I Think Hes Dieing! :( Is It White Spots? (ramjets Not Looking So

[electric yellow]

No i havent added anything new to the tank in the last month or so. I added the two little plecs a while ago but its only been the last couple of days that this has really come to a head and been noticeable. The spots have gotten more noticeable today. I can see them on his head. He ate dinner though so thats a good thing. Im going to dose the full recommended dose on Saturday which is 5mls inbstead of a half dose. The plecs dont look affected by it. Ivge increased the air pump to nearlly full and its heated to 28degrees.

If i move the plecs into a nother tank, all that will do is transfer it to either my other betta tanks or my 3ft tank.

Should i do a water change?

 

[wilsonnw8]

if you dont have a filter you need to keeep the water clean but you dont want to remove meds so its a catch 22
if you do have a filter make sure the carbon pad is removed
I would do a water change tomorrow night and then do your treatment on saturday as you said

 

[Devorax]

You can do a water change at any time when administering meds, all you do is add the meds back to the fresh water in the proportion of water removed. eg a 25% water change needs a 25% dose for the tank. That way the water is kept clean and dosed. Just remember that doing this does not count as a 'dose' and you need to keep with the 100% doses when indicated by the meds.

 

[electric yellow]

hes just sitting down the bottom today, not moving covered in spots.

 

[Netty]

So sorry about Ramjet.....I really hope he pulls through for you. All you can do for now is to keep medicating and fingers crossed he soon perks up. It does take a while for the cycle to complete as Ich is a parasite and also lives in the gravel. I suppose it's abit like treating kids for nits, you have to get to the eggs too and stop the whole cycle!!!

 

[Devorax]

Brilliant comparison there Netty!! If Ramjet is coming up for air, great. If he isn't, I'd put him in a livebearer 'breeding trap' so he doesn't drown. Being inactive, he will come up for air a lot less than he would be normally, but just thought I'd remind you of that in case you'd overlooked it. Hope he pulls through!

 

[squiremaster]

how old his Ramjet?

 

[electric yellow]

squiremaster: he would be around a year and half. ive had him for a bit now. i know they dont have a long lie span like years but hes the first betta i bought

Devoarax: yeah ive got a box i can put him in. Im off to the Dinosaur Walk exhibit today so was going to dose again as directed and put him in the box. he is eating and ate his breaky but he is now back down the bottom. he comes up for air when i sit next to the tank and watch him but it isnt for long.

 

[electric yellow]

so i tried him in the livebearer box and he hated it. splashing around everywhere and stressing. so i took him out straight away. i have dosed the tank with the full 5mls this time and not halved it. My plecs dont seem bothered by the treatment at all. the light is turned off and there is a towel over half of it to provide a bit more shelter for him so he doesnt get stressed by being totally viewable. we have an open house today as the land lord is selling it so i hope no body annoys him. i walk past him every now and then and make sure he sees me. he wakes up when i do and goes to the top for food. hes still in bad shape though the spots are more and more visible as each day ticks on. there arent as many on his head though today.

 

[electric yellow]

He looks terrible...

We've just come back from my fiancee's mothers house and hes in bad shape.

I dont expect him to be alive tomorrow morning Hes just laying on the bottom of the tank. While not on his side he is hardly moving. I turned the lights on and he didnt even wake. He flicked a bit but then nothing....

No swimming about....nothing....im going to keep dosing every three days for a couple of weeks. All though the bottle doesnt say to continue dosing, it just says repeat after 3days. Im hoping he will survive but it doesnt look promising. He has gone so drastically down hill. The plecs dont even seem phased by his ailing health of even with the treatment.

Is he in any pain? I have thought about putting him in the breeders box but i think that will just stress him out even more and it isnt what he wants.

 

[Devorax]

You're at a difficult fork in the road. Do you A) Euthanaise him thinking you are doing him a favour, or B) Persist treating him in the hope he may recover,knowing he is suffering if he doesn't?
If he was full grown when you got him, maybe he's approaching the end of his life due to old age, and the Ich is opportunistic because of that? Maybe it was always present somehow and when he got 'frail' his immunity was lowered and it took advantage?
About the breeding trap. I would personally do it if you were going to try to save him, as it will prevent him drowning. Yes he will thrash about a bit but it's for his better good, UNLESS he is still coming up for air by himself when he needs it, in which case you willl stress him.
So many questions and so few answers. I'm sorry I can't be of much use, but I am still quite new to this (only 3 months experience... ).
You say that he eats a little still, have you seen him poop? If so, what does it look like? It may suggest something internal if it is abnormal, but that's one for the experts.
Whatever your decision, good luck to you and Ramjet.

 

[Netty]

You're absolutely right Devorax If it were me I think I would put him in the breeder so he's not having to use all his energy getting to the surface for air and then if he's still alive once you've finished the Ich treatment, it might be worth trying some anti internal bacterial meds.

The main thing now is to keep him as stress free as possible. So keep his lighting to a minimum for now and best of luck with him. We're all keeping our fingers crossed for you

 

[electric yellow]

hes still sitting down the bottom. He just threw up a bit of food, went up for air and dove straight back down to the bootm. He is going back in the breeders box today. I will just have to make sure it doesnt sink. Its one of those floating ones. Im tempted today to start using an internal bacterial med. There is something weird on him...not only white spot but it looks like something it growing on him or out of him!!!!

#### is going on!!??!! i think im going to be sick of thats something actually growing out of him. I actually feel queezy....

side bar...on thw subject of his poo....it appears normal. he isnt bloated. hes a bit fat right now coz he had breaky. but the fact i seen him throw up before is now more worrying...

 

[Netty]

Oh dear....the poor chap isn't looking good!!!! It looks like he's developing a fungus or columnaris

http/www.nippyfish.net/flexibacter.html

 

[electric yellow]

And on closer inspection of my plecs in there they have little yellow looking blisters on them...

What to do, what to do!

Ive PM'd Wilder for her expertise.....im wondering whether the blisters on the BN are just from the Ich meds or if there is something REALLY sinister in there. Im also wondering whether i should immeaditaley do a water change and start treating with Pimafix and Melafix.