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Help!!!

506 views 4 replies 2 participants last post by  Fawnleaf 
#1 ·
Cody's REALLY sick!!

I don't get it!!! He has been bloated for weeks, I've fasted him for 3 days at a time and given him one pellet on the third day. He bloats right up again and starts floating to the top of the water!!! Now, he is on his side, breathing heavily. I believe this is SBD.

Also, he has started tail biting. Like, bad. Most of his tail is gone and his pectoral fin has a bite out of it with red dots (I assume it is blood).

I don't know what to do! I none of my other fish are sick, and they get the exact same thing as he does!! He has had 0 changes in his environment since 2 months ago (or longer).

The only thing I can think of is it could be parasites, although I don't know how he got it. He is a petstore betta, so that could be it. If so, how do I treat them??

Environment:

3 gallon tank
stable 79 degrees F
White, delta male
He was fine up until a few weeks ago
Water Changes: 100% saturdays 75% wednesdays
feeding: used to be 3 pellets per day
now it is 1 pellet every 3 days (because he bloats everytime i give him food) (what should I be feeding him now? because I don't know how to handle bloating. if he bloats, should I still feed him anyways?)
 
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#2 ·
I would start a 10 day Epsom salt treatment on him.

Put him in a small QT container that can be floated in the heated tank (attached to the side so it doesn't sink)
Get a clean 1gal jug and fill with dechlorinated water of like temp and add 1tsp/gal Epsom salt(Not aquarium salt) use this water for 100% daily water changes for 2 days-then increase the Epsom salt 2tsp/gal and continue the 100% daily water changes with this water for 7 more days-pre mixing the treatment water will help make water changes and correct dosage easier

Hold all food for the first 3 days and then offer half feeding twice a day during treatment

Maintain water temp in the 76-78F range

You can also add tannins to the Epsom salt treatment water from either-naturally dried and fallen from the tree Oak leaf (10-12 crushed/gal) or Indian almond leaf or blackwater extract or decaf green tea-let one of these steep in the treatment water for at least 1 hour before use-the longer it steeps the more tannins released the dark the water the more the Betta will like it...shake well before use

Make sure the pre-mix treatment water is within a couple of degree in temp between the QT water-so not to cause temp shock problems.

Covering the top of the QT container with plastic veggie wrap will also help by keeping the air above the water warm and humid for the labyrinth organ.
 
#3 ·
wow! Thank you so much! Is it parasites, or something else?
 
#4 ·
Hard to say what it is.....fish respond to things differently-so you can't compare them to each other......illness can be due to genetic factors, age, how they had been housed/raised at the fish farm or breeders, how long kept in poor conditions at the pet shop...etc......when you have bloating issues with other symptom like floating, sinking, lethargic, fin issue...it can be from kidney damage, internal parasite, bacterial, viral or it could be related to the swim bladder or labyrinth organ....with fish...it a guessing game or best guess and treatment of the symptoms you can see....sometimes no matter what you do the fish will not recover....fast treatment is the best and often the fish will not show signs until it is too late....
 
#5 ·
... oh. Now I'm all depressed! Right now, though, Cody is looking better. for some reason, he isn't floating anymore... but I think his fins are bothering him. Huh... oh well. He's the cutest little guy, I will make sure he pulls through.
 
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