My Gsp Is Sick & Concern For My Betta. Please Help.

[destinyxrose]

I purchased a GSP about 2 weeks ago from walmart... yea my first mistake. Anyways, of course same story as practically all, walmart failed to inform me he was not a fresh water fish. Why would do that right? Anyways, after purchasing I have been doing some reading up on him to find out walmart failed to tell me everything about this little guy but that's done with so here I am now.

My Gsp (Chomper) has seemed fine until just a few days ago. I had read that he needed to have snails to help keep his teeth down and so I purchased him some snails. He nipped at them but never really ate any, they're actually still alive (now in my betta's tank since chomper's is sick). I put the extra's I purchased in my betta's tank because I hadn't seen chomper's complete eating habits and I didn't want him to over eat by putting them all in his tank. My betta looks as healthy as can be but it seems as though my puffer started getting sick after I introdused the snails. Maybe or maybe not.

He looks as though he has cotton practically all over him, he hardly swims, (he definitely use to) the "cotton" is mostly just on one side but its all over even preventing his little fin from helping him swim. It all happened very suddenly. Within 24 hours if that. I noticed his behavior changed about 4-5 days ago but the "cotton" didn't appear till yesterday morning or I failed to notice till then at least but I constantly watch this little guy so Not sure how I would over look it. Yesterday afternoon I went and picked up some melafix and started dosing him with that. Then today as I was reading, I saw information on Pimafix and went and picked that up about two hours ago and got him started on that as well. I'm not sure if he was sick from walmart, got sick from snails, or just was stressed from the move... I feel so terrible for him and I am concerned about him surviving through the night.

Tank: 10 Gallon (He is only 5cm I know I need to get him something bigger as he gets older)
Tankmates: NONE
Temp: 78 Degrees Farenheit

Water Stats:
Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
GH: 75-150 (I got test strips so I don't have an exact Sorry)
KH: 120
PH: 7.8
Amonnia: 0

30% water changes every day- since he has been sick 50% daily.

Melafix started 01/13/09
Pimafix started 01/14/09


*He Currently is NOT in brackish water. I have to wait till friday to get paid for marine salt. I have been using aquarium salt though I am 100% aware I need to get him started on marine salt. *


Anyways, I wanted to know if I am doing the correct procedure to help him at this point? And I was considering giving him an epsom salt bath tonight. I am worried to do this because I don't want to stress him but I am so scared that if I do nothing he isn't going to make it.

And Should I get rid of the snails and give me betta some melafix just in case? He seems fine, I'd rather not give him anything unless its absolutely needed. But like I said my Betta seems happier then ever.

So any advice on anything else I can do for Chomper and is the epsom salt bath a good or bad idea?
Should I be concerned for my Betta?
(MY Betta is In its OWN seperate 10 G Tank Just concerned because of the snail transfer)

And as I said I know I need to get Chomper in brackish water and I plan to get it started by friday at latest I just don't have any money right now.

If you'd like picture's I will try to get some but I am not trying to stress him more with a camera flash...

Thanks Everyone.

 

[WILDER]

Columnaris is caused by stress, poor water quality and over crowding.
melafix is no good on a bad strain of columnaris you need a bacterial med.
Do you have any live plants in the tanks as it rare to have a nitrate reading of 0.
What your tap nitrate reading.
http/www.flippersandfins.net/flexibacter.htm

 

[destinyxrose]

Columnaris is caused by stress, poor water quality and over crowding.
melafix is no good on a bad strain of columnaris you need a bacterial med.
Do you have any live plants in the tanks as it rare to have a nitrate reading of 0.
What your tap nitrate reading.
[URL="http/www.flippersandfins.net/flexibacter.htm"]http/www.flippersandfins.net/flexibacter.htm[/URL]

Yea had live plants. My Betta's tank does as well and his nitrate is 0 as well. Maybe because we're using strips maybe it was an inaccurate reading I don't know. He was by himself so over crowding didn't make much sense. I was constantly checking his water stats. I don't understand what happened. Amonnia was almost at .25 a few days back but I did a 50% water change that morning and did another that evening and then did another the next day and got it back down to 0. He didn't make it through the night though. Thanks anyways.

 

[destinyxrose]

And I just finished reading through that information that you posted. Thank you for that information, now I can be aware and prepared if anything should happen in the future.

 

[WILDER]

Bless Him R.I.P.

 

[destinyxrose]

Bless Him R.I.P.

Thank You. I didn't have him long but I definitely got attached to him.

It's not likely that the snails would/will transfer anything Chomper had to my betta right? or should I get on some kind of treatment for him? I don't want to medicate him unless there is a chance of him getting the same thing. But I'm really sad I could't save my Chomper, I don't want to lose my betta for the same thing. My Betta (Bubbles) seems fine right now but Chomper seemed fine at first too and it just suddenly hit..

And also, I feel stupid for asking but is it a bad idea to put any of chompers aquarium decor in bubbles tank... I would of course wash them but I won't if it's dangerous.