Betta-Oodinum? Puffeye? Ich? Bacteria?

[WILDER]

Bless Him.
He does look in bad shape bless him.
It's not looking promising.

He might be struggling also with both meds in the tank so stop the tetracycline.
Do a water change and increase aeration.

I'm blind as a bat so can't see what athena seeing, but here some info for you.



Myxosporidiosis

Symptoms:

Fish exhibit numerous white cysts on the skin and gills. Cysts can become very large causing the skin overlying the gills to swell, which will prevent the fish from getting enough oxygen. Because this disease affects the gills, fish may be seen at the surface, acting like they can't get enough air. In severe infestations, the fish may bloat up, with tumor-like protrusions and eventually die.


Cause:

The myxosporidean parasite Henneguya.


Treatment:

This disease is fairly difficult to treat. Increased aeration in combination with merbromin baths is the only current method for treatment.

 

[Athena]

Hi Helena

Oh no, that's very sad. But, yes, you tried yor best and it certainly isn't easy. If you're in doubt as to whether he's actually dead yet, look to see if his gills are moving at all. I think he most likely is but if not, should be euthanised now.

Yes, you can clean your tank out thoroughly by washing in a diluted bleach solution (never had to do it myself so I'm not entirely sure of the quantities but it's something like 1 part bleach to 10 parts water - best check that though - ask in the general forum and someone is bound to know). Apparently you mustn't soak the aquarium for more than 15 mins - and you can also clean the gravel and ornaments/plastic plants (but not silk) in the same way.

Then fill with clean water for another 15 mins, empty and rinse out a few times.

Just use a normal strength household bleach, not a concentrate.

Better luck next time eh? We all lose fish at some point in time and it's never pleasant but we just have to learn from the experience.

Take care - Athena

 

[WILDER]

Sorry didn't realise he had passed on.
Bless Him.
R.I.P.

 

[helwergles]

Dears Athena and Wilder,

yeah, he was really gone by the time I posted the last comment. I hope he's swimming in heavenly waters now... he was surely a happy fish while he was alive, and that's comforting for me. And I'm really proud of him, he fought for an entire week... he was a really tough guy, i guess. Anyway, he was my very first fish, so he'll always have a special place in my heart.

The Myxosporidiosis diagnosis really made sense. All the symptoms match. How do the fishes get afflicted with such parasitic diseases? Is there anything we can do to protect them against such parasites?

Thanks a lot for your help, really. I mean it, from the bottom of my heart.

Best regards,
Helena

 

[Athena]

Hi Helena

Sorry I couldn't reply sooner.

In answer to your question about parasites and how the fish get afflicted with them... well, there are lots of types of parasites/protozoans, some enter the tank via food/plants/water/snails, others are already lying dormant inside the fish.

The only things we can do to reduce the risk of introducing parasites is to make sure that a) the tank water is always kept in top condition and from a clean, contamination-free source, b)live plants are thoroughly cleaned before planting in the tank c) when using live or frozen foods, to ensure they have been gamma-irradiated d) maintain a good cleaning regime weekly/fortnightly of water change, gravel vac and once a month or so give the filter sponges a sloosh in some of the removed tank water to remove debris build-up e) ensure that there are no other stress factors for the fish (e.g. no overstocking, check that fish are compatible before putting them in a tank together, feed a good quality, varied diet suitable for that particular fish, check the water temp and don't allow it to go out of the safe range...and if your tank water is in tip top condition then the fish won't suffer stress from high ammonia/nitrite levels)

Of course, there are some parasites that will be in the fish when we buy them and there's not much we can do to prevent that. Quarantining them can help (if they are to go into a community tank) but be quick to spot any physical symptoms so that they can be treated with an appropriate medication. Unfortunately, as hard as we try, sometimes a correct diagnosis isn't made until it's a bit too late, since initial symptoms are often very similar to other things, as in this case.

It was really only when I saw that pic of your betta's head, the one where it looked rather pimply, and the bloating (but different bloating to that of dropsy), plus the missing scales, gasping for air etc that it sounded more like Myxosporidiosis. But even if we had known this a few days ago, it's apparently a difficult one to treat so the outcome may not have been any different.

Don't give up, though, Helena - all aquarists will have to deal with disease/parasitic outbreaks at some point or other but so long as you're prepared to do your best for the fish in your care, that's the main thing. Two of my tanks have not had a fish death or illness in about 3 years, whereas another tank has given me problems recently, beginning with the thermostat breaking which caused finrot in a molly (stress from the lower temp), then a snail died which contaminated the tank...hey ho! It happens LOL

All the best - Athena

 

[helwergles]

Thanks, Athena! I'll always keep these hints in mind!

I've just bought a new little pal to replace my good old derrick, but I'm afraid I might have done something stupid. He is all whitish/reddish, but has got this dark-green, high-relief "moal" on one of his grills... the LFS salesman said it was just a moal, but I'm suspicious.

Of course he didn't eat the flakes I tried ti feed him, but maybe that's normal, I've put the flakes like 5 minutes after I moved him from his plastic bag to a 5 gallon aquarium, so...

wish me luck, people!

Thanks again for your help =)

 

[Flute]

I'm sorry you lost your boy- they're fantastic little fish and it's always hard to loose them.

Better luck with your new lad, if you're concerned about this mark, perhaps take a picture and post it for re-assurance?

Good luck !

 

[helwergles]

I will, as soon as I can get a fairly good picture of the moal. ;-)

He seems alright, though. He was the smartest fish at the store and has been swimming nonstop for the last two hours, getting to know his new home. He won't stay still for more than 3 seconds ;-)

Hope he's happy!

 

[fluffycabbage]

so sorry for your loss. and enjoy your new little guy!

 

[helwergles]

Oh, you bet I will!

And yeah, it's never pleasant to let go of such a nice and smart fish as the one I lost, but on the other hand I am really proud of him, because even though he had a quite rare parasite disease (almost untreatable), he was brave until his very last moments... he didn't stop eating until the next to last day... he fought really hard.

I just hope my new little guy turns out to be just as brave and smart as derrick ;-)

I'll post some pics of my new guy's moal soon. Hope it's not a disease, but it doesn't look normal, though =(

But I'm happy I got him out of that store... what a creepy place that store is! I'll never set foot there again. I even almost gave up buying him, but like, out of 20 bettas, he was the only one active and responsive, and he totally noticed me approaching and started swimming more actively.

He reacted to all the stimuli I offered, and he's been doing good so far. He didn't eat yet, but I guess it's normal, right? Let's wait until he feels himself at home!

Thanks for your support

 

[helwergles]

Dear all,

I've posted some pictures of my new little guy's dark green spot on this topic:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/342371-dark-green-spot-on-my-new-betta/

As I said over there, I hope it is indeed just a birthmark, but...

Thanks a lot for being there for beginners like me!

 

[helwergles]

Dear all,

I've posted some pictures of my new little guy's dark green spot on this topic:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/342371-dark-green-spot-on-my-new-betta/

As I said over there, I hope it is indeed just a birthmark, but...

Thanks a lot for being there for beginners like me!