Betta fish fins and health help!!

[Lily40]

Recently I noticed my betta fish had blood on his fins I thought he had burnt himself on the heater so ordered a guard and cleaned tank and added vitamin treatment to help healing.(his mouth has gone flat as well so can see his teeth please advise on this as well?)


2 days have passed and the fin is at the bottom hanging off is it fin rot and have I missed it

Please help!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I am far from a betta expert, but if I had to guess, I'd guess that this is columnaris... a bacterial infection. Also sometimes called saddleback or cotton mouth.

 

[Demeter32]

That looks like a very bad bacterial and/or fungal infection. It might be columnaris, but I'm not too familiar with that disease. His bottom lip looks completely eaten away at and his anal fin is in a bad way. You need to start treatment right away.

I'd do a 50% water change ASAP, then go to a pet store when possible and pick up a med aimed at bacterial diseases and some methylene blue (a common go-to for many treatments). Do a bath with meth. blue for half an hour, about 8-10 drops in a one gallon bucket would be fine. Keep the water warm. Then treat him in his tank with the bacterial med. Don't add any of the meth. blue to his tank, it will kill the nitrogen cycle.

The questions is, why did this develop and could it have been prevented? What is your water changing schedule like, what temp is the tank at, what size tank? How long has the tank been set up and is it cycled? If you can test your water for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates then post the results that would be great.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Columnaris is a gram negative strain, so you need a medicine that deals with that specifically. Getting a gram positive treatment won't do a thing.

http://www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2009/07/fish-baths.html
Fish bath directions...

 

[Lily40]

Hi

Thanks for all your advice. I clean my tank every week as did my research on these on excellent water conditions. Originally I had a small ornament so thought he just caught it on those or burnt himself. Would anyone suggest a specific medicine for gram negative as I'm based in the UK.

I have meth blue so wil put him there for half an hour as suggested.

Thanks for all your help!

Will he recover?

 

[Essjay]

Unfortunately we can't buy antibiotics in the UK, you would have to get a vet's prescription to get an antibiotic which is expensive. The only over the counter meds we have available are not as good as antibiotics.
These meds claim to treat bacterial infections -
eHSa 2000
Myxazin by Waterlife

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Hi

Thanks for all your advice. I clean my tank every week as did my research on these on excellent water conditions. Originally I had a small ornament so thought he just caught it on those or burnt himself. Would anyone suggest a specific medicine for gram negative as I'm based in the UK.

I have meth blue so wil put him there for half an hour as suggested.

Thanks for all your help!

Will he recover?

It's hard to say... he might.

Twice daily baths as the website I linked to directs... and LOTS of clean water. Water changes should be happening daily during the bath to ensure the best possible water conditions. The meth blue will help, but it's not an antibiotic. It will work topically though, beyond that you are relying on the fish's own immune system, which is why the tank water needs to be a clean as possible.

He has a chance, but I wouldn't say the odds are great. As for what caused it... that's difficult to say. This condition usually comes from uncycled tanks and other poor water conditions. If the tank is uncycled, these types of infections are common as a secondary infection to ammonia poisoning.

 

[Lily40]

Hi

I put in a meth salt bath for half an hour and how often should I do this?

I have managed to get eHSa 2000 which is a 3 day treatment again after 3 days if nothing is better please advise?

I feel like an utter failure to be honest as no meds I can get and tried to keep the water so clean

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Sometimes diseases just happen. Clean water is the single best method to work against it, but its not 100%.

Do the bath twice daily if he can handle it. WATCH CLOSELY. If he goes 'stiff' at any point or flips over on his side, remove him immediately and put him back in the 'tank water' (I'd recommend having a holding tank before moving him back to the main tank for just a little bit, as the meth blue can and will stain the main tank.


The meth blue will also stain any exposed sores, including anywhere that the slime coat is missing. That's ok though. It will actually help the healing process.

 

[Lily40]

Hi I have been giving him 2 baths of methy blue and used esha 2000 for 3 days now... how long should i use esha 2000 for?

Also random question I read that penicillin is a good form of an antibitoic for fish? is this true?

I have still in date prescription amoxicillin 100mg if dosed right would this help or not?

I would love to say he looks better but he is still eating and swimming around okay... but tail still looks red

 

[eaglesaquarium]

The fact that he's swimming and eating well is a good sign. The redness will likely take a while to heal, as it would any wound. It might take a week or so to see the healing really take, but the behavior of the fish is the key.

 

[Lily40]

Should I keep putting him in methy blue and keep using the esha 2000?

Confused on what to do next really

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I'd keep going with everything for another week and see where he is. From the sound of it, he's improving. I'd keep it up and see how much he improves over the next week.

After that, reassess. Of course, if things change dramatically in the meantime, you can also reassess as needed.

 

[Lily40]

Hi

I have been giving him every day a methyl bath and putting small dose of esha2000 I have noticed however the following where more of his tail going fuzzy and looks likes it rotting more is there anything I can do?

I have put before I have amoxicillin and read penicillin is a good form of tackling it? Please help.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I have no experience with using either amoxicillin or penicillin with fish, so I can't direct you in that. The baths are a good 'secondary' step, but aren't a primary cure. They just help the fish deal with everything else going on. Sounds like the esha2000 isn't doing what you had hoped.

If it looks 'fuzzy' then its likely a fungal infection fin rot, rather then bacterial. (its really hard to see exactly what you are describing in the picture) API fungus cure might be a better option.