Betta Splendens Unknown Illness...need Help!

[loraxchick]

Tbh it doesn't really look like lympho to me. I've had a betta that was affected with it and the 'spots' on this fish aren't very characteristic of lympho. Hmmm. What sort of decor ddo you have in that tank and what is his preferred resting spot like? From the pics it almost looks like scale damage.
cheers

 

[BIGbadJOHN]

Tbh it doesn't really look like lympho to me. I've had a betta that was affected with it and the 'spots' on this fish aren't very characteristic of lympho. Hmmm. What sort of decor ddo you have in that tank and what is his preferred resting spot like? From the pics it almost looks like scale damage.
cheers

Well he was actually in a margarita shaker when I noticed the spots with just some gravel in the bottom and an onion plant. He was in that for a number of months. I know that may not be the best habitat. He's in a 10G now though, but it's bare. I'll be getting some gravel for it and a plant. I was just afraid if it was something contagious or something that the gravel or something could hold it and I wanted to be able to clean the tank very easily. I've actually cleaned the tank with vinegar and water a couple times since he's been in. Of course taking him out before hand and then rinsing the tank very well before filling it back up. He actually rests on top of the thermometer suction cupped to the inside. Seems to be very happy despite the bare tank. It's just the weirdest thing. I keep thinking it's a fungus or bacteria, but it doesn't grow....Is that possible? It's like they just appeared and then stopped. Should I treat with a better medication like marycyn or marycyn 2? The Jungle stuff is probably junk I'm sure. Or should I treat him with an antibacterial food like Jungle puts out? Jungle is the only brand I can find in the food. They're like little white "nodes" you could say. Maybe I should try and take some better pics...I dunno. It was so hard getting just those 2. He won't stay still long enough for me to get a clear shot, LOL. Scale damage? Maybe, but he's got a spot on the corner of his mouth and on his jaw and spots around his head also so I don't know if scale damage is what it could be. I don't know what he would have damaged them on to begin with either.

 

[loraxchick]

Id hold off medicating. Truely doesn't appear fungal or bacterial and if viral can't treat that anyway. You really shouldnt use meds unless certain of what yourr dealing with. External parasite med would be ok to try tho as they are easier on the fish. Tank sounds perfect. Id keep it bare bottomed for a while but maybe toss in some elodea to rest in or hide. It does great uprooted and will help with water quality. Keep on top of the water changes and wait and see. Any new symptoms get back to us. He seems from your description to be acting normally. Keep him on a good varied diet and clean water. It just may resolve itself. Healthy unstressed fish generally can fight off nasties on their own given proper care and time. This does not seem at this time a time to use antifingal or antibacterial meds as it can knock the fish ( meds are tough on the body, namely kidneys) and really shouldn't be used unless you're certain of what your treating. Some aquarium salt might be helpful as well.1 teaspoon per 5 gal.
all the best
cheers

 

[BIGbadJOHN]

Id hold off medicating. Truely doesn't appear fungal or bacterial and if viral can't treat that anyway. You really shouldnt use meds unless certain of what yourr dealing with. External parasite med would be ok to try tho as they are easier on the fish. Tank sounds perfect. Id keep it bare bottomed for a while but maybe toss in some elodea to rest in or hide. It does great uprooted and will help with water quality. Keep on top of the water changes and wait and see. Any new symptoms get back to us. He seems from your description to be acting normally. Keep him on a good varied diet and clean water. It just may resolve itself. Healthy unstressed fish generally can fight off nasties on their own given proper care and time. This does not seem at this time a time to use antifingal or antibacterial meds as it can knock the fish ( meds are tough on the body, namely kidneys) and really shouldn't be used unless you're certain of what your treating. Some aquarium salt might be helpful as well.1 teaspoon per 5 gal.
all the best
cheers

I actually used an antiparasitic first. Maracide, in fact. It didn't seem to do a thing. I also use aquarium salt, but I have been using 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons according to the directions. As far as the varied diet, I feed him lots of freeze dried blood worms because I read that blood worms are great for sick fish. Then I have some Hikari Betta BioGold with some freeze dried shrimp mixed in with it....He definitely likes the freeze dried blood worms better. He attacks them like a shark, LOL. He eats the Hikari also and the shrimp, but has trouble eating the pellets I believe cause he'll spit them out a time or two sometimes before he keeps it in. Next time I'm at the store I'll pick up some frozen blood worms for him. This little town I just moved to doesn't have a single fish store. There's a WalMart and a handful of grocery stores, but not a SINGLE locally owned fish store! Crazy!

 

[BIGbadJOHN]

Ok, new developement. I recently took Patron out of the 10G and back into his small habitat to set up the tank with live plants and such. He seemed to be fine as stated before. Eating like a horse and very active. He still appears fine. Although now that he's been in the small habitat for a few days his slime coat seems to be sloughing off. He looks like a snake shedding skin. When I removed him from the 10G he still had the grayish nodules on parts of his body. And like I said, now he is shedding his slime coat it seems. What the heck is this? There doesn't seem to be any real problems with the water, even straight from the tap. No ammonia, nitrites, or nitrates.....The only thing I can see that might be a problem is the Carbonate Hardness. But would this cause such a thing? It's sky high at 240ppm.

 

[loraxchick]

Shine a flashlight on him in a dark room. See if you notice any rusty or red "dust" on him. If so its velvet and easily treatable with copper meds and tank blackout.
have you noticed any flicking or rubbing? From the latest description it almost seems external parasitic. Especially the slime coat sloughing off. Only handful of things cause that and you say the water is good (so far as ammonia and nitrites anyway). Hardness shouldnt be a factor-these fish can and do adapt to that as they arent particularly sensitive to hardness unlike some other fish (like otos for example).
any chance of a new pic?
all the best
cheers