Internal Parasites

[BakaMandy]

Hello I'm new here! I joined to try and learn more about betta fish so that I can raise the four I'm taking care of right now to be happy and healthy fish!

But my dilemma at the moment is about one of the females I have.

I bought her at a tiny pet store in the mall where they were keeping 6 females in a tiny fish bowl! When I brought her home I set her up in a nice 6.25 gallon tank, and she seemed happy and healthy for the most part until after a 5 days I realize she wasn't eating a thing. Her feces where also extremely stringy and had the look and feel of white translucent mucus, and after doing a fair bit of research I concluded it was internal parasites.

Picture taken roughly 5 days ago.​

Anyway, from the research that I gathered, I heard the best way to treat it was salt baths and using either maracyn-two or tetracycline. I went to the local aquarium store and managed to snatch some maracyn-two and began treatment immediately.

She is now at the end of her 5 day treatment period with the medicine and I've seen a slight improvement. She now actually attempt to eat the food but seemingly throws it up right afterward (it comes out looking partly digested. I feed her freeze dried blood worms and sometimes just the skin of the worm comes out.) Her poop is a normal colour now but still somewhat mucusy and still stringy.

But I was wondering if I was using the correct medicine in the first place. I know that sometimes they will need repetitive treatments, but I just kinda want to get other people's opinion on the treatment method I've been using.

Thank you very much for any help!

 

[jasminekiddell]

Hi there, my fish have had internal parasites before, known as white spot the symptoms were that the fish gets sugar sized white dots on its body and veentually they eat the fish and live off its blood.
Your situation doesnt sound like that, well im no expert but it sounds like some sort of growth maybe a fungus but if the treatments made a bit of an effect and the fish seems better then i'd keep carrying out the medication until it goes.
When my fish had them i used Anti-white spot, it worked like a charm, maracyn-two has always been good for fish people ive known but ive always used and been succefull with anti white spot.
Adding salt every week will kill off parasites thats if it is that, keep going your doing well and let us know how the fish goes on.
hope this helped, im sure more helps on the way, the forums more active in the day.
She might need a little time to eat, shes probably just stressed out, if it is parasites then she'll need to starte ating or the parasites will eat away at her until there nothing left, try different foods betta gold, fish flakes, cooked pea cut into tiny peices, bloodworms, shrimp.
even just a bit of food is something

 

[BakaMandy]

I've tried all sorts of food. I've tried flakes, pellets, blood worms, red grubs, frozen brine shrimp (I'd get live if I could find a place to buy them >_>). So I guess it's good she has taken a liking to blood worms D: just keeps spitting them up. She tries really hard to keep it down...

I heard feeding them peas are unhealthy and bad for their digestive track and should only be used if they're constipated.

 

[loraxchick]

whitespot is not an INTERNAL parasite...it is an EXTERNAL parasite. not nearly the same thing in this case!

youve medicated correctly. good that she is interested in food. try giving a more varied diet and see if that helps. or soak the freezedried worms first so that they become soft before offering the food...easier to eat and digest. peas are another great option. cleans them out and all my bettas go NUTS for peas!

glad she seems to be on the mend. she'll eat when she;s hungry...just keep offering different things until you find the ones she likes. Honestly, try soaking the bloodworms in some tank water for a few minutes before feeding...might just make all the difference.
cheers!

sorry, missed your last post. so lemme give some further advice
peas are in no way harmful. but just like other types of food shouldnt be their staple diet. like i said most bettas love them and they are beneficial to them. good to hear youve been offering all sorts of foods. for harder type foods try soaking them first to soften them and see if that helps. freexedried foods should always be soaked or might lead to constipation. this is less likely if they are soft (soaked) when eaten. if the pellets are big break them into smaller pieces. makes it easier for them to eat. they also can be soaked prior to feeding...again, makes them softer and easier for the fish to eat/ swallow.
some bettas are reallllly picky and takes patience and persistance to ween them onto different foods. just keep offering and see what they like. (one of my boys will only eat live tubifex worms, peas and flake. wont touch pellets or frozen/freezedried anything...wierdo

good luck with her.

 

[jasminekiddell]

whitespot is not an INTERNAL parasite...it is an EXTERNAL parasite. not nearly the same thing in this case!

youve medicated correctly. good that she is interested in food. try giving a more varied diet and see if that helps. or soak the freezedried worms first so that they become soft before offering the food...easier to eat and digest. peas are another great option. cleans them out and all my bettas go NUTS for peas!

glad she seems to be on the mend. she'll eat when she;s hungry...just keep offering different things until you find the ones she likes. Honestly, try soaking the bloodworms in some tank water for a few minutes before feeding...might just make all the difference.
cheers!

sorry, missed your last post. so lemme give some further advice
peas are in no way harmful. but just like other types of food shouldnt be their staple diet. like i said most bettas love them and they are beneficial to them. good to hear youve been offering all sorts of foods. for harder type foods try soaking them first to soften them and see if that helps. freexedried foods should always be soaked or might lead to constipation. this is less likely if they are soft (soaked) when eaten. if the pellets are big break them into smaller pieces. makes it easier for them to eat. they also can be soaked prior to feeding...again, makes them softer and easier for the fish to eat/ swallow.
some bettas are reallllly picky and takes patience and persistance to ween them onto different foods. just keep offering and see what they like. (one of my boys will only eat live tubifex worms, peas and flake. wont touch pellets or frozen/freezedried anything...wierdo

good luck with her.

Ahhh! I'm am so sorry really i am i must of got mixed up, confused.
Just listen to loraxchick, xx
Once again sorry!