# Please help my betta!!



## sgoheen08 (May 12, 2010)

Ammonia: When I measured it with the Testing kit—it was DARK green (between 4-8!!) This was before I did a partial water change 2 nights ago.

Ammonia tester used (salicylate or Nessler-reagent based?): ? the kind where you put 8 drops of one in a tube and another 8 drops in another to combine it with the water your testing..

Nitrite: Slightly pink on the tester strip at .5?

Nitrate: Same as Nitrite

Are you testing with dipsticks?: yes

pH: 7

KH: 40

Temperature: Was 74.5 because of the wrong reading of the stupid sticky thermometer but is now 75.8 after turning on his heater for an hour or so and getting a digital thermometer.

Heater: yes but the smallest you can find for 1-3 gallons—cannot keep the temperature stable!

Water change amount/frequency: It turns out I accidentally forgot to change his water one of the every other so his water was about 3 weeks old (no partial changes..had no idea I could do partial changes) I always put him in his temp bowl (.5gallon) with aged water and dechlorinator while I clean his tank and add new water/dechlorinator and then let it sit for 24hours and then I return him to his actual tank (1.5 gallon in size)

Tank size/how long in operation: Currently, 1.5 gal tank with a flourescent light…I got him in one of those small betta divider tanks but the tank was all to him. After I found it to be leaking (and barely caught betta before he had no more room in the water) which this is where it all started because I think he caught something after sitting in his dirty small amount of water for a couple hours maybe while his tank was leaking.) I had no aged water on hand when this happened so I quickly made some with bottled water and put him in a temp tank. My boyfriend went and bought the 1.5 gal tank which I then aged the water, and dechlorinated. I was never told to do Ph testing, nitrite, nitrate, or ammonia testing levels. I researched and found this out on my own. But my tank had already been up for about a month before I found this out.

Filtration: Whisper filter with pump( I have to buy a new one every other month because it constantly just stops flowing…it still sucks up stuff but does not pour out the spout)

Water additives/conditioners/pH adjusters: TopFin or betta conditioner..whichever is easiest at the time.

What, how much and how often are the fish/frogs fed: He used to eat a few pellets a day (not soaked as I did not know to do this). After he stopped eating completely (after the leaking tank mishap) I tried feeding him flakes and he didn’t want those either. For about 3 weeks, I kid you not, he would not eat! I finally researched other types of foods and bought him gel bloodworms that come in the pouch and I have NEVER seen him act so crazy to eat food! He loved them!! And since he was eating them, I kept feeding him those once daily for the first week and then switched to every other day..just a chunk or two that comes out of the packets. Now I have freezed bloodworms and he likes those just as much and still continues to eat now every other day. I choose to feed him every other day because his tummy seems swollen and he does have trouble swimming at times..he continuously lays on his side..at the bottom of the rocks,etc or gets behind the wisper filter and rests on one of the sticky things near the surface.

Unusual findings on the fish/frog: white raised cottony dot right below (or above) his eye. Whitish splattered looking paint under his mouth and gills (like on the bottom of his body) and white gunk on his eyes.

Unusual behavior: laying on bottom of tank or near surface..doesnt move much at all unless tapped on glass, swims sideways..looks sick

Medications/what has been tried or done do far: Nothing because this betta is so old and has never had ANY kind of medication/treatment what so ever. I bought Rid Ich + because I am pretty sure he has velvet (dust on his fins) fins are clamped, lethargy, gills seem to be breathing harder and harder. I also bought maracide (treats the fish, not the water)which I would like to try first..but I don’t know how to introduce it to him or his tank and with the amount of ammonia and temp..there is so much thought that goes into it that I don’t end up doing anything but a good ole water change. I added Nutrafin Cycle to see if it would lower the ammonia but haven’t tested it yet to see if it did.

Summary of potential fish/frog stressors: I wanted to get him out of the filthy tank as soon as possible so I filled up his temp tank (1/2 gal bowl) with tap water and added just under a ½ teaspoon of aquarium salt (aquarisol?) also added his conditioner which removes chlorine, chloramine, and other metals. I did a vacuum of his 1.5 gal tank rocks and filled the rest of his tank up with this pretreated water from petsmart. At that point his tank was disgustingly filthy, stuff floating everywhere…oh forgot to mention the filter went out on me for the 2nd time and did not have money for a new one for atleast a few days. After a day went by of letting his temp tank (1/2 gal) sit, I added betta to it and he kinda freaked out..was swimming everywhere like crazy (nothing I have seen him do before) so after about 10 mins, I checked on him again and he was literally lifeless laying vertically at the bottom of the tank so I freaked and since I hadn’t emptied his old tank to clean it out yet, I just scooped him and put him back into his 1.5 gal tank ( I KNOW, I STRESSED HIM THE HECK OUT by doing this) but I could not just watch him die. But after adding him back to his actual tank, he just layed at the bottom, breathing heavily..now his breathing is ok but he is still just laying around at the bottom. Please help, I have grown immensely attached to “Betta” and have spent a fortune on him this last 2 months (literally) and I am scared to do anything thinking it will put him in shock..He still has the few raised patches and the “paint splatter” under his chin and dusty dots on his fins. His fins are clamped and his entire color is pale…a very faint color from his actual red color. His gills have these red things coming out but I don’t know if this is how he has always been but when I look at him from the front, his head looks huge, maybe swollen..and his belly is pretty full looking.. he didn’t eat for 3 weeks, maybe even longer until I got him the bloodworms, now he eats like a pig. I bought a new filter and installed it for him last night which seems to be working fine..for now. I just need step by step instructions on WHAT TO Do,…exactly with all details..not leaving one thing out..I still have quite a bit of room temperature aged water sitting around (including the huge jug I bought of “pretreated” water) so if I could get him out of the tank completely into clean fresh water (that’s dechlorinated) in his new 1gallon temp tank. I want to medicate him but don’t know how or how much and with his type of water (ammonia being high and temp really low with a PH of 7 and nitrates/nitrites seem average. Should I just mix half of the pretreated store bought water with half of his tank water in the 1 gallon temp tank, add conditioner (how much?) and then add him to the gallon bowl with the meds…do I put him in first and introduce the med slowly/gradually or do I mix it all up and then put him in it? What if the water does match what he is in now?How do I fix this? Hes still surviving and I want to make him better!


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## sgoheen08 (May 12, 2010)

I am in need to save my betta! When you say 100% water change, does that mean I place betta in a temp tank while I clean his tank and add conditioner to it with the correct temp and then put him back in the tank after I am done? This is what I have always done but I just want to make sure this is correct. Would you recommend I go ahead with the maracide? I have now realized that the color of his coat is now a copper color and am scared this is velvet. Or even ich as he has a cottony white patch just under his eye.

I just tested my tap water and it has an amonia level of 1.
I tested my bottled water and it has a level of 0.
Either way, I think it is safer than the level 4 that I am getting currently in his 1.5 gal tank.

Will this (shifting from amonia levels like that) put him in shock?
Also I noticed my Kh levels are 50 in his tank but 0 in the temp tank i am trying to put him in.
the ph matches in both, the temperatures match in both.
the nitrite and nitrate is slightly different in the temp tank as it is at 0.

I forgot to mention that after giving him the salt dunk, the next day he had a looong string of brown stuff coming out of his anal fin area...is this parasites or him just being "unsconstipated"? i have suspected he may be.. 

Right now, I just need to know what to do to help him at this point since his ammonia is so high and his ph is so different from the water that i "prepare" for him. "prepare" as in using filtered water with betta conditioner that has aged for 2 or 3 days with the same temp as his tank.

Can I put him in a new tank entirely so I can clean out his big tank and start over with that one? Or will it shock him to go into a clean tank since he has acclimated to this high ammonia one?

Also, I want to get a new heater (the 2-5 gallon one) because it has a set temp of 78 degrees but am scared that because I have a 1.5gallon that it will overheat his acrylic tank...The one i have now is the 1-3 gallon one and it doesnt have a set temp, it just keeps heating and heating and I have to remember to shut it off which is BAD for me since yesterday I forgot to shut it off before I went to work and it was on for 4 hours and his temperature raised from 72-78 until I came home on my lunch break and unplugged it. He was still laying in the same spot but he actually came out to eat and was swimming up top and is now behind his filter (he likes to rest right between the two suction cups) which is close to the top..he just seems depressed..I got a good picture of his spot below his eye and also of his belly area that looks splattered with white paint. He is a red betta but his color is pale, almost looks copperish. The only sprinkled dots I see on him is tiny ones on his fins. I can see a mucous coating on his skin..

The day before, I came home to him having this long brown thing coming from his anal fin area. (Somthing I have never seen after having him for a year now) and since I have suspicions of him having SBD, after adding him to a salt bath--maybe this was him being "unconstipated"...worried me but he still is acting the same, lethargic..

Also, should I medicate him with the maracide or rid ich that I have? Should I go to petsmart for the 3rd time this week and pick up an antibiotic as well? How do I introduce the treatment to him? I would obviously have to move him to his temporary 1 gal glass tank but how should I do that and with his old water? or with part old, part new and then add medication and then add betta? Or add betta first and then introduce the med? This is the part I dont know about! He does not have those sprinkled dots all over his body..just on his fins and mouth area which is why I am stumped as to what this is..???

Newest pic:


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## sgoheen08 (May 12, 2010)

An update for today: I put betta in his temp tank and he seems to be doing just fine. He still looks the same as the picture as that was taken today. I stripped his 1.5gal tank down and cleaned it with hot water and rinsed and rinsed and scrubbed the sides with my tank scrubber. Added new water, conditioner,filter and heater back in (just rinsed the filter in the old tank water) He actually seems to be more active in this new temp tank and I am very hopeful for him..in the mean time..does anyone know what this disease could be with all the information provided?

SHould I medicate him? If so, with what? I will keep him in this temp tank for medicine but i have not decided whether or not I will medicate him..I dont want to stress him anymore. How do I get rid of that "stuff" on his body?


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## derpmeister (Jul 26, 2010)

Wow, that's a lot of reading haha. First of all, you did the right thing by moving him out of his old container. Any amount of ammonia in the water is harmful to your fish, especially in the long run. And yes, to do 100% water changes you temporarily take the betta out of his tank, empty out the tank, replace the water and then condition and get it to the right temperature. You said that your tap water has ammonia in it-- the conditioner "Stress Coat" removes ammonia as well as chlorine/chloramine from your tap water and can be found at most pet stores.

Okay, it sounds to me like your betta has some sort of ich or fungal infection-- the white color gives it away. If you think it's velvet, shine a flash light on your betta and you should be able to easily see the gold dust if is velvet. 

I think that the brown stuff you saw was poop, which is good because you said he was bloated earlier and he's getting it out.

With any disease, especially ich, you want to keep the water as warm as you can, about in the 80-82 degree range. It speeds up the life cycle of the parasites and helps your betta fight them.

I don't have any experience with Maracide, but from looking online it says it treats ich as well as velvet... usually I don't recommend medicating but in your betta's case it might be necessary. Medicine is hard on the fish but it can also save their life.

I'm sure someone more experienced than me will post soon. I just wanted to respond because nobody else has yet. :|


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## FireKidomaru (Jan 24, 2010)

hmmmm....this sounds like a job for oldfishlady....maybe pm her or contact her


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## sgoheen08 (May 12, 2010)

Just trying to be as thorough and detailed as possible! Thanks for the reply.


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## sgoheen08 (May 12, 2010)

derpmeister said:


> Wow, that's a lot of reading haha. First of all, you did the right thing by moving him out of his old container. Any amount of ammonia in the water is harmful to your fish, especially in the long run. And yes, to do 100% water changes you temporarily take the betta out of his tank, empty out the tank, replace the water and then condition and get it to the right temperature. You said that your tap water has ammonia in it-- the conditioner "Stress Coat" removes ammonia as well as chlorine/chloramine from your tap water and can be found at most pet stores.
> 
> Okay, it sounds to me like your betta has some sort of ich or fungal infection-- the white color gives it away. If you think it's velvet, shine a flash light on your betta and you should be able to easily see the gold dust if is velvet.
> 
> ...


I will try the stress coat to lower ammonia in tap. The picture provided was of me shining a flashlight on him and taking a picture. I flashlight him probably everyday now just seeing if things are getting better or worse. The stuff on his belly is not raised (almost looks like it may be just his skin from old age or something) and it looks like silvery/whitish color. He only has one raised white dot, just below his eye (you can see it in the pic) and then he has a very pale color to his entire body except his mouth/gill area. he also has a silvery ouline around his eyes (this and the white dot has appeared within the last 3 weeks.) I dont see any "dust" on him when I shine the flashlight, just a few specs of "lint" on his two tiny front fins. Somone from another forum said this different coat color is maybe a slimy coat from all of the ammonia he has been exposed to and that it should come back full on with clean water. I am really hoping this is the case! Thanks for the replies!!


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## sgoheen08 (May 12, 2010)

It has been 5 days now. I got his tank temperature up to 78 over the weekend. Yesterday when I came home, the tank was heated to 82.7!! Umm, I tested it and watched it and it never went that high until yesterday! I turned it off at that point (which was before I went to sleep) I woke up to his temperature at 71.8! This fluctuation of temperature is going to kill him! I dont know what to do..he is still laying on the bottom of the tank breathing. His "cotton dot" under his eye is lightening up in color (isnt as noticeable). His coat color is still that pale copper color but it has brightened just a tad. He has been eating ever since I started him on bloodworms months ago. I feed him the frozen bloodworms (NOT freeze dried). I also have the packets of bloodworms in a nutrient rich gel which I feed to him if I dont have time to thaw out his frozen. The outlining is still around his eyes. He seemed to be moving around ALOT yesterday (going up to the surface alot) and this was when his temp was at 81. I thought this heater was supposed to stop after 78 degrees?! Thats not the case..and maybe its because I have it in a 1 gallon jar? Maybe if it was his 1.5 gallon tank, it would stay lower than 80. Question..how often do fish poop? Since putting him in this tank 5 days ago, he has not pooped at all. There is no debris of anything at the bottom...I think I mite try the blanched pea thing..but I have before and he didnt ever try to eat them cuz they just sink..I dont know what else to do..the "fungus" or whatever he has is still there. Any suggestions?!


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

I think turning the heater off is a bad thing. Bettas can handle temps of 85. Two of mine live at 82 all the time. It seems from all you're describing that he's more active when his temp is up. It's more stress for him to be going from 71 to 81 and then back down again. When he's not properly heated his metabolism slows down which leads to bloating. I'm not sure but I think the kind of heater you have raises the temp of the tank to a couple degrees above your room temp, so it's dependent on the temp of your house as well. I could be wrong, only you know that for sure. As long as your house isn't going above the 80's he should be okay with the heater on all the time. You should still monitor the temp to be sure it doesn't go over 85.

If you can't get him to eat the pea, get frozen daphnia from the fish store. If they don't have daphnia you can try frozen mysis shrimp. Just don't make a habit of the mysis. They're very fatty but also have a lot of fiber.

If you're using water conditioner, you shouldn't have to let the water sit out. All my tanks are heated and I just match the tap water temp to the tank temp (within 1 or 2 degrees) when I do a water change. I use Prime water conditioner which removes ammonia from tap water too. I wait maybe 15 minutes, sometimes less, before adding the new water. This is really just to let the conditioner disperse (in my mind) and probably isn't necessary.  Anyway, using water that's the same temp he was coming from makes things easier for you and less stress for him.

I hope this helps. I'm not familiar with fungus or anything of that nature.


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## sgoheen08 (May 12, 2010)

Well, I was going to put him back in his 1.5gal tank lastnight but I shined a flashlight on him to check on him and noticed something different, something I was afraid of all along! Betta now has this "dusting" that everyone describes for velvet. The dusting literally looks like glitter all over his body! So now ALL of his symptoms and with the very detailed history strongly points to velvet. I seriously thought I was just seeing things because I have not noticed this glitter dusting this entire time (maybe it just now appeared) but nope, I had someone else look at him too. I also noticed a shiny copper mark on his gill, and is actually on the other gill too. 

So he has the copper dusting on his body and gills, he is lethargic STILL after 6 days of fresh clean water, he barely moves from the bottom, he "flashes" up against decor, rocks,etc and his whole coat is PALE, he has been eating (he just cant resist the bloodworms) but I havent fed him for 2 days now because we are fasting to get him to poop since he hasnt pooped the entire time in his hospital tank. He swims at different angles, sideways, upsidedown, vertical as I think he has SBD as well.

I immediately turned up his heater a degree or two and added a drop of maracide. The instructions say 2 capfulls per 10 gallons but I have a 1 gallon tank that he is in currently so thats why I did just a drop (it was like a drop and a half) I dont want to undermedicate so I was wondering if this amount was correct. It also says treat on days 1,3, and 5. After day 5-should I keep him in the hospital tank for a few more days until I see no signs? I just want to make sure i am doing everything right.

I took some pics yesterday and this morning to try and catch the "glitter" but that didnt work very well but I did happen to get a few good pics of him--another thing that worries me is the whitish slimy stuff around his mouth, chin, and gill area..it leads to the white dot right under his eye. His eyes have this outline of silvery shiny stuff and was wondering if that was velvet as well..Here are the pics:

Closeup of his face with the slimy white stuff on his chin, gill, mouth area:









This next one, is a good one of the gold rust on his gill:









Another closeup of his face and belly:









Another closeup of his face and belly:


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

You can leave him in the hospital tank for a couple days after to monitor. Just make sure to do a good water change after the meds are done. 

If it's one ml per gallon (and I _think_ it is but check the bottle and make sure) then one and a half drops isn't enough. One thread on the lid is one ml. It's something like 15-20 drops. I have an ml syringe that I use and I just counted it out. It's probably easier to use 1 thread on the lid.


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## sgoheen08 (May 12, 2010)

vaygirl said:


> You can leave him in the hospital tank for a couple days after to monitor. Just make sure to do a good water change after the meds are done.
> 
> If it's one ml per gallon (and I _think_ it is but check the bottle and make sure) then one and a half drops isn't enough. One thread on the lid is one ml. It's something like 15-20 drops. I have an ml syringe that I use and I just counted it out. It's probably easier to use 1 thread on the lid.


Well the bottle only reads 2 capfulls per 10gallons...(Not very helpful)--my boyfriend did the math and said I would need 1/10 of the capfull which seemed like just a drop or two eyeing it..It didnt turn his water blue at all..not sure if it is supposed to though..Maybe what he calculated was for just one capful..agh..IDK.. And when you say "good" water change, does that mean a complete 100% water change? Or just 50%? Also, while I am medicating-should I change the water 25% daily? or just do that on the days that I give him the medicine?

Thanks for all your help! I just really want to save him, he is such a trooper!


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

Most caps are 5ml but I could be wrong. It would be helpful if they gave you the ml dosage on the bottle but I guess they left that bit out. How big is the bottle? And is the lid the same diameter as a quarter?

You could try going to the company website and looking at the FAQ or even mailing someone there to find out the proper dosage for a 1 gallon.


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## sgoheen08 (May 12, 2010)

vaygirl said:


> Most caps are 5ml but I could be wrong. It would be helpful if they gave you the ml dosage on the bottle but I guess they left that bit out. How big is the bottle? And is the lid the same diameter as a quarter?
> 
> You could try going to the company website and looking at the FAQ or even mailing someone there to find out the proper dosage for a 1 gallon.


Ok, I totally missed the parenthesis that it had after 2 capfuls. So the bottle reads: treat with 2 capfuls (10mL) per 10 gallons. 

yes the cap is the same diameter as a quarter.

So I should give him 1mL per gallon. Duh! This is what his water conditioner says too! I should have known..but since I have that all figured out, and since I dont have a mL measurer...I need to know how many teaspoons equals a mL (Ill figure this out hopefully through google). But if you know how many drops 1mL would be then that would save me some time..

So do you suggest me starting the medication days over since I didnt put much in? The amount I put in yesterday was basically a quarter of a teaspoon (i filled a 1/2 teaspoon halfway equalling a quarter of a teaspoon)


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## sgoheen08 (May 12, 2010)

The amount I put in yesterday was actually a half of a 1/4 teaspoon (i filled a 1/4 teaspoon halfway) which tells me it was almost the right amount because I should be giving him just under a 1/4 teaspoon since 1tsp=5mL and 1/2 tsp=2.5mL and a 1/4 tsp=1.25mL


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## Phoxly (Jun 14, 2010)

You definitely have a fighter on your hands, I'm surprised he has lasted so long, you are doing the right stuff though! I'm rooting for him.


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## sgoheen08 (May 12, 2010)

Phoxly said:


> You definitely have a fighter on your hands, I'm surprised he has lasted so long, you are doing the right stuff though! I'm rooting for him.


Thanks phoxly..He is such a trooper and he had to deal with an irresponsible owner (me) and I feel so bad for not knowing all the things I know now when I first got him. I feel like I did this to him and now I am trying everything possible to help him make it through this! If he doesnt pull through, I will be devastated becus I have grown sooo attached to him and hes pretty much all I think about now...im constantly worrying about him and I dont feel ok unless I am right next to him. 

I know I know its just a fish..but in my house, hes another family member as are all of my pets...lol


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

You were darn close, so I'd just continue what you're doing.  

And as for the water change, yeah, I'd do a full when the meds are done just to eliminate any ammonia. I don't think you're supposed to change the water during meds. It should say on the bottle whether you do or you don't. Sorry I can't be more help in that department. I've been lucky thus far with no sick fish. All my dosing info comes from using liquid fertilizer for my plants.


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## sgoheen08 (May 12, 2010)

vaygirl said:


> You were darn close, so I'd just continue what you're doing.
> 
> And as for the water change, yeah, I'd do a full when the meds are done just to eliminate any ammonia. I don't think you're supposed to change the water during meds. It should say on the bottle whether you do or you don't. Sorry I can't be more help in that department. I've been lucky thus far with no sick fish. All my dosing info comes from using liquid fertilizer for my plants.


No, you have been great...thank you soo much for all your helpful info!

The bottle says no water changes neccessary or temperature adjustments but I will continue to keep his tank at 79-80 degrees which his heater seems to be doing ok now..

I will continue his treatment..so tomorrow (day 3) I will add maracide again and also on Sunday (day 5) then should I continue to keep him in the medicated tank a couple days after? Or should I put him in his ready 1.5 gal tank once he is done with meds (day 7)?


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

It's really up to you. He might be more comfy in his home tank. Whichever you think would help him recover his mojo.


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## sgoheen08 (May 12, 2010)

Here is an update—we are on day 8 of the treatment process. I have given betta maracide on day 1, 3, and 5. I gave him a 50% water change on day 3 and added a half dose of maracide that day. He also ate a pea on day 3 and day 7. His stomach still looks bulgy a little and the fungus on his face is seeming to clear up a little..I still see the glitter specs on him and a few more tiny dots on his body. His activity is definitely improving, he actually flared his gills at me when I came home from my 24 hour trip this weekend which I think I have seen him do one other time before! Everytime I walk into the kitchen (his current home) he swims all around and goes to the top, gets some air, and then blows bubbles! Hes so silly and I am soo happy he is getting some energy back! 

But I am worried he either caught a second illness from his immune system being so low or if I even got rid of the velvet…Should I do a full water change now at this point or should I keep him in the medicated tank with a 50% water change? Should I keep medicating him? Restart? The dot just under his eye actually got a little bigger at one point but is now seeming to go down a bit more now..and his face area has still got the slimy white stuff in the crevices of his skin,etc.


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

I'd do a 100% water change and do the whole treatment again. I've read that you sometimes need more then one maracide treatment for velvet/ich. I'm glad he's perking up and his bloat is going down too.


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## betta99 (Aug 16, 2010)

good luck


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## sgoheen08 (May 12, 2010)

ok, I will give him a 100% water change and add the medicine for a restart of treatment Day 1 later tonight when I get home. Do you think I could treat with the Rid Ich + now or just repeat the maracide treatment? I have both medications which is why I ask..maybe Rid Ich is stronger than maracide for both ich and velvet? Just wondering..


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

Yeah, you can switch. It might work where Maracide didn't. Good luck!


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## sgoheen08 (May 12, 2010)

An update: I ended up restarting maracide treatment. The gold stuff on his gills has never ever been there until a couple of weeks ago. I have had him for over a year now and have never seen the gold glitter (specks) doused all over his body either until a couple of weeks ago and his whole coat is a palish color, almost like an orangey brown color (not the vibrant red I am used to). The last few days, though, his color seems to be not as pale, like it is getting better. I am really strongly leaning towards columnaris or that mouth fungus from the white stuff on his face. There is still only one raised dot below his eye..it has lightened a bit. 
Something happend last night that I am not sure if its what really happend: but I woke up yesterday to his tank being VERY cloudy, I mean you could barely see inside of it. I did a 25% water change because I literally just did a 100%water change the day before. I came home after work and decided it wasnt getting any better...I flashed a light on him to look at him closer and I was no longer seeing those glitter specks on his body.. I thought to myself, maybe the parasite had finally reached the free swimming stage and fell off his body and died in the medicated water which may be where the cloudy water was from? I really have nooo idea if this is the case but anyways I did a 100% full water change lastnight because the cloudiness was just bad and wasnt sure if my theory was totally true or if something just happend to drop in his tank.. He still had the white stuff on his face though, that hasnt really changed. I fed him his first serving of bloodworms since a week ago when i started the fasting and pea feeding. he loved them and accepted them happily. His swimming is definately alot better but still at times when he is stressed will float on his side..still not 100%...After doing the water change I flashed the light on him again and still do not see the glitter specks on his body anymore so i am really hoping they finally fell off and died in the medicated water! 
With his new waterchange after all of that, it had his 2nd dose of maracide treatment#2. I plan on dosing the 5th day still (sunday) and on Monday, put him in his regular 1.5 and give him a good break from any meds. i plan on keeping the water pristine clean at all times and my every other day feeding regimen with one day fasting and a pea to follow. After a week or so, I may add the antibacterial but if anyone has any suggestions on that, it would be appreciated.
Here are the most recent pics of Betta (took them an hour ago) :
Sideview 1:








Sideview 2:








Dot on his face closeup:








Striped coat? :








Face:








Another closeup of face:








And another:


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

His color looks really good. I'm not sure about the dot on his face. It's hard to tell from the pics what it is. Maybe there will be more of a change with that and the white on his face when he finishes his meds. I'm glad he seems to be overcoming the velvet at least.


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## sgoheen08 (May 12, 2010)

Ok, it is now day 6 of the 2nd treatment process. Gave him his last dose of maracide yesterday (day 5). Symptoms still similar to the last post I posted with the pics. he ate 1-2 bloodworms yesterday.

I plan on going to petsmart today after work and finally buying the 2.5 gal tank for him. I am also going to purchase an adjustable heater for the new tank.

I plan on setting up this new tank with fresh conditioned water, a new filter, a new heater tonight and see how the new heater does. After 24 hours of watching the heater, etc--I plan to add him to this new uncycled tank (considering he has never had a cycled tank before-were pretty much starting over). I plan on giving him a break from any meds for now and keeping a close eye on him for a few days. The reason for the rush of the new tank is because given the situation were in (no adjustable heater with inconsistent temps), I want to make sure his environment is as stable as possible while I am gone for 4 days. I leave Thursday afternoon and will be back Monday afternoon. I am scared to what I will come home to but am hoping everything will be fine..and if he is in a stable environment, I will feel less anxious about him. Any advice about my plan would be appreciated!!


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## sgoheen08 (May 12, 2010)

Update (since its been about a week) 
I got the new tank sat up as planned and betta was put in it and monitored. He seemed to be just fine. I think he actually swam around for the first 5 minutes..not sure if he was just adjusting or really enjoyed his new tank and was taking a look at everything. I have to say though, while monitoring the tank before I put him in, the new heater for the 3 gallon was heating my tank up to 85.7!!!!! I just dont understand these stupid heaters--it says right on the box that it is factory preset to 78 degrees!!! I didnt have the tank light on either! I decided to see what it did without the heater and to my surprise, using no heater actually keeps his tank at 77.5-78.5 consistently if I have the house temp on 74-75 degrees which worked perfectly. I left for my 4-day vacation and came back to a pretty happy betta. he was so happy to see me that he flared his gills at me  I love this when he does it as he never used to!
He seemed to be in good spirits and swimming around alot more than usual. BUUUUUT he still swims at an angle sometimes and he found a spot in the corner of the tank where he just sits at the bottom most of the time. I have fasted him over andover again and have given him peas and he still seems to have swim bladder issues after 6 months of these ongoing symptoms. His belly does not look swollen at all and am wondering if the damage is permanent after having it for so long!?
The white fungusy stuff is NOT going away, no change what so ever..I also noticed silvery saltsize specs speckled on his body and am wondering what that is!? I will take more pics of him tonight and post them later or tomorrow.
I was thinking about doing a treatment of Jungle Fungus Eliminator, is this the right thing to do? I heard it works wonders for those secondary bacterial infections they might catch while thier immune systems are low (like when he had velvet). Oh by the way, the rust color on his gills have diminished!! Please help me?!


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## fishman12 (Sep 1, 2010)

Great! It seems he is getting better!


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## sgoheen08 (May 12, 2010)

Forgot to mention the main reason why I want to use jungle fungus eliminator..he has a MAJOR case of fin rot..they are raggedy, ripped, and now i can see places where it is just dissappearing..but i also want to use it for the white fungussy fuzzy stuff all over his face/gills, chin,etc--would this be ok? Any suggestions..He is improving but definately is still sick...


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

He must be one heck of a fighter to go this long and be sick.

Those specks, if he still has them, sound like ich. You can google it.

If he does have ich, that fuzzy stuff might be a build up of slime coat and not a fungus. Is there any way you can get a clearer picture using a flash?


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## sgoheen08 (May 12, 2010)

Here are updated pics from this morning.
Body specs and shredded tail:










FUll body with good view of belly--seem swollen? :


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

I don't really see anything that looks like ich. It's so hard with a pic. He actually looks alright to me. BUT google ich images and take a look for yourself. We have to rely on a picture and description, which can be challenging. But honestly, his color looks good. He does still look a little bloated. It's possible he just has a swim bladder disorder and is prone to bloating. One of my fish (Kilo) is also prone to bloating so he gets frozen bloodworms now instead of pellets. A pellet will bloat him up right away. 

The fuzz on his chin I'm just not sure about. I don't see it at all in the pic. You could try the Jungle Fungus stuff but at this point I'd worry about over-medicating him. It could be that clean water, a change in diet and less bloat might clear him up. It's your call.


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## sgoheen08 (May 12, 2010)

vaygirl said:


> I don't really see anything that looks like ich. It's so hard with a pic. He actually looks alright to me. BUT google ich images and take a look for yourself. We have to rely on a picture and description, which can be challenging. But honestly, his color looks good. He does still look a little bloated. It's possible he just has a swim bladder disorder and is prone to bloating. One of my fish (Kilo) is also prone to bloating so he gets frozen bloodworms now instead of pellets. A pellet will bloat him up right away.
> 
> The fuzz on his chin I'm just not sure about. I don't see it at all in the pic. You could try the Jungle Fungus stuff but at this point I'd worry about over-medicating him. It could be that clean water, a change in diet and less bloat might clear him up. It's your call.


Just an recap of everything and an update: 
I feed him 2-3 bloodworms on Mondays, 2-3 tiny dried brine shrimp on Wednesdays, 2-3 blood worms on Fridays, and a tiny piece of pea on Sundays that is less than the shape of his eye. <--This schedule, however, was not always the case until I actually researched it a couple of months ago. he used to get 3-5 pellets a day and at that time my boyfirend and I would both sometimes feed him that amount on accident cuz we didnt know the other did (so it was sometimes 6-10 pellets YIKES!). I told him to STOP and that I would handle all the feeding after finding out that pellets are extremely bad for bettas, especially if you dont presoak them before feeding them and especially if you feed him too many. My betta actually, at one point, stopped eating the pellets which prompted me to completely change his eating regimen after studying bettas. He has never swam right since.
He definately does not have dropsy as he has no symptoms of that. A different person on a different forum said that my betta's belly "looks" normal and that he could possibly have permanant swim bladder problems since he remains to swim sideways. The last few days, it hasnt been too bad and actually looks like he is swimming ALOT better. I have no idea how much he poops because I have never seen it in his tank (maybe the filter sucks it up before I see it or he eats it?). I did give him an aquarisol/water mixture bath for like 15minutes one time and the next day, I came home to a VERY LONG string coming out of his anal fin area..that was the first time Id actually ever seen him poop and that was about a month or so ago.. I have had him for a year and 2.5 months altogether now but my sister had him for about a year before that..
His white fungusy stuff on his face has almost completely diminished, including the raised white dot under his eye. His coat is still a little pale and has red streaks and his fins are getting a tiny bit better but not much. His last dose of maracide was over 2 weeks ago-and that was his second treatment of it, one right after the other. He no longer has gold rusty spots on his gills or other areas but he does have salt size specs now, which actually werent there until about a week or 2 ago. I want to wait til monday to actually order the JFE and see if that helps him any...


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## sgoheen08 (May 12, 2010)

I am waiting for the JFE to arrive but he seems to be soo much better already..it looks like his fins may be healing but still very slowly. He also still has a slight spot where the dot under his eye was. He also has a new open type wound on his side..just came up about a few days ago and I also noticed another raised cottony spot on his other side. they are both small so I am hoping the jfe helps..if not, I will trea for ich with rid ich. here are some new pictures:


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