Help With Hith

[nino]

So I posted earlier this week about how I thought my betta was peeling between his eyes, something that I noticed right before Thanksgiving but while I was away for the holiday it progressed. It was a lighter color though now it is back to his dark red color (he is one of Synirr's babies). I'm pretty sure he has HITH. I've done some research and think it is the kind caused by environmental factors or poor diet. I'm surprised by both those because I try to feed them as varied as I can (pellets, peas, and mosquito larvae when I can get them). He lives in a 2.5 gallon, heated, mini-filtered tank that gets a hundred percent water change atleast once a week, more sometimes.

The reason I don't think it is the other type of HITH (Hexamita) is because he is acting like himself- swimming around, eating everything I give him and flaring at his female neighbor occasionally. Today I noticed a small hole in his head that was definatly not there yesterday.

What should I do? I've varied his diet with different types of betta and fish pellets and given him peas so he can get vitamins. I gave him a 100% water change yesterday and added some slime coat and Melafix. What else can I do? Another water change today? Meds?

He's my favorite betta I want to make him better.

Hope no one minds, I think I'm going to post this in the Emergency Section as well, I just wanted some advice from other betta keepers if available.

 

[Synirr]

Hmm, I can't think of what could be causing it, it sounds like you're doing everything right! Is there carbon in the filter? I've heard that carbon dust can sometimes get trapped in their sensory pores and cause irritation and infection leading to HITH...

 

[nino]

There is carbon in the filter. I thought about that as a possibility but I don't know... that carbon is "old" (over a couple months) so I don't know if it's even active anymore and it's been washed more than once when I've taken apart the filter media to give it a good rinse.

Any ideas on anything else I could be doing to help the little guy?

 

[Synirr]

Personally, I'd try taking the carbon out and see if it helps.