Betta Male Stained Tail - Healing Or Sickness ?

[lili70]

Hi.

For those who read my previous post there is a update: the guppy died with a baaaad fin rot and the neon still alive (body not swollen anymore, started eating but pop eyes).

I'm worried about my betta male. He is purple-pink with fins and tail pink (like a veil).
His fin rot was like this:

- a area of tail discolored and is transparent (didn't progress)
- a stain (round) on his tail indigo (different than his color) in the middle (it showed up after 3 days of Maracyn)
- a line on the side of tail the same color like the stain, indigo (showed up after started Maracyn 2- concurent)

Now I finished the Maracyn and Maracyn-2 and I thought I should try Melafix (after major water change) so I started this morning. In the evening the stain and the line are larger (same color indigo).
The edges of tail and fins look fine, no shape modification, it's just the color and the area that now it's transparent and very fragile.

Question: this looks like he is getting worse or it's healing ?
Please advice ! Maybe I should start Maracyn again .....

Just as a personal observation : there is no biological filtration left with Maracyn .... I have to change some water twice a day to keep amonia = 0 .....

Thanks in advance.
L

 

[jollysue]

Mardel products should not affect the good bacteria in the filter. Your tank should still be cycled if you only used Mardel products.

Do you have a picture of the discoloration in question? I really can't be sure of anything from the description. Sometimes I understand the area healing can be different from the original. Fin Rot should normally be white around the edges, like dead skin. If it stopped and started healing that should do it.

I am assuming that you reduced the MelaFix appropriately for a Betta.

But rereading it looks like there is some change taking place in the tail. It is going transparent and becoming fragile? I don't like how that sounds. Was the color indigo or blood like color in the veins?

 

[lili70]

Mardel products should not affect the good bacteria in the filter. Your tank should still be cycled if you only used Mardel products.

The fish tank were cycled for about 2-3 months .... and it took me like a month to stabilize them. But now .... crazy. I ruined them.

Do you have a picture of the discoloration in question? I really can't be sure of anything from the description. Sometimes I understand the area healing can be different from the original. Fin Rot should normally be white around the edges, like dead skin. If it stopped and started healing that should do it.

I've seen the white died tisue in guppy. It's not like it.

I am assuming that you reduced the MelaFix appropriately for a Betta.

Nope. Ouch !!!! It didn't say .......You see, that's why I'm asking .....

But rereading it looks like there is some change taking place in the tail. It is going transparent and becoming fragile? I don't like how that sounds. Was the color indigo or blood like color in the veins?

The transparent part showed up before medication. His tail it's normaly like a veil very thin and transparent but pink. This affected part of tail lost the color ... it's just transparent ... clear, no white.
The stain apeared after Maracyns. It's nothing like blood or old blood or veins blood. It's a chemical color .... indigo.

I'll try to get a picture.
I really apreciate your answer. You see I'm making mistakes .... with good intentions. My husband says I'm doing too much. He might have a point.
Thank you.
L

 

[jollysue]

MelaFix is, I believe, half dose for Betta. He will suffocate on too much. Give him a big water change. I would now just keep his water very clean, even a water change every day isn't too much. Is he in a community tank? I would put him in an unfiltered gallon or so tub with a ventalated cover and keep his water very clean.

I suppose it is possible that Maracyn could stain new transparent fin. I would not have been surprised if it was tetracycline. It does turn things red. I have never had Mardel products cause a tank to cycle. I can't imagine what would have happened.

I really don't know what is going on and am pretty much just talking it out.

Is there any evidence of fungus?

 

[lili70]

MelaFix is, I believe, half dose for Betta. He will suffocate on too much. Give him a big water change. I would now just keep his water very clean, even a water change every day isn't too much. Is he in a community tank? I would put him in an unfiltered gallon or so tub with a ventalated cover and keep his water very clean.

I suppose it is possible that Maracyn could stain new transparent fin. I would not have been surprised if it was tetracycline. It does turn things red. I have never had Mardel products cause a tank to cycle. I can't imagine what would have happened.

I really don't know what is going on and am pretty much just talking it out.

Is there any evidence of fungus?

Thank you. Keep talking.
I just changed the water now and I noticed that the indigo stains are smaller (overnight). So it's a reaction to medication. The stain it's on the healthy part of tail not on the transparent one. The betta male, named Cleo, it's in a 10 gal tank with 3 neons, a chinese algae eater (there were 3 ghost shrimp a a snail which are in a separate tank - I didn't want the meds to kill them).
From the very begining Cleao was a scaredy fish .... he acted like the tank was too big. I have many hiding places and he didn't came out for a week. He is a very fast swimmer though I think he is old ... because he is biiig. He was in the jar at PetsMart for a while. The people there were very happy that someone took him because they said has special colors and shape. So I got him companoins: the neon and the shrimps. He felt better. When the algae eater showed up then fun began. Cleo is a very non-agressive fish but he chases the algae eater out of his own caves ... he is teritorial. He sleeps in the plants snuggle with the neons. He never atacked the shrimps or neons. He can see through the glass the beta female (called Gipsy) and flares at her .... sticking out big ears ... he looks very funny. Now I moved her fish tank and he is still looking for her at that side of the tank.
Anyway, I have a 2.5 gal with a small Whisper filter (the smallest and it's not doing much) and I'll move Cleo it he gets worse. I don't want to change his habit now .... Maybe I should ?

I don't think it's fungus but I've got the API anti fungus ... just in case. I'm not adding it now.

About biological and Maracyn .... I think I did too much water change because to me a little nuance of green, even if it's less that 0.25 amonia it's bad ..... I'm afraid.

Thanks you again.
L

Update on the neon: still alive, not bloated, scales are back to normal, active, eating. Still pop eye. He will get Maracyn+2 untill dies or recover. OK ? He was the perfect definition of dropsy, by the book. I cannot believe he is still alive !