Yet Another Problem With My Betta

[PrairieSunflower]

I don't mind. 
 
Not all that fond of Riley for a name either.  My daughter picked it, she named him after a horse.  LOL
 
He is unchanged, still at that plateau of not getting any worse but no sign of regrowth.  His eye has been alright for about 3 days now though.
 
I tested the water this morning and it was ammonia 0.25 so I've done another water change, the sides of the tank were all slimey again so I wiped them down with a cloth before refilling.  I need a bit more time to see if the tank clouds up again any.  It isn't as clear as my tank next to it but not as cloudy as before the water change.
 
I am thinking I don't want to try the antibiotics again... maybe I should go back to myaxzin or the methylene blue baths.  I plan to give him a swab of echinacea on his fins later in the evening.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I was just looking back at my pictures to make sure.  Riley seems to have developed a new black patch, this time on his tail just bellow his body.  I will try and get a picture tomorrow, not sure how well that will go if the water is still cloudy.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I tried to take a picture, the water has cleared a bit more overnight however when my flash goes off it looks far worse and blurry in the picture than it really looks. 
 
Also, I decided to see if I could transfer any bacteria from my other filter (but didn't want to touch the sponges together just in case something transfers), so I squeezed all I could onto the sponge and rub it around then squeezed the excess and put it back... will see if that has any effects... I imagine he needs very little bacteria to take since he is just one fish in there and my other filter supports a lot more fish.
 
Anyhow... here is a new picture... a bit blurry and all so I put arrows to highlight my areas of concern.
 
1) dorsal fin... won't improve from this point
2) bottom fin... still has a good black patch (doesn't show up when I take a photo too much as the iridescence seems to cover it up)
3) new black patch on his tail... (also doesn't show up well but it the exact same color as the black on his bottom fin)
 
My new course of treatment is going to be based on a website I read yesterday which said that fin rot tends to return or not get cured because treatments are not long enough.  He recommended 3 courses (total 15 days) and said treatment should continue until 1/8th of an inch of regrowth is visible.... if a med isn't working to give a 7 day holiday and then restart with another med.  SO... I am going with that.  I'm still deciding whether to do myaxzin or Interpet fingus and fin rot.  I'm thinking probably myaxzin... will decide later after I test the water to see how it is going.

It would help if I remembered to attach the photo....
 
 

 

[WILDER]

I really think you need to try and get hold of some tetracycline.
He's finrot is to far gone for UK off the shelf bacterial medications.
The problem is the finrot been stopped from going any further but his fins are not showing any signs of healing.
Once you stop all the baths he will go down hill again.

 

[WILDER]

Fin Rot

 

 

Symptoms:

Fish may have deteriorating fins, often with red or white edges. Secondary Fungal infections often occur.
 


 

Cause: 

Bacterial infection caused by Aeromonas and/or Pseudomonas bacteria often precipitated by poor water quality, low water temperatures, or a combination of both.
 


 

Treatment: 

You will first want to determine the specific cause of the illness, so check your water�s quality Ammonia, Nitrite, pH, and Nitrate levels as well as the temperature. Be sure to provide optimal water conditions and the correct water temperature for the species of fish you are keeping. Treat with Kanacyn, Tetracycline, Furacyn, Nitrofura-G or Penicillin. Basically, you want an antibiotic specific for Aeromonas and Pseudomonas bacteria. The use of a medicated food is also wise. Treat the fish in isolation (i.e., quarantine tank) if only one fish is sick. If not, the whole tank should be treated. In either case, water conditions must be improved and proper temperature maintained for all fish. Adding salt to the water may be helpful.

The success rate for treating Fin Rot is good providing the illness is caught early and water conditions are kept optimal. Left untreated this infection can be deadly. Early treatment is essential! Once treated, fin tissue lost to this illness will grow back providing the fin rays and/or fin bases have not been damaged.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Right so my update.
 
Water quality is struggling a bit it turns out.  My old kit said it was improving but my new kit that arrived today detected ammonia.
 
My new course of action is that Wilder has found a new medication and I have been able to order it, called JBL Ektol bac, I am hoping it comes sooner than later but since I had to order online it will be at least a few days before it arrives.
 
In the meantime I am hoping to hold my betta stable in his current condition by daily 90% water changes and a daily dose of myaxzin with the hopes that nothing sneaks up on us while we wait.
 
My filter bacteria seem to have suffered a hit from the antibiotics we tried so I have jammed a new sponge in my filter in my other tank in hopes of gaining bacteria during the period of medication that I will have when the new medication arrives, I am suspecting it might also affect the bacteria in my filter.... so hoping once that is over I can transfer the sponge and help keep things more stable.
 
Fingers crossed Riley holds out for the new meds!

 

[WILDER]

Bless him.
Thanks for the update.
He sounds strong so I do hope he can hang on.
 
Good Luck.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

His behavior has been fantastic so I find that encouraging... but he has so little dorsal fin left... it has remained the same size for over a week now but no sign at all of regrowth... hoping the meds come soon, I am thinking they should arrive Friday or Saturday.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Right... so I'm fretting... there is "something" at the edge of Riley's dorsal fin... it is so very faint I can't tell if it is regrowth or maybe the beginning of fungus... feeling so hopeless that with our luck it is probably fungus... it is just so very faint I can't tell.
 
I have been continuing with daily 90% water changes and myaxzin while I wait on the new meds.... just can't get here quick enough!

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Updated photo of my betta... can you make out that "something" on his stump of a dorsal fin?  Is that the start of fungus now?

Hmmm... first time I tried uploading a photo... didn't work... will go and do it with photobucket as usual!!

There we go...
 

 

[PrairieSunflower]

The black area on his tail I mentioned once seems to have developed red patches today, ulcers maybe?  I hope that his meds arrive soon and it tackles that too... starting to feel afraid he won't make it that long... his behavior is still good so that is something.

 

[WILDER]

Sorry for the delay been visiting my son in York.
How is Riley. Has the medication arrived?

 

[PrairieSunflower]

The medication didn't arrive Saturday as I expected so should arrive Monday for sure.
 
He is still behaving well but he is looking quite bad.  The portion of his tail with the black mark now looks more like a sore, the black on his bottom fin has receded a bit more and his top fin looks really bad as well... it hasn't exactly receded but it has sort of swelled.  The filaments like hairs seems to have grown but none of the fin has grown between it... I am also battling a tiny bit of fungus on them and swabbing that area directly.

 

[WILDER]

Bless Him.
The outcome is not sounding to good. I would start to prepare yourself for the worst.
I think it's to far gone now to save him. 
Soak his food in garlic juice to give his immune system a boost.
Keep a look out for red streaking in the fins.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I am fearing that too... but trying to hope that because his behavior is still good that there is a chance.
 
He has no red streaks other than the ones that are natural to his color near the front.  He does have red on that patch on his tail that was all black before.