Swim bladder disease - how to post care?

[Chloe07]

Hello, I have a young male betta. He was in 10 gallon tank with some plant, driftwood and sand. I had problem with white worms in the tank, first they were very small, like dust looking. Later on, they grew to be like a half inch. The tank was infested with worms. I don't think I fed much to my betta. I fed Fluval bug bites for small tropical fish (small amount twice a day). Reduced the food but didn't help to reduce the worms. Finally I transferred my betta in 5 gallon tank, and since he was lethargic and had bulgy eyes, I put 1 time half dose of API general cure on that tank and my betta was fine. I did frequent partial water change to help his eyes, but didn't improve.
Meanwhile I put double dose of API general cure on the 10 gallon tank (no live stock) but didn't kill the worms. Put Seachem Cupramine(copper) double dose but didn't kill the worms. Put several spoons of aquarium salt and didn't help, I was determined to kill the worms that I just threw everything away, including the plants, wood, and filter. In the 5 gallon tank my betta still had bulgy eyes even with partial water change (3times a week) so I put less than half dose of API E.M. Erythromycin, and this in somehow didn't fit my betta. My betta was not moving and stayed at the bottom. I had to do very large water change, then my betta started to move again, and didn't feed him that evening, but the next day he was floating on the side and his belly was bloated. I noticed he didn't poop much after reducing his food because of the worms, but was never floating like this.
How often should a betta poop? He used to poop like every other day when he had good amount of food, but when I reduced the food, he pooped maybe twice a week only.
It was my first time seeing him floating on the side, and he did not really move, and couldn't swim down. He was struggling to go down. I fasted him for 2 days, and increased the heater to 79 degree. He pooped some, so I gave 1/8 of green pea. His condition got worse, but then 1 day later he pooped fairly then he got so much better. As soon as he pooped, he started to swim normally. I prepared his 10 gallon tank with all new things. There is no more worms and I brought the small sponge filter from the 5 gallon, so water parameter is fine (ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5ppm) and the temperature is 79 degree.
I moved him to the 10gallon again very carefully taking time. He certainly enjoys the 10 gallon tank, so much active and loves to explore, he looked depressed in the 5 gallon. Even though his eyes are still bulgy, he was swimming fine so I soaked 1 small pellet (fluval bug bites for small tropical fish) and fed him. Then he swims like he has hard time going bottom of the tank again. He swims to the bottom but soon floats to the top, so he can't stay at the bottom.
I don't know how to post care after the Swim bladder disease. Should I fast him more? or should I feed him 1 blood worm a day instead of soaked pellet?
Also, his eyes are not getting better. He had bulgy eyes for few months. Its not severe popeye but its still bulgy, how should I treat him? I'm afraid to use any more antibiotic, is the frequent water change best option in this case?
Other than this, I think he is fine, he always has big appetite, runs whenever he sees me close to the tank asking for food. I don't want to starve him too much, any advise will help, thank you!

please take a look at the picture, his eyes are bulgy and has white fuzzy fungus like thing on his eyelid. He had this for months now.

 

[Colin_T]

The easiest way to get rid of or control planaria or detritus worms in an aquarium is to do regular gravel cleaning and water changes. The worms only come out of the gravel when there is something wrong with the water quality or the substrate. When conditions are good, they go back into the substrate and you don't see them. They are in everyone's tanks and don't harm the fish.

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If you use salt to disinfect a freshwater tank that does not have any plants or fish in, you add salt until it no longer dissolves and there is a 1 inch layer of salt on the bottom of the tank. Leave the salt in the tank for 24 hours (keep the filter running), then gravel clean and drain the tank completely, fill it with fresh water. Then drain and refill it again.

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Anti-biotics should only be used on known bacterial infections that have not responded to normal fish medications.​

Using half dose Erythromycin is not a good thing to do. It causes drug resistance in bacteria, which can kill us and the fish. Never use anti-biotics at half dose. Always use the prescribed dose. And only use them for known bacterial infections.

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Your fish's eyes don't look too bad to me. The left eye has a bit of excess skin under it but overall the fish looks pretty healthy.

I can't see the white fuzzy thing on his eye.

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If the fish is floating around after being fed dry food, it has air inside its digestive tract. The dry food has air in and when they take food from the surface they ingest a small amount of air. This can cause the fish to float around the tank and when they swim down, they automatically float back up.

The easiest way to fix this is to feed live or frozen (but defrosted) foods.

If a fish eats well every day, they should poop each day. However, some fish have a slower metabolism and might only poop once every couple of days depending on what they eat and how much they eat. High fibre diets (lots of plant matter) can get them pooping more. Cheap dry foods might cause constipation. Feeding a varied diet will usually prevent digestive problems and floating around due to air in their intestine.

 

[Chloe07]

The easiest way to get rid of or control planaria or detritus worms in an aquarium is to do regular gravel cleaning and water changes. The worms only come out of the gravel when there is something wrong with the water quality or the substrate. When conditions are good, they go back into the substrate and you don't see them. They are in everyone's tanks and don't harm the fish.

--------------------------
If you use salt to disinfect a freshwater tank that does not have any plants or fish in, you add salt until it no longer dissolves and there is a 1 inch layer of salt on the bottom of the tank. Leave the salt in the tank for 24 hours (keep the filter running), then gravel clean and drain the tank completely, fill it with fresh water. Then drain and refill it again.

--------------------------
Anti-biotics should only be used on known bacterial infections that have not responded to normal fish medications.

Using half dose Erythromycin is not a good thing to do. It causes drug resistance in bacteria, which can kill us and the fish. Never use anti-biotics at half dose. Always use the prescribed dose. And only use them for known bacterial infections.

--------------------------
Your fish's eyes don't look too bad to me. The left eye has a bit of excess skin under it but overall the fish looks pretty healthy.

I can't see the white fuzzy thing on his eye.

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If the fish is floating around after being fed dry food, it has air inside its digestive tract. The dry food has air in and when they take food from the surface they ingest a small amount of air. This can cause the fish to float around the tank and when they swim down, they automatically float back up.

The easiest way to fix this is to feed live or frozen (but defrosted) foods.

If a fish eats well every day, they should poop each day. However, some fish have a slower metabolism and might only poop once every couple of days depending on what they eat and how much they eat. High fibre diets (lots of plant matter) can get them pooping more. Cheap dry foods might cause constipation. Feeding a varied diet will usually prevent digestive problems and floating around due to air in their intestine.

Hello Colin, thank you for your reply.
I thought this was like the first stage of popeye, so wanted to treat with antibiotic. It was my bad to use half dose. however I'm scared so won't use antibiotic anyways.
His left eye is more bulgy and the cornea is also more swollen, would just frequent water change help this? I attached closer look of the white fuzz on his eye lid that looks like fungus. He had it on his right eye, and now he has in both eyes. He had the fuzz for few months but its not getting bigger.
I will try to feed him frozen blood worm again. Would 1~2 blood worm be enough per day for a juvenile betta like mine?
thank you for your advise as always!

 

[Colin_T]

Pop-eye disease in fish is normally caused by poor water quality or a dirty tank. The easiest way to prevent it and cure minor cases, is with big regular water changes, gravel cleaning the substrate, and cleaning the filter. You can also use salt to treat minor cases.

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The white bit on the eye could be fungus. If it appears white and fluffy and sticks up a little bit it is fungus. Salt should treat it or you can use any fungal medication for fish. I would try salt first if you haven't used salt yet.

You can add rock salt (often sold as aquarium salt), sea salt or swimming pool salt to the aquarium at the dose rate of 1 heaped tablespoon per 20 litres of water. If there is no improvement after 48 hours you can double that dose rate so there is 2 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.

If you only have livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies), goldfish or rainbowfish in the tank you can double that dose rate, so you would add 2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres and if there is no improvement after 48 hours, then increase it so there is a total of 4 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.

Keep the salt level like this for at least 2 weeks but no longer than 4 weeks otherwise kidney damage can occur. Kidney damage is more likely to occur in fish from soft water (tetras, Corydoras, angelfish, gouramis, loaches) that are exposed to high levels of salt for an extended period of time, and is not an issue with livebearers, rainbowfish or other salt tolerant species.

The salt will not affect the beneficial filter bacteria but the higher dose rate will affect some plants. The lower dose rate will not affect plants.

After you use salt and the fish have recovered, you do a 10% water change each day for a week using only fresh water that has been dechlorinated. Then do a 20% water change each day for a week. Then you can do bigger water changes after that. This dilutes the salt out of the tank slowly so it doesn't harm the fish.

If you do water changes while using salt, you need to treat the new water with salt before adding it to the tank. This will keep the salt level stable in the tank and minimise stress on the fish.

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If fish are sick but still eating, feed them as much as they can eat, and feed them 3-5 times a day. The extra food will provide them with more nutrients and help them fight off any diseases they might have.

Feed them a variety of foods and not just bloodworms. Raw or cooked prawn/ shrimp is good for fish. Aphids from a garden. Small flies, moths, mosquitoes or mozzie larvae are all good foods. Just make sure any insects are free of chemicals. Brineshrimp and marine mix are also good foods and can be found at most pet shops in the freezer. Live brineshrimp are usually available too and can encourage fish to eat.

When you are feeding the fish more food or feeding more often, make sure you monitor the water quality for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, and do a big water change and gravel clean the substrate every day or every couple of days to keep the tank clean.

 

[Chloe07]

Pop-eye disease in fish is normally caused by poor water quality or a dirty tank. The easiest way to prevent it and cure minor cases, is with big regular water changes, gravel cleaning the substrate, and cleaning the filter. You can also use salt to treat minor cases.

--------------------------
The white bit on the eye could be fungus. If it appears white and fluffy and sticks up a little bit it is fungus. Salt should treat it or you can use any fungal medication for fish. I would try salt first if you haven't used salt yet.

You can add rock salt (often sold as aquarium salt), sea salt or swimming pool salt to the aquarium at the dose rate of 1 heaped tablespoon per 20 litres of water. If there is no improvement after 48 hours you can double that dose rate so there is 2 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.

If you only have livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies), goldfish or rainbowfish in the tank you can double that dose rate, so you would add 2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres and if there is no improvement after 48 hours, then increase it so there is a total of 4 heaped tablespoons of salt per 20 litres.

Keep the salt level like this for at least 2 weeks but no longer than 4 weeks otherwise kidney damage can occur. Kidney damage is more likely to occur in fish from soft water (tetras, Corydoras, angelfish, gouramis, loaches) that are exposed to high levels of salt for an extended period of time, and is not an issue with livebearers, rainbowfish or other salt tolerant species.

The salt will not affect the beneficial filter bacteria but the higher dose rate will affect some plants. The lower dose rate will not affect plants.

After you use salt and the fish have recovered, you do a 10% water change each day for a week using only fresh water that has been dechlorinated. Then do a 20% water change each day for a week. Then you can do bigger water changes after that. This dilutes the salt out of the tank slowly so it doesn't harm the fish.

If you do water changes while using salt, you need to treat the new water with salt before adding it to the tank. This will keep the salt level stable in the tank and minimise stress on the fish.

--------------------------
If fish are sick but still eating, feed them as much as they can eat, and feed them 3-5 times a day. The extra food will provide them with more nutrients and help them fight off any diseases they might have.

Feed them a variety of foods and not just bloodworms. Raw or cooked prawn/ shrimp is good for fish. Aphids from a garden. Small flies, moths, mosquitoes or mozzie larvae are all good foods. Just make sure any insects are free of chemicals. Brineshrimp and marine mix are also good foods and can be found at most pet shops in the freezer. Live brineshrimp are usually available too and can encourage fish to eat.

When you are feeding the fish more food or feeding more often, make sure you monitor the water quality for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, and do a big water change and gravel clean the substrate every day or every couple of days to keep the tank clean.

Hello Colin, thank you for your information, yes I think he has fungus, I will try the aquarium salt when he is fully recovered. thank you for the detail instruction of salt method.
I'm giving frozen blood worm or brine shrimp now for dinner hoping he gets cured.
thank you for your help!