Hematoma on tail, and self mutilator?

[RandomWiktor]

Ok, my primary concern is my betta Pulpul, so if you have advice on him, please give it. When I bought him (about a month or two ago) he was suffering from the beginning stages of septicemia. I treated him sucessfully and he has been doing well since. However, I recently noticed a dark red blob on his fin (he's orange in color) and assumed it to be a marking... until it started to grow and thicken. I now believe he may have some kind of hematoma; a section of the fin is thick, dark brownish red, and swollen. I wasn't sure if I should treat, or now for that matter.
Now, however, he is showing signs of septicemia again. I'm not sure why; his readings for pH, ammonia, etc. are all within safe/normal limits, and he's eating just fine. However, he's showing the telltale prominent blood vessels in his fins and tail, and I'm also noticing the starts of fin rot and some paleness around the face. Worst still, the red blob on his fin has gotten lumpy and strange looking, and is starting to form a hole. I've never seen that before, and I'm confused as to what it may be.
So, this is my plan of action:
- Get his water temp up to 80-82
- Add salt
- Add Maracyn-2
- Add stress coat
- Feed a higher-protien, live foods diet
- Clean the water more frequently
- Keep filter on lowest setting to lessen current.
Does this sound good? Does anyone have any additional advice on what this may be or how I could treat it better? If you need info on him in addition to the fact that he has a history of poor health and is a older fish, here's some things to know:
- In a filtered 5 gallon tank heated to about 78 at all times
- Has plants, gravel, a light, and all that jazz
- Water is dechlorinated tap
- NOT cycled but gets a major (75%) water change weekly, and ammonia is tested regularly and has always been normal/safe
- Has been eating well (pellets) usually 3 pellets 2x's daily (my boys eat a lot as the current gives them a work out, but none are overweight).
- Has not displayed signs of stress
I don't have a picture, which I know would help, but I'm hoping the symptoms will be enough.

Now, my second problem. I just got a little boy today (betta as well) with a lot of fin damage that looked like bites, not fin rot. Well, over the course of a few hours I integrated him into a new tank (2.5 gal heated w/mild filter). He seems happy enough, but I noticed every once in a while, he'll whip around and attack his tattered little tail. Is this fish a self-mutilating betta? I've heard of them before, but I'm wondering if thats why his tail is a wreck, or if this is just the stress of being in a new tank. I've turned off the lights and shut the door so he can calm down, but if this is to be a persistant problem, does anyone have any tips?

 

[BettaMomma]

Hi.
Sorry to hear of all the problems. UUGH.

I don't have a lot to offer you here, except a few things which may or may not help. Back when I got little Jasper, he was very ill. Turned out he had viral hemmoraghic septicemia. (I think you might have even been helping me thru that process...) Anyway.... I treated him with first, a round of Maracyn Two, followed by a round of Tetracycline. He had started to get better with the Maracyn 2 but it was obvious I was going to have to treat again, so I decided to cover all the bases with the tetra.

As far as your course of action, I think it sounds very appropriate.

As far as the biter.... Amos started doing that when he was in his little 2.5G tank, completely out of the blue. I think it was because he was bored in there. I got him some new toys - he stopped doing it for a while, then he started up again. Then, when I transferred him over to his new (Big 5G tank), he started it up at a very ferocious pace. The best thing I could ever figure out is that he was just a chronic biter, and whenever his conditions weren't quite right or he was bored, he did it. All I could do to help him was toss in a bit of salt and try to figure out what it was that he didn't like. He's gone now, as you know, so I wasn't able to study him for too long and figure out exactly what was ailing him. But.... I did do lots of reading up on the situation, and everyone's 2 cents worth was pretty much in line with mine with one addition - some said that it is also hereditary.

 

[RandomWiktor]

Hmm, perhaps I'll follow up the Maracyn-2 with the tetracycline then. I'm hoping he'll pull through it, but I have a feeling he's an older fish (he came from the store that admitted to buying older fish cheaper from the breeder, and based on how massively HUGE he is, I'd say he's an old timer.). Right now I have him getting slowly acclimated to the 100% water change with the added treatments. I'm going to do it over the course of a few hours so he doesn't get even more stressed. ::sighs::

As for the possible self-mutilator, if he was that bugged out in a cup, I bet the 2.5 will be scary. I think I'm going to get him a cave (I finally found those soft, betta-safe neon caves) and a TON of plants, keep his light off and filter low, and make a little "fence" around his tank like I did with Shyboy. Shyboy was bugged out by his environment too but displayed the stress in a different way (not eater, and smacking himself against the walls of the tank). I think I'll add stress coat, salt, and maybe some betta fix so it doesn't get infected. He seems pretty perky and hasn't done it since I saw it first, but if this is a chronic problem, I'll just have to make his environment as calm as possible.

Heh, as for how I ended up with this fish... my mom came up to visit, bringing a tank for my snail, and I was telling her all about the poor guy with no dorsal. She felt kindof bad, so we went up to see if he was there, but he was dead, as were all the others Her and I FLIPPED OUT at the manager, making a huge scene in the store about it, then left. I was really upset that he died (crying and stuff) so my mom took me to a good store with healthy fish to buy some plants and caves for the guys I have back at home because she felt like it was sortof her fault for not letting me get him last week. I insisted on paying for the plants and such anyways, because of our whole money situation right now, but she wanted to get me something, so while we were there she offered to let me buy a healthy betta. I told her I don't like buying bettas unless they are to be rehabilitated, and even though the store's bettas are in great shape, I didn't feel like having another fish at this point.
Well, she went over looking and found this guy with the messy fins and asked if I wanted him. She knows I'm a sucker for the banged up guys, after all. I figured he had fin rot and was all ready to walk out of the store without the plants and caves, but then I realized it looked more like bites, as though he'd been in with another betta. I decided to give him a try. But now I'm seeing he may be doing it to himself.
Anyways, good news - my mom got a job! As do I now; they agreed to let me work weekends until the summer since we could use the money right now. I'm so psyched.