# Betta is extremely lethargic and is losing interest in food



## klslone (Jul 19, 2012)

Housing 
What size is your tank? 5 gallons
What temperature is your tank? 80-82F
Does your tank have a filter? yes
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? Flakes (Betta Medley maybe? I forgot the specific brand)
How often do you feed your betta fish? 1-2 times a day with occasional fasting days

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change? Depends on water parameters
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 40%-70%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Betta Safe

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 10
pH: 6.4
Hardness: na
Alkalinity: na

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Only difference is clamped fins.
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? Extremely lethargic and disinterested in food.
When did you start noticing the symptoms? about a week ago.
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? No, I'm not completely sure what is wrong with him.
Does your fish have any history of being ill? No.
How old is your fish (approximately)? 1 year old.


For the past week or so my betta has been really lethargic and sometimes he doesn't even come up for food. Every now and then he will move but mostly he just sits inside of the log I have in his tank. There are no external signs of sickness or disease, so I don't know what is going on.

I am a college student and I kept him with me when I was at school this past year. Here is what has been going on since I have been home this summer.

When we first got him back home and set his tank back up he was fine as always. He would swim around, eat like a pig, and build bubble nests. 

Here is what has happened over the course of the past couple months. I noticed that my snail's shell was deteriorating (the snail has since then died). But in order to give the snail more calcium, I added calcium pills to the water. I also added some cuttlebone. My betta never showed any signs of being in distress or anything from these additions. He continued on just like always. A few days ago I checked the water parameters and the nitrite had spiked up to 1.0. I detoxified it with prime until I could change the water later that evening. Now the parameters are back to normal but my betta isn't. A couple of days ago the snail died so I removed him and the cuttlebone. I also did a large water change (around 80%-90%) in order to remove anything that the snail may have released into the water (I wasn't sure exactly how many hours the snail had been dead). Even though the water is clean and the parameters are okay, he is still not back to normal. I am not 100% sure on what could be wrong with him.

Something I did notice though is that usually the pH of his tank is higher, around the 7.8-8.4 range. Today when I checked it, the pH was 6.4 and the pH of the tap water is around 7.6. Could this be something that is affecting him?


----------



## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

he might be in shock from the sudden change in hardness. It wouldn't hurt to give him some aq salt and stress coat to see if he doesn't perk up. If there is no change within a few days then there is something else going on here. 

When you clean the tank do you stir up the gravel and suck the junk out?


----------



## klslone (Jul 19, 2012)

Yes, I vacuum the gravel. I used something to buffer the pH and it was around 7.6 last night. Hopefully, it didn't jump too fast on him. He is still alive. I am going to try and keep his water stable and clean. Also, how much aquarium salt should I put in?


----------



## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

read the box. It should say to dose "for repairing fins"


----------



## deso (Apr 24, 2012)

Yup, agreed with lvandert. It's probably shock from the change in pH. I had the same thing happen to my betta when I changed the brand of bottled spring water and the difference was only .4 (went from 7.4 to 7.0), as opposed to nearly 1 entire unit like your situation. He looked so awful for four days that I thought he was on his deathbed...then one morning I woke up and he was back to normal. Just keep his params stable, environment quiet and stress-free, and don't try to buffer the pH anymore, as it often does more harm than good to mess with it.

Also, cuttlebone gradually raises the pH of water. I am almost sure that the complete removal of it caused the pH to drop so rapidly in the tank.


----------



## klslone (Jul 19, 2012)

It has been probably over a week now and there has been no improvement. My betta is still alive but is still not as interested in food as before and is still just sitting at the bottom of the tank inside his log.

Any other ideas as to what could be wrong with him?


----------



## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

Can we get a picture? There might be something we dont see. Shine a light on him does he have golden specs all over? Does his body look like a pinecone (fins are stuck out from body)? Are there white specs anywhere on him? are any of his fins fuzzy? is he bloated or does he have a lump anywhere that there shouldn't be one?


----------



## klslone (Jul 19, 2012)

I will try to get a picture up tomorrow (Saturday). I have looked at him from above and I don't think he is pine-coning. If anything is abnormal I would say he is bloated but other than that I don't see any difference in his appearance. His fins are clamped but other than that he looks fine. His coloring is good, no white or gold spots or anything like that. Someone said that maybe he is just old but I have only had him a year.


----------



## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

if he's at all bloated looking then we could have our cause. As long as your not overfeeding (which it doesn't sound like it) then you've got internal parasites. They bloat up in the belly and cause him to be very uncomfortable. I would start treatment with 2tsp unscented epsom salt per gallon for 5 days. If at the end of 5 days there is no improvement by day 5 up the dosage to 3tsp for another 5 days. At the end of the 10 days if there is still no change give him a week without the salts before trying again


----------



## BlueRose7 (Jul 26, 2012)

You haven't had a heat spike in your area, have you? Where the water is warmer than usual? That sometimes makes my fishies unhappy (although I imagine he'd be at the top instead). Just a thought. Do you have a mirror/other fish you might sit him by for a while to perk him up a bit/give him something to be interested in? 
I'm no expert, just trying to offer suggestions. I hope everything turns out okay.


----------



## BlueRose7 (Jul 26, 2012)

lvandert, as I, too, have a bloated (female) betta, I might try what you suggested, since fasting her for a day didn't work. Is that salt amount okay for a larger female betta community, too? 
(Sorry to ask in your thread, klslone.)


----------



## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

BlueRose7 said:


> lvandert, as I, too, have a bloated (female) betta, I might try what you suggested, since fasting her for a day didn't work. Is that salt amount okay for a larger female betta community, too?
> (Sorry to ask in your thread, klslone.)


I wouldn't in a community. I would get her issolated. If your sure she's not over eating and if she's acting fine she's probably just eggy. unfortunately there might be a boy in the community tank if she's eggy. If she's with other bettas I would make sure they are all girls. If so, and like I said she's swimming/eating/acting fine, then she saw a reflection of something that reminded her of a boy and egged up. They will either pass of be reabsorbed in a few days


----------



## klslone (Jul 19, 2012)

I haven't been able to get a good picture yet. It might be where I tried after dark. I will try again tomorrow afternoon when it is lighter outside. But the main physical difference that I see in him is the fins on his side are turning white on the side closest to his body. I may have seen one gold spot on him but I couldn't tell for sure. It's hard to inspect him since I have to remove his hideout in order to see him at all and when he chooses a spot to sit in he doesn't move a lot for me to see all of him very well. 

I did notice something however in the tank. Here in the past couple of months I have had a hard time with brown algae in the tank but I didn't think it would hurt them so I didn't worry about it as much. I would scrub it when I cleaned the tank but I didn't panic. Then yesterday I noticed what I think was mold in the tank. They were just several tiny green dots. I wiped them off but I was wondering if this could have something to do with it.


----------



## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

The green spots are just a different strand of algae. I would definitely try to get a picture. It could be multiple things ranging from good to bad. It could be something as simple as a color change or it could be a fungus. There also might be something else I'm not thinking of at the moment.


----------



## klslone (Jul 19, 2012)

I finally managed to get some good pictures. In one of them I zoomed in and it looked to me like he was pineconing but I'm not sure. It is attached so you can see what you think. 

The tank is at my grandma's house next door while I am home for the summer and she told me that he comes to the top every morning and then goes back down into his log. So he can still swim just fine, he just doesn't do it a lot.

I did a 50% water change tonight and added some epsom salt. So we will see what that does for him.


----------



## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

OH NO! he is pineconing! 
youve defenitely got dropsy going on there. 

*Dropsy
*•Symptoms: Your betta will have a bloated belly and raised scales. They will look like a pine cone. This is usually a fatal disease caused by an internal bacterial infection resulting in internal organ failure but many have had success bringing fish back when treated quickly.
Early Symptoms: Swollen eyes (important), Gray belly (important), Clamped fins, Lethargy. If your fish has swollen eyes and a gray belly, I suggest that you treat it for Dropsy.
•Treatment: If you spot the early signs of Dropsy then treat him/her with ES at 1-2tsp/gal and Jungle’s Anti-Parasite pellets while performing 100% daily water changes. It helps to increase the temperature to 84*F. If he/she has begun Pineconning then do the full course as described below:
Performing daily 100% water changes. Increase the temperature to 84*F. Add 1-2 tsp/gal Epsom Salt. Use API General Cure OR API Erythromycin OR Maracyn II and/or Maracyn for best results. Feed something containing Metronidazole, for example, Jungle’s Anti-Parasite pellets. If caught early, Dropsy is curable


----------



## klslone (Jul 19, 2012)

I put 7 tsp. of Epsom salt in his tank when I cleaned it last night. I put a little less than 2 tsp. per gallon since I only did a 50% WC, some of the aquarium salt would have still been in the tank. Today when I do a 100% WC I will add the full dose of epsom salt. 

The heater I have in the tank doesn't let me pick the temperature I want it to be, it keeps it at a constant 80-82 degree range. Is that okay? I can put just a little bit of warmer water in the tank when I clean it until it is at 84.

As for the medications, the only one I know for sure that I have access to where I live is Maracyn II. 

I can try to look for the Jungle Anti-Parasite Pellets but I will probably have to order them online.


----------



## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

klslone said:


> I put 7 tsp. of Epsom salt in his tank when I cleaned it last night. I put a little less than 2 tsp. per gallon since I only did a 50% WC, some of the aquarium salt would have still been in the tank. Today when I do a 100% WC I will add the full dose of epsom salt.
> 
> The heater I have in the tank doesn't let me pick the temperature I want it to be, it keeps it at a constant 80-82 degree range. Is that okay? I can put just a little bit of warmer water in the tank when I clean it until it is at 84.
> 
> ...


You don't absolutely HAVE to have it at 84, it just helps more. 
Maracyn II only is okay, it's better than nothing.

Sending wishings you and your fishy's way!


----------



## klslone (Jul 19, 2012)

I bought the Maracyn II today. I am going to start the treatment immediately. The box says it can be used with Coppersafe, Maracide, Maracyn, or Maroxy. My pet store has all of these. Should I use one of them along with the Maracyn II as well? They also had Maracyn Plus, but I wasn't sure if I should get that or not. What do you think?

Should I go ahead and buy the medicated food with Metronidazole? Or should I wait to see how he responds?


----------



## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

klslone said:


> I bought the Maracyn II today. I am going to start the treatment immediately. The box says it can be used with Coppersafe, Maracide, Maracyn, or Maroxy. My pet store has all of these. Should I use one of them along with the Maracyn II as well? They also had Maracyn Plus, but I wasn't sure if I should get that or not. What do you think?
> 
> Should I go ahead and buy the medicated food with Metronidazole? Or should I wait to see how he responds?


Sorry I can't answer about the other medications, hopefully someone else will come along that can tell you what would be best.

I would definitely order the food. The food can really help because If you can get him to eat it, it will treat the parasites straight on. If you can't get him to eat the food (or the food you have at the moment) try soaking it In garlic juice. This is completely safe & bettas are more likely to eat because of the appetizing smell and taste.


----------



## klslone (Jul 19, 2012)

While looking for Metro-Meds I stumbled upon Metronidazole Powder. With this, instead of the fish eating it, you put it in the water. I don't know if anyone has any experience with this or not or if it would be as effective but I thought I would ask anyway since his appetite has gone done dramatically. But either way, I will order it tonight and try to get it here quickly.

Thanks for all your help by the way!


----------



## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

if he isn't eating and you are trying to treat for internal parasites then yeah, the powder is better then the medicated fish food as I have yet to find a betta that will eat the parasite pellets. Garlic is a good idea but it may not work. I would go with the powder that way it will enter his system..via his gills I do believe. 

What are you trying to treat? Maracyn 2 is for gram negative bacterial infections and I am pretty sure metrodizinal is an anti parasite med. 

Dropsy/pineconning isn't really a disease on its own - I do beleive the pineconning is usually the result of excess fluid in the organs someplace - hece the reason why epsom salt is recommeded as it will draw out the fluid..or at least that is my understanding. Internal bacterial infections also can cause pineconning.

try PMing Sakura8 or oldfishlady. I'm sure one of them can give you awsome advice on how to procede from here.


----------



## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

Sakura has more experience with medications, OFL tends to stick with natural remedies.


----------



## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Metronidazole does work for some anaerobic bacterial infections, but usually only if it is given internally via medicated food.

Hi kslone and welcome to the forum. I'm sorry your betta is so sick.  

There could be a few things at work here. What I'm thinking is the sudden change in pH/hardness may have shocked him, causing his immune system to crash a bit and allowing him to be come sick (this is why we tend to get the flu during college finals, 'cause we're so stressed). 

Probably the best medication to treat bacterial infectins is also the hardest to find but if you can find it, Seachem Kanaplex is the best. It is effective both as a medicated feed and as a solution so it gets into the system no matter what. Your next best choice would probably be API Furan-2 for treating an internal bacterial infection. 

What is the dosage of epsom salts right now? I would try to gradually bump that up to 3 tsps per gallon if possible. If you have access to Indian Almond leaves or naturally dried and clean oak leaves, you can add those into the tank to add tannins.

If he is having difficulty rising to the surface to breathe, you can lower the water level as much as necessary to make it easier.


----------



## klslone (Jul 19, 2012)

The dosage of the epsom salt I used is 1.5 tsp per gallon. Should I discontinue the Maracyn 2 or should I complete the course, at least until the other meds get here? I found the Seachem Kanaplex and I am ordering it now. When I get the Kanaplex should I add it to the tank and try to feed it to him both, or should I just choose one method and stick to it? I am worried about whether I could get him to eat or not because his appetite seems very low.

I will lower the water level tomorrow. Someone recommended 100% daily water changes, should I keep that up?


----------



## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Hi klslone,

Go ahead and discontinue the Maracyn 2. In all honesty, it's not a super effective medication any more because many bacteria have formed resistances to it. When you get the Kanaplex, you can try to feed it but if you don't think he'll eat, even if it's soaked in garlic, it's probably best to go straight to putting it into the tank. 

Is he being treated in the 5gal? If so, take out any carbon you may have in your filter before adding medication. For Kanaplex, treating in a 5gal is easy as it is 1 measure per 5gal. You can also continue using epsom salt while treating with Kanaplex.

Good luck with the little guy and keep us updated on how he's doing.


----------



## klslone (Jul 19, 2012)

I checked on him just a few minutes ago and he looks better compared to what he has been. He was sitting outside of his log which he usually doesn't do. I don't know if the epsom salt or the Maracyn has made a small difference or not but it makes me happy to see that he is holding his own. I don't know exactly how long he has been pineconed, but I know he has been lethargic for quite some time now. The kanaplex is on its way so hopefully he will hang on until it gets here.

At this point, even if he doesn't get any better, I will be content with him not getting any worse.

And I took the carbon filter out yesterday when I added the Maracyn 2. Is it safe to go ahead and up the epsom salt to 3 tsp per gallon since he is already in 1.5 tsp. per gallon or would that be too big of an increase at once?


----------



## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

If you want to gradually increase the epsom by increments you can. I think OFL says to increase it gradually over an hour or something like that? It probably would be better to do it gradually since he's already been a bit shocked from the pH changes.

Good luck and I'll be rooting for the little guy. Keep us updated.


----------



## klslone (Jul 19, 2012)

I have added some more epsom salt to the tank and I also took out about 50% of the water so he doesn't have to swim as much to get to the top. He looks like he has perked up some. I just got done working with his tank and when I came up to it he came out of his log. He also sits in other places except for the log so he isn't hiding as much as he has been. I put some food in the tank and he ate it pretty well. He even saw one piece float by his log and he chased it down and ate it. So he is still eating which I hope is a good thing. 

I noticed something new on him though. On the very edge of his dorsal fin I noticed something that resembles a small piece of white fuzz. I don't know if it is some kind of fungus that is growing on him or if maybe a piece of slime or something like that. I noticed when I looked at the log that it had what looked like some slime on it before I cleaned it off so maybe he just rubbed up against it when he was swimming and it clung to him. I don't know for sure but I will keep a check on it.


----------



## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

The white piece of fuzz on the edge of his fin is most likely some excess slime coat that he's producing to help him fight off his illness. Epsom salt does stimulate the production of slime coat to a small degree, too.

That's great he's eating! There's always hope when they eat. It's when they won't that I start to worry.


----------



## klslone (Jul 19, 2012)

I received the Metro-Meds today (I ordered the medicated food instead of the powder) and I just tried his first round of the food. He goes after it excitedly but I don't think he is too crazy about the taste (I never could get him to eat pellet food). Tonight I will try to dip the food in garlic and then feed it to him and see how that does. 

But his appetite seems to have fully recovered. He barely hides now when I am around and if he does swim in his log he comes back out when he sees food. He stayed at the top quite a while when I was feeding him and swam around some. I might get a picture in the next couple of days to see if the pine-coning is as bad as it was to start with. However, it has only been a few days so I don't expect to see a full recovery. His personality seems to have returned so that in itself is a good sign for me.

I couldn't find anything online that gives me instructions on how to treat a betta fish with Metro-Meds so I am just guessing on the amount to feed him. I know that I am supposed to give him 1% of his body weight a day and for a goldfish that is around 15 pellets so I am guessing that he should probably only have 1/3 of that. Anyone have a better idea of how much I should give him?

Also, the Kanaplex has been shipped and should be here within the next few days and I will get that started as soon as I receive it.


----------



## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Are they pellets or flakes? I'd recommend feeding him 5 pellets every other day until he's had 5 days of medicated food. The reason you have to feed every other day is because they have to get hungry enough to want to eat the darn things. 

Flakes . . . that's a little iffier and I have no experience with them, as none of my fish would eat flakes (not even the expensive medicated flakes I ordered when they got parasites :evil

Do try the garlic. Hopefully that helps. You can also try fasting him in the morning and feeding later in the day when he might be hungrier.


----------



## klslone (Jul 19, 2012)

They are pellets. I have to crush them up though into multiple tiny pieces. I think he may have eaten a TINY amount of them tonight when I tried to feed him again. We are out of garlic so I will be getting some more tomorrow to try that.

And my betta is the exact opposite. He will eat flakes but almost nothing else that I have tried. He doesn't like pellets or bloodworms very much. I have found one specific brand of flakes that he will eat so that is what I feed him. Basically what he eats when I put the Metro-Meds in is like the dust that is left after I crush the pellets up. But I figure that is better than nothing. Hopefully when he realizes that he won't be getting anything other than the Metro-Meds for a while he will choose to eat that instead of holding out for his other food.

Also, the package that the food came in said not to feed any other kind of food for 14 days. Should I do that then, or should I just feed it to him for 5 days? And even though I fed him some today, I will also feed him some tomorrow once I get the garlic and then go to feeding him every other day after that. That way I can make sure that he actually gets enough in his system instead of hoping that he ate enough of the "dust" to work.


----------



## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Are the pellets Jungle Labs Medicated pellets? If so, I can see why he won't eat those. Almost no betta will, even with garlic. They apparently taste absolutely awful. 

Hmm. I'd say if he doesn't eat the pellets with garlic, then you can go back to feeding him what he wants and let the Kanaplex do its job when it arrives. He sounds like he's getting back to normal, so that's a very, very good sign.


----------



## klslone (Jul 19, 2012)

No, I didn't order the Jungle Lab food. Metro-Meds is the actual name of the food and you can look at it here if you want:

http://www.goldfishconnection.com/shop/details.php?productId=9&catId=5

It is a very commonly used medication for goldfish but it is not solely for goldfish. Some of the success stories that are listed on that link are of tropical fish as well. And from my experience with goldfish I have learned that Metro-Meds seems to be extremely successful in treating dropsy. So I thought I would give it a try.


----------



## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Yes, metronidazole can be effective against some forms of anaerobic bacteria so the Metro-Meds should help, if you can get them down him. 

I take it you have goldfish too?


----------



## klslone (Jul 19, 2012)

Yes, I have two goldfish. I just got over a bout of flukes with the goldfish a couple of weeks ago and now I am battling this with my betta.  At least I will be stocked up on meds after this.


----------



## klslone (Jul 19, 2012)

Tomorrow is the last dose of Kanaplex I can give him. He is doing a little better but not a whole lot better. How long does it take to have a real effect on him (if it makes a difference at all that is)? 

I have also read multiple times that kanaplex is not good to use to treat dropsy because it is hard on the kidneys which just makes the problem of dropsy worse. Is this true?

Also, after the last dose tomorrow, if he still isn't better within a few days can I try the Maracyn II again? Because he really started acting better after the Maracyn treatment and has been the same since (not as bad as before but not completely better).


----------



## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Actually, Maracyn II is much harder on the kidneys than Kanaplex. Kanaplex is only potentially dangerous to the kidneys if it is overused. This is a much more effective med for treating dropsy because it is easily absorbed by the kidneys, which is where a great many dropsy cases start, with kidney infections. 

That being said, it's often been recommended to treat an extra course of Kanaplex when treating dropsy symptoms. If you feel comfortable with the idea, I'd recommend doing that. If not, keep him on epsom salt for another week but don't treat him with anything.

Here:

USE: Minocycline hydrochloride, also known as Minocycline, is a member of the broad spectrum tetracycline antibiotics, and has a broader spectrum than the other members, especially as to gram negative bacteria where Minocyline has more activity (albeit still limited effectiveness when compared to other true gram negative antibiotics).

Minocycline is also synthetic whereas Tetracycline Hydrochloride and Oxytetracyline are naturally occurring. It should also be noted that Minocycline maintains serum levels 2-4 times that of most other tetracyclines (150 mg giving 16 times the activity levels compared to 250 mg of Tetracycline Hydrochloride at 24-48 hours).

It has excellent anti-inflammatory properties which makes it a good choice for septicemia, although for Viral Septicemia there is no effective treatment, only prevention. Minocycline is also effective for fin/tail rot and OCCASIONALLY pop eye and is sometimes suggested for dropsy. However as for Dropsy I strongly recommend against this as this antibiotic can cause severe kidney damage, which is the last thing you want with a possible Dropsy case. For more about Dropsy, please see this article: Betta with Dropsy

Minocycline is also skin absorbed like Kanamycin (although not as well) which can increase effectiveness. It is also nontoxic to invertebrates but should not be used in Marine aquaria.

Minocycline (like other Tetracyclines) is easily absorbed by calcium, making this a poor choice for saltwater or high GH freshwater aquariums (such as African Cichlids, livebearers), in these cases Kanamycin is the better choice.
The above point is often missed by well meaning aquarists (often in many forums that love to recommend Maracyn-2). The reason is that although Maracyn–Two (Minocycline) is a good product/medication when used in the right conditions for the right problem (of which it is relatively wide spectrum), the problem is that most aquariums I have either encountered or have been sent the water parameters for (emailed, etc.) have too high of a mineral level (GH over 200) for Minocycline to be truly effective. In fact there in lies the problem in that often these same minerals that render Maracyn Two less effective, can IMPROVE the fish’ natural ability to fight disease (via better osmoregulation & Redox).

Another note about the dangers of Minocycline as with Tetracycline, is that Minocycline becomes dangerous past its expiration date, in other words expired Minocycline can become more toxic over time.

With these points in mind, generally the ONLY aquaria I recommend Minocycline in are Amazon River tanks such as Discus Aquariums.

This excerpt was taken from here:
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumMedication2.html


----------



## klslone (Jul 19, 2012)

Okay, thanks. Also, do I need to do a water change before each treatment of Kanaplex? I did around a 20-40% water change yesterday before adding the next dose just in case. 

And if an extra course of it will help him then I am fine with it. I can't expect a complete recovery within a week when it took him 2-3 weeks to get as sick as he was. After all he is doing better than he was before so it obviously isn't making things worse. And when you say 'an extra course' does that mean just another dose or do you mean another 1-3 doses every other day?

And I have not added in more epsom salt in the past few days so he doesn't have any more in his tank. Should I start back on the ES and work it back up to 3 tsp. per gallon again since he has had a break from it?


----------



## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I usually do a water change before adding in meds just to be on the safe side. For extra course, I mean the 1-3 doses every other day for another 3 doses. With dropsy symptoms, if you are not absolutely sure you've treated thoroughly, the bacteria can strike again and be more resistant and hard to treat. When dosed this way, Kanaplex is safe for another course. 

If he seems to be doing okay without the epsom salt, you can always skip it but it won't hurt him to have it in there. You can start him out on 1 tsp a gallon and if he seems okay on that, leave him at that level. Otherwise, work him back up to 3 tsps/gallon again.


----------



## klslone (Jul 19, 2012)

I just checked on him again and I am very happy to say that the pine-coning is completely gone!  I took a couple of pics to post on here but for some reason my computer isn't recognizing my SD card. I can try again later though. 

If I can get them to post and his pine-coning is indeed fully gone, should I do the next dose of Kanaplex? And should I continue with the epsom salt?


----------



## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

klslone said:


> I just checked on him again and I am very happy to say that the pine-coning is completely gone!  I took a couple of pics to post on here but for some reason my computer isn't recognizing my SD card. I can try again later though.
> 
> If I can get them to post and his pine-coning is indeed fully gone, should I do the next dose of Kanaplex? And should I continue with the epsom salt?


OMG IM SO HAPPY FOR YOU GUYS!
This is so hard to treat and it looks like you have a little fighter :')

I will leave the advice giving to Sakura


----------



## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I would definitely continue with the epsom salt for at least a week. Ideally, one more course of Kanaplex can only help him but that's entirely up to you. If you feel he's completely better, than by all means we don't need to throw more meds at him.

I'm very happy that he's doing so much better.


----------

