The Life Of Riley

[WILDER]

How long do betta's live?

 

[GuppyGirl20]

They have the potential to live up tp 6 years (I believe) but I think the norm is around 3 years. When bought at a LFS they are usually already about a year old.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

He has not worsened since that picture.  I hope that in the next week I may be able to update with a picture that will show improvements.
 
Today I have gently swabbed the black bit on his bottom fin as well as his dorsal fin with echinacea tincture in hopes that that will kill of any bacteria or infection.
 
I have managed to get ahold of one antibiotic, the only one I've manged to get.  While it doesn't seem to be the exact one needed it is in some American fish meds so I am hoping it will have a benefit for him.  I am dosing 100mg/40 liters of Metronidazole, every 2 days with a 25% water change before each dose.  The website I am taking the dosage from suggests a 10 day course.  I also read another website that suggested a larger dose but I feel better with a smaller dose.  I have done his first dose of Metronidazole late this afternoon.  I dissolved it easily in a little bit of boiling water, once dissolved I cooled that by adding more water (dechlorinated of course) before adding it to his tank.
 
Really hoping I will be able to come back this time next week with a good update.

 

[WILDER]

Thanks. Wasn't to sure on how long they lived. Never kept them. Though I do peak over here now and then.
 
Thanks for the update PSF.
Glad he not doing to badly.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Day 2 and his fins haven't receded any further.  The top fin has been this length for 2 days.
 
That is not black starting on his top fin, about 15 minutes ago I did a topical swab with mythelene blue on his top fin and along the back portion of his bottom fin and it has stained them a bit.
 

 
He is still swimming pretty much constantly so I hope that means he may be recovering.  I'm not sure at what point I might notice any fin regrowth if he is recovering.  Anyhow... will be ungoing treatment for at least a week.  I plan to take picture every couple of days in hopes of seeing a change.

 

[WILDER]

Bless Him.
Why do betta's always have grumpy faces. LOL.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I know!  I had a friend telling me to get one for a couple of years and their grumpy look and defined scales is what turned me off for a long time! 

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Riley is still being treated, he has long some bottom fin but it otherwise looks remarkably good... there is a hole in the middle of his tail and I've not been scrutinizing that bit so I don't know if that is new or not, either way the edge of it looks good.
 
His top fin still does not expand at all but has not disintegrated further.
 
His right eye is still getting better and worse,etc over again.
 
Here is a series of photos from several minutes ago.
 

 

[Meeresstille]

Prairy, I so hope he will get better soon. He is such a beautiful fish!
 
Wilder, as for the life expectancy for Bettas, I think the norm is that people manage to keep their Bettas for about 2-3 yrs, but I have heard of people's Bettas having made it to the age of 5!

 

[WILDER]

Thanks Meerresstille.
 
Bless Him.
Looked good in his younger days. But I do notice how his fins have gone downhill.
But he's being a trooper not letting it get him down.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Sadly, the life of Riley is not going to be as long as I hoped it would be.  He has a lot of fighting spirit but I feel he is starting to suffer from his treatment and terrible bout of fin rot more than UK meds can cope with.
 
So, I have decided it is time to spare him the suffering and say good-bye.

 

[fm1978]

Sorry about your little guy!
 
Apologies if this has been asked before, but, how old is he?

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I've had him for about a year so he would be roughly 1 1/2 or so old.

 

[fm1978]

What have you tried so far with treatment and food and salt etc?

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Everything available (not all at once of course), myaxzin, interpet fungus and finrot, waterlife fin rot, salt, mythelene blue baths, the only people's antibiotics I could find.  It has really been more than the fin rot though, he has had problems that have reoccurred for several months including his cloudy eye despite his water stats being absolutely ideal.  The only time my water stats fluctuated was after the antibiotics.

I haven't euthanized him yet.  But at this point he has had no improvement, his areas of fin rot have swollen and look like sores now, he has a twitch that I think looks more like a pain response and he only swims at the top of the water (not gasping) but seems unable to swim down in the tank yet doesn't have the symptoms of swim bladder.