Help! Help! :(

[Amberleaf]

Okay, so, alrights; I noticed this about a week ago. Hoping it would go away on its own, I left it. However, now I realize that I just cannot leave it.

It's, like.... Mr. Wimpy Fish's right gill is not closing all the way. It looks a bit brown inside, and I'm wondering what it could be? It had happened while I was on a rather lazy streak and didn't give his tank the weekly full-100%-clean-out that I always do, every week. What can I do?

(Speaking of which, I think I'm due for his weekly cleaning tomorrow! )

Is it nitrate poisoning? Do you think that adding some Bettafix will help matters, like, *at alls*, or....?

Helps!!!!

EDIT: Here is the form:

Tank size: 2.5 gallons
pH: dunno; will test tomorrows ^^;
ammonia: dunno; will test tomorrows ^^;
nitrite: dunno; will test tomorrows ^^;
nitrate: dunno; will test tomorrows ^^;
kH: dunno
gH: dunno
tank temp: Around 20'C or 70'F....

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): Mr. Wimpy Fish's right gill has not been closing properly for about a week. The area inside the gill seems a bit brown....?

Volume and Frequency of water changes: 100% complete clean-out (clean tank, rocks, completely new water) once a week

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: None....? Unless you mean water conditioner; then, I use the Big Al's All-Purpose Conditioner stuff.

Tank inhabitants: 1 Male Betta

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): After the last cleaning, about a week ago (due for the next one tomorrow or on Friday, I believe ), some plant that I took out of my main 10-gallon tank; and, just yesterday, Java Moss (but this is irrelevant, since his symptoms started just before his last water change....)

Exposure to chemicals: None.

Digital photo (include if possible): I'll upload my picture of it tomorrow! ^^; 8D

 

[GuppyGoddess]

Why don't you test his ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate today and see what they are?

Him and the one you have in the 2-gallon both have heaters, right? If not, the mini-hydor heaters work great for small betta homes.

 

[WILDER]

Need to get water tested fast.
Water change and increase aeration.

Hows the fish breathing is it laboured.
Any excess slime on the gills.
Do the gills look like there bleeding.
Do the gills look mottled.
The brown on the gills does it look fluffy in appearance like cotton wool.
Is the betta flicking and rubbing, or darting.

http/www.koicrisis.com/symptoms/gill.html

 

[Amberleaf]

I'm changing his water today. Full 100% clean-out, AGAINS.... And thens, I'll test it.
I don't have a filter for him.... I'm thinking of buying one of the mini 1 - 3 gallon Tetra Whisper Internal Filters, except I think I'll need to cut off a bit of my filter sponge for my 10-gallon.... Or, is there a way to buy some already-cycled filter media? :?

No. His breathing is just fine....
No. No excess slime, at least not that *I* can see.... >_>; What does it look like?
No. No bleeding.... Just, the brown part inside the gills (for some reason, I'm thinking that maybe he has some sort of snail or a worm in there.... Of course, it could also be flukes, but. )
No. No mottling.
No. Like I said, it's *in* the gills.
Yes. He is darting (but only sometimes) and I guess flicking and *MAYBE* rubbing, too.

Any help? ^^;

 

[tropicalman]

Try using Melafix its and awesome product and it may very well cure the problem.

 

[loraxchick]

Try using Melafix its and awesome product and it may very well cure the problem.

careful with malafix and bettas...some do not tolerate the med well. only use half dose with bettas.
why not make a sponge filter for his tank. easy to do. ive got instructions if youd like. all my betta tanks have them and they work terrifically keeping water quality good.
cheers

 

[WILDER]

If there signs of darting, flicking and rubbing, That could be bad water quality to parasites.

On the gills does it look like a rusty coloured varnish.
Does the betta swim in a jerky moveent.

You must buy a filter for his tank and get water tested.

 

[Amberleaf]

No. Not really.
No. Not usually. Just sometimes, when he's by the sides of the tank....

As soon as I get the chance to I will. I just have to wait for my parents to take my to Wal-mart agains.... I'll get water tested tomorrow morning.

 

[Assaye]

Have you already cleaned him out? Unfortunately, not much point testing the fresh water, as that won't tell us if there have been a toxin build up in between water changes.

100% every week is highly unlikely to be enough if you don't have a filter, and he needs his water at about 76-80F. They are not cold water fish!

When I was doing a fishin cycle a few months ago, ammonia was building up within a day in my 14 litre tank. Please don't leave him a week. You'd do better to do 50% every two days or even daily.

Once the water is tested (assuming you still have some old water to test) and we see a photo, we can help more.

 

[Amberleaf]

Well, how about 25% every other day?

My room is pretty warm, so the temp usually goes up to around 25*C, if it's a good day. He usually hangs out under his light, as well; so I guess that that would help warm up the tank.... ^^; 8D

UPDATE: Last night ,when I caught him flaring, it was like, on the left gill (on the inside) it was fine; but on the right one, there was something that maybe looked like a brown bug? Or.... a snail without its shell, or somethings?! I have put Bettafix in his water; but we have yet to see if that will help.... Or not.

 

[Anna Robinson]

Try using Melafix its and awesome product and it may very well cure the problem.

Bettafix and Melafix are the same thing (when dosed according to directions).

 

[Assaye]

Well, how about 25% every other day?

My room is pretty warm, so the temp usually goes up to around 25*C, if it's a good day. He usually hangs out under his light, as well; so I guess that that would help warm up the tank.... ^^; 8D

UPDATE: Last night ,when I caught him flaring, it was like, on the left gill (on the inside) it was fine; but on the right one, there was something that maybe looked like a brown bug? Or.... a snail without its shell, or somethings?! I have put Bettafix in his water; but we have yet to see if that will help.... Or not.

25% every other day might be enough, but unless you carefully test your water to find out how long it takes ammonia to show up, you won't know what the best schedule is.

Fish don't do well with temperature fluctuations. It doesn't matter if your room can get to the right temperature, if it doesn't stay there all the time. Room temperature can fluctuate several degrees in just a few hours and this can be very stressful to the fish. Please get a small heater and set it to about 27 C.

We really need a photo. It could be a parasite of some sort and if it is, Melafix and Bettafix won't sort it.

 

[GuppyGoddess]

Amber,

One of my bettas is in a 2 gallon and when he was having health issues, I did 100% water changes *daily* and I put a small heater Hydro-mini 7.5 watt. Even though my house is kept at a decent temperature, the tank wasn't as warm as it should have been.

I added Quick Cure (very cheap around $3.00 a bottle) for about five days *and* a small dosage of aquarium salt and this helped him a lot. Now, I'm doing 100% water changes every fourth day. I ran out of of my API ammonia test kit stuff so after I get another, I'll be testing his water again. (Still this probably won't help with the gill - maybe try a bit of salt though. . .I used around 1/3 the recommended dosage.)

Be sure to have a thermometer in your water so you can be sure it's at the right temp before you add your betta back in. This may require scooping out some water and then adding warmer or colder until it's just right.

***OH*** for all my bettas, after I do a water change, they get a treat of blood worms. I think this helps them by associating water changes with something tasty.