# Help, she is not improving



## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

Housing 
What size is your tank? 1 Gal quarantine tank
What temperature is your tank? 80*
Does your tank have a filter? no
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?no
Is your tank heated? yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? none

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? Does not apply, haven't been feeding since she was sick when I bought her, 3 days ago
How often do you feed your betta fish?

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change? Right now every day
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 100%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Stress coat plus, currently Epsom salt also

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
Have not tested, she was sick when I bought her, my tap water is good (I have tested before), and Im doing 100% daily water changes. 
Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity: 

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? She is very bloated, not just her belly but along her entire body. There is no pineconing. 

How has your betta fish's behavior changed? She can only swim on her side, she mostly just leans against the bowl, but will occasionally try to swim.

When did you start noticing the symptoms? I bought her this way, trying to rescue her

Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? Started with 1 tsp Epsom salt/ gallon, with no change I raised this to 2 tsp/ gallon yesterday

Does your fish have any history of being ill? yes, see above
old is your fish (approximately)? unknown, ive had her for 3 days

Please note: I have been treating for swim bladder disorder. I have researched everything possible about her symptoms, and I know that everything points to swim bladder disorder. I am posting this because she is not improving at all. She doesn't look worse either, but she looks miserable. If you have any other treatment ideas, or if you think its possible I overlooked something and should be treating for something different PLEASE let me know! 

- on day 1 she had 1 teeny tiny little brown poop. And yesterday she had one teeny tiny white (but not stringy) poop

- I fed her 1 pellet yesterday to see if she had any appetite, and to see if that might get her pooping. She ate like a normal piggy betta, and several hours after that was the teeny white poop.

-She will not eat the daphnia I tried to give her, I am considering trying the pea even though some people say not to


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## 10asartin (Mar 28, 2013)

Maybe she has SBD in conjunction with an internal parasite? The white poop is not normal and is not a symptom seen with SBD.


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## Mashiro (Dec 2, 2012)

The white poop makes me think she has internal parasites.

Epsom salt is good to use for this, but you will also need something like API General Cure for the parasites.

Best of luck.


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

I was thinking possible internal parasites too, I will treat for that. Is there anything to suggest she has an internal bacteria problem? I've also wondered about that just because its common for that and SBD to go together. I just want to be treating the right thing.


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## 10asartin (Mar 28, 2013)

Normally, I would think bacterial infection with SBD, but it is the odd poop that has me thinking parasite. If you don't notice any improvement with the parasite medications I would switch over to a med for bacterial infections. Giving the betta 2 days rest between treatments if you feel she can last that long.


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

I'm very conflicted on how to treat. It was just one tiny poop that was like normal except white, not long or stringy or anything. Also I considered treating for bacteria because epsom salt is supposed to help with parasites... If I do treat for bacteria what should I use?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Is there anything white-ish that she could have eaten like plant roots, any shrimps dead or alive given to her? Betta poop looks like what they eat, so if she ate something white, then it will come out normal just white. So that could be a possibility.


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

lilnaugrim said:


> Is there anything white-ish that she could have eaten like plant roots, any shrimps dead or alive given to her? Betta poop looks like what they eat, so if she ate something white, then it will come out normal just white. So that could be a possibility.



She in qt tank, no rocks or plants, and I only fed her the 1 pellet.


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

However, she is so bloated perhaps its from something she ate before I got her?,She was sick on the shelf at least 3 days before I took her, I remember seeing her in the store.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Just wanted to comment about the pea, that's more for fiber than it is for a laxative so that's why it's not good to feed for digestion issues.

Can you get more pictures of her from different angles? I want to see just how bloated she is and if it might not be normal or not. Sometimes they're just bigger than average Betta's and with her fins clamped, it makes it seem even more so that she's bloated when she might not be. So views from the top, sides, front, all of that would be really helpful.


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

Tried to get better pics but she is completely on her side, and in a 1 gal bowl which makes it hard. The bloating is not concentrated just around her belly ( I would say her belly is slightly to moderately swollen) it is down her entire body (which I guess would make sense because that's where the swim bladder is?) I just wish she could talk, or poop, or something to give me an indication of what caused this.


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

Got a couple better ones with my boyfriends phone


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

It looks like she has a bent spine, birth defect. And the swelling looks like Dropsy to me already even if she's not pineconing yet. I hate to give up hope or anything but just keep her on the ES, you can bump it up to 3 tsp/gal to see if that helps anything at all. Parasites would usually be more in a concentrated area and if not in the stomach, tend to make a bulge happen only on one side, at least from what I've seen. But it looks like she's already hit an organ failure mode :-(


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

How long will she live like this? Should I euthanize if she pinecones? I don't want her to suffer.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

I would bump the Epsom salt dosage to 3 teaspoons/gal. It looks like she has generalized fluid retention/bloating, and a high dosage of Epsom salt may help with that.

Also, can you find any mosquito larvae? If so, rinse one off with a little tank water, then feed it to her. This is their natural diet, so it may help with any constipation, if that's one of her problems.

The bent spine may just be from the bloating. One of my guys bends like that when he becomes constipated. (I guess it's like having gas/cramps in people!) 

Poor girl. She does look pretty bloated and uncomfortable. 

Do you have any Kanaplex (kanamycin) on hand? If so, I would try using it.... If you don't have this, you can try a sulfa drug, such as API Triple Sulfa or Maracyn Plus. (Must be Plus.) Don't use a sulfa drug if you're allergic to them though!

The antibiotic would be my first choice, but if she doesn't respond to one quickly, you can also try using an antiparasitical such as API General Cure or Tetra Parasite Guard. (This can be used simultaneously with an antibiotic and Epsom salt.) Look for brand that contains both Metronidazole (Flagyl) and Praziquantel (Droncit). These two medications treat the majority of internal parasites.


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

LittleBlueFishlets said:


> I would bump the Epsom salt dosage to 3 teaspoons/gal. It looks like she has generalized fluid retention/bloating, and a high dosage of Epsom salt may help with that.
> 
> Also, can you find any mosquito larvae? If so, rinse one off with a little tank water, then feed it to her. This is their natural diet, so it may help with any constipation, if that's one of her problems.
> 
> ...


 
I have maracyn two, would have to order kanaplex and idk that she will live that long. I put a dose of Maracyn two in her bowl, it says it works for dropsy as well as a bunch of other internal bacteria problems... it was all I had for the time being. How quickly should she respond?


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Maracyn 2 (minocycline) is an excellent gram-negative antibiotic. The reason I didn't recommend it is because it's been around awhile so some organisms are resistant to it, and because it can be harsh on the kidneys..... 

Since she is bloated, it indicates that the kidneys are already struggling to eliminate fluids. Therefore, I didn't want to recommend a medication that could add to kidney stress. (Source: Dropsy in Fish.....)

But if the problem is caused by gram-negative bacteria that is susceptible to minocycline, then she should improve within about 3 days.


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

Should I switch her to something else or just leave it and see what happens? Do you think its even possible that she could recover from this? She has been bloated at least 6 days at this point.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

I would just leave it. Give it a day or two and see if it helps.... She's still eating, which is a good sign. You said she wouldn't eat daphnia, but I still think mosquito larvae, if you can find some, might help. Or just feed her small meals of a pellet or two. Even though she's bloated, she needs food to have energy and to help her immune system.

Also, covering the top of the tank with plastic food wrap may help. It increases the humidity, which makes it easier to breathe and has has a calming effect. Be sure to leave several inches of air between the water and wrap so she can breathe.

As for whether she'll recover.... it depends on what's wrong with her. As you noted, unfortunately, they don't talk, which makes it difficult for us to really know what's causing the problem.


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

Ok, I will look for the mosquito larve, and cover the tank. Thank you for all of your help. She seems to be quite a little fighter so I've still got hope for her. I'll update if anything changes.


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## JayM (Aug 4, 2013)

Fingers xed for her. I lost my girl in July from dropsy. :-(


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

She's rather bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning. Swimming (sideways) around her bowl some. When she rests I think she looks a bit more upright than before. She definitely didn't get any worse so Im grateful for that. There is a tiny (brown, thank goodness) poop in her bowl. I fed her 1 pellet last night, and she's still a pig. My other girl is very slim and petite, I think this girl is just slightly 'heftier' to begin with lol, so perhaps she's not quite as horrifically bloated as I originally thought (still bloated though.) Still got my hopes up for this little fighter.


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## Namialus (Jul 9, 2013)

Good luck. I don't have much advice to give you because everyone else has, but good luck.


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

*Update*

After 3 days on maracyn 2 she is looking slightly better. Her swimming is closer to normal, when she rests she is mostly upright instead of on her side. She looks less swollen to me but her swim bladder still looks swollen, and she still pops up like a cork when she tries to swim down. Her poops are still not 100% normal looking, so I am going to deworm her also. I really think she has a combination of issues, poor thing. Do you think I should have seen more improvement by now? She definitely doesn't seem to be getting worse at all.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

De-worm....that's definitely not a fish term lol

Don't feed pea's whatever you do! They can't digest them but it's not a good way to get her to poop, feeding her Daphnia will do the trick since it's a natural laxative unlike Pea's which are more fed for the fiber but isn't a laxative.


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

Lol I've actually seen a few people use it! But yeah for me its horse terminology  I won't feed her any peas. I used tetra parasite guard, and I'm going to grab some garlic after work.
Also, she won't eat the daphnia.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

lol, I was thinking dog/cat. Just sounded funny was all ^_^

Sorry, didn't mean to jump to conclusions about the pea thing, I know it's not well known info yet that pea's aren't the best thing to be feeding.


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

Haha, oh that's ok, I actually wouldn't have known better about the peas but then somebody else explained a couple days ago  I appreciate all of your guys' help! I just hope my little lady pulls through. Still no idea what exactly is wrong. Is it safe to be treating for bacteria and parasites at the same time?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

It will put more stress on her but she should be okay if she's not like too bad beyond help. So for the most part they can take double meds. If you feel that it might be too stressful for her then just use one at a time is all.


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

A couple of days ago you had commented that it looked like dropsy, and she had possibly already hit organ failure mode. At that point I definitely thought she was going to die within the day, she looked awful. Since then she seems to be improving, is that a good sign that its not dropsy? Or could she still take a turn for the worse?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Oh sorry, I tend to forget threads or mix them up and don't look back to check >.< my bad. 

If it were dropsy, she would most likely be dead now or getting worse, regardless of treatment. So it's probably not dropsy but I would still tread carefully with her unless to you she's doing ten-fold better. I'm not with her, so it's hard to judge what she can tolerate and what she can't. But if you think she can handle it then go for it. Have you already started medicating?


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

She has been in Epsom salt, for 7 days. Maracyn 2 for 4 days, and now Tetra parasite guard just overnight. I would say she looks 25% better than before.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Oh okay, yeah that's fine!


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

It says the Maracyn 2 is a 5 day treatment, should I stop after tomorrow or treat her longer? There is no way she is going to be 100% by tomorrow


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

I'm tentative to say keep going with it for now. I think you should continue the parasite meds for now and give a break from the Maracyn II and then after the parasite stuff is done, go another round with Maracyn II or combine Maracyn II & I if you can to treat both gram negative and gram positive which it might end up being if she wasn't had too much reaction to the meds. Of course sometimes it takes just a little longer for meds to kick in anyway, same as humans.

So let off the II and continue parasite stuff and then back for II again or combine I & II for a more effective, but stressful, medication.


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

How long should I treat with Parasite guard? The directions are clear on dosage but not on how long to treat.


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

Also, I am seeing whitish clearish string like things in her water, almost invisible until I did a partial change and stirred everything up. It looks absolutely filthy and I did a 100% change just last night. Is this parasites? or something else?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Most likely that's her slime coat shedding which will often happen with medications like AQ salt that stimulates the slime coat and basically she just produced too much so she had to shed it.

As for the length of treating, I've found differing answers but 3 day's seems to be a normal. But I think it's more of the type of med you can use for a regular maintinence if needed basically. So I'd say it's safe to go up to 5 day's if you need, or you can do the 3 and start on the Maracyn combo or just Maracyn I.


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

Ok, I will leave the parasite meds a day or two longer. Do you think it would be better to just switch to maracyn 1 since that would be less stressful, and she hasn't had a huge improvement on the maracyn 2? Or should I do both together because that is most effective? Sorry for so many questions lol. I am bound and determined to save this fish. I bought her sick, the poor thing doesn't even know what healthy is.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Oh no worries about the questions! Ask all you need! The more you know, the better for everyone including your fishies ^_^

I think you should start the Maracyn I tomorrow while you finish up the parasite guard for another day after the first dose of Maracyn I. So that's one full day of the combined meds and then just play out Maracyn I from there. if you find she responds very well to Maracyn I but doesn't heal up by the time you finish the first round, you can go a second round with it and that should help.


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

*Update*

Unfortunately I don't think she is going to make it. I started her on the Maracyn after finishing the Maracyn 2 and she is just looking worse. She is refusing food, which she hasn't done up until now. She had been looking fairly spunky and now she just looks done. Im considering just putting her in plain clean warm water. Her body doesn't look any different. The same swelling, still not pineconing, still on her side. Ive grown very attached these last couple weeks trying to save her, but I just don't know what else to try


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

You can instead go another round of Maracyn II if the Maracyn I she isn't responding well to.


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

I have her now in clean non- medicated water. I think Im going to leave her there for the night. Give her body a rest. If she is alive tomorrow I will decide what to do. Do you think the Maracyn II would help since it didn't help the first time?


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

Im still very frustrated that I don't even know what I'm trying to cure, and I feel like I am prolonging her life while I make guesses at what medication she needs. I've looked at every thread/ and website I can find with relation to her symptoms, but none of the other pictures look quite like she does. In most cases the fish have either responded to treatment or died by this point.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

I thought you had said she seemed better with the Maracyn II?? Or was that the other thread I'm confusing again... :-/

the clean water is fine for the night, she'll do well with a break for sure. And sometimes they just have more than what you think they have so if you get one part of the med combo right and don't have the second half to fully heal her up, shell respond well but won't get better. Does that make sense?


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Can you summarize the current situation? Include her current symptoms, the medications you've given (and how long you've given them).

It sounds like her major problem right now is swelling. What's the current dosage of Epsom salt, and how long has she been on it? If she's not up to 3 teaspoons per gallon, I would gradually increase the dosage to that amount.

I mentioned Kanaplex (kanamycin) previously. I still think this is the way to go. It treats a broad range of internal bacterial infections, which may be what she has. Most other antibiotics can't treat internally, but Kanaplex can.

I wouldn't bother with the Maracyn (erithromycin). It sounds like discontinuing the Maracyn 2 (minocyline) made it worse. Maracyn treats gram positive infections. Minocycline treats gram negative ones. Most bacterial infections are due to gram negative bacteria.... So I would concentrate on using gram negative antibiotics.

Kanaplex is still the medication I recommend. If you can't get it, maybe try one of the sulfa drugs: API Triple Sulfa, Maracyn PLUS, etc. The sulfa drugs also broad spectrum antibiotics. But DO NOT USE THESE IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO SULFA DRUGS.


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

lilnaugrim said:


> I thought you had said she seemed better with the Maracyn II?? Or was that the other thread I'm confusing again... :-/
> 
> the clean water is fine for the night, she'll do well with a break for sure. And sometimes they just have more than what you think they have so if you get one part of the med combo right and don't have the second half to fully heal her up, shell respond well but won't get better. Does that make sense?


 
Yes I did say that. She was a little better as in more active but not any less bloated, so I wasn't sure if that really counted as better?


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

*Current Symptoms*



LittleBlueFishlets said:


> Can you summarize the current situation? Include her current symptoms, the medications you've given (and how long you've given them).
> 
> It sounds like her major problem right now is swelling. What's the current dosage of Epsom salt, and how long has she been on it? If she's not up to 3 teaspoons per gallon, I would gradually increase the dosage to that amount.
> 
> ...


If you go back to the original pictures she still looks exactly the same. Bloated throughout her body, not grossly bloated in the belly like some of the pictures I've seen, but moderately bloated from belly to tail. She is also still on her side, cannot swim downward, etc. 

She has been in Epsom salt for 12 days. She has been in 3tsp/gallon for the last 5. Except for right now there is nothing added to her water except stress coat plus. On day 5 I started treating with Maracyn II, I did a 5 day treatment ending 2 days ago. During that time she was also treated with Tetra parasite guard. 2 days ago when the Maracyn II treatment was over, and she had not majorly improved I decided to start the Maracyn treatment. She has been in that just yesterday and today and she seems to be getting worse and started refusing food so I made the decision to switch her to regular non-medicated water.

I don't have local access to kanaplex but I could possibly order... I think they have API triple sulfa in petsmart. I also would have no idea if I'm allergic to sulpha drugs, Ive never heard of them before...


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

So she seems better today in the clean water. A little more active, breathing easier, and she unclamped her fins. No change in her symptoms otherwise. Thinking about just ordering the kanaplex, but I looked it up and it says 5-9 days to get here unless I pay like $20 for shipping. Is it worth waiting that long for? Where should I order from? And should I medicate her at all in the meantime?

Thanks guys!


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

Got a photo of her poop today as I was cleaning her tank, doesn't look quite normal, she has been treated for parasites, should I be concerned about it?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Where did you look for the KanaPlex? I do think it's worth it to get it and at least try it, it may just be the thing that she needs to get back on her fins!

And the poop looks normal, just small. What were you feeding her and was she still eating well?


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

lilnaugrim said:


> Where did you look for the KanaPlex? I do think it's worth it to get it and at least try it, it may just be the thing that she needs to get back on her fins!
> 
> And the poop looks normal, just small. What were you feeding her and was she still eating well?


 
I looked online, I just googled it and a bunch of sites came up that carry it but shipping is expensive and slow no matter which place I order from. Im going to call my LFS tomorrow when they are open but I doubt they have it. They are worse than petsmart and shouldn't be allowed to own fish. Do you have a website you prefer to order from?

Im feeding her omega one pellets, and since I took her out of the maracyn her appetite is back. She spent all of yesterday in just clean water and last night I added 1 tsp of Epsom salt back in. Should I try the maracyn II again while Im waiting for the kanaplex?


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

Also, Ive been reading cases where it took people months to get rid of their fishes SBD, is it possible that is really all she has? Or are we pretty sure there is something bacterial causing it?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

I'm pretty sure there's something bacterial going on. SBD usually doesn't make a fish bloat up like that, they may get it FROM the bloating but it's usually either; constipation, parasites or bacterial in nature. Since she doesn't have parasites or constipation, next step is bacterial. I would definitely try the Maracyn II again with the 1 tsp/gal Epsom salt mixture until the KanaPlex arrives.

I like to order from drsfosterandsmith.com or thatpetplace.com most of all and then ebay/aquabid/amazon for other stuff when I need it.

And good for the Omega, just wanted to make sure she was on some good food ^_^


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

Started her back on the maracyn II. She's not looking so hot again today, refusing food, so hopefully this helps. I will order the kanaplex tonight. Hoping it arrives within the week.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Okay, keep us updated then. I hope she responds well to the Maracyn II, I do expect better results from KanaPlex though so that should be all well!


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

I will, thanks again!


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

*Update*

She's still hanging on. The second round of Maracyn II doesnt seem to be doing the trick, although she is a bit less sideways. She seems very frustrated, and hasn't been eating. Im hoping the Kanaplex gets here soon, but Im betting its mid next week before I get it.


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

Kanaplex arrived today, I've done the first dose, will update if anything changes. Ive decided I'm not going to euthanize her or anything but if this doesn't work Im not trying any more medication on her. I've tried pretty much everything with her anyways.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

The Kanaplex should help if she has an internal bacterial infection.

I can't remember, and this thread is 6 pages long.... Did you try treating for parasites? This would have involved a medication that contains metronidazole and praziquantel. For example, API General Cure, etc.


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

LittleBlueFishlets said:


> The Kanaplex should help if she has an internal bacterial infection.
> 
> I can't remember, and this thread is 6 pages long.... Did you try treating for parasites? This would have involved a medication that contains metronidazole and praziquantel. For example, API General Cure, etc.


 
I have tried EVERYTHING else lol


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

*Update*

So after 24 hours on Kanaplex she is eating like a pig, which I am ecstatic about because she hasn't eaten in 5 days. She is gaining color, and swimming a lot, though still is lopsided. She has pooped once, and it looks semi normal. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high, but I am excited about all of these things. Fingers crossed. 

Also, I have not yet been able to tell what color she is because she has been so pale and clamped this whole time, but I think she may be a grizzle, and I think she may be a long finned female too, we shall see...


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Yay! That's great news!


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

*Another Update*

So she has been on Kanaplex 3 days, she is acting like a happy, healthy fish, swimming around lots, eating like a pig, normal poop, etc. She is swimming much straighter, but still cannot swim down. I'm thinking it's possible she has chronic SBD, possibly there is permanent damage to her swim bladder from the bacterial infection. 

So today, I decided to make her 1 gallon bowl her permanent home. I bought her a live plant with broad leaves that just reach the surface, so she has places to rest. She also has a betta hammock that she loves. She is sat right next to my other girl, she seems to like seeing another fish. I think it boosts her morale. 

She is the sweetest fish, she swims right over, wiggling her little butt every time I walk by. I wanted her to have more than a quarantine bowl. If she ever makes a full recovery, the other half of a divided tank is waiting for her. 

My last question is, how much longer should I treat with kanaplex before its done all the good it can do?


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Go one full treatment round with the Kanaplex. Then assess the situation. If needed, you can do a second round of treatment.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

You can actually go quite a few rounds with it if it seems to be helping little by little. Since it is not such a stressful med, you can go quite a while. Sakura8 has said she went 15 rounds with it before, so that gives you a bit of idea of what you can do. However, if there's no response to it at all, then there's no need to continue it, IMHO.


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

*Then and Now*

Thought I would share a couple then and now photos so you guys can see how far she has come with all of your help! Is her color considered grizzle?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Yeah she's a grizzle ^_^

Definitely some bent spinal action going on so I'm not sure she'll ever fully recover from her SBD but at least you can keep her comfortable and mostly upright! :-D she's definitely come a long way ^_^


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

lilnaugrim said:


> Yeah she's a grizzle ^_^
> 
> Definitely some bent spinal action going on so I'm not sure she'll ever fully recover from her SBD but at least you can keep her comfortable and mostly upright! :-D she's definitely come a long way ^_^


Are you seeing the bent spine in her topline? Or in the shape of her side?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

No I was talking about her topline, that looks like her ovaries there bulging out actually.


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

*One last update *

SHE CAN SWIM NORMALLY!!! Athena can now swim to the bottom, up, down, and all around! She has about 90% normal swimming function. Her tail still sometimes floats upwards, but she has been happily exploring the tank top to bottom. I just wanted to let you guys know how far she has come, and thank you once again for your help during her long recovery.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

She looks great! How long did you use the Kanaplex?


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

About 2 weeks, and at that point she was fully upright and swimming around happily, but was still stuck at the top. Since then she has steadily become more able to swim downward


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

YAYAY! Oh that makes me so happy for sure!!! They always surprise you when you think it's done and over with lol. I'm so glad she's doing better and she looks amazing! Great gob on helping her recover so well!


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## MJ1911 (Jun 30, 2013)

That's amazing! I hope mine gets better soon too.


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## Quinn (Apr 4, 2010)

I just read through this whole thread, and I'm so happy to hear she recovered! That was some dedication on your part, good work


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## blufish425 (Jul 29, 2013)

Thank you very much


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