labored breathing issue

[crankwalk]

hello all.. my betta was previously sick with some unknown issue and he hasn't ever really fully recovered, even through two treatments of maracyn-two and one treatment of maracyn, raised water temps to 82, aquarium salt, bettafix and even RO water.

lately (past 2 days) he's been just laying at the bottom behind a fake plant, and not even coming to the top to eat.. he also has pulsating gills / heavy breathing. last night i changed his water and left him in a very shallow container while i rinsed his tank. he ate four hikari pellets because they were so close to his face. as soon as i put him back in his clean tank he sank to the bottom and has been laying there.

i've started another treatment of maracyn two this morning because i noticed what look like red veiny streaks on one side of his gills -- he is (an has been for a while) pale so its easier to see. other lingering symptoms are clamped fins but no signs of fungus, protruding scales, etc.

anyways have been out of ideas on his symptoms for a while as well since i've tried these different medications -- so at this point i'm just trying to find out what can cause heavy breathing and are there any other medications better/different than M2 to try and attack this? should i try bettaMAX or another type of antibiotic?

any advice appreciated.. thank you

 

[BrookeLea]

sorry to hear about your little guy. i really don't know what advice to give to help get him better, but since he's having trouble breathing, you should lower his water level so it's easier for him to get up to the top for air. good luck with him!

 

[Naughtygirlrlw]

I am not sure what's wrong with him, maybe he is just getting older. I don't know about fish but in a human red streaks are ususally sign of an infection. Maybe some tetracycline or some medicated food? Keep bumping this as there are ALOT of people on here who have way more knowledge about these kinds of things. I hope he gets better, keep us posted!

 

[crankwalk]

thanks everyone for the advice.. I have a taller than longer tank so it probably is a chore for him to get to the top.. but i am afraid if i drop the water level down too much the heater may not work correctly because it requires a certain water level (has markings on the glass) -- I'll try to think of something..

 

[crankwalk]

bump in case anyone has ideas.. he's not doing well today

 

[BrookeLea]

can you give him a really tall plant to rest on so that he's closer to the surface?

 

[crankwalk]

he has a really tall silk plant that when the cover is taken off, sticks out of the top -- so its plenty tall. he's rested on this before but i don't think he has the will to make it to the top of the plant anymore. when he needs air he seems to dart to the top, breathe, and then settle back at the bottom. yesterday he was a little more active but today he's hiding at the bottom behind a rock again :\

 

[SRC]

Do you have a heating pad?

If so, you can take that heater off, lower the water level, and use the heat pad on low to heat the tank..just watch it to make sure it either doesn't get too hot, or that it gets hot enough.

If it gets too hot you can move some of the heating pad out from under the tank..and it will cool off.

That's how I heat my 1 gal hospital tanks...I find that the fish like to get where the heating pad is and lay lol..i guess cas the bottom of the tank gets warm .

 

[xxSarahxx]

I've also heated tanks with 60W or 100W bulbs for desk lights (not the flourescent kind) this seems to work quite well in cases like this... just ensure that the light isn't stressing him out too much though as dark will help destress so it is a bit of a catch 22 situation.
Thought I'd offer it though as it has worked for me and if u don't have a heater pad then this might work for now so you can lower the water level.

 

[JoLtNbolt]

How long have you had the betta, and how old is he?

 

[crankwalk]

Thanks for the replies everyone.. i don't know why the forum doesn't auto-notify me of new posts (have it set in preferences too).

He's still hanging in there.. i think he might have some sort of swim bladder disorder. Right now his water level is low, about 6-7 inches with the 15w heater. It could stand to be lower but i don't have a heating pad and i don't want to stress him out by shining a bright light on him. i try to keep the lights down around him when i can. i thought it was the end of the line for him a few nights ago.. he was laying sideways and then upside down at the bottom of his tank. i shook the tank a bit and he righted himself. then i scooped him out into a very shallow bowl with about 3 inches of water.. there i fed him and he managed to eat two pellets. i put him back later and he seemed like he was staying right side up.

i suspect he may have swim bladder issues because of the fact that he really has no other symptoms, but i have noticed his spine looks slightly like an s shape (crooked) when viewed from the top. also he has no external signs of any other disease and he has been pre-emptively treated with everything from salt to bettafix to stronger antibiotics such as M1 and M2. unfortunately his gills are still moving in and out like he's having labored breathing, and i don't think this is a symptom of swim bladder disorder.

he is not overfed, and rather since he doesnt' come up to the top too much to eat, he will eat maybe once every two days.

oh and I've had the betta maybe 5 months. he came from a pet store, was a gift from my fiance.

 

[crankwalk]

Well its a sad day.. my little boy Trevor didn't make it. Just got home from work to find him on his side, not moving at all . I'm pretty sure he's gone. He wouldn't eat at all last night even when i lowered his water level to an inch above his body. He had no strength to move it seemed. I figured it was coming. .but it still sucks.

He is red, and it seems like his color "leaked" off his tail.. it looks like a little red splotch right under the tip of his tail at the bottom of the tank. could it be blood? sorry to be gory but i guess i would like to know what that might be. i am going to take him out in a few minutes and bury him in the back yard

 

[afireinside]

Sorry Man, it's always hard when a favorite pet dies.

 

[keith565]

so sorry to hear about your loss.
little man

 

[Booboo puppy]

You gave it a good try...sorry for your loss.