Strange Illness

[RandomWiktor]

Pulpul, my betta, was posted in this forum not long ago because he had a growing red blotch on his fin that was lumpy and swollen. No one seemed to know exactly what it was, so I treated it first like septicemia (ie. antibiotic), then used an anti-parasite in case the lumps were parasites, and finally for protozoal parasites. The red blotch did not get better, and the fin in that area dissolved. I treated it with a med for fin rot, which had little effect, but it did eventually grow back on its own.

Now, the red blotch has spread over more of the fin and up on to the body. In that area only, the scales protrude like a little mini-case of dropsy; the rest of his body shows no signs, and he is energetic and eating well. Something stringy is protruding from inbetween the scales, and the affected portion of the tail is dissolving again. I treated with an anti-parasite, and no more white substance, and am now treating with an antibiotic, but I don't know if it will do anything.

What on EARTH could this be? Should I treat for a fungal, but some collodial silver, what? I'm really at a loss as to how I can remedy this problem, and the swelling and protruding scales on the red block on his body have me extremely worried.

 

[gaya]

If you have it I would go with the silver. An angel of mine recently had a red swollen area near his fin and i dosed the tank with a good amount of silver. he's healing up. The redness went away and it's not swollen any more. I did a ton of water changes as well prior to adding the silver.

 

[WILDER]

Please post water stats in ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,and ph, what size tank, how many fish, it started on the fin now spreading on the body, does it look like saddleback columnaris, you have some secondary infections there as well, if the fish is strong enough after all the meds the only option really to try and save the fish is to medicate again, can you issolate the fish.
Some salt baths should help as well.
http/article.dphnet.com/cat-02/columnaries.shtml

 

[RandomWiktor]

Err, unfortunately, I am out of most of those test strips so I don't have readings for them.
The fish is a male betta in a 2.5 gallon filtered tank kept at 78-80 degrees at all time. The tank is given 50% water changes w/gravel vaccuming 1-2x's weekly, and is also frequently give a complete "clean-out" (@ least 2x's a month). The ammonia reading is at 0 and aside from the mysterious red patch and swollen section, the fish is showing no signs of illness (good appetite, active, etc.). All of the other fish are kept under similar conditions (or in 5 gallons w/the same amount of cleaning) and have been thriving. Currently, his tank has stress guard, bio coat, and BioSafe as well as the properly dosed amount of salt.

I read the blurb on columnaris - I don't *think* that is it. I might try the silver tomorrow, and buy new test strips.

Thanks for the help guys.

 

[WILDER]

White in between the scales and long stringy bits are columnaris, I think now the red is spreading into a patch that is has developed into septicemia.

 

[WILDER]

http/www.flippersandfins.net/flexibacter.htm

 

[RandomWiktor]

Hmm. Its not that bad, but I think its worth consideration as a possible cause of his problem. The thing is, the redness and bumps started way before the white stringyness, and the white strings went away with the anti-parasite. I've had a fish with septicemia before, and it didn't look like this; the fish just had some vessel-looking red streaks in the fins and a few tiny body spots. In this, a huge hunk of his ventral thickened, turned red, and developed bumps, then disintegrated. Now the red on the body, which is a solid, thick blob that looks almost like a marking, has raised scales and had white stringyness.
I have him on an anti-bacteria for septicemia and dropsy. If it is columnaris, would it treat that as well since that is an anti-bacterial?

 

[WILDER]

Poor thing gone through the wars, bumps can be bacterial so yes you can try the med again, red patches can be septicemia, and red streaks can be poor water qaulity which can lead to full blown septicemia, if you don't alter water quality, sounds like he has had abit of columnaris on top of it.I would advise you test your water quickly and also get some test kits in,I would also recommend doing some daily salt baths say three aday, good luck, what colour were the spots on his body, and how big.

 

[WILDER]

http/www.fbas.co.uk/Ulcers.html

 

[RandomWiktor]

No no; he DOESN'T have streaks, that was what I was trying to say - I think I worded the post badly; I had a fish previously with septicemia, and his symptoms look nothing like it. I thought at first his markings were just changing, until the red blob got thick and lumpy. The color is a dark brick red, not a blood red like when the other fish had septicemia. It literally looks just like a new marking; he is orange and always had a few red markings. But the way this one got so thick and lumpy, then started all the way up onto the body and made the scales stick out (only on the red area, its not his whole body so I doubt its dropsy), suggested it wasn't a marking. I don't see how it could be the water, since I clean him very often for a filtered tank; it just seems that if water quality was the issue, all of my fish would be in trouble as they all recieve the same level of care. However, I will buy the tests strips tomorrow since my mom will be back with my car then.
I think I should maybe mention that I rescued him back in september from a pet store, and he was dying of septicemia, had fin rot, and parasites at the time. He recovered from all that, but maybe its made him weak/antibiotic resistant?

 

[WILDER]

poor thing, yes sometimes it's only the antibiotics keeping them alive, once you take them off them everything comes back, the only thing to do really is carry on with the antibiotic treatment, how long did you treat with the antibiotic, as sometimes it can take a while to make sure it has gone, if you cut the treatment to short even though ti looks like it's getting better, it comes back again.