Having Some Sorority Issues

[KrystaK]

I have a 20 gal sorority, it has 6 girls in it. Not for long, I think I'm on the way to 5  (They were fine since about May)
The former alpha of the tank (Who was actually one of the smaller girls) Looked very pale and lethargic this morning, she was missing scales and her fins were clamped. The fins on the largest female in the tank were a little shredded as well. 
 
So first of all: My former alpha is still alive, though looking sickly, is there anything I can do to save her or at least make her last little while more comfortable? Would it be more stressful to her if I put her in a breeder trap so she wouldn't be attacked further? I have a small .5 gal tank that I use as a hospital tank, but it doesn't have a filter, only an air stone...
 
Secondly, the new alpha never showed any aggression to the other fish, should I be more worried about her now that she is on top? 
If my first alpha doesn't make it and I want to introduce a new female how should I go about it?

 

[Jay0173]

If no other fish are exhibiting similar symptoms, I would isolate her into a smaller tank and treat her in that. It sounds like she has a bacterial infection. Have her droppings been white? That would be a good indicator as well. Isolate her, raise the temperature and treat her with anti-bacterial medication. Using melafix is one such method, though its effectiveness has been questioned. I would visit your LFS and ask them about good ant-bacterial medications that would be safe for her.
 
If other fish are exhibiting the same symptoms, then you will have to treat the whole tank rather than just the one that's sick.
 
Placing her in a breeding trap won't be very helpful as it could cause her stress and because the breeding trap would still be in the same tank as the other fish, treating her in that could have adverse effects on the rest of the tank inhabitants.

 

[KrystaK]

I'd rather not move her, as I've said my hospital tank only has an air stone and no filter. Would treating the whole tank hurt the fish that aren't sick? 

 

[Jay0173]

I tend to be overly cautious when medicating any animal. Like us humans, medication can actually be harmful to fish if used when it's not needed. Certainly how much medication you use will determine how sever the adverse side effects will be. I know of one person recently who attempted to treat some fish of a bacterial infection and used too much of the medication and lost an entire tank of livestock as a result. So you have to be very careful when medicating an entire tank.
 
As for your hospital tank, you could always replace your air stone with an inexpensive sponge filter. You could even add the air stone to the sponge filter, but it's not really necessary.

 

[Wildbetta]

Personally I would move her to the hospital tank.  The fact of having no filter is not an issue with bettas since they breathe from the surface.  I would make sure and keep the hospital tank very warm (around 82F- 84F) to help her heal and do 50% water changes on the tank daily to keep it really clean.  I do not believe in throwing meds at a fish until you know for sure what is wrong.  Melafix and any meds ending in "fix" are not good for bettas since they contain tea tree oil which is reported to cover the labyrinth organ which causes it to be harder for the betta to breathe. It doesn't sound bacterial to me, it sounds like two of your girls got into a fight and the one came out pretty damaged in the process.  Sororities can go along well for a good long while and then suddenly something like this happen out of the blue so it is not surprising to me.  This is why it is always a good idea to keep a close watch on all your girls to make sure they are all well.  When you go to add more, I suggest you float them in the tank via a breeder box for at least a day and then monitor them closely once you release the new one.  Also quarantining is especially important in this instance and should be done for at least a week before adding her to your established tank. 

 

[Jay0173]

Melafix and any meds ending in "fix" are not good for bettas since they contain tea tree oil which is reported to cover the labyrinth organ which causes it to be harder for the betta to breathe.

 
See, I learned something new today. Didn't know that about that type of medication and Betas. Thanks.
 

It doesn't sound bacterial to me, it sounds like two of your girls got into a fight and the one came out pretty damaged in the process

 
This certainly could be the case. But an infection can set in as a result of injuries suffered. I too am hesitant about medicating as it is too easy to medicate for the wrong reasons. But if you determine that an infection does set in, treating it as soon as possible is a must.

 

Either way, isolating her from the rest would be a good idea.