Rip Jack: What Got Him? Pictures Of Disease…

[Natalie79]

I got “Jack†about five days ago as a gift from a friend. My first betta. After researching online I got him a an unfiltered tank 19 cm x 14.5cm x 24.5cm high, (about 1.5 gallons, I read the limit it 1 gallon for a betta to be happy?). I did a regular water change: every two days I'd do more than 50% water change. Temperatures were regular 77-78, I used regular bottled drinking water and let it air for a couple of hours before using it. I do not own a water tank test kit as they are not available in stores, so I would not be able to know the PH levels. I fed him once a day, but he rarely ate anyway. I thought my betta was fine: he faught his own reflection and swam around, though often slept at the bottom of the tank, and he also wouldn’t eat. I thought this was normal after reading a couple of articles. Today I read otherwise in another detailed article for the 1st time: this article and realized Jack was actually very sick. Starting this morning he deteriorated at an incredible speed. Within six hours his tail fell away to bits, and about an hour ago he died.

Details:
A) Bubbles around his head. Some of you are saying that this is “Ick†I am not 100% positive, but I believe what those are bubble. Some would float off and pop. It was also around his head, and NOT the rest of his body.

B ) Fringed tail. I’m not sure if this fin-rot or not, I’ve seen pictures of fin-rot and they have blurry edges. The edges of his fins were jagged. I know fo sure that the tares were not result of the zebra fish or anything else in the tank as I was watching him for the past few days. I was also wondering about those minute black spots, are those his natural markings or disease?

C) The end of his tail, what it looked like after bits of his fin began to flake off this morning.

D) The white filmy layer covering parts of his body, as if having a second, loose layer of skin.

E) Red, muddy-like blobs. I haven’t seen anything like this in any of the articles over the internet. It grew around the fins and tail, not his body.

I put this up here so maybe we can discuss it, if any of you are experienced with betta and might figure out exactly what these all are, and how I can avoid them in the future. Would it be possible to cure a betta if he got sick of these diseases in the future …etc?

~Nat

 

[llamalord305]

Oh, the poor thing.
The black marks are problably natural. (?)
Did the little tumor on the pelvic fins grow, or was it there when you got him?

 

[Leedsboi86]

I Agree A Does look like ICK

 

[Natalie79]

To be very honest, i am not sure. it was only when he stopped moving around today did i see them for the first time under a very bright lamp.

 

[*Fishkies*]

How often did you do water changes with him? What size tank and did he have a filter?

A: looks like ich
D: Looks like Body slime


Sorry for you loss!

 

[vancouver]

Definitely ick.. and tail rot.

 

[Dibari]

Ick and fin rot. Definitely. Sorry you lost him. Clean out your tank extensively before putting a new one in there.

 

[SouthernCross]

I agree with the other posters, definitely ich and awful finrot, as well as D looks like a fungus. You say the 'bubbles' were coming off him, well this could still be ich, I'm not sure how much you know about ich, but they are parasites (like little bugs) - which attach themselves to your fish, and will eventually release to reproduce free in the water, and then they will attach again and do it all over. So your fish doesn't 'grow' them, they're not permanent fixtures. Poor little guy, talk about being hit! If you had other fish in the tank too there's a good chance they'll get it - your betta might have been extra susceptible and weak due to his other problems too.

Pretty sure B is just his colouring

E...no idea sorry to say.

It's a shame, he was a BEAUTIFUL fish, gorgeous colours. I'm sorry.

 

[bUcky]

Definalty ick, mixed with some Fin and Tail rot. All from bad water conditions. SOo sad...

 

[Natalie79]

Looks like you all agree on the ick, I'm going to have to look up Ick medicine and buy it online. I've already got some for fin rot and fungus/parasites, but it doesn't mention ick on the bottle.

Yes, even if so sick he was gorgeous! I got him as a gift, and when I went to the pet stores to find a tank, I found other bettas, and not a single one was as good looking and colorful as mine. I'm so sorry the little fish was in such bad condition, and it was scary how FAST he just got ill and died.

To answer your questions: My tank is about 5 gallons. Water change: very regular: every two days I'd do more than 50% water change. temperatures were regular 77-78, I used regular bottled drinking water and let it air for a couple of hours before using it.

I’m also thinking of getting a filter if that would help keep the water cleaner.

 

[Amerce]

So sorry about you losing Jack and it sounds like you did what you could, however can I just comment that regular bottled water isn't really suitable.

Use tap water and water conditioner stir and let that sit, bottled water sometimes have other additives which could harm the fish, OK for humans but not really the sort of stuff a fish should be swimming in.

A filter is a great idea as this again helps to filter the water and keep it regularly clean so the number of water changes can be dropped, but please remember to let the tank and filter mature before adding another fish. But first the tank needs to be ruthlessly sterilized otherwise the next fish will once again suffer like poor Jack.

Good luck

 

[Glod]

With the speed of the advance you mention I'd be inclined to look at something like a columnaris infection. I agree that A looks something like whitespot, were those spots like grains of salt on the bettas body ?

Whitespot is a parasitic infection and usually fairly easy to treat if you catch it early using any of the easily available treatments.

If the tail deteriorated in a matter of hours, did any fuzzy patches develop on his body ? One potential problem with Bettas is that they prefer their water a bit warmer than most tropicals. Unfortunately those conditions are also ideal for bacteria. As long as the fish is healthy it shouldn't be a problem, however if he already had whitespot his immune system would be depressed and thus the finrot/columnaris took hold so virulently.

Having had a fish that died due to a columnaris infection I have seen first hand just how fast it can advance. Sorry for your loss.

As for a possible replacement, I'd go with the advice given so far. Clean the tank out well, don't use detergent tho. Use either a *very* strong salt solution and rinse very well, or you can use a pure bleach (with no additives), rinse well and then rinse again adding an extra dose of dechlorinator to deactivate the bleach.

I would also agree that if you plan to get another, a test kit is the most useful tool you can have to warn of potential problems. If you can't get one locally try ordering one online ? Liquid test kits are generally more accurate than the dip strips. As for water, unless there is a serious problem with your local tap water, a good dechlorinator/heavy metal treatment and tap water are fine for keeping your fish healthy and happy.

Sounds to me like your tank is an ideal size, a small filter will help maintain water quality and give you a bit more leeway with your water changes. Consider either an air pump driven sponge filter or a power filter with which you can adjust the flow / add a spray bar since Bettas like calm water rather than strong currents.

Sorry if I rambled on too long, heh. Good luck with your next fish !

 

[Maxsmom]

I'm so sorry you lost your handsome betta. I agree with the previous suggestions that it was a combination of things... ich, tail rot, and columnaris (flex)... Flex is what can kill very rapidly.

My thinking was too that you didn't mention using a water conditioner? Letting the water sit out for a bit doesn't get rid of all th chlorine and chloramines... which are lethal for fish. A water conditioner, like Prime, Amquel, NovAqua, etc., detoxifies the chemicals in tap water... plus many of these products offer protection of their slime coat. If that whitish stuff on his anal fin isn't flex... then it could have been his slime coat sloughing off.

If you get another betta, do really clean out the bowl really well without any soap... using some bleach and water and rinse VERY well till you don't smell bleach any more... and then let the water sit for a day or two with a water conditioner in it and rinse again.

Water testing kits are very important to have on hand. Even small amounts of ammonia can be harmful to your fish so it's good to keep that in check. Any pet store where your friend got the betta from should carry this stuff.

Good luck if you try to give it another go. And... a 1 gallon tank is MINIMUM for a betta... I peronally prefer much larger than that... also, the larger the tank... the longer you can go between water changes. A 1 gallon has to be changed very often... whereas a 2.5 gallon - maybe once a week (but monitor the ammonia levels, of course.)

 

[Natalie79]

So sorry about you losing Jack and it sounds like you did what you could, however can I just comment that regular bottled water isn't really suitable.

It is so hard to know what i should do exactly when so many sites say so many different things! I've used bottled water because i read that it was better than tap water However I do have Aquadene conditioner, anti-chlorine special.

I agree that A looks something like whitespot, were those spots like grains of salt on the bettas body ?

If the tail deteriorated in a matter of hours, did any fuzzy patches develop on his body ?

I would also agree that if you plan to get another, a test kit is the most useful tool you can have to warn of potential problems. If you can't get one locally try ordering one online ?

Sorry if I rambled on too long, heh. Good luck with your next fish !

Oh that's not rambling, that's called sharing information that i really need to hear! For a start the spots looked more like bubbles- transparent and all, rather than salt grains. And yes, there were fuzzy patched of something transparent on his body. And as for the tank-test kit, i am for sure getting one online!

My thinking was too that you didn't mention using a water conditioner? If that whitish stuff on his anal fin isn't flex... then it could have been his slime coat sloughing off.

Yes I did, but it is very possible that the person who gave him did not, he had him for a while, and i would not be surprised if he never added anything to make the tap water healthier! As for getting a 2.5 tank, that won't be possible as the tank i have was the smallest i could find at the time in the stores all the other tanks were massive, i wouldn't have been able to put those monsters anywhere in my room!! It was either the 1.5 gallon, or the small ridiculous bowls they were selling

I want to say thanks to everyone who took the time to answer all these questions, i have already cleaned out the tank, as instructed above, and am waiting for my neice to arrive next Friday so we can go 'betta' shopping together. i will give it another shot!

 

[SouthernCross]

So sorry about you losing Jack and it sounds like you did what you could, however can I just comment that regular bottled water isn't really suitable.

Use tap water and water conditioner stir and let that sit, bottled water sometimes have other additives which could harm the fish, OK for humans but not really the sort of stuff a fish should be swimming in.

A filter is a great idea as this again helps to filter the water and keep it regularly clean so the number of water changes can be dropped, but please remember to let the tank and filter mature before adding another fish. But first the tank needs to be ruthlessly sterilized otherwise the next fish will once again suffer like poor Jack.

Good luck

Yes, I agree about the bottled water - except I read that its not so much that bottled water has things ADDED to it, but that its LACKING things. I.e. its TOO pure. I read something like tap water has various minerals and electrolytes or something that help fish stay healthy.