New Betta Is Very Sick

[Kiiarah]

Hi again everyone, this is a follow up to the question I posted last night about my new betta refusing food. I noticed last night that his breathing had become labored and he seems to have a patch across the upper part of his back that has turned flesh colored. It looked like burns or a patch of missing scales at first but when I looked closer I could still see the scales outlined on him. I don't know what this patch is but there is a very distinctive colored and shiny area on his body and then this very distinct and dull fleshy colored patch. It doesn't look like natural mottling, more like a smooth area of his body had the color rubbed off. I was pretty sure that he didn't have this when I got him, but I figured I must have just noticed it under the light. Well, this morning his fins are obviously falling apart and the patch is covering nearly his whole body. It is definitely spreading. Since he has only been in the tank two days I don't think it is an ammonia spike. I did do a 30% water change last night just in case but I will be taking some water to the fish store for testing momentarily. He is just sort of floating around the top of his tank, not belly up though. He is right side up with his nose at the surface and his pectoral fins fluttering but he is not active and is just letting the water carry him around, even sometimes getting hung up in the tall plant. Breathing is still labored and he is occasionally jerking his head to the side or swimming in short sideways spurts along the surface. All in all, he is really not looking good. I don't know if it is fin rot, parasites, or something else so I am going to try to take him by the local fish store and see if they can point me in the right direction. I do remember now seeing a piece of his fin in the cup with him, but I assumed it was just an injury. Now it would appear he was already in the early stages of whatever this is. Any further pointers or advice would be very much appreciated.

 

[sausagewinkle]

Sounds like finrot
Do a big water change and replace with water the same temperature and of course dechlorinated.
Clean water can solve fin rot, give him water changes everyday to see if this improves..

I wouldnt suggest taking the fish to the store (if thats what u ment) as this will stress him more, just take a water sample.
If it is a ammonia spike, the water changes 'should' help control this.

how long has the tank been set up? is it cycled? does it have a filter??

Best of luck with him

 

[Kiiarah]

Sounds like finrot
Do a big water change and replace with water the same temperature and of course dechlorinated.
Clean water can solve fin rot, give him water changes everyday to see if this improves..

I wouldnt suggest taking the fish to the store (if thats what u ment) as this will stress him more, just take a water sample.
If it is a ammonia spike, the water changes 'should' help control this.

how long has the tank been set up? is it cycled? does it have a filter??

Best of luck with him

Thanks for responding sausage. We transferred him to clean water and lowered the lights in the room then went to talk to the store owner. They weren't able to test the water because it was already medicated but he did advise just waiting and seeing if clean water cleared it up. Unfortunately, when we got home we found him dead. I am relieved that he didn't linger for weeks like some fish do, though I do wish I had been able to treat this earlier. I suspect that the issue was pretty severe when we got him, but I was completely unaware of how to detect fin rot in crowntails (whose fins, to me, naturally look rotted) and his marbled body hid the damage to his scales.

We went back to the store last night and picked up some new decor and things as well as a new little male betta. We hadn't planned to get another fish right away but we just fell in love with this one. Before I knew it I was telling the boys we could bring him home. This time we got a regular betta, in hopes that I will have an easier time recognizing signs of illness and we actually offered a pellet of food to each fish we were considering buying to be sure they would eat. The little guy we brought home is now in his tank and has hardly stopped exploring. Now I see what they mean when they say a healthy betta is very active. I have been researching day and night to be sure he will be as healthy and spoiled as possible.

 

[sausagewinkle]

Sorry to hear he died
Good luck with the new male, get some pictures added so we can see your new boy