Is This Injury Or Disease?

[Winterlily]

I've been thinking all along it was injury but I'm not sure now. Hope it's not a disease. This is on my male halfmoon betta. It happened a full 2 months ago (mid-August). I have no idea how it happened, except that it was before I made the tank only live plants and had just a couple of fake ones in there - one of which I did not realize had a metal "stem" (those stupid brightly colored hairy things) and had a sharp bit at the very top. No idea if he got caught between it and the wall and got scraped or what. Not a clue. That's what I thought at the time. Figured he got scraped, took some scales off, and it would heal and they'd grow back. I watched closely for anything that looked like infection or fungus and saw nothing. (Tank has been live only plants since then.) He acts totally normally, eats well, etc.

But, it's not getting "better" nor are scales growing back. So I took closeups of it yesterday - pretty much the only way I can get a good look at it. It looks AWFUL, as you can see in the closeups. Doesn't look, I think (??) infected or anything, just deep. Giving you lots of pictures below (five of them - please make sure you see them all, as the closeups will give you the best idea), with comments above each one. Also a picture of his OTHER side which has a couple of weird looking spots - not sure if they are the start of a problem either.

One really stupid question. He is a tail-shredder, but actually rarely shreds his own tail - he shreds his dorsal. He can literally bend in half and go at the dorsal. Stupid question I know, but any possibility he's doing this himself?? I mean it would figure that I've got the one insane fish on the planet but seems unlikely? ...

Okay - five pics below (all can be clicked on to enlarge), and the emergency info form answers at the bottom.

Here's what it looked like (non-closeup and blurry - sorry) the day I first saw it back in mid-August:

Here's what it looks like (non closeup) as of yesterday - pretty much the same - the diff in color I think is just the quality of the photo:

Below are 2 real closeups. Click the first especially to see full size - scary.

And this is his other side. Not sure if those spots are something else (or the same?) brewing:

What do you think is going on here?? Just give it time to heal, or is it something more sinister??

Answers to emergency form:

Tank size: 5.5 US gallons
pH: 7.8
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate: 5
kH: ?
gH: ?
tank temp: 78
Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): As above (written and photos).
Water change frequency etc: I change about 40% of the water once a week, along with a gravel vac.
Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: Just Prime at WC, and Seachem Flourish once a week for the plants. Stress Coat added when I first saw the injury.
Tank inhabitants: Just him and 2 Nerite snails
Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): None, unless you count various live plants
Exposure to chemicals: None

 

[WILDER]

What colour and the spots.
Are they on top of the skin or beneath. Can't make much out in the pic.
Do the spots look like there filled with fluid.
Any pink or redness to the spots.
Is the skin peeling or shedding.


Is the betta showing any of these signs.
Flicking and rubbing, excess mucas, laboured breathing or gasping, darting.


For now while you answer some of the questions I have asked, I would soak his food in garlic juice to boost his immune system.

 

[Winterlily]

Hi Wilder,

I left all of the pics full size, so if you click on them you should get super detail... You're not able to see them well that way? Hope I didn't upload them wrong or something. That 3rd one down particularly should show it really, really well. It's a super clear close-up. (Maybe you were looking at just the first one? You can't see much in that one - I added it ONLY to show what it looked like to my eye 2 months ago.)

Anyhow, some answers in the meantime:

They're not spots really. It looks like an area rubbed away.
Doesn't look pinkish or red I don't think.
Skin isn't peeling or sheeding but doesn't look as metallic as it used to - almost like a little powdery (NO white spots - that's not what I mean).

Is the betta showing any of these signs.

Flicking and rubbing, excess mucas, laboured breathing or gasping, darting.

No.

I would soak his food in garlic juice to boost his immune system

Stupid question I realize - but what's the best way to do this? Literally squeeze garlic?

 

[WILDER]

I would treat the betta with a bacterial med.
He's not showing signs of parasites.

Do you have a garlic press.

 

[Winterlily]

What do you think it is, then? Why a bacterial med?

Don't have a garlic press but can definitely get one!

 

[WILDER]

I think he might have a bacterial infection. Bacteria can enter a fish throw cuts and wounds.

Do a search on the net on how to squeeze garlic from a garlic clove, Articles will explain it better than me.

Any red streaking on his body or fins.

 

[Winterlily]

Any red streaking on his body or fins.

Nope I don't think so, but a bit hard to tell since a lot of his coloring IS red. Only his body is purple and I don't see streaks or anything else like that on it.

 

[Davo86]

I wonder... is the fish resting behind the heater and becoming burnt ?

 

[Winterlily]

I wonder... is the fish resting behind the heater and becoming burnt ?

Hu! I dunno! I will keep a very close eye on that and check. If he is, he's sleeping back there at night in the dark - he definitely does not do it during the day. Do they look like burns to you?? If he is, what do I do to get him to quit it?

 

[ellena]

You can get heaters with guards-plastic 'cages' that sit round them. I don't think they look like burns, but it's something to investigate and I have no better suggestions

 

[loraxchick]

go to home depot, get some PVC that will fit around the heater and drill some holes in it...slip it over the heater...that is if you suspect it might be the heater
to me the injury looks old and what you see is a scar. scales may or may not grow back.
doesnt look that bad to me. defo some sort of 'old' injury, but no redness or anything else sinister. as long as eating and acting normally, no worries.
cheers

 

[Winterlily]

Thanks everyone!!

He doesn't seem, at least tonight, to be sleeping anywhere near the heater. He's tucked away in the Wisteria last I looked!

And thanks Loraxchick - makes me feel tons better.