Ill Betta

[timmystood]

I think there's a problem with my Betta. He's well enough in himself and is eating OK but there's a slight white thing on his head - it's really hard to explain and doesn't look like anything in any of my books. It's like a biggish white spot (it isn't ich by the way!) - I think maybe fungal infection but it doesn't really look like it.

Sorry it's not very descriptive but any ideas what it could be?

 

[WILDER]

Is it a greyish white colour with a red edging to it.

http/www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/d...columnaris.html

 

[timmystood]

No!

 

[WILDER]

Is the spot raised and does it look like it has liquid in it like puss.

 

[WILDER]

Does the spot look like a berry or cauliflower.

 

[timmystood]

It's not raised - the best way to describe it is like is scales have fallen off (strange as that sounds) on top of his head.

 

[WILDER]

You might have a parasite, any signs of flicking and rubbing, heavy breathing, clamped fins,darting about,
not the writer of this information below.
Scale Loss- If your fish are losing scales for no apparent reason (such as breeding) then it is commonly found to be caused from Myxosporidiosis. The only treatment for this is to keep doing water changes and get rid of the parasites. Symptoms: Fish gasping, pale gills.

 

[WILDER]

Also where the scales have come off can you see any stringy attachments there, like worms.

 

[timmystood]

Also where the scales have come off can you see any stringy attachments there, like worms.

No I can't.
I do daily water changes at the minute anyway because it's still cycling (maybe it's the stress that caused). I can't see him doing any rubbing or darting about.

Thanks for all this help by the way.

 

[WILDER]

Just keep a close eye on the fish, good luck.

 

[RandomWiktor]

Have you any photos? It might help us identify the problem. It could be a natural change in his color, or it could be something relating to illness. One thing we always worry about with whiteness on the head is columnaris, so if you see a "fuzzy" appearence to the spot progressing rapidly, please do update us.
You say you are cycling, yes? Sometimes during cycling, you see spikes in ammonia/nitrite/nitrate. Could you perform a water test and tell us how it checks out?

 

[timmystood]

Ammonia is 0 and Nitrite is just coming down from the top of the scale (around 3.3 I think - but don't hold me to that).

I haven't any photos because my camera is broken

 

[timmystood]

I noticed something else today. He swam parallel to me and I noticed that rather than being raised, this little white spot is actually digging into his skin.
Any ideas???
The white thing itself is about 1cm in diameter.

 

[RandomWiktor]

Digging in to the skin sounds like the beginning of a skin ulceration. I would strongly suspect columnaris if this is a betta. If you see either redness forming around the white, a fluffy look to the white, or a spreading of the white lessions, I would urge you to treat it as columnaris.
Consider putting him in a quarenteen tank (so you don't ruin your cycle) with a bubbler, aquarium salt, and a medication from Gram - bacteria (Maracyn 2 can be used on columnaris, I think, amongst others). Keep the temp low enough for him to survive, but no more (I think bettas can withstand 72-74ish?), and if you can find it, feed an anti-bacterial food simultaneously. Keep this treatment protocol for at least 10 days and do not use siphon equip/nets/etc. on the sick fish if you use that equip for other fish.
Good luck.

 

[Dart]

Is he a marble?

My marbel charlie has a black spot on his head that looks very strange, is it something like that?