Live and Learn

[White Whale]

So far I've been hit with fungus on 3 of my bettas since December, I've lost two to fungus. The ones I've lost were set in the same conditions as everyone else. They were active and eating for a while. Then the first sign happened - they were disinterested in eating. I feed them every other day to keep them a bit hungry and the water clean for as long as I can. Water changes are done 100% twice weekly. I thought it was just excitement being around other bettas. Then the next feeding, they didn't respond to stimuli outside the tank. Show them food and they wouldn't budge, they would just lie there. I thought it was post-flaring boredom. So I treated them with a bit of BettaMax. Next day fungus showed up. Another water change and Super Sulfa was added. Needless to say, both of the times this has happened, none of the medications worked and each has dies within 2 days - except for Merlot back in January and he's chipper as a terrier today. Each betta, save for the ones in the Azoo tanks, are kept in near-identical conditions. None of the others seem affected, and the ones in close proximity to the ones that died of fungus showed no ill effects.

Anyone have any educated responses why fungus would affect a couple of bettas but not the rest?

Now I have a 4th case of listlessness and disinterest in eating - right after a water/container change into a cleaned-out Azoo tank #4. I am using MethyBlu right now, but I don't like the way things look. The other betta seemed fine in there and I removed him to an isolation container to repair his torn fins. Tank #4 smelled like sulfur or rotten eggs. I did a 50% water change and it seemed to have cleared the smell. Now he's just floating below the waterline under the filter with his head between the tube and the wall. Can anyone who has experienced this before tell me what's happening?

 

[wuvmybetta]

Hmmm, I have no experiences with fungus but here's my first thought...you switch bowls right? Don't you go bowl to bowl with bettas during water changes? (thought I remember you saying that's how you do it) Perhaps it spread that way?

If you do water changes twice a week you should be able to feed everyday, maybe skip once a week. Making them stronger and healthier will boost their immune systems.

Try turning off the filter on your latest case. Maybe he's weak and it's too much of a struggle to swim with a current.

 

[White Whale]

Yes, I switch bowls, but I throw away the containers that have been infected rather than wash them. Unless it's one of the Azoo tanks, and there have been no repeat fungus attacks from the cleaned-out infected one. Merlot was in the bedroom Azoo when he got face fungus. I treated him on BettaMax and Super Sulfa (switching every week to the other) for a month until he showed signs of getting better. Buttons now inhabits that tank and is always looking at me at the computer with those button eyes of his. The past two fungus attacks were REAL fast. Listless one day, and then - BAM! - fungus all around overnight.

I guess I should start feeding them everyday. Maybe just enough so they use what they eat instead of acting like plecos. 2-3 Hb-g pellets a day sounds right.

Ugh. Maybe someone is trying to tell me to stop buying bettas for now.

 

[susangc]

Yeah, you might want to disinfect your bowls and fish supplies: 1 tablespoon chlorine bleach per gallon of water right from the tap. Completely immerse for 10 minutes; 20 is better. Add dechlorinator; rinse in dechlorinated water and let everything air dry.

Hope this helps...
Susan

 

[White Whale]

Yeah, you might want to disinfect your bowls and fish supplies: 1 tablespoon chlorine bleach per gallon of water right from the tap. Completely immerse for 10 minutes; 20 is better. Add dechlorinator; rinse in dechlorinated water and let everything air dry.

Hope this helps...
Susan

Tide or Clorox 2?

 

[susangc]

Liquid Clorox -- the real stuff -- don't use bleach substitutes like Clorox 2

Susan

 

[bkk_group]

i'm sorry to hear about your losses itty, sucks.
i did some sleuthing around and this discussion came up on the singapore board i frequent. they call it "web-like desease". it sounds a lot like what you experienced:
Recently my betta got those kind of web like slime disease. The fish will look likstless for a day. Medicine like M-blue and salt are apply. However next day, the fish will cover with web like slime disease and the fish body will rot cover with web. Normally it will took less than 24 hour for the fish to die. Don't even have the time to try to save it . Anybody know what kind of disease is it ? Any medicine that can cure it or prevent it ?
the web is a fungus and normally attack extremly fast. Normally happen when the fish is very weak and ammonia in water is very high.

Once detected, even at the smallest amount, should change water instantly and apply fungicide, or a slightly heavy dose of methylene blue(1ml/L by measurement based on interpet brand). General salt treatment has not much effect over it unless dissolving > 3% concentration (30g/L) for stablising the fish.
The water is very clean. I change my betta water very two two day but the fungus attack very fast. Once I notice the fish is sick and apply medicine like methylene blue and salt. It normally cannot last more than a day. The body will start to rot and die less than 24 hour. No way I can save the fish, it happen too fast. So far, quite a number of my fish had been kill by this fungus type of disease.
I tend to think that tis kind of disease is of a bacterial origin, as its swiftness and the excessive mucotic production tends to support this.

I've encountered this a couple of times, and I've been successful in using the japanese yellow powder (nifurpurinol) in treating the fish.

Once you've discovered this, quickly do a complete water change and add the powder till the water turns lemon yellow.

It'd usually takes about 12 hrs for the fish to be cured, but to be safe do another water change 24 hrs later and repeat treatment.

Recently, it struck one of my females, she was covered with slime and was just hanging around the surface. 6 hrs was all it took to bring her back to health and eating. She has since given me 2 spawns.

If discovered early, the prognosis is fairly good.

maybe none of this will help itty, maybe this isn't what you are experiencing either just thought i'd throw it out here.

 

[dixaisy930]

Is the stuff true fungus, or the slimey stuff?

When I first started with bettas, I lost my first three or four of them to the fluffy fungus. One day they were fine, the next they wouldn't eat, and then they were gone. I tried any and all kinds of meds and nothing worked. However, once I started using just very tiny pinch of salt in their water, I never had a problem with it. As of now, I'm no longer put salt in the water, since I haven't had any problems come up recently. I think the water/bettas are more prone to get fungus in cooler ( I think) temperatures, and when their immune system is weak (being moved, etc).

Hope this helps...

 

[JoKeR]

I never had a fungus thought i think i did on my moonlight gouramie

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Itty Bitty Betta

I think that you might be diagnosing a bacterial infection as a fungus disease. If this is the case, you would be treating it incorrectly, too.

Check out this article:

http/www.flippersandfins.net/BetaFrameset.htm

I found this article when I was trying to understand what happens to corys, all too often. I hope it helps.




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BTW, I'm happy to hear that Merlot is alive and doing well!