Sick Betta

[Kame-San]

Okay, well, I'll fill out this form thing, then fill you in with the info I have

Tank size: 1g--clean water.
pH: 7
tank temp:76-78F

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): Female betta, saw her at the LFS and she looked sick so I brought her home. She isn't swimming very well. She CAN swim, but she isn't very much. She's just sitting at the top of the water with her tail down.

Volume and Frequency of water changes: just got her. She's in a 1g with clean water.

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: de-chlor/stress coat

Tank inhabitants: just the betta

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): none

Exposure to chemicals: none

Digital photo (include if possible): (sorry about the cat hair on the tank. cats doing...)

Okay, the story so this isn't confusing: I was at the LFS today getting some females for a sorority tank and I saw her, tiny and looking sick. I brought her home and put her in a 1g tank with fresh warm water (and stress coat, of course) She sunk to the bottom of the tank and sat there, not moving at all, for about 2 hours. She eventually swam up to the top of the tank, ate a very tiny amount of flake, and is just sitting at the top of the tank like in the picture.

Is there anything I can do for her? Is this a swim bladder problem, and if so, is it treatable? I would like to do anything I can for her.

Thanks

 

[WILDER]

Get her going on some shelled peas, cook frozen peas for a few minutes, let cool down, pop out of shell and mush between fingers and add to the tank.
Add some salt do you have epson salt.

http/www.fishjunkies.com/Treatments/salt.php

 

[Kame-San]

Okay, thanks. I'll get her going on peas ASAP. I don't know how she;s doing right now as I haven't been home since early this morning. She was okay then, and I'm sure she's okay now.

My mom is out now buying some epson salt. How much should I put in water, and how much water? Also, how long should I let her 'soak'?

I'm also starting to wonder is she is really a she. I was thinking about it, and I guess it's possible that the breeder thought it was a female, when really it was a really tiny male. I can't see an ovipositor, but I don't know if that's just because she's young, or she's male. So we'll have to see Anyway, I've named him/her Sage. So, hopefully she'll get better.

Thanks for your help

 

[WILDER]

Ask in the betta section if she a female i don't know, i know males are bigger with flowing fins, get you the info on the epson salt, she wants feeding up she looks thin bless her.

Use a teaspoon per gallon if you want to add this to the fish's tank as a live-in bath: change 25% of the water weekly and do not add additional salt.

 

[Kame-San]

Well, I've got 7 other bettas and I just can't tell with this one I bought her as a female, but who knows. I think I may just have to wait a week or two to figure it out.

She is really thin, poor thing. I offered her some pellet food before I even took her out of her little cup but they were too big for her to even fit into her mouth. I gave her some flake once she was settled in a tank, but I'm not sure if she's eaten any at all.

Would it be best to do a live-in bath, or just soak her for 5-10 minutes?

Thanks so much for your help

 

[WILDER]

Just add the salt to her bowl as live in one teaspoon to a gal.
Break the pellets in half and soak them before you give them her.

 

[Kame-San]

Okay, thanks ^-^ I'll do that as soon as I get home (which still won't be for 2-3 hours >.<) I'll try the pea first, then maybe some pellets later or in the morning. Thanks sooo much

 

[WILDER]

Get the peas down her first they will do her good, give her a clear out, bless her, veg and frozen foods, get some daphnia very good at digesting the fish food frozen best, and bloodworms, brimestrimp, microworms etc.

 

[Kame-San]

I'll see if I can get to the LFS tomorrow to pick up some BBS and bloodworms. I was going to go this afternoon, but we're having dinner with my grandparents.

Daphnia would come from live plants, right?

What other veggies would be good? I've got just about every type of vegitables, so whatever she needs, she gets

 

[WILDER]

I would get frozen daphnia don't like live foods never know what there fetching in.
Here a link for you it very good look under feeding louds of information.
http/www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/viruses.shtml

 

[Kame-San]

Thanks, I'll definitely read through the site

 

[WILDER]

please keep me updated on her progress she such a cutie and hope she turn into a wonderful full grown fish, she hasn't had a good start in life bless her.

 

[Kame-San]

I've added salt to her tank, and tried to give her pea. She wouldn't take it. I think she tried for it once or twice, but missed and gave up. There's probably about a whole pea in the bottom of her tank now. I'll have to fix that... And I know it was cooked enough. Some of my other bettas ate some. I just hope she pulls through. I think she ate a bit of flake during the day, so I guess that's better than nothing.

I'll keep you updated, and see if I can get better pictures tomorrow.

 

[Kame-San]

Well, she made it through the night, but not through the day. I came home from school and she'd died. Poor girl. Today just doesn't seem to be a good day for me, either. One of my fire-bellied toads died today too...

On the way home I did stop at the LFS though, to pick up some bloodworms (which the bettas LOVED) and saw they had another female (weird, they don't get any fish in until tomorrow) so I looked at her and she seemed to have a similar problem. Though, instead of tail heavy, she's 'head-heavy'. Can't swim too well `cause her head keeps trying to float! I got her, and hopefully I can save her since I couldn't save the other.

 

[WILDER]

Or bless her i'm sad now poor thing.
I would treat them with a bacterial med, i hate it when lfs just don't seem to care and there fish are ill.
Hope you can save this one, good luck.