Help

[halfbloodprincess]

Please help my female betta. She seems to be really sick. She is just sitting at the top of the tank in the corner and sometimes gulps air. She has a big white belly. Her belly was big and white before but not as bad as today. Also she has a brown spot on her. She also has slightly raised scales. Please help!!! I dont want my oldest and most favorite fish to die!!!!

 

[lisie]

If by "raised scales" you mean that they are pineconed, it sounds like she has dropsy unfortunately. Not many fish recover from it. If it is indeed dropsy, the best thing you can do is isolate her into her own tank (if she's not already), add Epsom salt to her water to try and draw some of that excess fluid back out (1 tsp/5 gallons), and treat her with tetracycline, kanacyn, or Maracyn II. Good luck, I'll be crossing my fingers for her!

 

[halfbloodprincess]

Unfortunatly she has died. We had planed on geting treatments for her today but when we woke up she was gone.

 

[Bettas Rule]

Im so sorry

 

[lisie]

Oh no, I'm so sorry. RIP little girl.

 

[jollysue]

 

[raeburter]

Just asking, is dropsy veri contagious?(sry if i spell wrong)

 

[DarkEntity]

Dropsy is very contagious once the fish expells the fluid from its body, usually on death. If you do get dropsy you should always make sure its in a tank of its own, that way if it goes then nothing else gets the infection.

 

[halfbloodprincess]

Thanks guys. Well the new female betta died and so did the platy that I got on friday. The guy at petco still says stress.

 

[halfbloodprincess]

I was just wondering if the guy at petco was right. He said it was probably a reproductive problem, and that female bettas get them alot. He also said that female bettas live to be a year old or younger and dont live long, is this true???

My tank has really gotten messed up. I am going to have to level out the stocking soon.

I miss luna so much!!!

 

[catxx]

females can get eggbound.

dropsy is a secondary thing, it occurs when the organs start to shut down from an initial infection or problem. once they've pineconed it's hard to bring them back (not impossible, but very hard).

 

[DarkEntity]

The problem with Bettas is there are so many shoddy breeders, which causes poor quality fish. If you want Bettas to live a good age you need to be really selective of where they come from. Ive got friends who have had Bettas for 5 years and more without problem so 1 year life span isnt always the case.

 

[jollysue]

I would agree, that it is advisable to be aware that fish bought in most pet shops are bought w/o pedigree and may be a weaker fish and even come with desease--although not necessarily. Nonetheless many of us chose to get a pretty boy from the pet shop for various reasons. But DarkEntity is right about breeding questionable fish lines. This isn't a thread on breeding, but imo hobbiests should get the best lines to breed with any fish.

 

[halfbloodprincess]

I had got her at petco a year and a half ago.

 

[jollysue]

Well, we are all sorry about your girl.

Did you have a pic?