Please Help Me!

[alessasavoca]

Ok, I've had Zephyr for about 2 months now, and he's never been quite right (he was a 'rescue' from pets at home). His fins were so tatty when we got him, we were treating him with melafix as there wasn't any give away signs that it was fin rot. He was very active and always building bubblenests, so he must have been happy.

However after 2 weeks of melafix treatment, and still with tatty fins, he now has pop eye. He is in a 3 gallon tank, which is filtered and heated at 26-27 degrees c, with no decorations or substrate bar a plant (elodea) for him to sit in. I do a water change once a week, about 50-60%. The water stats are fine, ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 and Nitrate about 20-30 (card is hard to read!).

What can I treat him with and what's the best plan of action? Another thing I thought it might be worth mentioning is that some of his scales are a blacky colour (been like that since we got him but his overall colour is pale pink).

Any help appreciated!

P.S posted in here as no replies in the emergency forum- I just want to know if I can save him!

 

[-germ-]

With the fin rot (which it most likely is, considering the fact his fins haven't healed) i'd assume its bacterial, both pop eye and fin rot are signs that have various issues associated with them individually, the common issue between the two would be bacterial.
Any medication that treats gram positive and gram negative bacteria would be suitable.
Make sure the tank is well cleaned, absolutely as good as you can get it, before medication.
The blacky colour can be a result of a couple of things, normally either over-production of slime coat mucus, due to an irritant in the water and/or parasitic infection (trematode) which while unsightly is generally harmless.
Good luck.
Edited for poor phrasage.

 

[alessasavoca]

thanks germ,

I was just so confused as I keep my tanks as clean as I can, and all my other bettas are fine, maybe it was because he was already unwell? He has fin damage on his dorsal fin that looks very old, it's kinda scarred over and left him with a kink, so somethings happened to him in the past.

Which meds do you reccomend?

 

[-germ-]

Never had to treat for serious bacterial infection touch wood, not sure on its availability in the UK but maracyn 1+2 in a combi treatment would (from what i've read) do the trick, failing that;
Anything containing Erythromycin or Tetracycline.
I'd search 'gram positive and gram negative medication fish' on Google UK and see what comes up, like i say having not treated with one i can't really make a reccomendation.
The Maracyns seem very popular, which i'd assume/hope has its reasons.
Any Ukers with a good med reccomendation?

 

[knt5005]

Germ, you rock my socks with how much you know about fish illness, and you're always so willing to help!

 

[-germ-]

Merci....

 

[knt5005]

Hehe

 

[stang1]

Melafix should be ok for treating the popeye as well as the finrot so it might be worth doing another 7 day course. You could always try using the Melafix with Pimafix as both of these are good for bacterial infections. Just remember to only use half the recommended dose when using with Bettas.