Please help...

[Sprinkles55]

The betta that I've loved for this entire year has suddenly deteriorated within the past 24 hours. He was okay this morning - ate his two pellets for breakfast and swam fine. But seeing him tonight was nothing normal. I can't even get good pictures which is upsetting because I know it'd help

Housing
What size is your tank? 10gal
What temperature is your tank? 76
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? 2 ADFS and some MTS because he lives in a NPT.

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? omega one pellets
How often do you feed your betta fish? 2 pellets every morning and every night

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change?
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 25-50%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Start right something

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

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

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? His fins have rotted very fast. He looked normal yesterday. some gray pieces I've noticed at the ends. He's breathing hard. his head is faced down, fins upward.
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? very lethargic...won't eat. won't go after blood worms. nothing.
When did you start noticing the symptoms? today when i got home
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? Put him in a 1 gallon bowl with new water and a heater. he just sinks to the bottom...
Does your fish have any history of being ill? no...
How old is your fish (approximately)? a year.

i don't know what to do and I'm already crying because he can't even swim up for air. I keep helping him and it's hard watching him like this because he's the whole reason I've come to love fish keeping and everything. He's been my friend to talk to when no one else was. I don't know what caused this. I've been doing water changes a lot because i started a NPT a week ago. He's looked very happy but today has been completely different...the adfs are acting normal...

[Sprinkles55]

I was too late, I guess...
I don't know what caused this but he'll forever be the best betta I've ever had. RIP, Sprinkles. ;____;

[LittleBlueFishlets]

I'm sorry....

Did the gray parts of his fins look like the picture in this thread (on the 1st post), and did his symptoms match the ones that are listed?
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=90086

[Sprinkles55]

Originally Posted by LittleBlueFishlets

I'm sorry....

Did the gray parts of his fins look like the picture in this thread (on the 1st post), and did his symptoms match the ones that are listed?
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=90086

It did yes, but it wasn't all the way to his body on his anal fin. He died when it was about halfway through his anal. The top fin was all gray though... He was a crowntail, blue body and a red tail like the pictures I have...devastating.

He was normal in the morning. It progressed and killed him 13 hours later
Thank you for the condolences.

[MyRainbowBettaFish]

im so sorry! Myabe its the mystery disease?

[rubinthebetta]

Sprinkles55, in that thread didn't Sakura suggest sending the body in for examination?

[Sprinkles55]

Originally Posted by MyRainbowBettaFish

im so sorry! Myabe its the mystery disease?

Originally Posted by rubinthebetta

Sprinkles55, in that thread didn't Sakura suggest sending the body in for examination?

It might have been. It's already too late to send the body in though, sadly. I put him in baggies within a small box and buried him outside. >___<;

[Perseusmom]

I am so very sorry...Hugs !!!

[LittleBlueFishlets]

It's no longer necessary to send the body in for examination. The "mystery disease" has been identified as a Mycobacterial infection.

If you read the thread starting around page 61 or so, look for the posts by Coppermoon. She sent her fish in for analysis, and the lab identified the disease as Mycobacteria.... Later on in the thread, Basement Bettas also reported that her fish were sent to a lab, and had the same results (Mycobacteria).

I'm not saying that Sprinkles had this. But the symptoms sounded similar to the ones described in the thread, which is why I mentioned the thread..... Unfortunately, the only way to know for sure if it was Mycobacterium is to send the body to a lab for analysis. And that's a costly proposition....

[rubinthebetta]

Oh. Well, umm...SIP, Sprinkles.