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Harvey's got issues

I will for sure.
I'm leaving here in about a half an hour to go get him some supplies and go to the bank (and no, the two are not related. LOL)

I'll get online later tonight and post how he is doing.
You know i did think of one thing....
back when I OD'd the boys on melafix by accident and they both had tail blowouts after that, I gave Archie a salt dip while I was cleaning his tank one night, and he's been making really great progress.
I never gave Harvey a salt dip.

Think that would have anything to do with it?

I am not going to salt dip him now, but that's about the only diff I can think of after the MF OD.
 
Betta Momma - I would doubt TB simply because I've seen in it goldfish and your fish does not look anything like it; we're talking open sores on the body, completely emaciated, fins clamped, won't eat, eyes bulging out of their head or sunken in deeply (I see nothing wrong with your guy's eyes; I have a few with kinda buggy looking eyes like that, and others with more normal eyes. Depends on the fish I think), shaking, hunch-backed, etc. However, the extra precautions would be a good idea. I don't know if you use siphon tubes/gravel vacs, but I bought one for EACH betta. Expensive, but saved me a lot in medical costs.

Your guy sounds like he just has a bacterial infection because he has a weak immune system already, and the stress made him vulnerable. Here is a little procedure I make for my guys who are stressed:
- Tank Temp at 80 degrees at all times
- Stress Coat
- Bio Coat
- Aquarium Salt (not a dip; just added in the right amout to the water)
- Betta Fix Remedy or other anti-biotic (since you have gill troubles, I'd go for the stronger tetracycline).
- Filter out (current can be stressful when sick)
- Mild bubbler in to prevent water from stagnating.
- Lights OFF
- Tank covered
- Pelleted diet (4 am) then frozen blood worms (3 or so pm). Watch for constipation.
- More frequent water changes once fish is stabalized (this is for guys doing very poorly; if he's already "stable," then just more frequent water changes).

And that's about it. Its worth a shot I suppose. Good luck with your little patient.
 
Wow, I did pretty good then!
I already changed him out.
Here's what I did:

Put on a biohazard suit.
(just teasing)

I actually did get rubber gloves and wore them during the water change.
I actually am a super FREAK about resuing stuff in a tank where someone's been sick, so I threw out all his old gravel (it was blue and I hated it anyway), his 2 silk plants (They were starting to shred anyway) and set aside his rock arch. Not sure what I'll do it it yet, but it is in quarantine for now.

Anyway...
I bought him a new hidey type thing - it looks sorta like a hunk of twisted driftwood, but they can swim thru underneath it without gettin scratched or caught. I also got him 3 new silky plants. And new 1/2 natural, 1/2 white (ran out or natural lol) gravel. Rinsed all that stuff off, of course then ....

Filled up the tank and used Stress Coat as my dechlorinator (I do that all the time now instead of any other dechlor), tossed in a bit less than 1/2 tbsp of salt, chopped up a tetracycline tablet, diluted it in water and tossed that in. Then, in went Harvey.

He's swimming around right now exploring it. and he is having a blast cruising around looking at everything new. He LOVES to swim thru the tree root thingy.
He looks to be in not too bad of health, it's mostly his gills. I noticed late last week that i thought I could see a sort of lump under his chin. I now have come to discover that has always been there, but his gill rakers usually hang out and cover that up so I never noticed it before. His rakers are sort of pulled up more inside his gills now. And when he flares (I try to do evrything I can not to get him to flare, but he flares when he sees me, he can't help it :wub: ) only one side of the raker comes out.

I'm guessing that this is then probably gill infection. Agreed? Probably at least part of the problem?

I am keeping his lights off but with dim lighting in the room from a lamp so he's not in the pitch dark.

I really need to get myself a nurse's uniform.
I bet Mr. Betta would love that.
:rolleyes:
 
GRR
now that i'm in the same room as him, he's more comfy going about his business rather than paying full attention to me.
I just sat here for the last 5 minutes watching him scrape himself on the bottom of the tank. On the first swipe to the left, he'll scrape his belly.... going back, he'll lay over on his side and scrape his side.

What the heck now?
Will the salt and tetracycline that I have in there take care of what's itching him?
GRRRR
 
Hrmmm...
this also leads me to think he's been doing this for quite a while now.
That would explain the flesh-colored areas on his sides where it looks like his color has been "worn off".

Damn, he's been ailing for a while.
He is just so happy to see people's faces that he acts normally and perky when I come around so I didn't notice him doing this stuff all along.

Poor guy.
hopefully we're on the right track now.
:(
 
Well, I just gave Harvey his 3rd dose of tetracycline.
He's got some new clear growth coming in on his tail and other fins, although there are still some red tips on them all. His one gill raker is starting to come back out, it came out moreso today than it had 2 days ago, so there seems to be some progress.
I think being in the seclusion of my room is also helping.
We shall see...
 
Well, the scraping himself on the bottom of the tank sounds like parasites. Have you treated poor Harvey for any of those lately?
 
He's on tetracycline.
I have read that the tetra can catch some parasites.

Do ya think I should put him on Maracide, too?
I've been watching him tonight and haven't really noticed him doing too much scratching but he usually doesn't do too much when I'm sitting in the room with him.

I'll keep an eye on him and bring my maracide home from work tomorrow, justin case.
 
I think that might be a good idea. It really sounds like parasite behavior to me.
 
OKie dokie.
I will bring it home tomorrow.
That boy will have had every med used on him for some ailment at one time or another.

I guess that's what I get for dragging home the sickies to begin with.
I love em to bits either way. :wub:
 
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