Help! Darth Is Ill :(

[tibby25731]

Dsrth is ill and I don't know what is wrong. After the divided tank leaked, he moved out to my q tank for a few days, and he got very stressed. He was still stressy when he got into the new tank but then seemed to settle. he then decided to get whitespot and I treated it successfully - second part of the treatment went in last Sunday. Splodge did not seem to be affected at all.
Last night, I was feeding him and I noticed he had a white band on him on one side of his body. Bear in mind that Darth is black - not dead black, but kinda faded jeans black! So it was pretty noticeable. And later, when I went to bed, I looked again, and the scales are slightly raised there. Not pineconing as such, but they look like they MIGHT go that way. The area runs vertically and is right by the base of his tail.
This morning, I looked again, and the scales are still slightly raised, just as if they had been prised away from the body a little. And he seems bloated, as if he has had tooooo many bloodworms. but he hasn't!
He is still eating, but spending most of his time resting on the bottom of the tank. This is not his usual habitat - he prefers to rest on leaves. And when he does come to the surface for air, he seems to be more vertical than horizontal - again, not normal for him, he likes to hang near the top and then just tilt his head a little to get air.
Splodge seems ok but there is a tiny patch near his eye that seems to be white though I can't get a good look at it - he seems to know what i am looking at and will NOT show me!
What could be wrong with Darth? The raised scales and bloating put me in mind of dropsy - can anyone tell me if the scales do raise just slightly at first, and would there be a change in the colour? And is there ANYTHING I can buy that may cure him? I am not ready to lose one of my beloved bettas, and I jsut don't know what to do right now

 

[smegforbrains]

How old is he and what are your tank & water stats please?

 

[wilsonnw8]

It sounds like a fungus perhaps an internal bacterial infection. you could try dilute methane blue and / or a topical fungal treatment. Not at the same time obviously. Once treated some people use stress coat as a kind of anesthetic. Small doses will help to keep him calm.

 

[tibby25731]

I am so glad nobody has said it sounds like dropsy yet, have been panicking! I'll test the water when I get home, didn't have time this morning, though my water stats are always spot on as I have a mature filter and change the water weekly. I guess I'll do a large water change to remove the white spot treatment and i will treat for internal bacteria first as i have the correct meds for that at home. It does tend to be a bit of a cure-all med so fingers crossed! What should I look out for with regards to fungus? Will keep a close eye for symptoms that point towards this instead. There is an interpet Anti Fungus med, isn't there??

 

[wilsonnw8]

yes usually you can find them in the LPS but Id go for internal bacteria first then if his scales pine cone or you see any white marks (that arent white spot) and cloudy ness to his eyes try the anti fungal. Best to have both in stock as the symptoms can over lap but first and foremost it sounds like an internal problem so go for that, try not to stress him too much with the water change and only feed what he will eat to keep water contamination down. Good luck let us know how he gets on! photo's may help others to diagnose but again if he is camera shy its not worth stressing him when he's ill

 

[AmberLynn]

Im a bit confused. Are the scales raised just where the white patch is? Or in other places. Cause if its just where the white is it could be a fungus or bacterial infection or some combination of the 2. But if the raised scales are on both sides around the abdomen and hes swollen then its most likely dropsy

 

[WILDER]

parasites can lift the scales up.
But if he's bloated and scales are sticking out it sounds like dropsy.
Epson salt baths to help draw fluids out and a bacterial med.
Cloudy eye is a systom of a desease not a desease in its own right.
The white band does it look like bleaching beneath the skin.

 

[wilsonnw8]

parasites can lift the scales up.
But if he's bloated and scales are sticking out it sounds like dropsy.
Epson salt baths to help draw fluids out and a bacterial med.
Cloudy eye is a systom of a desease not a desease in its own right.
The white band does it look like bleaching beneath the skin.

I wasnt saying cloudy eyes was a disease I was trying to say look out for these symptoms

 

[tibby25731]

Hi

I have had a new camera delivered today so hopefully I will be able to get a pic and post it up. Darth is a little camera shy but if I feed him he will likely forget for a minute!
Amber, the scales are only raised over the white area, and this is only on one side of his body.
Wilder, the white band does look kinda bleached.
I'll get a pic first thing tonight and check water stats, will then post them up here whilst I do the water change. I'll just drain water from Splodges side of the tank (it is divided) so that Darth doesn't get too stressed. Then i'll wait for you guys to reply before adding the anti internal bacteria, though I think that is what will be added.

 

[tibby25731]

OK. Firstly, camera is gonna take a few hours to charge so no pics yet.
Good news - Darth does not seem so bloated, and is swimming around normally. Scales still white and raised though. Think it was a false alarm with Sploge, i think the white area near his eye is actually just his colouring:s
Tested water... ammo is fine but nitrites were 0.25..... gutted! Did a 50% water change anyway to get rid of white spot meds.
Not put any meds in yet. Went tot he shop on my way home and bought interpet anti fungus and also methylene blue. i already have anti internal bacteria. So I have a choice of what to use. Would prefer to wait till i have posted a pic so you can see what i am talking about.

 

[WILDER]

I wasnt saying cloudy eyes was a disease I was trying to say look out for these symptoms.


Wasn't having ago was just saying that cloudy eye is not a desease in its own right its usually a sytom of one.
Bleaching beneath the skin can be columnaris, also a bad strain of columnaris can look like the scales are shedding or peeling away.
Not sure about columnaris raising the scales only if there swelling beneath the skin.

 

[tibby25731]

I have a pic. I think that the top left bit of white on the main area is actually a watermark not the fish. Not 100% sure. Also, the red on his body is always there, he is black with a lot of very dark red on the edges of his body and into his fins. So the red is not a symptom. He is again resting on the gravel quite a bit now and generally hiding out most of the time.

 

[WILDER]

I would treat him with a bacterial med.
If he's not flicking and rubbing dosn't sound like a parasite involved.
Any redness to the patch.

 

[tibby25731]

Right, bacterial meds it is. no flicking or rubbing, and no redness. Fingers crossed the meds work, I am so not ready to lose little Darth

 

[WILDER]

Keep an eye on the patch for any redness.

Wounds that are white on the edges and red in the center are most typically Aeromonas. Those that are red on the edges and white in the center are generally Columnaris. Both are gram negative bacteria. The best treatment for this is any sulfa antibiotic with trimetheprim. This can be put in the water and mixed with food -- if you can find Romet B use it.