# "Thing" hanging from gill area



## Spanger (Apr 15, 2011)

Hi All, 

I got up this morning to find a "thing" hanging from my little guy (Merlin). 

This thing is whiteish in colour, about the same diameter as a freeze dried bloodworm and attached to him from the gills / where his ventrals would be if he had any.

He only shares the tank with his snail, is fed on freeze dried blood works and aqua one pellets (wont eat anything else). Water changes once a week - this week as 100% done on friday. Usually its 80-100% done sundays. Water is aged with Prime and also has aquarium salt and IAL (1 small) added. Have been using the same batch of IAL for some weeks now.

Only major changes this week were that he was fed friday then not again til late sunday as I was away for a long weekend. Also - I fed him a tiny amount of beef mince yesterday - I read in a book that they can eat it.







This was taken this morning - about 07:30








This was taken this evening about 19:00


Extra info
Housing 
What size is your tank? approx 20L
What temperature is your tank? mid 20's C
Does your tank have a filter? internal 
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? just the filter
Is your tank heated? yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? 1 x mystery snail

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? freeze dried commercial blood worms, aqua one pellets for betta. he had a "tiny" amount of human grade beef mince the other day (yesterday)
How often do you feed your betta fish? twice daily with one starve day per week 

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change? weekly 
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? above 80 - this week was 100 + IAL was changed and plants (silk) and hide cup were rinsed in fast running tap water.
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? IAL as needed, Aquarium salt, water is aged with Prime

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
not done recently


Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Nil other than "hanging thing"
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? Nil
When did you start noticing the symptoms? this morning 
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? No - seeking advice frist 
Does your fish have any history of being ill? bad fin rot when first bought home
How old is your fish (approximately)? Spawned Feb 2011


*OH MY GOD - I AM MORTIFIED - PLEASE HELP. *


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## DarkMoon17 (Apr 16, 2011)

The good news is that it looks like it is poop... not an external parasites. It also doesn't look like an internal parasite. It might be due to the beef. Was that the first time you offered him beef? Beef isn't really a natural food for bettas (you don't see bettas taking down cows or chickens in the wild) so it would likely cause some indigestion. For now, hold off on food for at least a day or two. It wouldn't hurt to treat him with 1tsp/gal Epsom Salt to help him poop out what ever is bothering him. In the future, frozen or live insects are better for bettas since they are part of their natural diet. You can feed him live mosquito larva or live wingless fruit flies or frozen bloodworms, glassworms or brine shrimp. Keep us posted!


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## Spanger (Apr 15, 2011)

Yep. Someone on another forum said the same thing. I feel like such a clown - I obviously had no idea where they poop from!

thanks for the reply - he appears better today.


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## strangegoose (Jul 4, 2011)

dont worry, i was shocked when i saw mine poop. Having kept goldfish for years i kinda expected them to poop towards the back of their bodies like a goldfish does. Not from under their middles lmao


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