Whats wrong with my beta fish? Can anyone help?

[April Thornton]

My name is April. I havent quite figured out everything about this page so I could be posting in the wrong place. I have before and after pictures. I first noticed a orange looking spot on its side. I began researching. Its tank is a one gallon. PH balance is maintained. Didnt know I should be doing anything other than PH until I read here. I got a better test kit and tested Nitrate it was 0. Ph was 7.0 Ammonia was high at 1.0 so Ammonia reducer was administered. I have used Super Ick cure waited 2 days then used Beta Fix and Pimafix for 7 days then a second round of the same. I am at a loss. I would appreciate any help or advice at all. I am a beginner so please be patient. I am learning.

 

[Colin_T]

Hi and welcome to the forum

What colour is the fish meant to be?
It appears pink in one image and blue green in the other and I have not seen Betta these colours before.

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The easiest way to remove ammonia from an aquarium is with big daily water changes. Basically you replace 75% of the water on any day there is an ammonia reading above 0.
Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before you add it to the tank.

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Pimafix and Melafix should not be used in tanks without aeration/ surface turbulence, or in tanks with Labyrinth fishes (Bettas & gouramis) because it can leave an oily film over the surface and can harm the fish.

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The patch on the side of the body looks a bit like an ulcer, although it is the wrong colour. Part of the dorsal (top) fin also appears to be damaged/ missing in the picture of the green coloured fish. This is probably a bacterial infection, however you should try to get rid of the ammonia problem first because that can weaken the fish and make them more susceptible to health issue.

Quite often the easiest way to treat sick fish is with daily water changes and this will also help with the ammonia problem.

I would stop adding medications and simply do a 75-80% water change each day for a week and see how the fish looks after that. If it has improved a bit then keep doing daily water changes. If it gets worse during the next week then post another picture and we can talk about different medications.

You can use any sort of plastic or glass container to keep fish and generally the bigger the container, the more water it holds, and the better it is for the fish. This is due to nutrients being diluted out more in larger volumes of water and more concentrated in smaller volumes of water. A larger aquarium/ container would have lower ammonia levels and be easier to treat if it needs to be treated.

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The following link has some information about what to do if your fish gets sick. It is pretty long and boring but worth a read when you have some spare time. I recommend printing it out and reading it in bed to help fall asleep.
http://www.fishforums.net/threads/what-to-do-if-your-fish-gets-sick.450268/

 

[NickAu]

Hi

Please stop using betta fix its no good for the betta.

Can you please answer the following questions.

How big is the tank?
Has it got a heater? What is it set to?
Has it got a filter?
How strong is the current?
Is it cycled?
How often do you change water?
How much water do you change?
Do you vacuum the substrate?
What additives or chemicals do you use? Eg De Chlorinator?
Do you use tap or bottled water? If bottled water please give us the brand.
Do you have a water test kit?
Can you tell us the readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?
When you clean the tank can you tell us exactly what you do.
What do you feed him? how much? how often?
Any tank mates? What sort how many?
How long have you had the Betta?
Has he got a history of illness?
Any plants or decorations? Please give details?
Can you provide a close up photo of the fish?
Can you provide a photo of the tank?

 

[April Thornton]

Thank You Colin_T. The beta when lit from above is red/pink on the body, dark red white and blue on tail and upper fin. When lit from the side with no light from above its body seams a green/teal reflective color.

NickAu
1 gallon tank
Has a small low current filter
Cycled 100% once weekly
No vaccumeing
API Beta water conditioner
Tap water used for changes
Beta readily swims into water change temporary holding container which is clear plastic cup with white lid. He originally came in it. It is rinsed and dried after every use.
Tank inside is wiped down in clean tap water. Plastic small plant is hand rubbed. Small stump shaped cave is brushed with soft toothbrush inside and out. New water is treated measured for ph and temp. Adjusted if necessary. Then beta is left floating in his temporary container for 30 minutes in his cleaned tank to give time for temps to become same.
PH 7.0
Amonia was high at 1.0 ppm
Nitrate 0 ppm
No tank mates
Rocks on floor of tank are rounded smooth.
Pictures above of fish.
I have many more.
I will add a picture before the sickness occured of the same beta.

 

[April Thornton]

Picture of him before this sickness

 

[Colin_T]

How long have you had him for?

How long ago did the patch on his side appear?

When was the pink image taken and when was the green image taken?

 

[April Thornton]

Colin_T
Purchased 4/21/18
First sign of sickness 11/24/18
The two different colors is a trick of the light.
The pink picture was taken 12/7/18
The green picture was taken 1/1/19

The spot started on its side on 11/24/18. I noticed an orange fluffy spot. The beta scratched its side on the gravel on the floor of the tank and overnight the orange fluffy spot appeared to have ulcerated. I began seeking help. By December 7 2018 the spot seemed to still be ulcerated but bigger and the scales around the ulcer were darkening and the top fin was now envolved. Treatments with beta fix and pimafix helped but did not cure. It would look better then worse again.
I can only imagine Amonia scald. It would look and seem to improve in appearance with water change then after a day or so right back to what it was even with meds still being administered.
I am just inexperienced and did not identify the correct problem. I still dont know for sure that I have.
I have now 100% cycled the water. Removed everything except the filter 1 small plant and the fish from the tank. The filter and the small plant were cleaned before being returned to the tank. No cave No gravel No other plants, No medication.
I have lots of pictures of the progression of this spot.

 

[Essjay]

Is it cycled?

Cycled 100% once weekly

When Nick asked if the tank is cycled he did not mean water changes. He meant did you add ammonia to the tank before you got fish until it had grown enough bacteria to remove all the ammonia made by the fish, and the nitrite made from that ammonia. The first part of this link explains what cycling is http://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first.421488/ however you can't follow the second part of the link by adding ammonia now because you have a fish.

As Colin said, the way to deal with ammonia - and nitrite - is by testing the water every day and doing a large water change whenever you have a reading for either above zero. And with such a small tank they will build up very quickly. Ideally the smallest tank for a betta is 2.5 gallons, though 5 gallons is much better.

 

[Colin_T]

You can put his cave and plants back in the tank and put a thin layer of gravel in too.

The fish has a bacterial infection that has turned into an ulcer. You will need some anti-biotics for it, however it might cost more for the medication than to replace the fish. But you're probably attached to him after 8 months so visit the local pet shop and find an anti-biotic if you want to treat him.

The issue you will have in treating him is the small volume of water. Most anti-biotics use 1 tablet or capsule for 20 litres (5 gallons) of water, so you might be better off with a 10 or 20 litre bucket for treating him.

The best way to use anti-biotis on fish is to treat them each day and do a complete water change before retreating them. Wipe the inside of the container each day too.
Make sure the new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.

Treat the fish for at least 1 week but no more than 2 weeks. If there is no improvement after a week then the medication is not working and you will need to try a different type.

The anti-biotics will wipe out the filter bacteria so you will get ammonia and nitrite readings for a few weeks after treating him. You will need to do daily water changes if you have any ammonia or nitrite readings above 0.

 

[April Thornton]

When Nick asked if the tank is cycled he did not mean water changes. He meant did you add ammonia to the tank before you got fish until it had grown enough bacteria to remove all the ammonia made by the fish, and the nitrite made from that ammonia. The first part of this link explains what cycling is http://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first.421488/ however you can't follow the second part of the link by adding ammonia now because you have a fish.

As Colin said, the way to deal with ammonia - and nitrite - is by testing the water every day and doing a large water change whenever you have a reading for either above zero. And with such a small tank they will build up very quickly. Ideally the smallest tank for a betta is 2.5 gallons, though 5 gallons is much better.

Sorry. As I said before, I am a beginner learning as fast as I can.

I guess I had the wrong impression about cycling.

All I really know about Ammonia is its bad for fish over 0 ppm. Its created by the fish waste or food. I know very little aparently. I will do my best to read up on it and cycling.

 

[April Thornton]

You can put his cave and plants back in the tank and put a thin layer of gravel in too.

The fish has a bacterial infection that has turned into an ulcer. You will need some anti-biotics for it, however it might cost more for the medication than to replace the fish. But you're probably attached to him after 8 months so visit the local pet shop and find an anti-biotic if you want to treat him.

The issue you will have in treating him is the small volume of water. Most anti-biotics use 1 tablet or capsule for 20 litres (5 gallons) of water, so you might be better off with a 10 or 20 litre bucket for treating him.

The best way to use anti-biotis on fish is to treat them each day and do a complete water change before retreating them. Wipe the inside of the container each day too.
Make sure the new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.

Treat the fish for at least 1 week but no more than 2 weeks. If there is no improvement after a week then the medication is not working and you will need to try a different type.

The anti-biotics will wipe out the filter bacteria so you will get ammonia and nitrite readings for a few weeks after treating him. You will need to do daily water changes if you have any ammonia or nitrite readings above 0.

Colin_T
First thank you for your patience with this amateur.
Ok. I have already spent over $100 on all different kinds of Medicines. I didnt know what it was so well I went over board trying to be prepared.
As far as antibiotics for a bacterial infection. What would you use if this was your beta? Dont worry, i wont blame you if it doesnt work or the fish dies. I just appreciate any guidance you can give.

 

[Colin_T]

I would look at a Tetracycline based medication (Tetracycline or Doxycyline) or something that treats ulcers in fish. But it depends on what is available in your country. In Australia we have pretty strict regulations about anti-biotics and most are not available without a prescription from a vet.

We use to get a food that had anti-biotics in it too. It was specifically made for goldfish because they have a disease called GUD (goldfish ulcer disease) and they get ulcers on their side like your fish has. You might try googling "GUD" or "medicated food for GUD" in your country. See what is available.

There should be a few different ones to choose from. A lot of companies that sell fish products have websites that advertise "treats ulcers, bacteria, etc". You could check a few companies online and see if they have anything. API, SeaChem, etc.

 

[April Thornton]

I would look at a Tetracycline based medication (Tetracycline or Doxycyline) or something that treats ulcers in fish. But it depends on what is available in your country. In Australia we have pretty strict regulations about anti-biotics and most are not available without a prescription from a vet.

We use to get a food that had anti-biotics in it too. It was specifically made for goldfish because they have a disease called GUD (goldfish ulcer disease) and they get ulcers on their side like your fish has. You might try googling "GUD" or "medicated food for GUD" in your country. See what is available.

There should be a few different ones to choose from. A lot of companies that sell fish products have websites that advertise "treats ulcers, bacteria, etc". You could check a few companies online and see if they have anything. API, SeaChem, etc.

Thanks again. I will do just that.