Female Betta Sick

[LauraFrog]

I don't know what's wrong with her this time!

Got a female betta, usually kept in a 1.8 gallon unfiltered tank, which is always treated with ammo-lock so there is never ammonia in it. At the start of the week she was looking a little off colour, just not attacking her food with quite the same gusto. On Wednesday she looked a little slimy. Yesterday I saw that she had white slimy stuff almost oozing from between her scales and slight finrot on her left pec, so I figured 'oh crap, columnaris again' - because that's what the white ribbons looked like - and chucked her in tetracycline. There has been some improvement, she is less lethargic and moving more normally, but she's just got that 'sick' look about the way she holds herself. I can probably get photos.

Is my diagnosis wacked or is it bacterial?

 

[smegforbrains]

Sounds like a reasonable diagnosis.


IMO filtering the water would help a lot.

 

[WILDER]

Any signs of flicking and rubbing.
Is there a lump beneath the scales that pus is coming from.
Never heard anything like it if i'm honest.

 

[LauraFrog]

No flicking or rubbing, she didn't look upset or irritated by it at all, but was becoming lethargic and losing her appetite. There's no pus and there's no lump under the scales. The white stuff on her body makes it look like she's pineconing, but she's not, it's just caught in the little grooves between the scales making them all stand out. It's like she's totally shedding her slime coat. I've had this happen before once, and I treated with tetracycline but I didn't cover the tank. The fish jumped before I could be certain whether it worked or not. Apparently this is a frequent occurrence at the LFS but my girl is housed alone and I've had her at least two months.

I could try to get a photo. The slimy stuff is not as bad but she's resting on the bottom and breathing heavily. I'm starting to lose hope TBH. This is a major bummer.

 

[WILDER]

Bless her.
Carry on with the med but once fish start to heavy breath not sounding good.
Sounds bacterial with being lethagic and losing appetite.
Is it possible to load a pic up.
When scales lift it can also be parasites undermeath, bacterial, lumps bemeath the skin.

 

[LauraFrog]

Darn, I lost her. I thought it was going to happen but still a bummer.

Thanks for your help guys. I hope this doesn't happen again, it's a nightmare.

 

[WILDER]

Sorry laura. Bless her R.I.P.
Not having much luck lately, hope things gets better soon.