Betta in trouble.

[modernhamlet]

It happened over just a couple of hours. I gave Horatio a bloodworm around 8pm and he was great. Now, only three hours later, his face is peeling off! This was very, very sudden.

While he looks terrible, he's still acting "ok". Not his super chipper self, but not hiding or struggling or anything at all like that.

What happened!? What do I do!?

Parameters:
pH: 7
NH3: .5
NO2: .25

I know it's a terrible pic, but anything that might help me make him better. HELP!!!

 

[Loboto-Me]

I"m not an expert in this but the first thing I would do is a water change. Keep the water warmish, add some aquarium salt and some bettafix to the water.

There are "experts" that frequent this part of the forum and I'm sure they can tell you much more than I can, but I wanted to at least give you a head start while we wait for the better betta keepers.

I am hoping all goes well for you.

 

[bkk_group]

I"m not an expert in this but the first thing I would do is a water change. Keep the water warmish, add some aquarium salt and some bettafix to the water.

There are "experts" that frequent this part of the forum and I'm sure they can tell you much more than I can, but I wanted to at least give you a head start while we wait for the better betta keepers.

I am hoping all goes well for you.

i've never had this happen to my fish so i don't quite know what to say...loboto-me's advise sounds appropriate for the circumstances.

 

[staredecisis]

Well, I had something similar to this awhile back..... Not sure if it is the same thing. But out of no where my betta appeared to be missing a scales in a couple places on his face. After reading about every possible disease and treatment, and having bkk pull up a bunch of awesome info for me, I'm starting to think it was just nothing, and that he probably attacked a jagged surface in the tank, and busted a few scales off. Perhaps your guy got stuck in a little cave or hole, and thrashed about, injuring his face?

Other than that, all I can think to do is research diseases that involve loss of scales, and check him for any other coinciding ailments. Keep the water clean, add a bit of salt, maybe some bettafix.. see if he heals up. If it gets worse try chemical treatment for diseases that involve loss of scales.. That's my best guess, hopefully someone with more info will come along.

 

[wuvmybetta]

What kind of bloodworms are they? Not wild caught ,right? If so, it could be a parasite. They're easily contracted through fresh or tainted frozen bloodworms.

Other than that it just looks like an injury, everybody has given great advice if that's the case.

Could possibly be gill flukes Heres a description on those...

Gill flukes, small parasites that attack your bettas gills specifically, symptoms can range from reddened, irritated looking gill covers, to open reddened, irritated gill covers, they may try to rub thier infected area on plants.. other symptoms are clamped fins, bleeding from the gills, fungus in gills.. gill flukes are a nasty disgusting way to die... a secondary infection from this can be fungus completely eating away the gill cover and inside the gill, to treat gill flukes use Life Bearer, its best to o.d your fish a bit on this, and its non toxic so you can, if Life Bearer doesn't work, get some Parasite Clear from Jungle.. turn up water temps, and pray.. after your betta recovers treat him with a good fungicide.. like Fungus Clear, Fungus Elimantor, or the age old Eurethomyacin...

And this is the only other info I found...a bacterial infection that attacks the betta ..

I don't know if there is a proper term for the flesh eating betta virus, but i have SEEN it in my fishroom, patches of skin become inflamed, reddened and nasty all around, like a scrape would look on our knee, bettas that died from this have actually been found decapitated.. with no fins, and body pieces floating about.. its really sick, but i found the cure for it in clout, i only saw this in petstore rescues so far..



Do you have any bettamax handy?

 

[modernhamlet]

Looking at him again this morning, he's still very energetic and interactive. The more I think about it, the more it looks like some form of trauma. He flared at me this morning and his gills look healthy, so that's a good thing. It just looks like he managed to rip a couple of big chunks of skin off.

I'll go to the LFS on the way home from work and get some BettaFix and some aquarium salt. What is BettaMax? Can I use it with BettaFix or should I wait until he's healed?

Horatio will spend the day at around 82F.

Thanks everyone! I'll keep you updated.

 

[modernhamlet]

Hey everyone... I got home tonight and Horatio was right there to greet me with his usual flare! I've got the temperature nice and warm for him and added BettaFix and Aquarium Salt.

Guess what he's doing now. Building a bubblenest! This guy is the bubblenest master.... he was building one 4 hours after I got him home and now, even though he's all beat up, sure as anything, he's bubbling away again!


Thanks again everyone! Here's hoping his recovery is speedy and problem free...

 

[Loboto-Me]

Well that's really good to hear. I echo your wishes for Horatio.... You gooooo Boyfriend!!!! (errrr this was meant for Horatio... not you MH heheheh)