help!!! my poor betta

[sandro]

If anyone could help me out with some advice I'd really appreciate it. I've been treating my betta, Otto, for probably close to a month now, but he seems to be slowly (and steadily) getting worse instead of better. here's the situation:

He's a dark blue betta, almost black at parts (when healthy). About a month ago, he was still living in a 1 gallon, alone, with a few plants. He started losing colour around his head, turning white. This was when I started treating him with melafix and aquarium salt (i usually add salt anyway). It didn't help. By a couple of weeks ago the whitening had spread down his spine, and took over his whole head. By whitening, I mean his skin turned white ... not the cottony fungus. At this point his gills started turning red, and he started developing fin rot along his top fin. Since the meds didn't work, I moved him into a new 10 gallon of his own, thinking that maybe he was stressed in the little tank, with it being so hard to keep those things clean. Now, he's turning even whiter under his fin, his top fin is almost gone, and his other fins are starting to rot away too!! The one good thing about all this is that he has energy and is active, he's quick to respond to food and he eats everything no problem. I've also started giving him PimaFix as well as MelaFix.

Any ideas?? What's wrong with him?? I really want to save him but this is starting to not look so good (

I could take a picture and post it if it helps ...

Thanks!

 

[cutecotton]

a pic woudl definitely be nice

what's the tempreature of his tank? have you tried another brand of medication, such as bettaMAX?

 

[jacblades]

i think one of my bettas ahd the same thing yours does. i had no success with bettamax but its worth a shot. the only success i ahd was adding an indian almond leaf to his water, keeping him in darkness, and using a reptile heat mat under his tank to make him extra toasty.

 

[sandro]

I had a betta before this one who got that cotton fungus, and bettamax didn't help him at all (so I didn't bother with it this time). The temperature in his tank is currently 80 (I know, it's slightly high but it's really hot in our house lately).

After I posted I remembered something ... I read somewhere that when they lose colour like Otto is, without any signs of fungus / parasites on the outside, then it's often internal parasites. Right before he got sick, a moth made its way into his tank through the little food opening. This happened overnight, so by the time I got up I found a set of wings floating around and a fat and happy Otto swimming around ... so ... could he have gotten something from the moth??

Anyway, here's a couple of pictures:

 

[treefrog]

Aww poor guy looks awful. Definitely possible to get parasites from a bug. I would treat him for internal parasites, as that is what this looks and sounds like to me.

 

[jacblades]

any poop? if it is white/clear then it may be bacterial or could be internal parasites.
i tried giving my guy jungle pepso food and full spectra anti-parasitic formula (although that one is not medicated) but he refused to eat.
80 is a great temp for a betta, especially a sick one.

 

[Spyderdf]

if your useing medication remeber to take the carbon out of your filter, as it will absorb the medication

 

[sandro]

Thanks for all your help! I've got him on a combination of PimaFix and MelaFix right now, hopefullly something good will start happening to him. He's not doing well at all today though, he's staying on the bottom and hiding behind plants, he won't even come out to eat today unless I turn off the lights

 

[lopeva]

I have nothing to offer in the way of advice, I just wanted to say I hope your betta heals quickly!

 

[sandro]

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions! It turns out that Otto does have a parasite. I've been giving him Pipzine every second day (I wasn't able to find anti-parasite food), along with a daily dose of Melafix and Pimafix, and he's finally starting to show sign of recovery! He's active again, he's eating, his colour is starting to return and his fins are starting to show signs of regrowth.

Thanks!!!

 

[Wisperian]

(music and chanting) LETS GO OTTO LETS GO WOOT WOOT! lol i hope he gets better! he's such a nice betta!