*sigh* another betta dying

[bittersweet]

Now my steal blue betta I bought the same day as the other that died, has like a slimey fungus (kinda fuzzy looking) all over his body, and its all in the water i just changed. I changed his water again this morning and washed everything out good and put some aqual-sol in it, but as soon as I put him back in the water it turned slimey again from whatever is on him. he is now on the bottom of his tank just lying there and looking sad..this medicine doesnt seem to be working. does anyone know of a really good medicine for diseases like this out there that I can pick up? This is really turning me off to bettas now..I hope if I order a well bred one it doesnt end up like these that I got from Petco..

 

[Lenna]

How big is the tank you have him in? I use pure tea tree oil for fungus, well I don't get any fungus since I've been using it. I put 2 drops in my 15 gallon tank so if you him in a bowl just use one. There is a medicine that lots of people recommend called Melafix, (it has tea tree oil in it) but I find the pure stuff much cheaper. HTH and good luck, I hope he's not too far gone.

 

[bittersweet]

It is only a one gallon tank, I didnt know tea tree worked, I guess you learn something new every day. I will go see if I can get some tomorrow, thanks bunches

 

[bittersweet]

Ok well I went out today and got some mythel-blue (not sure if thats even the right spelling) and also some AP for possible nitrate or amonia poisoning. I added both to his hospital tank and now I cant even see him! It turned the water a very dark blue, even though i added the right dose. Well I just hope hes ok in there and will heal fast with the meds. Does anyone know how long I should keep him in there, or when to change the water? thanks.

Edit: I also bought some betta-fix and added a drop (it said it was ok to mix)

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Bittersweet

Your betta most likely has a bacterial infection due to stress caused by any or all of the following things that could have happened in your tank or if he is a recent acquisition, before you bought him:

1) overcrowding
2)sudden increase in water temperature
3)infrequent water changes
4)low oxygen content in the water
5)elevated nitrite level
6)uneaten food in the tank

There are good and bad bacteria always living in your tank. The bad bacteria cause no problems until a fish with a weakened immune system comes in contact with them. Then a the fish becomes infected. Finrot is the result and the disease can progress either quickly or slowly.

When was the last time you did a complete water change and cleaned the bowl or tank? Or, if your tank is cycled, what are your water parameters?

The most important thing you can do for your fish is to be certain he stays in clean, fresh water. Kanamycin is usually the treatment of choice and it will take care of both primary and secondary infections without damaging your beneficial bacteria if your tank is cycled.

Some people use BettaFix or MelaFix, and they are good products, but I'm not entirely sure that they will help if the disease is very far advanced.

Good luck and I hope he improves.

 

[bittersweet]

i have kept him in a seperate tank since i bought him, its a one gal tank, and I change the water half every other day and whole every 4 days. I always scoop out excess food and also use a stress coat. he was in the same batch that my other betta was in that died of fin rot. I believe they were a sick bunch. he also looks pretty old, he is quite large and his fins are very long.

as i said above i have added methyl-blue and AD to the water, and I can no longer see him because of the deep blue color. do you know how long I should keep him in there or when i can change the water? thanks again

 

[Nina7777]

HEy there!
It makes me sad to hear your almost turned off of keeping bettas.
It is my personal experience though, that even though bettas breath air that you keep them in a tank with air pump and stone. I have had much better luck since I have started doing this. The air bubbles will help aerate the water and move it around. Also with an air pump you won't have to change the water as much.

As for the fungus, my betta at home got fungus around his mouth which spread to his body. I used Splendid Betta (BettaFix Remedy) and it cleared up real fast! Plus it is clear so it wont turn your water colors!

Hope your betta gets better soon!