Sick Bettas

[chemflex]

I have a tank whih is purely a betta tank. There is 1 male and 5 females. All the water parameters are spot on and I have never had any problems with any of the fish in the tank.

However recently one of my female bettas and male which I have had for 9 months aren't looking too well.

The female has been looking very pale almost grey in colour and lethargic. The male has been acting absoloutely fine until last night. Both of them appeared to have white patches on them (not like those of ich though). The male also started to act lethargic. I began to think down the lines of a fungal infection. I isolated both fish in an isolation tank within the main tank and treated the tank with protozin.

This morning the female betta has passed away . The male appears to be finding it hard to keep his balance and keeps falling onto his side.

All the other fish in the tank (4 female fighters, 2 corydoras, 2 clown plecs and 6 blue neons) appear fine.

All the parameters are within normal limits.

How do bettas act when they become old? Could it just be old age or is it something more sinister? Also should I carry on treating the tank with protozin when no other fine are showing ANY signs of illness?

 

[Eelzor]

I wouldn't use the protozin to help cure the bettas with other fish in it. Usually you would put the sick betta(s) in a separate quarantine tank and help them from there. The male sounds like its dying from what you are describing. I have posted so late that I think it may be too late. )

 

[FishHeads]

This is my opinnion. YOur male Beta is not really that old. He is not even to his half-way point yet, so it is definatley not of old age. Big Blue (my little picture next to my post is him) is 8, yes 8, years old and has just barley begun to show sings of old age. You fish sounds like he is either got an internal bacterial infection (which I would immediatley go out and get medications for, like Maracyn products and the like) or he could be suffering from what is known as Velvet Disease (as you described white patches on his skin). This disease is known to make a fish loose it's color because Velvet eats at a fish's protective slime coating. I recomend coppersafe for that. I hope the information hasn't come too late!