Parasite Or Fungus? I Don't Know!

[ThePiggy]

I haven't used it myself, but from reading about it, it looks like it does what is needed.

Another option while you are trying to get your betta back to full health is to use Betta H2O. I wouldn't do it in the tank you are currently using though. Betta H2O is pretty expensive and 16 gallons of it would be a huge cost. Do you have a 5 gallon tank? Or maybe a plastic tub that you can use as a hospital tank? You can decorate it a bit so your betta feels comfortable. You could use a sponge filter without carbon. Get a few gallons of spring water from your local super market and treat it with the stress coat. Fill the hospital tank 60% with the bottled water and the rest with Betta H2O and then acclimate your betta to it. Then you can treat her with the medication.

This is just what I would do. I've had great success using Betta H2O in the past. All of my betta's rips and tears healed quite quickly with it. This is what it reads on the bottle:
"Betta H2O is more than just water. Use this specially conditioned, de-ionized water boosted with Fish Aid to help your betta thrive. Just replace 20% of your old water with Betta H2O every week to help maintain their health and vitality. Your betta will thank you!
-Preconditioned water
-Chlorine free
-No heavy metals
-Stimulates slime coat
-Reduces fish stress
-Protects against infection
-Ph balanced"

 

[Syphoniera]

Hi, shearer1931,
this is probably a very silly question, but when you speak of a complete tank clean, what exactly is involved?
I thought I'd ask because many people do make the error of removing and cleaning gravel, decorations, etc. which, unless done only in tank or filtered water, can destroy the nitrifying bacteria which populates the entire tank - not just the filter - and provides a great degree of biological filtration.
Doing this in an established tank may cause a nasty spike - and doing so in one not yet established may delete much of any advance made in such necessary colonization.
If any sort of soap or detergent is used, the fish may be poisoned, despite repeated rinsing of the objects prior to reinstatement in the tank.

If the filter - stated to have been removed at one point, although don't know for how long - is not in operation for even a few hours, any nitrifying bacteria present will not be continually fed ammonia/nitrites during that period, as water will not be carrying new supplies throughout the media, and the beneficial bacteria within will begin to starve and die.
Toxins may also form as undesirable organisms begin to colonize and trapped particles decompose, and these will be released into the water as the filter is brought into operation following any extended shut-down.

I've always done fish-in cycling, and, personally, I'd have been doing small daily water changes from the first, gradually diminishing over the weeks to every second, then third day, etc., depending on fish load, number of live plants and amount of new growth, and other factors, to increase the available ammonia/nitrites and bacterial colonies dependent on these in synergistic tandem.
Bacteria do propagate rapidly, but one can only expect so much so fast.

Ammonia burn may cause reddened gills and skin irritation resulting in flicking behaviour, while the toxicity can cause nervousness and agitation; although this is only one of many potential causes, it should perhaps be considered (as at least one potential factor) in a new tank which has not yet been established and which is not receiving frequent small water changes to reduce ammonia and nitrites which can rapidly build and peak within a few days.

I don't know if Stress Coat plus removes chlorine, ammonia and chloramine, (which may or may not be an issue in your area) but if it doesn't specify this on the bottle, then Prime should definitely be used, as the chemicals in tap water can kill your fish.

I have heard a great deal about various of the less expensive test strips being inaccurate and about accuracy diminishing with age even in the better ones.
Assuming yours are spot on, it must be recalled that a large water change will have removed much of any toxins from the water so that testing done at that point will likely look good, no matter what it may have been previously.
Also, that even low but detectable levels of ammonia/nitrite can cause major effects in fish.
(And I may as well mention, in case this is ever useful, that - not table, of course - salt, at a rate of about one spoon per 20 gallons, helps prevent nitrite uptake in fish in an emergency.)

Some of these points have already been covered by those who know far more than I, and who have already provided experienced and sensible advice.
But I thought perhaps I'd just mention the points and the reasons together, in case any of these might provide a clue or some info not yet known, as we're not born knowing these things, and sometimes find out the hard way, at the expense of our fish, something we'd all prefer to avoid.

 

[shearer1931]

Hello Syphoniera,

A complete means complete break down of all items. As I said in an eariler post, I wasn't sure if the Mollies that were purchased brought any disease into the tank so the gravel was tossed, as were the live plants, and the rest of the items were boiled in hot water. I didn't use any soap. I did do a great deal of research in the beginning, but being a new fish mommy has definitely been overwhelming to say the least. I had only had the tank for a couple of weeks, so it had not had time to cycle.

My ammonia levels have been fine thus far. I am an obsessive mommy and have been checking at least a few times a day to make sure all levels are fine.

Currently my carbon is back in my filter so as to get rid of the rest of the Fungus Eliminator medicine so that I can treat her for the gill flukes with Parasite Clear. I did a 10% water change last night and will do another before medicating tonight. There is only one fish, my betta, in the tank.

I did add aquarium salt to the tank before adding her back into it.

She is doing better after the Fungus Eliminator treatment, but still has some bumps on her head and swollen gills.

 

[Syphoniera]

Hi, shearer1931,
just wondering how your girl's doing?
It certainly sounds as if you're doing your best for her, and I do hope all is going well.

 

[shearer1931]

Hi, shearer1931,
just wondering how your girl's doing?
It certainly sounds as if you're doing your best for her, and I do hope all is going well.

HI Syphoniera,

Thanks so much for checking. My little girl is doing great. The Fungus Eliminator took care of a few things, but she was still sluggish and staying at the top the water. So I did a 25% water change and treated for gill flukes with Coppersafe. After about an hour she started acting like normal swimming around and curious. I am happy to report that the bumps on her head have all but disappeared, the swelling is gone and she is happy and playful as ever. I will continue to treat with coppersafe on 10% water changes which I am doing every couple of days.

Thanks for your help.