# Gill damage or disease???? Pic included



## CaseyA (May 2, 2012)

Hi Everyone--

I changed Jack's tank out today and a couple of hours after returning him to the tank, his left gill flap is extended and some tissue is extruding from the gill. The right gill flap is normal.

I removed him from the tank, removed the new items I'd added, replaced the water with new water and a bit of Epsom salts, and returned him to the tank. So far there's no change in the gill's condition.

Jack seems fine. He's swimming and exploring and ate a couple of pellets. If the gill weren't weird I'd say he's a healthy, happy fish. 

Please see the picture below. The problem gill is in the red box.

HELP!?!?! What should I do for him???


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## CaseyA (May 2, 2012)

Sorry, forgot.

Housing 
What size is your tank? 2.5 gal
What temperature is your tank? 82°
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? Omega pellets
How often do you feed your betta fish? 1-2 pellets 2-3x/day

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change? 50% every 2-3 days, 100% once per week
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 50% to 100%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? None, on well water so no chlorine to worry about. Water sits out at least 24 hours before change.

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters? No, no testing kit

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity: 

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Left gill extended, tissue extruding
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? Hasn't
When did you start noticing the symptoms? An hour ago
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? Removed all water, replaced with new water plus Epsom salts (1 tsp/gal)
Does your fish have any history of being ill? No
How old is your fish (approximately)? I've had him a month, he came from Walmart


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

I can't really tell from the pic but is it his beard you are talking about? The thing that pops out when they flair..or is it actually his gill that is sticking out? 

Is it like the pic below? If so, that's normal. If it is his gill - I'm not sure what would cause that. 











> What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? None, on well water so no chlorine to worry about. Water sits out at least 24 hours before change.


 Not sure if it would affect his gill but I would suggest using a water conditioner. It's not only chlorine they remove - It's also heavy metals in the water as well. some also remove ammonia and nitrite. Any fish water conditioner will do. I like stress coat but a lot of people use seachem's prime. There are plenty of others to choose from as well.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

sometimes gill damage and parasite can cause a gill to stick out.... not sure what happened if it were just a water change though...


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## CaseyA (May 2, 2012)

Tikibirds said:


> I can't really tell from the pic but is it his beard you are talking about? The thing that pops out when they flair..or is it actually his gill that is sticking out?
> 
> Is it like the pic below? If so, that's normal. If it is his gill - I'm not sure what would cause that.
> 
> ...


Hmm, it's his left-side beard sticking out, and gill tissue behind it. the right side beard and gill are fine.

I'll check out the water conditioner. I am wondering though if perhaps he got it stuck earlier. He was playing in the silk plant and the leaves were clumped together such that he was having a hard time swimming through. Perhaps he was stabbed or scraped and that is causing the beard and gill to swell?

Thanks!


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## CaseyA (May 2, 2012)

Well, Jack's left gill flap (or beard?) is still sticking out and the black tissue is still extruding. He seems just fine, though. He even made his very first bubble nest this morning. He's flaring (begging for food, it's his fast day today) and swimming and seems perfectly fine except for that gill flap.

Does anyone have any idea what might be causing this and how to treat it? Should I just leave him alone since it's not impacting his behavior?

Help us please?!


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

he may have some type of scare tissue under it that is causing it to stick out..maybe an old ammonia burn? If he is acting fine, i wouldnt worry, just keep an eye on him in case something should develop.

Like the other person said there are some parasites that affect the gills but I would think he would not be acting normal if that were the case.

You can try 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt per gallon in case there is a bacterial infection. Premix 1 teaspoon of AQ salt in a gallon of water - wait for it to disolve and slowly acclimate him to the new water. This is easiest to do in a 1-2 gallon container or tank because you should be doing 100% water changes for as long as you use the salt. do not use for more then 10 or so days.


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## CaseyA (May 2, 2012)

Tikibirds said:


> he may have some type of scare tissue under it that is causing it to stick out..maybe an old ammonia burn? If he is acting fine, i wouldnt worry, just keep an eye on him in case something should develop.
> 
> Like the other person said there are some parasites that affect the gills but I would think he would not be acting normal if that were the case.
> 
> You can try 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt per gallon in case there is a bacterial infection. Premix 1 teaspoon of AQ salt in a gallon of water - wait for it to disolve and slowly acclimate him to the new water. This is easiest to do in a 1-2 gallon container or tank because you should be doing 100% water changes for as long as you use the salt. do not use for more then 10 or so days.


I have the new guy Bash on AQ salt for parasites so it wouldn't be much to put Jack on it too. (I've been careful to keep the two tanks totally separated to prevent cross-contamination.)

The gill cover is still open this morning and the tissue is still extruding, but it may be less open and less extruding. I think it's closed more than it was but that could just be my wishful thinking.

About AQ salt--should the amount of salt be slowly decreased in the same way it's slowly increased? (Day 1: 1tsp, day 2: 2 tsp, day 3: 3 tsp, then 3 tsp for 7 days, etc.) Or should they be moved directly from salted water to fresh water?

Thanks again!


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## Poecilotheria (Jul 6, 2014)

*Gill hyperplasia*

I am aware this is an old post but people still view it and I thought I could help. This looks most likely to be gill hyperplasia and it is caused by damage or toxins. I recently brought a betta home from work as a child thought it would be amusing to scoop one up and put in in a tank with another. Needles to say, I would have lost my job if I was in that day. In extreme cases it is irreversible but regular water cleansing and aqua salt will help your betta along the road of recovery. Here is a link with more details http://nippyfish.net/sick-betta/gill-hyperplasia/

Hope this helped.


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