Flaky epidermis? What on earth is this ???

[Bloo]

I just noticed one of my female bettas has clamped fins - and on closer inspection I saw this (pic below) - what the heck is wrong ? and how do I treat her ?
She swims around happily and eats but what on earth is wrong with her scales ?

 

[abstract]

they almost look like parasites...i would try a salt bath for sure

 

[Bloo]

It doesn't "look" like parasites - it's looks like flakes I'll see if I can get an even closer close-up (though I could obviously be wrong). I don't have salt in the house and it wont be before tomorrow evening that i could go to the lfs. I have some other general remedies here though.
But thanks for the reply.

 

[abstract]

i can see the flaky look on the front half of the body, but right near the dorsal fin especially they look VERY wormish

 

[WILDER]

Are the scales losening, is the fish irratated like twitching or flicking and rubbing, also in there any white around the scales.

 

[Bloo]

Nope - no rubbing or any skittish behaviour at all. Just swimming around with clamped fins. Abstract, they might well be worms, but they look more like hairs

 

[WILDER]

Only thing i can find about flaky skin is usually whitespot.

 

[Bloo]

Thanks Wilder but it's 100% not whitespot

 

[WILDER]

Does the hairs look like they have a forked tail

 

[Bloo]

Nope - just tiny little hairs...

 

[WILDER]

Found this information not the writer of it.

Help! I saw tiny little thread-like worms (that look like moving cat-hairs) swimming in the tank today, a few millimeters long. What do I do?

A: These are most likely harmless nematodes (free living roundworms). They are relatively common in tanks that have a high nutrient content. The large majority of parasitic worms do not have an adult stage outside the fish host, and free-living nematodes are far more commonly seen than pathogenic (harmful) worms in tanks where fish are not fed live FW foods. I have written an article, which has pictures, please read it over:

 

[abstract]

bloozoo: i would try posting the topic in the Betta forum too...i have a feeling you will get more of a response since many of the betta people don't venture out too often...i would definitly start with a couple salt baths a day though, 5 minutes each or so

 

[black angel]

planaria can stick to fish but are harmless. I would salt dip the fish in 1.5 teaspoons of salt in a gallon of fresh, temp matched water and do this for 3 days for a few minutes each time. what other fish are in the tank and do they have any on them?
cut back the feeding of your fish and do lots of water changes with thorough gravel vacs and hopefully this will get rid of them.