# Betta with columnaris? Or fungus?



## shynepo3 (Jun 27, 2011)

So a little history...about 3 weeks ago, my female betta started acting lethargic. and got two grey spots, like her skin was peeling. she still ate. lives in a 5 gal tank, alone, cycled, with amm and nitrites at 0, and nitrate at 5ppm. i put my male betta in the tank beside her, and left it for one day by accident..now it's covered with paper between them. i think it's the cause for her sickness...anyways

she is now in full blown cotton mouth disease. or cotton body, a few more white patches have appeared, her mouth is getting worse, and today i just noticed her fins near her tail, have torn and become bloody..

her treatment a week ago, was 1.5 teaspoon of api salt, and fungus cure powder (api). i did about 2 treatments with the powder, and nothing changed. so i put back the carbon in her filter, and went about as normal. i'm waiting for furan2 in the mail, so i was gonna start that as soon as it got here. also, 2 days ago, i started feeding her jungle medicate fish food for anti bacteria. but today, she wont eat it (which is when i discovered new white spots along with the bloody fin...

what more should i do?? just start with the furan2 when it gets here? i dont think she had dropsy, but she is bloated, and a "tiny" bit of pinecone effect when i stare at her from the top...

pls ask any questions if i'm not clear... i need help..

pics below

1-2 weeks ago:










































TODAY:


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## Behati (Sep 4, 2011)

I'm not an expert but I believe my previous betta died of columnaris (by the way, cotton-mouth disease IS columnaris). I don't know how to treat it but it doesn't look as bad as how mine had it. It doesn't seem like he has the acute version but I would definitely make a PM to Sakura8 or OldFishLady directly since you might get a faster/more accurate response. =\ If it's bloating, you might want to try a bit of Epsom salt (laxative).


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Welcome to the forum and sorry you Betta is not well....
I would get her in high dose aquarium salt 3tsp/gal and tannins-along with 100% daily water changes in a small QT container-bare bottom-no filter-dim lights...you want to keep the water temp on the low side with this bacteria..75-76F range......

Premix treatment water in a 1gal jug of dechlorinated water-add salt 3tsp/gal and tannins-either-IAL or dried Oak leaf and let this steep for 30min and use this premixed Tx water for 50% water change every hour for 3 hours today and tomorrow start 100% daily for 10 days.....


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## shynepo3 (Jun 27, 2011)

thanks for replying...

if she's the only one in the tank, can i just treat her in that tank as opposed to moving her? i dont have another tank to put her in..

i did a 75% pwc yesterday after i made my post - i had added 1.5 teaspoons to the 3 gal of water, and now, this morning i added api furan 2 to the tank (used the whole powder packet - said it's for 10g tank, but i figured it'd be ok to put everything into the 5gal tank).

at this point, should i just continue with this medication? it says to wait 24 hrs, then do a 25% pwc, add another powder packet, and do the whole process once more (2 pwc, 2 packets)?

or should i switch to your treatment oldfishlady? if i switch to yours, can i keep her in the same tank?


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## shynepo3 (Jun 27, 2011)

at this point, i dont think she's going to make it...she's getting worse by the hour.

the cotton on her body looks like it's coming out in 4 diff spots, and she does not move. when she's at the bottom of the tank, i can see her gills moving like she's struggling for air, and even being upright seems difficult. the water seems to "rock" her slightly back and forth.

every few minutes, after being in some sort of lifeless trance, she sprints up to the top to get air, then comes crashing down, bumping into gravel, decorations, etc. etc. she'll then eventually end up on the gravel bed, and the whole process repeats itself.

also, she is pineconing too now. it seems like she columnaris, fungus and dropsy in one. i'm assuming it starts off with one type of disease and eventually worsens into multiple diseases?

should i even bother anymore? seems like she's suffering so much...should i just place her in a cup of water with a lid and put in freezer? i've read it's a good way to end their life with very little suffering. i dont have clove oil.

also, preparing for the worse, what should i do with the tank? its' cycled, would i have to clean out everything and start from scratch? ugggh..i hate cycling, but i dont want any contagious disease left over for the next fish that lives in there (haven't decided yet if i will even bother getting a new one...)


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## shynepo3 (Jun 27, 2011)

she just died...i came down to have a smoke, and just check on her, and she was died, against the wall in her cave. :BIGsad:

my concern is now the tank....do i really have to scrub everything down and start fresh? it's cycled...took me over 3-4 weeks of fishless cycling and i dont want to go thru that again..


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## aurasoulful (Aug 19, 2011)

I'm sorry for your loss. You may have to scrub down and start over.. -_- You don't want wild flora of that bac lingering about when you get another fish. They may not be in 100% health and may come down with columaris as well. What did you use for fishless cycling? I hear pure ammonia is the quickest way to cycle. Or make it into a heavily planted tank that will make introducing fish easier.


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## shynepo3 (Jun 27, 2011)

well in the past i used pure ammonia. but i didnt have seed material..now i do, with my other tank. but, i decided to do this...

1)did 100% pwc
2)took out all decorations and rinsed down thoroughly
3)kept hob and filter media wet with tank water
4)lowered temp to under 75
5)will check water parameters in 2 days

hopefully at most i'll get a mini cycle. i'll just continue to dose ammonia for about a week until i decide on a new fish. i've been told that columnaris needs a host on one hand, and others have said it's always in the tank regardless; either way, it all points to the fish itself being able to keep it bay.

i think i'll get one of those halfmoon bettas on aquabid :lol:


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