# Fungus? Help



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

Hello my fish has a spot on the side of it that looks like it lost it's scales it's "skin" is exposed..sorry I don't know what this is called. You can see in my profile picture of him on his side. 

Also he lost quite a bit of the fins on the bottom right after we did a 7 day aquarium salt treatment - oh that's when the side mark showed up that I am referring to, as well. I decided to take out the plastic plants for fear he may be cutting himself on them. Although he is back to normal behavior he looks just awfully sick. I am contemplating getting a bigger tank with a filter but don't want the filter to cause too strong of a current. Any suggestions about tanks for bettas? And is it correct to treat him with both Fungus Eliminator and Tetracycline? and do 100% daily water changes? For how long? 

Thanks! :-(


----------



## Taeanna (Apr 2, 2013)

Do you mind filling out this and attaching some pics? I know it is tedious but it has the questions that need to be answered for us to help.
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=49233


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

*Details about Blue Fish*

Housing 
*What size is your tank? *1 gallon fish bowl
*What temperature is your tank? *not sure, our apartment is kept at 72-78 degrees and try and keep drafts of cold air out.
*Does your tank have a filter?* No
*Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?* No
*Is your tank heated?* No
*What tank mates does your betta fish live with?* None

Food
*What type of food do you feed your betta fish? *Pellets (smaller ones than big ones)
*How often do you feed your betta fish? *twice daily, usually he is ver hungry in the morning and eats 4-7 pellets if I let him. I have been keepin git to 4-5 pellets. Evenings he sometimes wanes interest and eats 2 pellets. 

Maintenance 
*How often do you perform a water change? *Ugh, so I had two betta fish in separate bowls originally and did 100% water changes 1-2 months. Then Red Fish got sick and by the time i raced to the store for medicine he had dies (saddest. day. ever.). Meanwhile the guy in the pet store tolmd me "bettas LOVE murky gross water so do only a 50% change every 3 months" and I had ready this on a couple different places. So I tried it and then Blue fish got lethargic. When we did the 7 day salt treatment he regained energy but lost parts of his tail and now a gash in his side.

*What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? *I don't know what to do now!

* What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change?* 5 drops API Quick Start (only for 100% water changes), 5 drops API Stress Coat, and occasionally (but no longer than 7 days) 3 drops API Melafix.

Water Parameters:
*Have you tested your water? *No 

Symptoms and Treatment
*How has your betta fish's appearance changed?* He lost a chunk of his fins and his side has a gash

* How has your betta fish's behavior changed? *He went from being very active and engaged to lethargic, then after 10 day salt treatment got closer back to his original self but he is not the same. I know he is sick.

* When did you start noticing the symptoms? *Honestly? his fins were sticky when I got him. i read some stores don't take good care of their fish. but he got better, more beautiful. Then I stopped changing the water so much about October and now this (we have been treating him for a few weeks now).

* Have you started treating your fish? If so, how?* See above. Nothing since 7 day salt treatment and API Melafix for a few days after.

* Does your fish have any history of being ill? *See above
* How old is your fish (approximately)?* How do you tell? We got him late July 2013


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)




----------



## Taeanna (Apr 2, 2013)

I'll do a break down of their living conditions, then symptoms and finally some things you can do right away and some longer term options to look into so read at your leasure.

First off a one gallon bowl is very small for a betta, fish kept in smaller bowls tend to get illnesses often and display stress behaviors and lethargy/depressive signs that can damage their life expectancy.
The pet store owner was incredibly wrong about water changes I am afraid. In a bowl that size the tanks should be cleaned every week at the very least, in fact one full clean and one half clean each week is the best. Ammonia builds up in the water and will give the fish chemical burns on their skin, fins and gills which leaves them open to infections, makes it hard to breathe and can lead to internal organ failure.
The heating isnt bad in your home- bettas are tropical and so need temps of about 78 to 80F to be comfortable. Your home isnt too cold for a betta but be mindful of temperature changes caused by dusk/dawn/ draughts because this lowers the temps fast and can cause stress.

Now your symptoms are that of fin rot, I can see the clear sign of fin erosion in the anal fin (one on the bottom) likely caused by him sitting on the bottom of the bowl and dragging it through waste leading to infection.
The caudal fin (at the back) has two horeshoe marks in it, this indicates the fish has been biting it which is a stress response and can leave the fins open to infection.
The wound on his side looks nasty but not very clear. can you tell me how it looks in person? open wound or like a burn? Any sign of fuzz around it or is it flush to his body?

Now a fast treatment you can do for him right now is to give his water a clean, he needs to purge the toxins and yuck from his system so he can start healing. You say he was in a salt treatment which is good. Keep him off it for a day or two to recharge them pop the AQ salt back in to slow any infection (never go longer than 10/14 days without a rest period- they are freshwater fish after all)

Now long term I highly suggest you pick up his cleans to keep the water fresh. What your pet store owner may have MEANT but gotten wrong is that bettas like tinted water. natural barks and leaves that are sold natural darken the water to a tea color they enjoy but this is NOT dirty, its just like adding a tea bag. A good leaf you can get online for cheap is called indian almond leaf (IAL) and can be floated on top of the water. This comes from malaysia same as them and releases chemicals into the water that help stabilise the acidity.
A really big recommendation is a larger tank. 2.5 G is about right for a betta fish. Some say 5G but space and money are a factor to what is chosen. Also some betta safe plants (if it snares a bit of pantyhose it will rip your fish's fins) and a cave to hide in. bettas like hidey holes and it relieves boredom and stress to have things to look at and hide in.

Also your boy is looking a little fat, maybe you should supplement his feeding regime with a fasting day each week, dont worry it wont hurt him and is in fact a good way to prevent him getting constipated, leading to swim bladder and GIT disorders.

Give him a few days in the clean water and salt and keep us posted. I'll be waiting on the answers about his body injury.


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

*He isn't doing well.*

Taeanna, thank you for your help! Unfortunately he is not doing well at all. I tried treating him with a pea when I saw him having trouble swimming to the bottom of the tank. I isolated him and broke up the pea and he did not like it apparently because at the end of the day he JUMPED out of the glass and onto the floor. I was so scared because we didn't notice it right away. We got to him in time and put him back in his bowl.

He turned white for a while then got several sores on him like the one pictured above. It was black at first then looked like the scales sloughed off and now they are RED....it's so nasty and scary. He is NOT happy and it's breaking my heart. We started another salt treatment yesterday and have changed his water twice. 

The thing is, I don't want to get a bigger tank and the natural plants until he heals because I have this sinking feeling he is going to die :-(.

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/93e7dmzzhi1pe28/RpqYR0HmGO#/


----------



## Taeanna (Apr 2, 2013)

The picture doesnt seem to be coming through for me so I'll go off your description- the color change is from shock, bettas always assume the whole world is a big giant tank waiting for them just over their bowl rim and get really offended when they realize it isnt.
Also the time in the air and being handled would have burned him (human skin is acidic) which is what has caused the wounds, or weakened the skin and what he already has took the opportunity to spread out. 

I understand not wanting to invest in a sickly fish, most keep unwell fish in small quarantine tanks anyway so dont be too concerned for that just yet, as long as the cleans are often enough for such a small space.

A good option that is more natural to bettas than a pea is frozen daphnisia (water fleas), its a natural prey food for bettas and its also a natural laxative, so its two birds with one stone. If you feel he has been on the AQ salt for long enough then you can change that for epsom salts (plain unscented only) which is an organ cleanser and laxative agent. never use both salts together

For now just give him some time to get over his shock and at least a day, possibly two with no food at all (in the epsom salt if you choose to use it). and keep a good close eye on his wounds, if they seem to get fuzzy or he is actively trying to scrape them on things we can address that as it happens.

Oh also if you pop his tank onto a towel or blanket it will prevent temperature diffusion through the bottom of the bowl and hopefully keep the temp more stable- its a temporary fix while he gets better


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)




----------



## Taeanna (Apr 2, 2013)

Poor thing looks so sore  I can see the wounds look very pink and new but can you see any fuzz or marks around the place where the old spot was?


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)




----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

He already got fuzzy but now its just red. We have changed the water since he was black then white fuzzy. Now its just him and his bowl. I did not know about human skin being acidic thank you. I also appreciate the natural remedies as well.


----------



## Taeanna (Apr 2, 2013)

My fingers are crossed for you!

If you dont see the wounds getting better or your boy begins to get lethargic it may be time to step up to an antibacterial. I have used tetracylcline in the past (which you mentioned you had) or another option available in the US is kanaplex.

The reason i suggest this is that much skin shouldn't have sloughed off from simple contact, on a healthy betta all that would have happened is their slime coat would peel off for a fresh one...that infection may have been brewing under his scales.


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

Do you think the salt is painful for his wounds?


----------



## Taeanna (Apr 2, 2013)

It would sting at the beginning but thats a good sting, if you add it a little at a time he wont feel it and the area will just numb out. 
Also keep in mind fish dont have the same nervous system as a mammal, it has less neural connections so they dont feel things as acutely as we would- sure it will hurt, but he isnt in mind numbing agony like a human would be with that big a wound.


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

Thank you. When we do water changes can we just rinse the bowl or does it have to be washed? I was afraid the rocks and plants were carrying fungus so im not using them anymore. Now im paranoid the bowl is making him sick! We had another fish who died recently and I cant figure it out. The landlord warned us there is a lot of mold in our building so I have a feeling they are dying because of that...I domt think I would ever get another fish as long as I live in this apartment...


----------



## Taeanna (Apr 2, 2013)

Not really, just wipe the walls with a wet cloth to get any immediate gunk off. You only need to sterilize things if you are sharing plants/equipment between tankmates.

I understand mould in the building may be a problem, possibly invest in a cover for his tank in future if you wish to keep down airborne spores? 
If you feel the cause here is indeed fungal then I can recommend using tri-sulfa. it takes out really tough external fungal and bacterial colonies and is a reliable product. No point using an antibacterial if its fungal after all.


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

Good ideas, thank you so much for the advice. Off to sleep for now. Will update as he (hopefully) heals. Goodnight.


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

*update*

Well he swims around and reacts to me approaching the tank so I figure he hasn't given up yet. Couldnt stand to see him so sick. Went to petco and got 2.5 gal tank, heater and ph kit. I have very alkaline water apparently. When I first put him in the New tank he saw his reflection on the bottom and became intrigued. He swam around very alarmed checking himself out. Now he's chilling at the top.


----------



## Taeanna (Apr 2, 2013)

I'm glad to see him with such a big home 

Some things you can do to help him too is to add an indian almond leaf to his water which will naturally keep the water on the acidic end of the ph chart (online stockists are reliable if you cant find one in your area) and turn the water a tea color which bettas love.
Also a cave may do him well now he has all that space. when i got my own boy all he had was a coffee cup but he loved it. perhaps you could try that? having somewhere to hide can keep them calmer.

Fingers crossed for you both!


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

So I got a ph nuetralizer powder and added it but its still really alkaliney according to my oh test kit. Not sure if I shojld add another does. Also picked up some tetracycline which naturally darkens the water. And got a plant too, a live one. He hasnt spent much time near it although he checked it out a little. Guess he needs time to adjust and heal. Also the temo seems warmer in thus tank, 75 degrees instead of 72. I feel better knowing even if he dies he will die in a good home.


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

*update*

So we did a 4 day treatment of tetracycline. I just did a 100% water change after I came out to see him this morning and he was layin on his side. Thought he was dead!! He is not on his side since I changed the water. His sores are less red. Its just hard to tell if he is doing any better. Also, our tap water is very alkaliney according to my Ph kit even though I put the Ph nuetralizer powder in there. Also he hasnt eaten since I began this thread.


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

I will pick up the almond tea leaf today. Hopefully this will help with the ph.


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

Fishy ate two pellets today!! I hope he is on the up and up.


----------



## haveyouhadyourteayet (Jan 14, 2014)

Hope this little fighter pulls through!! His sores look a lot better to, his color too!! I'm sorry you were so badly misinformed  and it sucks that your little bro got sick cause of it.


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

Thank you, especially to Teanna who made some suggestions. After I posted about him eating two pellets this morning I went to feed him dinner and he ate FIVE pellets! It is surely a good sign that he is eating. He is more active, not as flighty and traumatized. This thread has given me hope that people really care about having healthy fish. I know it sounds silly but it was really bothering me that our fish got so sick. I am glad I followed my intuition and got him the things he needed.


----------



## Taeanna (Apr 2, 2013)

I am glad i could be of help. I really had my fingers crossed for you both.
I understand what it is like to have a sick fishy and not feeling that support is out there for him. That's what we are for.


----------



## haveyouhadyourteayet (Jan 14, 2014)

A hungry betta is a great sign!! I can't wait to see how beautiful he is when he heals up!!!

Totally not silly to care about those little buggers, there's a reason this forum is so busy!!!


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

*update*

Fishy continues to eat and he even looks brighter than when he was sick. My only concern now is that he has what looks like bones sticking out of his bottom fin. Will he ever grow his fins back to normal?


----------



## Taeanna (Apr 2, 2013)

Those bones are the fin spines. You will see clear bits of fin knit those together soon and color later on. 
This is a great sign he is on the mend and growing back his fabulous finnage!


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

Hooray!! Thank you!


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

Do you have any recommendations on water changes for this tank with no filter and a live plant?


----------



## Skitters (Jan 29, 2014)

There's a nice filter called Tom-something that I have that's only about $15 and yes, it'll fit and work in your tank as I have the same exact one.  Just takes some positioning of the output to reduce the current but mine rarely seems bothered by it. (Except when the little bugger purposefully swims around in it.)

Water changes... Ah, 50% once or twice a week and one full change once a week would be my guess. I tend to do half changes more often on mine since they're easier and the darn ammonia likes to perch at .25ppm no matter what I do. (I do about two 30-50% and one 100% change during a week, based on how much time I have and it keeps things nice and level.)

Easiest way to do water changes, have a couple of CLEAN 1gal ice cream pails/1 gal buckets. Can put clean water and the plant/gravel in one while you do a water change then add them back in. Make sure you use dechlorinator too and good luck!


----------



## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

lilphischee how is he doing?


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

Not well, I came home today and saw white fuzzies around a piece of uneaten food at the bottom (I know I shoukd remkve those! ). Although he is eating fine and swimming around I realize he has white fuzzies on his body! I did a 100% change. Here are two pictures - the first from this morning and the darker one is from right before I changed his water just now.


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

Also do any of you know if I can use aquariium salt with my plant?


----------



## Skitters (Jan 29, 2014)

I've used aquarium salt with my plants and they're fine. I don't think (IF DONE RIGHT) it harms plants but wait to get true confirmation from one of the more experienced members.


----------



## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

people saying that plants are not aq salt tolerant . I never use the salt with plants myself though. May be it will fine for some plants , you may be quarantine your plants if you going to use salt in his tank again. 
White stuff on him , can't see anything from the picture, did it fell off with a water change? I was thinking, not sure though, if it could be a bit excess of his slime coat. slime coat shedding which is normally clear but obviously clear things can take on other colors depending on what's behind it and around it so something could have been making it look darker. But medication and salts can cause irritation to the Slime Coat and cause it to overproduce and then the old one sheds as the new one comes in. 
What is the temperature in his tank? I would not make the temperature above 76* The infections usually will get worse with the warmer temperature.
Not sure if you might already feeding him with a frozen food? Its really good course of the protein which is good for his immune system .


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

ANHEL123 said:


> White stuff on him , can't see anything from the picture, did it fell off with a water change?


Anhel - The white was in small patches on his body but I think with the water change it may have fallen off. HOWEVER, there is some white fuzz coming out of the top and bottom of his fins that were growing some fin spines after it had fin rot. but the spines have seemed to disappear and now there is just white fuzz coming out. He also was not very interested in eating this evening. He does not like eating anything else besides pellets. I've tried bloodworms and other treats. He would rather starve than eat them. Also the water is about 76 degrees (the heater keeps it there).


----------



## Taeanna (Apr 2, 2013)

This fuzz, is it growing on bits of fin that were already sick but hadnt fallen off yet?

If so this isnt something to worry about right away, a type of fungus that lives in tanks is called saprolegnia, it eats dead tissue and was likely what was growing on the uneaten food. It doesnt eat living tissue and will fall off with the dead stuff. 
However if it starts spreading around it may be columnaris which will need to be adressed, I highly suggest you watch the fuzz and see if it moves onto the fish's body

If you instead prefer to play it safe this is a fungus and can be killed off using a good fungal cure, these are pretty light on your fish and should ease any discomfort the fuzz is causing him


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

Thanks Teanna! Its growing on the parts that already fell off. This was the area I was anticipating his new fins to grow and now instead there is this white fuzz. What fungal cure do you suggest? Like melafix?

also we have been reducing his food to 3 pellets twice a day. Today he only ate 2.


----------



## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

I don't think that melafix will help if it really fungus , i do not recommedn to use melafix. I think the best choice would be- API fungus Cure, API Furan ,Jungle Fungus Clear,Tetra Fungus Guard.


----------



## mart (Dec 18, 2013)

API Fungas Cure
With the box right in front of me, it explains and says:

Fin and Tail Rot:
Fins appear ragged and split. In severe cases, fins and tail are almost completely eroded. Secondary fungal infections, observed as white, "cottony" growth commonly occur.

That's what is going on with your fish. I would start the API Fungus Cure treatment.


----------



## KGdiva (Feb 26, 2014)

mart said:


> API Fungas Cure
> With the box right in front of me, it explains and says:
> 
> Fin and Tail Rot:
> ...


Ooh, that sounds exactly like what's going on with my betta as well! Thank you so much. I will definitely get some of that tonight.


----------



## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

I just read your original post and saw you already have fungus eliminator jungle. I actually used it with Tetracyclin to treat betta about 6 years ago and it worked at that time . I would think if you already have Fungus eliminator i would try that.
How is he doing? Did that white fuzz spread on his body more? Did his appetite really decreased?


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

I have tetracycline. And pimafix. So shoukd I do another round of tetracycline? poor guy. He is doing the same. Sluggish, sitting on the bottom of the tank. Not interested in over eating. I cant tell if there are white spots on his body or just flakey scales from his recovery from the red sores.


----------



## NorthernLights (Mar 2, 2012)

Different meds treat different illnesses. I don't think tetracycline will cure fungus -- it's an antibiotic which means in kills bacteria. Stay away from the -fix meds (Pimafix, Bettafix, Melafix), as they do not cure infections and can choke your fish by coating the labyrinth organ with oil.


----------



## mart (Dec 18, 2013)

NorthernLights said:


> Different meds treat different illnesses. I don't think tetracycline will cure fungus -- it's an antibiotic which means in kills bacteria. Stay away from the -fix meds (Pimafix, Bettafix, Melafix), as they do not cure infections and can choke your fish by coating the labyrinth organ with oil.


^^
Exactly! Tetracycline is not for Fungus.


You know it's pretty bad when you read the fish's sympthoms directly from a box of RX that will cure him, and someone else contradicts the RX company.


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

NorthernLights said:


> Different meds treat different illnesses. I don't think tetracycline will cure fungus -- it's an antibiotic which means in kills bacteria. Stay away from the -fix meds (Pimafix, Bettafix, Melafix), as they do not cure infections and can choke your fish by coating the labyrinth organ with oil.


What do you suggest?


----------



## mart (Dec 18, 2013)

lilphischee said:


> What do you suggest?


Wasn't talking about you contradicting lilphischee.

I still suggest API Fungus cure. It takes care of both infections. Or Triple Sulpha, depending on how bad it is. The Sulpha is for the severe cases to where the fin has receded almost to the body.

You are seeing the fish in person, you have to decide how bad it is.


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

Hmm okay. Lots to consider. Thanks everyone.


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

He is not doing well. On the bottom of the tank. I am running to the store for API fungus cure.


----------



## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

If store don't carry API Fungus cure, you can buy Jungle Fungus Clear, API Furan, API Triple sulfa (if you don't have allergy to sulfa drugs). If there any small private stores near you see if they have Kanaplex.


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

I went to the store (a privately owned shop) and the owner didn't want me to buy API Fungus cure because my tank is unfiltered and it could kill my fish. I told him I used Tetracylcine before and was fine, it cured his red sores. He asked if I would bring in a water sample because he thinks it's a nitrites (spelling?) issue. So I drove home, got a sample, and he tested it with some test paper strip. Then he told me to use Bettafix because it is an external fungus. 

On a separate note, when I went home to get the water sample my fish's white fungus on the top fin had detached and was floating around the tank. The bottom fins still had white fungus on them. 

To be honest, I am just really depressed about this whole thing. If it's not one thing it's another. It's very discouraging and I am getting tired of running around town trying to make him live and survive. I have a sneaking feeling our apartment's mold problem is causing all these problems but I don't know how to find that out. Anyway. that's where I am at.


----------



## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I'm so sorry for all your trouble.


----------



## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

I am sorry for all situation. Do not get upset. Take it easy on yourself. You do the best you can. We love our pets , they get sick and we do the best we can. The owner of the shop is a nice guy and want to help but he is not right. You can use medications in uncycled tank and it will not kill your fish. Also so you know and don't freak out , betta do not feel pain. They don't have central nerve system that interpret the pain to the brain, did it make you feel better.
I would think that medications are better for him but you can try bettafix. There is a lot of controversy about Bettafix , malafix,pimafix because there is tea tree oil and can be dangerous for a bettas labyrinth organs but only if you overdose it though. I have one of my betta that i bought 6/6/11 he has something on him and i couldn't figure out what it is. It was some kind of external problem. He has it for about 2 month now. But he acting healthy though, no behavior changes at all. A month ago i did treat him with bettafix . And i also treated him with methyline blue too. So you can try to use bettafix just be careful DO NOT OVERDOSE IT. I used a pipette . If you don't have it then just eyeball it. But may be use a separate cup to do it to make sure you don't overdose it in the tank. I would do daily water changes if you can. 
Is he eating at all? Behavior wise, is he better, worse or the same?


----------



## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I agree with Anhel. Bettafix is fine as long as you don't overdose. I treated one of mine with it and had no problem.


----------



## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

lilphischee how is your betta doing?


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

Not well. I left yesterday for a work trip and my fiance dosed him with bettafix last night. He grew a huge white fuzz on his mouth. He is lethargic, barely breathing, at he bottom and sometimes comes up for air. Im so sad. Its so sad. 

I moved him to a smaller container because i figured the tank would keep him sick since it is big and full of fungus. Then I made a terrible mistake and took some tweezers to try and grab the white stuff off of him and it took a bit of skin!! I feel so horrible! I immediately put a little Melafix in. If he is still alive tomorrow we will pick up the fungal cure as I initially wanted!!!


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

I went to the same store and returned the bettafix because it clearly states on the bottle it is for BACTERIAL infections not fungal (I was so angry!!). I started the treatment. Also you will notice the white fungus has grown. Also his left side fin is almost completely gone (so sad). Lastly, I took him out of my apartment and over to my parents house. Our apartment has really bad mold problems (we are moving soon). He basically has no fins left :-(

Anyway I will keep you posted.


----------



## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Hi lilphischee,

I'm reading this thread for the first time. I went through the earlier posts pretty quickly, but based on what I saw, it looks like:
a) Your fish had some nasty-looking red sores, and fin rot.
b) You treated with tetracycline, aquarium salt, and some other stuff.
c) He now has fuzzy white patches that are very large (per the photos in posts #51 and #59 above).

Is all of that correct?

The white fuzzy patches are most likely *Saprolegnia*, a type of fungus. It grows on dead or diseased tissue. In general, if you can clear up the underlying infection, the Saprolegnia will go away, too. (It doesn't grow on healthy tissue.)

I saw a recommendation for API Fungus Cure. This contains Victoria (Malachite) Green and Acriflavine. This would work on the Saprolegnia, but I don't think this will cure the underlying condition, which is what's allowing the Saprolegnia to grow. In other words, the fuzzy stuff would just come back again.... I also wouldn't bother with Bettafix (or Melafix, or Pimafix, etc). These have some mild antimicrobial properties, but IMO, this has been going on awhile, so I would use something more effective than these.

If this was my fish, I would try a broad-spectrum antibiotic, in order to treat the underlying infection. 

Your initial choice of tetracycline was a good decision, as it belongs to this "broad-spectrum" class. (It works by inhibiting the synthesis of proteins that the bacteria need to survive.) However, it's been around awhile, so some bacteria has developed resistance to it.

So I suggest using a different broad-spectrum medication now, such as a sulfa drug or Kanaplex (kanamycin sulfate).

*Kanaplex* (kanamycin sulfate) would be my preference, but it's not always available at petstores and needs to be ordered online. If you opt to use this, call the stores near you to see if they carry it. Or order it online. (There are several websites that carry it, including Drs Foster and Smith.) 

The sulfa drugs would also be a good option. There are a lot of medications in this class, but their names often have "Sulfa" in them. For example: Sulfathiazole, Sulfamethazine, Sulfacetamide, etc. Here are two brands of sulfa drugs which are available at many petstores (including PetSmart):
*- API Triple Sulfa
- Mardel Maracyn PLUS* (must be "PLUS")

Let us know what you end up getting, and keep us updated on his progress. Poor little guy has been through a lot. He's definitely a fighter.....


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

LittleBlueFishlets said:


> Hi lilphischee,
> 
> I'm reading this thread for the first time. I went through the earlier posts pretty quickly, but based on what I saw, it looks like:
> a) Your fish had some nasty-looking red sores, and fin rot.
> ...



Thank you for confirming that there is some underlying problem going on. I failed to mention kn my last post that I started the treatment of API fungal cure this morning. Thats why his tank is all green. Question: would you recommend just halting the fungal treatment and starting a broad treatment now or would it be best to finish this treatment 1st and thendo the broad treatment?


----------



## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

I would get the Kanaplex or sulfa med ASAP. 

(Fungus Cure is not an antibiotic. Stopping it mid-treatment will not pose a problem.)

I would continue use API Fungus Cure until you got the Kanaplex/sulfa medication, since it will help a little. (But, IMO, it won't help enough to 'cure' the condition.)

As soon as you have the Kanaplex or sulfa med, I would do a 100% change to remove the API Fungus Cure. Then add the Kanaplex or sulfa med. 

Tell us what medication you get. We can help you with the dosing, if needed. (Since he's in a 1 gal tank, I recommend that you mix up a slightly larger batch so that you can do some partial water changes during the week. Again, we can tell you how to do this, if you want.) 

Also, he's had this awhile, so he may need several rounds of treatment.


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

Ok thank you. I will get kanaplex. Keep you posted!


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

LittleBlueFishlets said:


> I would get the Kanaplex or sulfa med ASAP.
> 
> (Fungus Cure is not an antibiotic. Stopping it mid-treatment will not pose a problem.)
> 
> ...


I ordered kanaplex since my local pet store didnt have any. It will arrive Thursday. I will continue with the fungal cure treatment until then. Should I be attempting to feed him meanwhile? Also, I put him in a 2.5 gallon tank a few weeks ago. There is also a live plant in there. I appreciate any help with dosing. Thank you!


----------



## mart (Dec 18, 2013)

LittleBlueFishlets said:


> I would get the Kanaplex or sulfa med ASAP.
> 
> (Fungus Cure is not an antibiotic. Stopping it mid-treatment will not pose a problem.)
> 
> ...


I'd be interested in how you mix them up, I'm allergic to Sulpha, and need to know an easy way not to come in contact with it so much.


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

He died. Sad day for us.

Thanks for everyone's help along the way.


----------



## mart (Dec 18, 2013)

lilphischee said:


> He died. Sad day for us.
> 
> Thanks for everyone's help along the way.


Oh no! I'm so sorry. Poor little fella.


----------



## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

So sorry I know it sad but we all have things happen to pets , at least we are trying out best to learn and move on and not make the same mistakes. Sometimes they are just fare gone to save them , but knowing that you did all you can to help is wonderful . You have more knowledge now and can rescue another betta, those sweet little faces looking to you through a small cup.
Make sure you will disinfect the tank before you put another betta in there.


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

ANHEL123 said:


> So sorry I know it sad but we all have things happen to pets , at least we are trying out best to learn and move on and not make the same mistakes. Sometimes they are just fare gone to save them , but knowing that you did all you can to help is wonderful . You have more knowledge now and can rescue another betta, those sweet little faces looking to you through a small cup.
> Make sure you will disinfect the tank before you put another betta in there.


Thank you for the kind words. What is the best way to disinfect the tank? I have a love plant in there as well. I will need to keep that in some water to live.


----------



## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

A lot of people recommending to disinfect with a bleach. I personally did it before. Just make sure you rinse it very well with worm, hot, cold water and put it for about 48 hrs to air dry it. 
First you must know that there are lots of different bleaches out there. You must not use bleach with additives (many come mixed with detergent). So, find a bleach like Clorox Regular.
You can disinfect the aquarium itself and hard pieces like glass thermometers, fish nets, certain gravel (though not if its porous), and hard plastic like the filter box (not the filter cartridge obviously).

Avoid heaters because people tend to submerge them and it will become very hard to remove the bleach from inside. You don't want bleach sitting inside there either as it may leach into aquarium water later or harm the heater itself.

You should make a 10% solution. This means 1 part bleach and 9 parts water to make a 10% solution. You can then dip the pieces and let them sit in the sink, bathtub, or on the counter for no longer than 10 minutes. Then rinse with warm water thoroughly. The equipment must air dry completely before entering an aquarium. This allows for the bleach to dissolve away and evaporate into its basic properties (its mainly just salt). Then rinse again with cold water (for good measure) before using in the aquarium again.

As an example example, I have a measuring cup with graduations marked in 1 ml increments. I use 10ml of bleach and 90ml of water. That's 1 part bleach in every 10 parts total (water + bleach). This creates a 10% Solution of bleach.

Here is another way that i found someone's recommendations:
Instead go to wal-mart and get either 70% or 91% (I like the higher concentration) Rubbing Alcohol. Alcohol will sterilize everything including Mycobacteria if there's a threat of that. There's nothing else that will kill Myco's besides UV ray's but that usually takes longer. So Alcohol kills everything and will be your best friend in cleaning! i also find it's just easier to use since you can spray it directly on things where in bleach you have to mix with water and all and it's just a pain.

I use a spray bottle, make sure you label it as Alcohol, wouldn't want anyone getting into it that they shouldn't! And then spray everything, net's, cups, tanks, heater's, gravel too if you want, plants, the entire thing. Everything he's come in contact with, then rinse with hot tap water, let dry and you're good to go 

And i will even put you the link for how to disinfect the plant . I will make another post because i need to find it


----------



## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDs6Pu7w8Z0


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

ANHEL123 said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDs6Pu7w8Z0


Thank you Anhel. I think I will wait a while before we get anymore fish. For now I am going to keep my tank full of water for the plant to live. That is a whole other forum though. If I get another fish I will be sure to post on here again because everyone has been so kind and thoughful about helping. So nice to know there are other fish lovers out there.


----------



## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

I hope to see you back with new betta.;-) Just go to the pet store to the fish department. Sorry am i bad?


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

Haha yeah, you are bad! Just kidding. I look longingly at all the beautiful fish on here and can't wait to have my own. That fish in the video above is really beautiful. Goldfish? Anyway we will at least wait until we move next month...


----------



## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

@Mart -

You said you're allergic to sulfa drugs. Yes, if you wanted to use one of these, you could try to minimize contact - but why take that chance? There are other broad-spectrum antibiotics which can be used to treat infections. Just like your own doctor can prescribe alternatives for you, there are also alternatives available for your fish.

If you want to stock up on something, I suggest *Kanaplex (kanamycin sulfate)*. It's one of the newer broad-spectrum antibiotics, and it is one of the few that treats internal, as well as external, bacterial infections. Also, it's much gentler on the internal organs (liver and kidneys) than some other medications, which means it can be used for multiple treatment cycles, if there is a severe infection. Some petstores carry it, but if your doesn't, you can order it online. (There are various websites that sell it, including Drs Foster and Smith).


----------



## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

@Mart don't wont you to distract from LittleBlueFishlets recommendation

@lilphischee i regret i posted that link, i am a betta dedicated person lol We want to see another betta


----------



## NanaBeams (Feb 24, 2014)

Sorry about your fish passing away.  I was following the thread hoping he'd get better. I thought it was really kind of you to go back and forth so much and buy all these medications for him.


----------



## lilphischee (Jan 29, 2014)

Thanks. This is when I first got him. RIP Blue fish.


----------

