# Is this columnaris?



## dressage7 (Dec 10, 2020)

*Housing:*
How many gallons is your tank? 5 gallons
Does it have a filter? Yes 
Does it have a heater? Yes 
What temperature is your tank? 71
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? Yes 
Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind? No 

*Food:*
What food brand do you use? Aqueon betta pellets 
Do you feed flakes or pellets? Pellets 
Freeze-dried? No 
How often do you feed your Betta? How much? Once a day, 4-5 pellets 

*Maintenance:
Before* your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change? Every month 
What percentage of water did you change? 50%
What is the source of your water? Tap 
Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water? Dip it out 
What additives do you use other than conditioner? What brand of conditioner? Prime conditioner 

*Water Parameters:*
What are your water parameters? Please give exact numbers. If tested by pet store please get exact numbers. "Fine" or "Safe" won't help us help you. Important: Test your water _before_ the regular water change; not after one.

Ammonia: not sure exactly. I just ordered a test kit for this 
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 7.5
Hardness (GH): 25
Alkalinity (KH): 110

*Symptoms and Treatment:*
When did you first notice the symptoms? two week ago
How has your Betta’s appearance changed? White patches on gills. White film on body scales 
How has your Betta’s behavior changed? It hasn't changed 
Is your Betta still eating? Yes
Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how? Yes. Furan 2 and Kanaplex 
Does your Betta have any history of being ill? No 
How long have you owned your Betta? 7 months 
Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased? No 



I'm hoping I might get some help here for our cute little guy. I've been treating our Betta for Columaris for a couple weeks now. I did a round of the Imaginatarium Bacterial Infection Remedy from Petco week one. It's a natural remedy composed of different oils and is safe for our shrimp. That didn't do anything so I moved him to a 5 gallon hospital tank and he is on day 5 of Furan 2/Kanaplex treatment. I have also been adding aquarium salt when I do the water changes. The funny thing is, he hasn't really stopped eating or acting himself. He seems to be acting okay and while he was itchy during the natural treatment, he seems to have stopped trying to itch anymore. But the white patches just aren't going away. Is this something else besides Columnaris or should I try another round of treatment with the Furan 2 and Kanaplex? Thank you!


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## MaGiC74 (Aug 17, 2020)

dressage7 said:


> I'm hoping I might get some help here for our cute little guy. I've been treating our Betta for Columaris for a couple weeks now. I did a round of the Imaginatarium Bacterial Infection Remedy from Petco week one. It's a natural remedy composed of different oils and is safe for our shrimp. That didn't do anything so I moved him to a 5 gallon hospital tank and he is on day 5 of Furan 2/Kanaplex treatment. I have also been adding aquarium salt when I do the water changes. The funny thing is, he hasn't really stopped eating or acting himself. He seems to be acting okay and while he was itchy during the natural treatment, he seems to have stopped trying to itch anymore. But the white patches just aren't going away. Is this something else besides Columnaris or should I try another round of treatment with the Furan 2 and Kanaplex? Thank you!
> 
> View attachment 1024412
> 
> View attachment 1024413


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## TheRealAndreaPond (Nov 21, 2020)

I’m sorry to see your fish isn’t doing well. While I can’t comment on the illness, I would like to mention a few things. First, your water temperature should be at about 80 degrees. Increase it slowly. Also, your water changes should be weekly and not monthly. The most important, aside from increasing the water changes is to use a vacuum to clean the substrate, where all of the harmful matter lies. Most illnesses in bettas area the result of less than ideal parameters; clean water matters most! Good luck!


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## KekeTheBettaDoc (Dec 3, 2020)

How many doses of Furan-2 and Kana have you done?


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## MaGiC74 (Aug 17, 2020)

Yes, like TheRealAndreaPond said, the temperature is too low. Did you cycle your tank?


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## dressage7 (Dec 10, 2020)

Thank you for your responses. I agree that the water parameters were probably what caused the stress in the first place and I am now doing water changes in both tanks on a weekly basis. Before he got sick, I was only doing once a month. I'm somewhat new to all this so I definitely feel bad that I contributed to him getting sick. I had the temperature around 76 but lowered it because a guy at our local aquarium store said anything over 75 is a breeding ground for Columnaris. It loves heat apparently. I have done 5 days of the Furan 2 and Kanaplex.

Day 1: Furan 2 and Kanaplex
Day 2: Furan 2
Day 3: 50% water change, Furan 2 and Kanaplex
Day 4: Furan 2 
Day 5: 50% water change, Furan 2 and Kanaplex

I did just get a gravel vac and am doing that with each water change. I also add a teaspoon and a half of aquarium salt with each change. The tank is cycled and the fish guy at the aquarium store said the big water changes would keep ammonia levels down.


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## MaGiC74 (Aug 17, 2020)

dressage7 said:


> Thank you for your responses. I agree that the water parameters were probably what caused the stress in the first place and I am now doing water changes in both tanks on a weekly basis. Before he got sick, I was only doing once a month. I'm somewhat new to all this so I definitely feel bad that I contributed to him getting sick. I had the temperature around 76 but lowered it because a guy at our local aquarium store said anything over 75 is a breeding ground for Columnaris. It loves heat apparently. I have done 5 days of the Furan 2 and Kanaplex.
> 
> Day 1: Furan 2 and Kanaplex
> Day 2: Furan 2
> ...


Don't feel bad! Everyone makes mistakes with their first fish. I'm sure he's grateful that you took some time to post here for help


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## KekeTheBettaDoc (Dec 3, 2020)

Any improvements since starting treatement?


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## dressage7 (Dec 10, 2020)

KekeTheBettaDoc said:


> Any improvements since starting treatement?


I can’t say I’ve seen much improvement in the white film on him. His mood and appetite has never really changed. The only thing I’ve noticed is he is no longer itching himself thank goodness. He seems to be active and of good appetite so I’m really at a loss for what to do. I think I’m just going to try a second 5 day round of the Furan 2/ Kanaplex combo. 🤷‍♀️


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## X skully X (Mar 17, 2020)

Are you sure the white isn’t natural color change? Marble bettas do change colors from time to time. The flashing (itching) could have been from high nitrates. Or ammonia. Do the white spots look raised or fuzzy?


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## dressage7 (Dec 10, 2020)

X skully X said:


> Are you sure the white isn’t natural color change? Marble bettas do change colors from time to time. The flashing (itching) could have been from high nitrates. Or ammonia. Do the white spots look raised or fuzzy?


They aren’t raised or fuzzy at all. I guess I didn’t consider that it could be natural color change because it came on rather suddenly and it’s concentrated around his gills. I would think if he doesn’t show any improvement on the white patches after another round of treatment, I could just assume he’s going to have them forever. He seems to be acting just fine.


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## KekeTheBettaDoc (Dec 3, 2020)

That's what I would do tbh. If he has no other symptoms he might just be marbling.


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