Betta Emergency: Something Sticking Out Of Gill?

[Channti]

My housemate went home for the weekend and left me in charge of Mr. Fredrickson. He is an adult male VT betta. I've kept a VT in the past, currently have a CT, and a variety of other fish. I've been watching Mr. F for a while and he's shown absolutely no sign of illness or disease. I've been living in the same house as her for about a month now.

Friday she left the betta with me. She has been keeping him in a bowl (bad, I know, but I'm ordering a heater and filter for it). Friday night, the water in his bowl got so cold that I called her. My 5 gallon tank with my crowntail is still divided (my VT passed away a few weeks ago), so I put Mr. F into the free space in my tank. I acclimated him slowly, and he's been in the heated, filtered, planted tank for about 36 hours.

This morning I noticed that he has two small ovals sticking off of his right gill. they're semi-transparent, about the size of a pin head, and attached to his body, almost like he's shedding scales or something.

I've looked all over google, but can't seem to figure out if this is something that needs to be treated or not. Also posting in Betta Splendens. I can't get a picture (my camera is MIA, and my cell camera won't focus on the fish.)

 

[-Craig-]

Water stats in ammonia, Ph, nitrite, nitrate?
Tank size?
Has the tank been cleaned out since your Betta died?


I think its Gill worm.

 

[WILDER]

Does the oval have any legs to it.
Is it possible to load a pic onto the site.
Doea the oval resemble a parasite, or growth.

 

[Channti]

Tank size: 5 gallons.
Water stats:
PH: 6.0
Nitrite: 0-0.5
Nitrate: 0
Ammonia: Don't have a test for this here unfort.

Tank has been cleaned 3x since my betta died, in fact, I euthanized my betta in a cup outside of the tank. He didn't die in the tank. He had a tumor.

By Gill Worm, do you mean Anchor worm? I can't find any trace of Gill Worm on Google. Checked out Anchor worm; looks nothing like this. This honestly looks like he's scraped his scales up on something and they're just sticking out.

He's showing no change in behaviour, no change in appetite; in fact, hes more active and interactive than he has been ever.

Does the oval have any legs to it.
Is it possible to load a pic onto the site.
Doea the oval resemble a parasite, or growth.

No legs.
Doesn't look like a parasite or growth; like I said, its almost like he's just scraped up a few scales and they're still attached (kind of like when a kid cuts a flap of skin on their arm, and the flap is still attached).

I'm working on getting a picture....

 

[WILDER]

Ok.
You can't see gills flukes with the naked eye. You have to get a magifying glass to take a look behind the gills flaps.

All you can do for now is add a bacterial med.

Is your nitrite reading 0, or slightly higher reading.

Also check around the area of the raised scales. Get a magifying glass to see if you can see any parasites.

Could he have damaged himself on something sharp in the tank and caused an infection.

 

[Athena]

Just wondering the same as Wilder - if there's anything in his section of the tank that he could have scraped himself against. Also, re the dividing tank wall... is this transparent? Can he see the other betta through the dividing wall? If so, could he have been flaring and charging and knocked into something?

Or could it have happened when you transferred him over (ie net damage?)

Athena

 

[Channti]

Whatever it was, it's gone now. No idea what it was, but it's not there anymore.....

 

[WILDER]

Thanks for the update.

Just do a few daily water changes.
Keep an eye on water stats.

Good Luck.