Help. My Betta Fish Is Suffering.

[LukeJohnston]

I've had my blue elephant ear betta fish for 8 months now.
 
90% of his scales have fallen off. His tail fin has almost completely rotted away. And he has a HUGE hole in his head. Yes half of his head rotted away taking one eye with him. (Thankfully that eye was already blinded when i bought him.)
 
My water parameters are fine and always have been.  There has also been salt in the tank to prevent things like this.
 
I've added more salt to the tank and a big dose of Mela fix. He is still swimming around a little but he should be dead due to how damaged he is.
 
Should I end his suffering and kill him or keep going?  I don't know what to do when ive done everything by the book.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

Can you please give a bit more information? Here is a list you can copy and paste and fill it out. It will help us know WHY this could be occurring to know what to do next, if anything can help this guy. Though right off the bat...get the melafix out of the tank. It can harm the labyrinth organ of fish like Bettas. Also, the salt doesn't need to be in the tank all of the time. It is only used to treat specific things.



Tank size:
pH:
ammonia:
nitrite:
nitrate:
kH:
gH:
tank temp:

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior):

Volume and Frequency of water changes:

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank:

Tank inhabitants:

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration):

Exposure to chemicals:

Digital photo (include if possible):

 

[LukeJohnston]

6 Gallon Tank / 28 Liters
Temp 26 Degrees C
 
Ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 0
PH - Neutral
KH - Unknown
GH - Unknown
 
One male beta fish, Five Cardinal Tetras (The Tetras look fine)
Natural looking gravel & Plastic submarine
 
Fish Symptoms: 
 
Huge Lesion on the side of the fishes head.
Fin rotting
Scales falling off.
 
Remaining still mostly. When swimming not swimming properly.
To weak to fight filter and gets sucked into the filter. Filter current off.
 
 
8 Table spoons of salt added to water
Mela fix dose added to tank.
 
Can't upload the pictures because its claiming the file size is too big

 

[BettaBettas]

if he goes to the filter leave him there, hes resting. the filter sucks him in along with sucking the water through his gills making him breath more which is good. so make sure you keep the filter on and such. mela fix wont help this so I wouldn't add it to the tank but you already did so... 8 table spoons is much, also when was your last water change, this internal and sounds like bacterial infection could be the cause of unhealthy water. even though parameters seem fine

True HITH is thought to be due to a vitamin/mineral deficiency (so what do you feed him) or hexitmata infection  what you may have is an ulcer caused by a bacterial infection, an antibiotic medicated food in addition to antibiotic water treatment (Maracyn 2) will clear up infection (Take filter cartridge out though or else will have no effect) and keep water parameters stable. feeding Plain Cooked Pease (NO SHELL) a few times a week, just mash in between fingers before feeding.

also in a 6gallon tank you have  to many fish, a betta alone should have at least 5gallons to himself! ammonia levels are surely high then if there's that many fish in the tank.
 
Alsox2 to treat what sounds like fin rot: remove the betta from the tank then use antibacterial fin rot treatment medicine

 

[LyraGuppi]

Just to make sure, are there any visible parasites or small tag-like things on him? Was he jerking or flicking against objects in the tank? A few parasites in fishkeeping can make the scales fall off.
It almost sounds like fish tuberculosis , just in case, I'd recommend keeping any open wounds (even a papercut or hangnail) out of the aquarium water just in case.
I'm sorry about your betta :c

 

[LukeJohnston]

It does sound a lot like fish tuberculosis. And i had my hand in the tank. Great

 

[NickAu]

 
8 Table spoons of salt added to water
 

WOW thats a lot of salt.
 
How often do you change water.

 

[LyraGuppi]

It does sound a lot like fish tuberculosis. And i had my hand in the tank. Great

I've heard it's not commonly contracted. Just wash your hands and watch for any bumps, but the odds are in your favor to not get it.
 

 
 
Infection rates in people are low. In the USofA, where they seem to get it a bit more than in the UK, the rate (for all cases, not just aquaria) is around 0.27 infections per 100,000 population. In the UK, the current rate of murder is 1.22 per 100,000 population. So, you’re likelier to be killed by a loon with a machine gun than catch it. It’s pretty rare.

sourced from http/www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/blog/articles/should-you-be-worried-about-fish-tb

 

[BettaBettas]

sorry I thought that was legit funny, "Current infection rate" *nods head* "Murder rate" *loooool* XD im cry laughing sorry, it escalated so quickly

Also I majorly agree with NickAu, that's to much salt, as I previously stated. and luke if you could tell us how often you clean the tank, and change the water that would be more than fantastic, I love bettas and I hope that yours makes it, if you need help were trying. But we need more information.

 

[LukeJohnston]

Considering its probably TB im going to kill him.  But I clean my tank once every two weeks.

 

[BettaBettas]

well im going to go on a huge rant rn... yay...
Your not supposed to give up on a pet then KILL IT all the sudden, that's like your mother having cancer then her son just saying "eh what the heck your gonna die anyway "
Guessing hes dead already, from personal experience of rescuing Bettas. its people (not an insult) like this that I rescue them from.. (in a attempt to help them, heal them, and find them a better home.)

 

[NickAu]

It sounds like poor tank maintenance to me and it sounds like the current in the tank is too fast.
 
I also think your tank is overstocked and that the Tetras may be partially responsible for the Bettas condition
 

 
There has also been salt in the tank to prevent things like this.

 
One male beta fish, Five Cardinal Tetras (The Tetras look fine)

 
8 Table spoons of salt added to water

The Tetras  are NOT FINE if you are adding huge amounts of salt to the tank.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

I agree with Nick. Way too much salt!! I've only ever added about 4 tablespoons to a 20 gallon tank to treat for a fungal thing that wouldn't go away. Once it was treated I did multiple water changes. Salt also will not evaporate from the tank. So if you are continuing to add when you do water changes or top offs...that's adding even more in. If you haven't euthanized him yet, I would do quite a few large water changes. Get every single chemical out of that water(minus water conditioner). And just keep doing a few water changes a week and keep the tank clean. That will be a lot less stressful for all of them. And that tank is definitely too small for cardinals.

Also what kind of filter do you have? And how are you testing the water? Do you use strips or liquid tests? It's recommended highly to get the api freshwater master kit. Strips aren't nearly as accurate.

 

[nic1]

The problem is the over stocked tank and not enough water changes.
 
Before you kill him- TRY THIS- do a large water change- 80% now, in two days do another water change about 50%, then in a week do another 50% water change and carry on doing 50-60% water changes each week.
 
Do not add anymore salt into the tank as it does not dissolve off like previously stated.
 
Give him a chance, he can still heal.

Also, NickAu mentioned the tetras, it may be possible that they are nipping at him due to the lack of space, if you dont have another tank then buy loads of plants so he can chill in them and also he wont be spotted as much by them- pond weed 'elodea' is fast growing and cheap.

 

[LukeJohnston]

Unfortunately he passed away.