Why's he doing this?

[BettaMomma]

Charlie's been on my co-worker's desk for a few weeks now.
Today I was over at her desk helping her with some stuff and he started freaking out - it almost looked like he was being electrocuted - he was flipping around like that from side to side. I said "Jeez - what's he doing?" and she said "Oh, he does that all the time, he's fine."

Apparently whenever I would go over there he wasn't doing it because he saw me so he came over to visit. I asked her if she minded me bringing him over to my desk to keep an eye on him and see if there's a problem. So, now he's over at my desk again.

The only things I've noticed about him recently are those nasty black spots they get on their sides - but from what I've learned, that's from when they get into good clean water after being in such nasty water for so long. He's a butterfly, and the other thing I have noticed is that the ends of his fins had been turning from pearly opaque to totally transparent. And now I see that there are a few shades of dark blue or black on them.

He's been back at my desk for probably 10 minutes now. He just freaked out and slammed himself into a big smooth rock on the bottom of the tank. Then he goes about his business. It almost seems like he's having fits. I'm so mad because I think he's been this way for a while now and I didn't even know.. Uugh.

I see no lumps, bumps, lesions, his fins are all still in tact, no white cottony stuff, no swollen eyes, no wormy buggy stuff. He does scrape himself on things every now and then, but I think that's by pure accident - and I don't *think* he's rubbing against things on purpose. His color is very good.

Anyone have any ideas for me? The only thing I can come up with is possibly velvet, but I don't have a flashlight here to check - I might see if I can find one...

 

[BettaMomma]

Well CRAP.
Nevermind - I found a flashlight and answered my own question.

 

[WILDER]

The black spots can be a parsite how long has he had them, is he trying to flick on something that's why he's having the fits.

 

[WILDER]

Uvulifer ambloplitis (Black spot disease)



A. Digenetic fluke; metacercaria infect fish.



B. Herons and kingfishers are the definitive host, snails are the first intermediate host. Fish are the second intermediate host.



C. Clinically the fish have numerous black to brown spots up to 1 mm (dia) over the skin, gills and eyes. The spots contain a metacercaria surrounded by heavily pigmented fibrous connective tissue.

 

[BettaMomma]

Is it beneficial to bump up the temp during velvet treatment?

 

[WILDER]

Yes always turn temp up with parasites, also add some salt as parasites hate that to, good luck bettaMomma.

 

[BettaMomma]

Thanks much.

I just dumped in some maracide and before the blue mixed in with the water very well he flared at it. Little does he know it's going to make him better. Maybe he was ticked off because it took so long for it to show up.

 

[WILDER]

Hope he gets well, good luck.

 

[Kiarra]

Awww...poor Charlie. He's such a cutie.

At least it's not seizures or anything. That's what you made it sound like at first.

How thick is the velvet? The Maracide should take care of it regardless. Also, aquarium salt at full dose of 1/2 teaspoon per gallon will go a long way. Up the temp to 84 if you can...that should help speed up the life cycle.

 

[BettaMomma]

It's funny - the sick ones come to live with me, and they get healthy.
He was healthy and now he's sick. Figures.

The gold dust isn't too bad - just looks like someone gave him a really light coat with a can of spray paint. I didn't see it til I got the flashlight on him. eek!

He seriously looked like he was having seizures earlier - he was completely freaking out and would just shake from side to side and ram himself into things. Poor guy.

I put in a heater before I left tonight - one of those mini hydor ones to bump up the temp a few degrees, it should be in the range of 80 or so by tomorrow. That's about the best I can do without getting another neptune heater.

 

[Kiarra]

80's pretty good. It's just to accelerate the life cycle of the parasite, so that it will release the Betta faster.

It DOES look like seizures. But, if you've ever watched someone with a bad itch, they tend to look like they're having seizures sometimes, too. And that's exactly what Charlie's got right now...one majorly bad itch.

 

[BettaMomma]

Man, I'm glad I'm not a fish.
And can scratch myself if need be.
lol

 

[Kiarra]

Hands are a GOOD thing!

 

[BettaMomma]

Charlie's gone through his full treatment of Maracide but he's still wigging out.
Should I do a 100% water change and see what happens? How about treating again? I can see tiny white things floating around on top of his water. Is that parasites that have let loose? I know I need to do a water change regardless - I'll do that tomorrow morning so he gets a full 24 hours of his last dose of meds.

He's not wiggling around nearly as much as he used to, but he is, as I type, belly rubbing on a smooth rock in his tank.

 

[WILDER]

This is the problem with parasites some take abit of shifting, especially if they had it bad, may be half dose next time instead of the full dose, add the salt parasites hate salt.