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FAQs on
Betta Diseases: Parasites of Many Kinds: Protozoans, Worms, Crustaceans.
See Also:
Ich/White
Spot,
Velvet
Related Articles: Betta
Diseases,
Betta Systems,
Anabantoids/Gouramis & Relatives,
Betta splendens/Siamese Fighting Fish, Improved
(Better?) Products for Bettas!,
Related FAQs: Betta Disease
1,
Betta Disease 2, Betta Disease 3, Betta Disease 4,
Betta Disease 5,
Betta Disease 6,
Betta Disease 7, Betta Disease 8,
Betta Disease 9,
Betta Disease 10, Betta Disease 11,
Betta Disease 12,
Betta Disease 13,
Betta Disease 14,
Betta Disease 15,
Betta Disease 16,
Betta Disease
17, Betta Disease 18 ,Betta
Disease 19,
Betta Disease 20, Betta Disease 21
Betta
Health 22, Betta Health 23,
Betta Health 24, Betta Disease Causes/Etiologies:
Determining/Diagnosing,
Environmental (By far the largest cat.),
Nutritional,
Viral/Cancer, Infectious
(Bacterial, Fungal),
Ich/White
Spot, Velvet; Senescence/Old
Age, Cures/Curatives/Treatments,
&
Bettas in General,
Betta ID/Varieties,
Betta System,
Ammonia,
Nitrite,
Nitrate,
Nitrogen Cycling, Betta Behavior,
Betta Compatibility FAQs,
Betta Selection,
Betta Feeding, Betta Reproduction, |
Need to confirm diagnosis first. May take a
microscope... and body smear, other sampling.
<RMF would REALLY like to have a pictorial atlas... for
WWM like we have for Clownfish Diseases>
|
Unusual Betta problem 11/16/08
Hello. I'm having a problem with my Betta that I've never encountered in my 4
years in the hobby (I know it doesn't sound like much, but I've seen a lot
working in the pet industry). I've tried all sorts of searches online but I
can't seem to find anything like it.
First, I'll give you some background
info.
<Please>
I have a 10 gallon tank that has been set up for about 3
months. Up until recently, it housed only two male Bettas (with a divider, don't
worry!) and whatever Malaysian trumpet snails managed to find their way in
there. It has live plants (mainly java fern, water sprite, and a couple species
of Anubias) and a small filter. The nitrates have never been above 20, the
ammonia and nitrite have steadily been zero for two months, pH is 7.4-7.6, KH is
3 degrees, and GH is 4 degrees. The Bettas were quite content until I pulled
some stupid moves.
First, I came into possession of a couple baby platies,
and was keeping them temporarily in a 2.5 gallon tank. I needed a heater, and
the only one I had was in the Betta tank, so I pulled it out thinking the
temperature wouldn't drop below 72. I was wrong... it went from 76 to about 68
over a couple days. I was concerned at first, but the Bettas seemed fine, no
change in behavior, so I didn't really worry about it at the time.
<Mmm, such
a stress can/does show up later...>
About a week after that, I decided to
move my 6 Danios from my 20 gallon tank to the 10 gallon tank, 3 on each side of
the divider. I kept an eye on the water chemistry, and other than a 5 ppm raise
in nitrates everything stayed the same. I replaced the heater in the tank as
well, and the temperature went back up to 76. I knew my Danios were rather
boisterous, and I tried to put the most boisterous ones with the Betta that I
thought was the tougher of the two.
Considering all the stressors I
introduced, I'm not surprised that one of my Bettas got sick. However, it's the
illness itself, not the cause, that has me befuddled.
I first noticed that
his gills were hanging slightly open and he was breathing heavily. He would come
to the top to eat, but the rest of the time just lay on the bottom. I assumed it
was probably a bacterial infection of sorts brought on by stress, and I set up
my 2.5 gallon tank as a hospital tank. I put a heater in it, got the temperature
to 76, put 1/2 tablespoon of aquarium salt in it, and let it run overnight with
an air stone. I transferred him this morning. Tonight, I came home, added .5 ml
of Melafix,
<Mmm, not a fan>
and attempted to feed him. He was VERY
interested in food, and practically attacked it... however, he couldn't seem to
even get it in his mouth, and that's the bit that has me stumped. It's not like
he takes it and spits it back out, it's like he can't even open his mouth enough
to get it in. I tried a variety of foods, including flakes and daphnia, and he
barely got anything in his mouth. He would lunge after it and end up just
pushing it around. It's like Betta lockjaw! I've never seen anything like it,
and it's frustrating me. He seems like he would have a great prognosis for
recovery if it weren't for the fact that he can't eat -- he's active and
interested in food. I'm just wondering what could be causing this?
<Could be
pathogenic>
My best guess is a bacterial infection, but nothing looks red or
swollen, he's just skinny, his gills don't close completely, and he can't open
his mouth. I even managed to peek into his gills with a flashlight when he had
them flared, and they didn't appear swollen at all. In fact, they looked like
all the pictures of fish gills I've seen in the text books, healthy pink but not
inflamed red or anything.
Any thoughts would be appreciated. I don't want to
have to euthanize him, but if the treatments don't work I'm worried he faces
slow starvation.
Thanks,
Tamla
<Given the symptoms you describe, the
course of exposure to other life, am guessing that this may be an instance of
Flukes... Please read here re:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/flukesfwf.htm
and further on the Net re
monogenetic trematodes. Bob Fenner>
Internal parasites: white, stringy feces, Betta 10/16/06
Hello Wet Web Media crew,
<Hello there - this is Jorie>
First off, let me just say I love the site, it is extremely informative...
<I've learned so much from this site!>
...but I'm a tiny tiny bit stumped on this little' problem with my female
Betta. She has the "white, stringy feces" sign of internal parasites...
<Yes, you've likely correctly identified what's going on.>
I am currently using "Parasite Clear - Tank Buddies" by Jungle Brand "With
Praziquantel!" as quoted on the box as it had been
recommended to me by a few sources. Unfortunately, to no result (as far as I
can tell - of course, one never knows if maybe the resultant white stringy feces
may be the dead worms leaving the body, as they seem to be passing much quicker
than other cases of this I've had in the past without any meds)
<I've found that internal medicated food is the best/only way to successfully
treat internal parasites. Jungle makes one called "Pepso", and you can also
find medicated flakes here:
http://flguppiesplus.safeshopper.com/234/cat234.htm?380 >
Ok, on to the informative stuff. I have a 29 gallon acrylic planted tank
containing 6 Otocinclus, 1 normally striped male dwarf Gourami, and one "fire
red" male dwarf Gourami (which may be a morph of the honey dwarf Gourami, but no
one seems to know for sure) and previously 3 female Bettas as well as numerous
Malaysian trumpet snails and Ramshorn snails and the occasional pond snail (pond
snails, when discovered, find themselves on a magical journey to the male
Betta
tank for algae control, as he refuses the
company of algae eating fish) My ammonia is 0, nitrites currently are 0 (but
are occasionally at .05)...
<Nitrites need to be a zero when live fish are in the picture...>
PH 7.8, temp 84 when the lights are on, 82 at night.
<May want to drop the temp. a degree or two...also, try to minimize that temp.
swing from day to night...>
I am using a Whisper 30 hang over the back filter with no carbon, but the
bio-filter is in, and I use no aeration or CO2.
<No "aeration"? I'd suggest adding an air pump or two to get some oxygen into
the water...>
So, anyway... My "Ruby" female Betta has been having some white stringy feces
hanging out of her anus, so I moved her into a hospital tank (5gl)...
<Thank goodness - I was just about to ask if you isolated her! I'm so glad you
did...>
...and added aquarium salt to the water (1 tsp/2gl) and used a dose of the
Praziquantel med tabs described above.
<I'd suggest running carbon and doing water changes to get the present
medication out, then switching to the medicated food...>
I also medicated the main tank...
...<WHY? I was so happy to hear to had used a QT tank...you do realize you
likely destroyed your nitrogen cycle, so keep a very close eye on ammonia,
nitrite and nitrates...I'd suggest testing daily until everything has spiked and
lowered...>
before doing a 90(ish)% (I got as much water out as possible, but it's almost
impossible to get it ALL out without removing everything and letting it air dry
for 6 days) to try to remove any possible eggs or whatever and scrubbed the
driftwood, rinsed the filter pad (though on reflection, I possibly should have
just changed it, and maybe scrubbed the filter itself?),
<I'd suggest changing the filter pad - if nothing else, you want to remove any
residual medication. Do keep a close eye on everyone else...>
...put everything back - everyone seems fine, but I popped in the meds as a
precautionary measure just in case they happened to have caught it anyway and I
hate to lose fish...
<It's never a good idea to "preventatively" medicate. It's much better to do
more water changes. I do understand your fear, though, as my 29 gal. recently
was exposed to parasites, and I just yesterday ended up breaking the whole thing
down...all remaining fish are in QT. Anyway, enough about me:-)>
The sick fish is eating well enough and is not showing horizontal "fright lines"
yet, though she is not as fat as the other females are (though she is lowest on
the totem pole, so that could be normal), but she definitely still has the white
stringy feces showing now and again - though not constantly, and certainly not
for days at a time. My question is, is this Praziquantel
stuff in fact the correct medication for this particular parasite, and, could
she possibly be expelling dead worms, and be "on the mend" so to speak?
<Not likely - a sign of continued infestation. Try the medicated food - that's
probably just what she needs. If she needs incentive to eat it, try soaking it
in a couple of drops of Kent's Garlic Xtreme.
AND, if it just so happens that I've been giving her the wrong meds, what
would you recommend I get, as I'm beginning to believe that I should medicate my
females whenever I get a new one for this particular infestation, as I believe
the supplier feeds his Bettas live black worms or other live foods and gives
them all horrible parasites. (look like crap in
the store, beautiful in my tank.. sigh)
<No, do not medicate unless you see active signs of illness. DO quarantine all
new fish, especially in light of the info. about what these fish are fed. Maybe
consider keeping them in QT 2 mos. or so (longer than usual), just to be safer.>
Oh, yes, I do not feed my fish live foods.
<Glad to hear that. I don't either.>
I feed them Betta Bites (for the Bettas) and TetraMin Tropical
Crisps for the gouramis, so I'm assuming I'm not the one introducing these
parasites.
<Likely you are not. Try alternating their diets with frozen bloodworms and
Mysis shrimp - they'll be ecstatic! My Bettas go nuts for those treats, and
since they aren't live (I use the Hikari brand), there's no risk of
parasites. Fish do need some variety in their diet.>
Alright, I hope I've covered all the basic info you will need to (hopefully)
help me with this... (in my long, rambling writing style - I hope I haven't
bored you to tears yet) And if you need any more info, please let me know and I
will be more than happy to tell you anything I can.
<LOL! You write just like I do - I can relate! No, I'm not bored at all - more
info. is better. Hopefully I've helped you!>
Thank you very much in advance,
Alyssa
<You are welcome. Jorie>
Internal parasites: white, stringy feces PART 2 - 10/18/06
Thank you, Jorie, for replying. :)
<You're welcome.>
Well, as an update: I did not get the medicated foods, as they don't seem to
carry them at my LFS (oddly... I'm in Seattle... I'll check around)
<I've had trouble finding medicated foods locally as well. Try
http://www.drsfostersmith.com or http://www.flguppiesplus.com >
But, on the bright side of things, Ol' Ruby seems to be fattening up just a
little (I've been over-feeding her just a little to see if she would or
not. I'm assuming that this would be a good way to check for parasites, as she
would likely not fatten up? I'm a little afraid I'll give her dropsy,
though...)
<Probably not a good idea to overfeed...just so long as you are feeding a small
amount of quality food (e.g., Hikari, Spectrum New Life pellets, frozen
bloodworms, Mysis shrimp, etc., as previously mentioned>
Anyhow, and the good news is, I haven't seen any white stringy poops in a few
days.
<Great!>
I did a good water change of the hospital tank to remove anything in there, and
she's kicking around like she's bored to tears, checking out the plastic
ornaments and the boys (hospital tank is right next to the boys' divided
tank) But I'm thinking of keeping her in quarantine for another week or two
before I let her back in the main tank, and I'd like to find the medicated
foods... as of course, internal parasites seem to be a problem from my
suppliers.
<I think that's a great plan - can't hurt to "over" quarantine. Keep up with
the water changes, and I really would try to find the med. food online.>
Ok, that settled my main question - Praziquantel, probably good... but better
as a food additive.
<Yes...the medicated foods I am most familiar with contain Metronidazole,
though...>
Maybe it helped that I would dose the tank, and then feed her?
<I don't want to suggest the external meds don't work, it's just usually that
the medicated food is more effective. But hey, if the symptoms are gone, that's
all that matters, right?! Keep an eye out, though, as discussed above...>
lol... and maybe that she would pick at it. Anyway, the rest of my tank seems
to be healthy, no one seems to care that I drained the tank, re-did everything
and put everyone back sans one female Betta.
<Perhaps they enjoyed the distraction? I find my Bettas like it when I rearrange
decor occasionally...smart little fish - they do tend to get bored, as you've
noted above also...>
A note about the aeration: I have quite a few plants in there, and my fish are
labyrinth fishes, so an airstone would be a tad redundant, I think.
<I'd suggest a powerhead instead, for water circulation sake. The plants would
likely appreciate it. You're right, though, in the sense that the labyrinth
fish do breath from the surface, but that doesn't mean they appreciate water
devoid of O2...>
Just my feelings... maybe I will get an airstone eventually.
But for now everyone seems to be doing excellently. Thank you very much for the
advice, as I build out my med kit:-)
<Yes, good to have medication on hand. Best of luck - sounds as though Ruby is
improving - glad to hear it! Jorie>
Alyssa
Sick Beta... Betta - 11/13/06
The active ingredients for the parasite killer was: sodium chloride,
Metronidazole, Praziquantel, its called jungle fish health internal parasite
guard.
<A good product>
The only things that were in the tank was gravel and a live plant, but he has
been in a separate tank for a bit now with only some gravel so I don't know what
kind of poisoning it could be.
<Mmm, many possibilities... household cleaners, aerosols, a bug flying in...>
The bad thing is that he has another symptoms: slightly raised scales just
around the swollen abdomen.
<Ascites... "bloat", dropsy>
The question is should I euthanize him or can I treat him?
<Mmm, yes>
I really don't want to kill him because I know that they can get over dropsy,
but probably not if I can't figure out the problem and treat it, and I do not
want to make him suffer. Thanks for your quick reply. Hope I can help him.
<At this juncture, a broad spectrum antibiotic... BettaMax would be my choice...
You have read on WWM re Betta Disease? Bob Fenner>
Bloated Betta - 08/26/06
Good evening. I have a Wal-Mart special female Betta that I purchased about
6 months ago. Originally I had her in a very large (5 gal equivalent) bowl, and
then moved her into a 46 gallon community tank about a month ago. She seemed
much happier in the larger tank, and got along well with the other fish (few
platys and tetras). 3 days ago, I noticed that her abdomen was starting to
swell. I assumed she had over eaten, and just kept an eye on her. This morning
when I went to feed, she was floating on her side at the
top of the tank, and her abdomen appeared extremely swollen. Today was also the
first day she appeared to be in distress. She has no missing scales, and the
swelling is not malformed. I removed her immediately and put her into a small
bowl with the same tank water and a little salt. I tested the water in the
tank, and it was normal (for my tank) at 78 degrees, and exactly 7.0 ph. All
other fish appear healthy and no new fish have been added.
I left for work expecting to return home to a dead fish, but she did not pass on
during the day. She is in very much the same condition, only now her breathing
appears labored (not gasping - but deeper in the water than normal). She is
still floating on either side, and will flail to get air from the surface. She
has not eaten since last night, and I am at a loss.
I noticed that between her bottom fins, there is a small white soft-looking mass
(possibly anus area???) no bigger than a pen dot.
Can I save her? What is your opinion of the trouble? I feel helpless right
now. Please empower me to understand the issue, so I can ensure if it is my
fault, that it doesn't happen again. I sincerely appreciate your time in
advance,
Amber
< Sounds like you Betta has an internal infection. This is usually caused by
stress, like too hot, too cold, wrong food, dirty water etc.. It can be treated
with Metronidazole and Nitrofuranace with a little salt. Some aquarists have
had some success with Clout. Early treatment is the key to a complete
recovery.-Chuck>
Betta parasite?? 3/30/06
Hi,
<Hello there>
Firstly let me apologize that the photo is not as clear as I would have
liked... unfortunately the male Betta in question is apparently not a
fan of being photographed.
<I understand>
I have owned him for approximately 5 weeks, we purchased him as a
replacement for our previous male with intent to attempt to breed. I
noticed around 2 weeks after we got him home that he had a small
(approx. 1-2mm) white growth on the rear portion of his dorsal fin.
However it vanished after a couple of days. He usually resides in alone
in a 4 gallon tank with a small sponge filter, a couple of Java ferns
and a heater. As we intended to breed him with one of our 2 females
(currently sharing an identical home) we had set up and cycled a 2
gallon spawning tank.
Just before we moved our male Betta into the spawning tank we noticed
that he was acting a little strangely... he seemed to spend rather a lot
of time swimming in small circles around the suction cups which hold the
heater in place. He would also suddenly swim very quickly and
erratically then stop.
<Not totally atypical behavior for this species, sex>
I moved him into the intended spawning tank (after acclimating him of
course) to have a better look, as this tank has a light, and have now
noticed that this small white growth has reappeared, only this time
above his gill as the photo shows. It is very small (again 1-2mm) and
protrudes from his skin rather than laying flat against it. It is
rounded at the end and seemed to shrink and turn slightly grey in
response to the 10 minute salt bath we tried yesterday, but has now
returned to its full, white glory.
I have scoured the web and your site for info on parasites, which I
assume it to be since it has moved from his fin, and since it appears to
be causing him some discomfort, but the only similar things I can find
are Ich - which it most certainly isn't as there is only one, and
Anchorworm, which aren't normally white and resemble hairs (or so I
gather).
<Yes... the "egg sacs" stick out like a bifurcated tail...>
This "thing" is quite thick (maybe between 0.5-1mm) and I am at a loss
as to what it might be, and how to rid my Betta of it. He doesn't appear
to be ill... no clamped fins, eating fine, still flaring for the ladies,
no listlessness or loss of colour, just the occasional odd bout of
swimming in circles.
I do hope you can help, as we (and I'm sure him too) are eager to begin
breeding, but obviously don't want to start if there are parasites
around! Thanks in advance.
Kindest Regards,
Lindsey
<Well... this could be "nothing" but a reaction site... in infected part
of the neuromast system (the "head and lateral line")... or might
involve a protozoan like Octomita/Hexamita... or even a "higher"
invertebrate parasite... If it were me/mine I would treat this animal
with Flagyl/Metronidazole (for Protozoans), and see if the one-shot
application "does it". Bob Fenner> |
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Re: Betta parasite?? 4/3/06
Hi Bob,
<Lindsey>
Thanks so much for your reply. Just thought I would give you a progress
report. As you also thought it likely to be a parasite I decided to give my
Betta a weak WS3 Malachite Green bath for 20 min.s, as I had some of this in
the house (the only anti-parasite I keep around as I find it incredibly good
for savage Ich outbreaks) and it was proving difficult to find
Metronidazole. A day later the "parasite" was all but gone, leaving just a
grey dot.
Today it has gone completely... I'm keeping an eye on him for a week or so
before we attempt to breed him to ensure it hasn't just moved again! I'm
also continuing my search for Metronidazole in case it returns.
Thanks again for your help
Lindsey
<Great news! Thank you for this update. Bob Fenner>
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Cut Lip and maybe Chilodonella
First I have to say this site has been a godsend to my little guy and me.
Background. I've had Buttah the Betta a month. He lives in a 1 gallon tank with
two plants, some gravel and his best friend the thermometer. He loves to swim
around and around and around the bottom of it. The tank does fluctuate about 2
degrees at night, but I keep it as constant an 80 degree environment as
possible. I half cover his tank with a black towel at night so he can get some
sleep, but the light still heats him (and he can see me. I treat the water with
either Betta Plus or Betta Basics bowl conditioner, as well as aquarium salt
with each water change. His pH is a constant 6.8 to 7. I do a 5% water change
with every meal, siphoning out the missed bits and his pottyposits. I replace
the water very slowly with pre-prepped water that I always keep on hand. I do a
30 - 50% change every 3 days and a 100% every 7. 4 Days ago I bought a snail for
his tank, just cuz, and slowly introduced it. He seemed to think it a cool
enough companion, nudging and watching it, but within 24 hours snail was dead. I
removed it, (he missed it immediately) siphoned off all the debris from the
floor and did an 80% water change, but I noticed that Buttah was acting very
itchy all of a sudden. I saw no overt indication of anything wrong other than
his sudden twitches and rushes, but I kept a close eye on him reading up on
parasites here. I am afraid he may have contracted Chilodonella?
<Where would this have vectored from?>
His colour is fine, but he has extended moments of lethargy, just lying on the
gravel, most unlike him, and exhibits strained breathing, not the regular
underwater yawn before a surface, but his gills pumping hard enough to make him
rock while at rest. He is a surface kinda guy, sleeping on a leaf near the top
of his tank. He loves to literally race around his tank in the same pattern over
and over, but he has never shown this kind of strained breathing before.
His appetite is still good. He prefers frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp and
daphnia over all flakes, pellets and freeze dried. Actually, he won't even look
at these. So I thaw and warm the frozen food then drop it into his tank with
tweezers at feeding. At breakfast this morning he jumped at the tweezers and
clipped his bottom lip, HARD. I do not think he tore it, but it is swollen and
ever so slightly *pouty*. He did not seem phased at first, but then he began
rushing at the surface and gulping the air when he took it, then he swam away
frenzied. I am afraid surface breathing was painful for him and he became
lethargic and withdrawn all day even resting on the gravel and clamping his fins
for a while. I was not sure if it was his lip or the above mentioned discomfort.
I did a 100% water change (He has a 1/2 gallon holding tank with a plant that I
keep prepped and warm for 100% changes and emergency, so he is content in there
while his 1 gallon settles over night.) He has perked up, but sometimes he still
looks like he is having trouble breathing and occasionally he hiccups???
<This behavior is natural...>
Very Concerned. The way I feel about this little gut is the only difference
between him and a puppy is you can pet the puppy. He seems brighter, but he
still settles onto the bottom as if just too exhausted to play or he races
around suddenly like he is trying to shake something off. His color is good,
(though his face seems a little pale), his fins are not clamped and he is 80%
his usual hellion self, but he is still twitching and itching, or so it seems. I
am taking a water sample into my LFS tomorrow and I will be picking up some
Maracide and some Beta Fix, as well as an ammonia kit. Can the Betta Fix and
Maracide be used together? Is there anything I can do for his lip?? It looks so
uncomfortable. Thank you in advance for whatever help you give, even if is a
hyperlink to the appropriate page.
Kate
<You show good care and great compassion for your Betta friend... I doubt if it
is encountering Chilodonella or other parasitic disease... these come from other
fish, live foods... Very likely the hard breathing et al. stemmed from the dead
snail incident... these often are "doomed" to not recover... and the wound from
the tweezers should heal in time. I would just continue with the good care you
list and all should be fine. One last note, warning to you to keep the water
level down a few inches to prevent Buttah from jumping out altogether. Bob
Fenner>
Re: Cut Lip and maybe Chilodonella Update
Hi Bob, (or crew member if Bob is busy elsewhere.) *waves, big smile* I sent
a quick thank you reply to your swift response saying things were well with
Buttah the Betta, but I may have jumped the gun. He was wonderful when I left
for work this morning, swimming happily around his clean 1G tank, treated with
its 2 drops of Melafix and 1 of Maracide. He ate a decent, (not overfed) meal
and I headed off to work. When I came home I thought at first he was just happy
to see me, but then I realized that although he *was* happy I was home he was/is
also itching like crazy, bouncing off his plants and thermometer then centering
in his tank to stare at me and just twitch and twitch. Not Buttah behaviour at
all. Staring at me, yes, twitching like a demented neurotic, no. As I mentioned
in my first e-mail, he looks almost as if he has the hiccups. His fins appear
fine and undamaged so far. When he is not swimming and twitching he rests on his
leaf, but when he decides to move about, t he cycle begins again. Slam, twitch,
bump, twitch. He seems to be favouring his left gill, knocking it into the
plants more than anything else, although his right one gets a good knock on
occasion too. I checked his gills when he was flaring and they look fine but
after all if I can see the parasite, I think he'd be in real trouble. As you
felt the snail that died would not have transmitted Chilodonella, might he just
be high-strung (ya think?) and could it be Ick? If so, I can try to slowly get
his tank up to 82 - 85 degrees, as well as his replacement water, but as Ick
lives in all waters wouldn't upping his water changes be counter productive by
adding to his stress level?
<I would skip adding any more "Fix", but keep up the Maracide treatment, raise
temperature and mix in half a teaspoon of salt>
And how long does it usually take for this parasite to clear up?
<IF it is a parasite, a week or so>
I read somewhere (perhaps even one of the pages on this site) to treat until all
behaviour and symptoms are gone and then for another ten days just to be on the
safe side. Poor guy, I am sure he would just like his normal life back.
I always siphon any replacement waters back into his tank very slowly, as if it
were a normal, slow running stream in nature, so I intend to do a slow,
stress-less 20 - 30% replacement with treated water before I go to bed this
evening and I am willing to do so everyday if need be but if you feel it is too
much please advise. Oh, and btw, his lip is already looking *much* better.
Again my thanks in advance for any help you may offer.
<Stay the course here... all should work out. Bob Fenner>
Re: Cut Lip and maybe Chilodonella
Cut Lip and maybe Chilodonella Reply:
"I am afraid he may have contracted Chilodonella?"
<Where would this have vectored from?>
I had feared he might have contracted it from the snail. Thank you for your
reassurances, Mr. Fenner.
<...One last note, warning to you to keep the water level down a few inches to
prevent Buttah from jumping out altogether. Bob Fenner>
LOL, thanks again. Yes, he is a feisty wee lad. I always keep a good amount of
space at the top of his tanks, about an inch in his holding tank and 1.5 in his
regular. Both of these are lidded, the lids only ever up when I am feeding him
or seated beside the tank. I am treating his tank with Melafix (decided against
Beta Fix) for the week just in case he actually did tear that lip, but he seems
100% back to his happy and healthy self. Thanks Again: Kate
<Ah, you're welcome my friend. Bob Fenner>
Re: Cut Lip and maybe Chilodonella Upset - Take...?
Hey crew, sorry to be such a pest. This is an update of the earlier update
and I am afraid my wee guy is really sick. How can he go from so happy and
healthy to so sick so fast!?
<There are infectious diseases (bacterial mainly) that can act quickly... though
most complaints are environmental in origin>
I am sure it was that snail. His banging into his thermometer has bruised
his side, his fins are already beginning to fray, his colour, though his fins
are still iridescent, is grey and his fins are clamped and all this since 6 PM
PST. I am fighting the tears as he is just so damned uncomfortable and I am
afraid he has something really aggressive and may lose him over night. I mean,
what the heck happened between my going to work this AM and now? Could he be
reacting to the Maracide and the MelaFix?
<Yes... particularly the latter>
I am grasping at straws here. Help? I have read all I can absorb without popping
and do not want to over treat him. I feel so blasted helpless.
Kate
<Not much more you can/could do Kate. Bob Fenner>
Re: Buttah the Betta is dying
Hey Crew, hope you had not too crazy a day with people inundating you with
questions. Where would any of us be without all of you?
<Where we are... perhaps with a bit less knowledge, solace>
I know it is what you are here for but it has to be tough. I sent you 3 mails
yesterday alone. Sadly Buttah seems to be declining. Last night he turned the
most god awful shade of grey and just rested on his ventrals gasping. I have no
idea what brought this on other than perhaps a reaction to the drop of Maracide
(for what I now know was obviously some kind of evil parasite and the 2 drops of
Melafix for his cut lip in his clean, prepped, 1G tank. As I mentioned, he *was*
what I thought to be 100% when I left for work yesterday morning. He was
playful, bright, good appetite, swimming about as he always does, just his usual
content, happy self. When I came home he was bashing himself into his plants and
his thermometer. He did eat some, (frozen blood worm and brine shrimp) but
things seemed to go downhill from there prompting me to do a 30% water change
with unmedicated water. (also as mentioned these are as stressless as I can make
them, pH and temp. matched and a slow siphon replacement) He did perk up a tiny
bit in the fresher water, but then just took to sitting at the surface on his
plant where he remained without moving from 11 PM until 7 AM gasping every few
minutes. I was very pleased to see him alive when I when I woke up. I was even
allowed to stroke his back. This did not seem to startle him at all. He just
looked up at me, sighed, woke up and swam about, twitching and twisting as if he
would like to turn himself inside out. He returned to his plant to just sit and
breath. ALL his fins were clamped, and I have noticed red marks at the base of
his pectoral fins, (the right is worst) red spots on his gill flap (again the
right) and his iridescent scales on his face (they surround his gills and his
gill flap making a beautiful point on his chin) seem brighter. When he does
swim, or frankly float, about he tends to flop to one side and he really is
contorted as if against some hidden pain. And he is seriously gaping for air. No
matter if on the surface or resting on the bottom.
<I would discontinue the Melafix use... this material is starting to make me
feel less than simply uneasy... TOO many cases of it seeming to be responsible
for troubles. Am sending these notes to Aquarium Pharmaceuticals
(Manufacturer)... the old owners are friends of mine and appreciate input.>
As stresslessly as I could I have returned him to his 1/2 quarantine/holding
tank. Like his 1G, this water is steady 80, but it has not got any Melafix or
Maracide in it. It has a touch of extra Betta Basic Water Conditioner (1/8th
tsp) and a hint more salt. (1/16th tsp). It was prepped 48 hours before placing
him in it. In half an hour he had gone from sitting on the bottom or floating on
the top 85% of the time, he looking like he is battling a swim bladder issue, to
being brighter and more interactive. But he is still gasping, tilting, very
lethargic and his breathing is still strained. He also periodically slides
backwards, going vertical even coming to rest on his tail. I know I read
something about that here on the site but I am typing this in a rush to get to
work and do not have time to go looking. If moving him to the smaller tank is
any indication, God willing, maybe there is hope for him. I am seriously beside
myself about this as he appeared perfectly fine yesterday morning aside from
mild itching and as I mentioned what seemed like hiccups. I am convinced it was
that wretched snail and I somehow introduced something wicked into the larger
tank. I am not going to feed him this morning as I think that could be counter
productive and I doubt he has an appetite. I swear he prefers this smaller tank
and, if he survives whatever this is, I may just make it his permanent one.
Bigger does not seem to be better in Buttah's case. I have been reading up on
velvet, on ich, on septicemia and am frankly more confused now than helped.
(okay, he just leapt out of his tank, I did not have the lid down. I immediately
scooped him back in and closed it but now he is nose diving, falling over,
floating on his back. God what am I to do!?) I do hope one of you can find
the time to get back to me on this matter today although I am afraid he is dying
before my eyes. I am so thankful for this site. Sending this off with an aching
heart, sincerely, Kate
<STOP using the Melafix. Bob Fenner>
Re: Buttah Didn't Make it
Sadly Buttah died not five minutes ago. No, wait, there is still some very
minor gill activity and he is still gasping. I am still at a loss as to what
happened. I sent 2 follow up e-mails after this one but I hold little or no hope
at this time. Thanks all the same, my friend. =:( Kate
<Very sorry to hear of your and your Betta's plight. Bob F>
Rod-like fins on Betta
Hi Robert,
<Nelly... my mother's name...>
I have a sick Betta with rod-like fins and tail. (As far, this is the best site
I found).
<Yikes... sounds very much like "Anchor Worm"... a copepod parasite... please
see the pix here:
Yucky Anchor Worm>
About ten months ago I got 3 male Bettas: blue, turquoise and purple. The blue
one (the most beautiful) died soon after I got them. The fins and tail looked
rod-like. When I showed the sick fish to the man in the pet store from where the
Betta came, he told me that he never seen such a disease. However he
suggested trying BettaFix which I did with no results.
<Mmm, no... a sort of anti-microbial... not useful against metazoans... you want
an organophosphate (yes, like the insecticides)>
Then after a few months the purple Betta was in the same condition. I had
Melafix by that time and after only one treatment she was fine. Miraculously the
fins had opened again like a mantel. At that time I was not aware that BettaFix
and Melafix are the same thing (Melaleuca-or tea tree oil) only in different
concentration, so you need more drops from the weaker solution.
<Yes... both Aquarium Pharmaceutical's products>
Now the turquoise Betta is sick for about 2 weeks with the same symptoms.
None of the BettaFix has helped him. He eats does not get better. He does not
move very much around and his color is fading. I do not think this is fin rot
because the fins are there [and] he just [can't] open them. I keep each Betta in
one-gallon cylindrical glass container, use Aquarium salt, Stress Coat Water
Conditioner and change the water frequently, so never gets polluted. The
temperature is in the high 70s Fahrenheit. There are not small heaters on the
market to be used for 1-gallon container, but I have underneath a heating pad
that provides the right temperature.
<Good>
The water test shows ideal for pH, Chlorine, Ammonia, Nitrates and Nitrites. To
reduce the amount of the stress I also have a piece of cardboard between the
glass vases so they fight only when I remove the cardboard. I think that in
nature they fight, but only if there is an intruder (which can not be all the
time).
<Good move>
Is it possible to identify the disease by looking at the photo in the
attachment?
<Mmm, the attachment would not load through Hotmail... Argggghhhh... Would you
kindly try re-sending it to here, the WWM mail server?>
I have showed the picture with the sick Betta to people in several fish stores
around and nobody knows about it. What should I do to save this courageous boy?
<Treat with Dimilin, DTHP/Masoten/Dylox/Neguvon... these active ingredients...
IS sold for pet-fish use by several names...>
Thank you so much for you comprehensive site.
Nelly
<Getting better by bits and pieces. Bob Fenner>
Constipated Betta?
I emailed you all about a week ago and was telling you what was wrong with
our Betta here at work.
<Yes, I recall, Sandra. Hope all is well with you.>
He is going on five years old and for the last couple weeks, he hasn't been
himself. I have not seen him eat in over a week. And he has been doing nothing
but laying on the rocks on the bottom.
<I'm very sorry to hear that.>
He shows no signs of any diseases. Yesterday, we put a new lily in his vase
because the old one was dying
<Ahh, this could very well have been what was making him feel unwell before;
have you tested ammonia, nitrite, nitrate? I'd bet ammonia was elevated with
decaying plant material.>
and today he has been more active except he has a white string (I think feces)
hanging out of his belly.
<Often a sign of internal parasites or constipation.>
His belly is a little swollen but it seems maybe he is trying to pass feces now.
Its really gross. It looks like a white blob hanging out from his abdomen. He is
just severely constipated?
<A strong possibility, yes.>
I tried feeding him a pea but he wont eat anything.
<Try feeding him daphnia, perhaps, or other foods of high roughage content (like
the pea you tried), as it might help him pass the blockage. Uh, also, just a
thought - did you squeeze the shell off the pea? If not, try that
again. Another thing to try is adding Epsom salts, at a rate of one tablespoon
to ten gallons (so about a teaspoon to three gallons, go down from there,
depending on the size of his tank). Hopefully this will do the trick. Wishing
you well, -Sabrina.>
Sandra Taylor
(Still) Constipated Betta?
Hello again,
<Hi Sandra, Sabrina here again>
Henry (our Betta) is still not doing good. His belly seems to be swollen more.
<Yikes, I'm sorry to hear that.>
Maybe he has internal parasites instead of constipation.
<It is possible, but there might be other causes/solutions too, especially at
his age (five years, right?) - most importantly, are his scales sticking out,
pinecone fashion?>
What should we treat him with?
<*If* it's a parasitic infection, "Discomed" manufactured by Aquatronics is a
good medicine to help out. It is administered via food, just follow the
directions on the box. But, I must say, it may very well not be a parasitic
infection; though that is a strong possibility (if it's not simply
constipation), there are a few bacterial infections that may cause such a
condition, as well. Again, of some importance - are his scales sticking out?>
He still has white stuff coming out of his belly and it is really swollen.
I haven't put salt in his bowl yet.
<Please do add Epsom salts, this really, really may help.>
Should we do that for parasites?
<In either case, it may help - certainly worth a shot.>
There is only almost a gallon of water in his bowl , that's all. Not sure how
much salt to put in.
<Well, general rule of thumb is one tablespoon per ten gallons, so it comes to
right around one third of a teaspoon for one gallon. Mix it into a small cup of
water from his bowl, then pour it in.>
Please Advise Back
<I do hope your little guy overcomes this! Please keep in touch. -Sabrina>
(Still) Constipated Betta, II
Hi Sabrina,
<Hi, Sandra>
No. Henry's scales are not sticking out
<Good>
but he has clamped fins. And he has a constant string of (poop?) hanging on him
(hope its not worms, it is white) and now he stays at the top of the bowl
instead of the bottom and he seems to be gasping for air.
<Could still be constipation, could be intestinal parasites, or possibly
internal bacterial infection.>
I still haven't seen him eat. I will try to add the salt today and hopefully it
may help. If not, I will try the medication you suggested.
<If you try the Discomed, perhaps try it with either live brine shrimp or frozen
bloodworms, hopefully these will be irresistible foods to your Betta....>
I will keep in touch and let you know how he is doing.
<Yes, please. I'll keep my fingers crossed!>
Thanks for your advice!! Sandra Taylor
<Any time, Sandra. I do hope your old timer Betta can recover. Wishing you
well, -Sabrina>
(Still) Constipated Betta, III
Hi Sabrina,
<Hello again, Sandra>
I could not find the "Discomed" at my pet store, I did find some stuff called
"Myacin", it is supposed to treat bacterial infections. It is an antibiotic
called Erythromycin.
<Mm, I generally do not recommend erythromycin except in cases where one can be
relatively certain of what bacteria you're dealing with, since erythromycin is
only effective against gram-positive bacteria. It may be helpful in your case,
it may not.>
What I am wondering is if it is ok to use it now since I already put the salt
in???
<Should be just fine.>
Or do I need to do a water change and then put the "Myacin" in? It is a capsule
and you just put the powder in the water. One table per 10 gallons of water, so
should I only use about a pinch?
<For this or any other antibiotic to be effective, it really must be
administered in an accurate dose - I do recall one good, broad-spectrum
antibiotic called "BettaMax" that might be more useful to you, especially with
its directions for dosing Betta containers - it is a blend of sulfa drugs and
Nitrofurazone, I believe, and I know I've seen it at large chain pet stores.>
We only put a pinch of salt in. I cant tell yet if it is helping him.
<You used Epsom salts, right? You can use a whole third of a teaspoon, and it
won't hurt if you go over that a bit. This will help him by relieving pressure
of fluid build-up, and help him pass any blockage, if he's constipated. Really,
no disadvantages.>
I really feel like he has an infection because his area where he poops is all
swollen.
<It could still be any one of those three possibilities - constipation, internal
parasites, or internal bacteria - though I am starting to think it is probably
not simply constipation. Ooh, another thing you can look for to try - see if
you can find "Pepso Food", made by Jungle Labs - this is geared to be used as a
precautionary measure against internal parasites in newly acquired fish, but it
also has some antibacterial properties, might be worth a shot, in either
case. Here's a link to Jungle's info on Pepso Food, so you can see what it
looks like:
http://www.junglelabs.com/pages/details.phtml?item=NJ169
. Of course, if you can find a good quality antibacterial or antiparasitic
food, that might be the best option all around.
I'm am sorry to keep bothering you but I really would like to save him.
<It is no bother to try to help you, don't worry about that - I'd like you to be
able to save your fish as well. Good luck, and I do hope he
recovers. -Sabrina>
Thanks again, Sandra Taylor
(Still) Constipated Betta, IV
Sabrina,
<Hello again!>
Just wanted to let you know that Henry died last night.
<Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that!>
We are sad. But he was very old.
<Indeed - as I recall, he was with you for five years.... very old for a
Betta. Perhaps it was just "his time".>
And I'm glad he is not suffering anymore.
<Of course.>
But I wanted to thank you for all your advice!!!
<Any time, Sandra. I'm sorry Henry didn't recover, but at his age, it probably
would have been a minor miracle if he had. Rest assured that your Betta lived a
very long, full life. Wishing you well, -Sabrina.>
Sandra Taylor
Gyrodactylus? Re: Constipated Betta
While we're at it, I'd like to ask your
opinion/advice....
<Okay>
A girl in the forums has been having problems with her
Betta; you might recall our ongoing WWM correspondence
"Constipated Betta", now on its, what, twelfth
segment, I think. Anyhow, at this point, she has seen
what looks like a long-ish, dark, worm-looking thing
inside the Betta, either in its intestines or in the
body cavity of the fish. The fish's belly is very
swollen. After starting treatment with Levamisole,
the fish may be improving, and has been pooing much
better, although feces is sometimes clear, sometimes
brown. From what I've read, this indicates
Capillaria, perhaps?
<Possibly. My best guess considering the info. is some sort of nematode>
I'm pretty convinced, in any
case, that there's some sort of internal worm or
wormlike parasite going on, here. To put a spin on
things, though, she took a fecal sample to a vet that
agreed to look and see what she could find; this is a
first for the vet (can't imagine much fish poo goes in
to vets, these days, heh). The vet apparently decided
the fish has Gyrodactylus - but as far as I can find,
these skin flukes would have essentially nothing to do
with such a bloated belly.
<There are monogenes found elsewhere, but my guess is still a roundworm... the
adults and eggs of same are very different... the Vet could give the fish a
vermifuge and dislodge the adult/s...>
I guess I'm getting
confused, here; not sure if my texts are good on
information at this point. If you might take a look
at the forum link, here it is:
http://wetwebfotos.com/talk/thread.jsp?forum=31&thread=15483&start=45&msRange=15
Really, only the fourth page is pertinent at this
point, if you don't want to read the whole thing ;)
And even then, I think I've summed it up pretty well,
no real need to read it at all, unless you like, and
might want to throw in your .02 worth.
Sorry to bug yah....
-Sabrina
<I would prescribe an anthelminthic... and possibly Epsom. Bob Fenner>
Lucifer the Betta, feeling like the devil
Hi, my name is Sara and my Bettas name is Lucifer.
<sounds like a cute Betta... hehe>
Over the past couple of days he has started to twitch a lot, like he is itchy.
<He might have a gill parasite, which you won't be able to see.>
I can't see any red or white bumps on him but this morning I woke up and his
lower fin was shabby on the ends (it looks torn).
<Most likely he is rubbing himself on objects to try and scrape the parasite
free (which he will not be able to do). If he is seems to be at the surface
breathing a lot then it might be Chilodonella. This is a dangerous parasite that
effects fish. The symptoms are excessive rubbing of skin, laboured 'breathing',
loss of appetite, lethargy, clouded skin and fish spending too much time lying
dormant on the aquarium floor. Chilodonella is a dangerous parasite because it
has a wide temperature range that it can live in, and also because symptoms
don't show up until late in the disease when it may be to late to save the
fish. Parasite medications easily treat Chilodonella - just remember to remove
any activated carbon from filter. There are other parasites that manifest the
same symptoms in fish, you can visit our freshwater Parasite section on
WetWebMedia.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwfshparasites.htm>
I got him from the pet shop two weeks ago. He is in a five pint vase which I
have treated with complete water conditioner and I have changed half the water
each week.
<Water changes are a must for these fish so they don't get a body fungus or
other illness due to weakened immune systems.>
I feed him 1-2 freeze dried blood worms a day. The other day my partner fed him
2 mosquitoes (freshly swatted) he seemed to really like them.
<Bettas are bug eaters in the wild. They feast on mosquito larva and any other
bugs they find in their ecosystem.>
The temperature here (Sydney Australia) has been quite warm lately as we are in
the middle of summer. He is in a warm sunny place. I thought he might have fin
rot but I couldn't find anything that explained the twitching.
<Many times when the water gets warmer, the parasites and microfauna in the
water start to breed faster, and this increase in the normal amount of bugs gets
to much for the fishes immune system to handle. I suggest you look at getting a
larger tank for the fish, so you don't have to constantly be changing
water. Also, you can medicate the fish with Maracide or CopperSafe, Use
Maracyn-Two, Maracyn, Tetracycline or TriSulfa to prevent secondary infections
from bacteria>
I hope the information I have given you is helpful. thank you for taking the
time to help me. Sara.
<Good luck with the fish, hope he gets better. -Magnus>
Betta Problem
My son purchased a Betta about 1 month ago. Seemed fine. Living in tap
water using drops. For about the past week or so - the fish seems to stay on
the bottom most of the time - but all of a sudden will start dashing around,
jerking - almost like it's having seizures - then will settle back down to the
bottom. I don't see anything unusual on the fish itself like spots or anything.
We also have another Betta that we bought at the same time - it's in the same
living conditions as the other one and it is fine. Any ideas what may be
wrong?
>>Sounds like it could be a parasite. Does the water temp change a great deal?
What is the temp in the early morning? Do you do regular water changes, using
water the same temperature? The problem with Bettas in winter is generally
fungus on the fins due to the cold room temperatures. But fluctuation can bring
on ich. You can try using Quick Cure or any other anti-parasitic medication, and
see how it goes. -Gwen
Black spots on Bettas
Hi,
<Hello, Pam! Sabrina here, hoping I can help>
I have been raising Bettas for about a year now. I bought one that looked dirty,
he had black spots on him or "patches of black". Don't know what I was or wasn't
thinking when I purchased him. At any rate the black has spread to other fish.
Mainly the females. But, some are on my males too.
<Can you give us a few details about the black patches? Are they small,
large? Raised, or seems to be part of the coloration? Also, could you give us
some specs on your tank(s) / setup(s), primarily pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate
readings? Are the Bettas acting normal? Fins clamped, or anything else amiss?>
I searched and searched for this prob. all over Betta sites. I know I saw it a
while back somewhere. But can't find it now, naturally.
<Well, there is one parasitic illness that comes to mind, referred to as "black
spot", but this is a digenetic fluke (requires multiple hosts) that is usually
only seen in wild fish or in ponds, or in instances where wild snails have been
introduced into an aquarium. I'm more inclined to think that this discoloration
in your Bettas is related perhaps to water quality issues, so do run some water
tests (or, if necessary, have your LFS check it for you), and do water changes
if necessary.>
My two year old makes it very hard to get on here to search.
<Quite understandable!>
So, please help me. What is it, and how do I fix it? They seem fine, not
scratching, eating well and are active. It just makes them look "dirty". Please
help me!! P.S. I know you prob. cant send me a personal email about the whole
deal, but, if at all poss. Could you tell me when it will be posted and exactly
where?
<This will be posted at
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/daily_faqs.htm
probably tomorrow.>
Thank you so much for any help you give me, Pam
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