.

Here are some other pics, where you can see the grayish eye and the "bruise" on the face:


http/picasaweb.google.com/helwergles/DerrickTheFish#5524352191817196898

http/picasaweb.google.com/helwergles/DerrickTheFish#5524352201637481938

http/picasaweb.google.com/helwergles/DerrickTheFish#5524354959372422994

http/picasaweb.google.com/helwergles/DerrickTheFish#5524352171592800290

His fins are moving well and he can swim easily so far.


Can anyone please help me find out what is wrong with my first and one and only fish? I'm a total newbie, and my fish really needs your expertises to survive!!!!

Thanks in advance for taking time to look into my fish's condition! =)


Regards,
Helena

 

[Azaeil]

Hmm, the large eye effect does look like Puffeye, but I'm not so sure about the bruising of his cheek in the same area as well as loss of color in the iris.. Puffeye usually occurs though in poor water conditions if I remember right from doing some research..

 

[helwergles]

Hmm, the large eye effect does look like Puffeye, but I'm not so sure about the bruising of his cheek in the same area as well as loss of color in the iris.. Puffeye usually occurs though in poor water conditions if I remember right from doing some research..

Yeah, I think it too, but the water seems to be ok, though... I haven't introduced any new elements in the aquarium recently... I don't know. =/

Thanks for your help anyway.

 

[keithp]

It;s hard to make out, but the fishes lips look swollen too. Is he able to eat?

 

[helwergles]

It;s hard to make out, but the fishes lips look swollen too. Is he able to eat?

No, he isn't =( I have just tried to feed him, and nothing!

 

[keithp]

Try buying frozen bloodworms or frozen brine shrimp, they are soft, bettas love them. He needs to eat to stay strong!

 

[helwergles]

Ok, I'll try to buy some tomorrow, and if the shop is already closed when I come back from work, then I'll buy them on Thursday for sure. But he doesn't even come near the food... it was never like this until yesterday... all I needed to do was to go near the aquarium, and he would race to the spot I always fed him.

I'm so sad!!

And thanks for the tip.

 

[helwergles]

Oh, and by the way, it looks a bit more like Oodinum today. The white string hanging from his belly is a little more visible.

I'm almost ruling out ich because his fins are moving well and he swims around just fine, even though not all the time, as he used to.

His eye is still puffed and yes, his mouth is definetly swollen. Is that why he isn't eating, maybe?

I exchanged some of the water and gave him a small, tiny dosis of antibiotics (oodinum is a bacterial disease, right?)
Let's see if it works out...!

 

[keithp]

Not sure if you live in the U.S., but if you do, there is a line of maracyn products (company is Mardel) for freshwater fish, I think they have one to treat symptoms what your betta has. Do this fish fish diagnosis, to see if it helps you figure out whats wrong. http/fins.actwin.com/articles/disease/chart2.php

 

[helwergles]

No, I live in Brazil =/

I found out that a brand named Sera has also a product that treats this (Sera Oodinopur). I'll try to buy it today when I come back from work, let's hope I'll get to buy it!

And I took the test and with only one click, it confirmed my prediction: velvet. I hope it's not too late and I can still save my poor fish!

Thanks a lot for your help.

 

[the biffster]

what your stats

 

[helwergles]

what your stats

Sorry?

 

[helwergles]

So, today he finally ate some brine shrimp - Yay!! I just hope he'll finally poop now, because his belly is huge. But as I said, he's never been a great pooper. Let's see.

There's still some grayish slime covering his right eye, the red bruise on his face became white and the scales on his face - and on the right side of his face only - are looking kinda dry and stiff. But other than that, he seems to be fine, both of his fins are ok and there's nothing abnormal going on at the rest of his body.

The water temperature is still high (30ºC), but since it's definitely not ich, I'll uncover his aquarium and keep the light on.

Yesterday I treated him with antibiotics, and now I'm about to add some fresh water with a product called Sera Omnipur. Haven't tested the water today, but I did a 40% wc yesterday before adding the antibiotics.

Here are some new pics:

http/picasaweb.google.com/helwergles/DerrickTheFish#5525057363558198450

http/picasaweb.google.com/helwergles/DerrickTheFish#5525057371415091682

http/picasaweb.google.com/helwergles/DerrickTheFish#5525057378723709714

 

[Gizaroo2]

what your stats

Sorry?

I think they meant what are your water stats.

 

[keithp]

Feed him a bit of de-shelled pea, or frozen/live daphnia, those will help him go to the bathroom easier if he is constipated.