Help! - Grey patch skin peeling off head, white tipped fins with grey floss on ends!

[k2ofcu]

This is a continuation of the thread: HELP-Acute agitation/distended belly/listing sideways- Fred

He is presently in 1 quart heated hospital tank with decaf green tea & 2 tsp/gallon Epsom salts.

However, he now has a gray patch of skin peeling off his head, and the tips of his fins are white with greyish floss on them.

Is this part of the process of being in Epsom salts? or does he have fin rot, or....?

Kindly please help- will run off to get abxs (antibiotics) if needed, but need to know what to get, & the pet fish store closes at 7 pm CT! (& I work Sat & Sun 930am-630pm, so might not be able to get to pet fish store if hours don't coincide!)

[k2ofcu]

Update- just did a 100% water change (have been doing daily ones, but saw stringy stuff in the water so figured it couldn't hurt to change it to get rid of the stringy stuff and give him fresh solution for healing.

It also seems like that patch has lifted off his head (which is another reason why I wanted to change out the water).

He is still eating (albeit he's only getting 1/2 meals 2 x day), and is rigorous when you move a finger past the glass. He is presently resting on his betta hammock (was resting a bit on the bottom, but that might be because the new water might be slightly cooler than the prior water in the hospital tank (though it's equilibrating now)).

To prevent temperature issues: For future water changes (tomorrow)- I'm going to take a ziplock quart bag, fill it with the new water, and float it in the hospital tank (so that it comes to the same temperature) for 15-30 minutes before the water change.
It might not make a huge difference: We keep the house pretty warm (75-76F) as is, and the tank is 78-80F, but if it helps little Fred....

[Oldfishlady]

Its not uncommon to see more slime produced by the fish with use of salts...its normal and expected...sometimes you can see string coming off the tips of the fins as they slough off and make new slime coat...the grey patch...not sure....as long as he is still acting okay and responsive I wouldn't worry too much....

[k2ofcu]

Originally Posted by Oldfishlady

Its not uncommon to see more slime produced by the fish with use of salts...its normal and expected...sometimes you can see string coming off the tips of the fins as they slough off and make new slime coat...the grey patch...not sure....as long as he is still acting okay and responsive I wouldn't worry too much....

PUBLIC DECLARATION OF AWESOMENESS AWARD FOR OLDFISHLADY!

who has been so kind in assuaging my fears in forums and in private messages about dear Fred!

Yep, am seeing sloughing off (though the white tips are disconcerting)..... am much less anxious now (thank you!!).
Fred, through all of this, has been pretty plucky and feisty- it's like he's humoring me with all these ministrations and worries....but that's what we do for our 'finkids'!!

THANKS again!

[Thunderloon]

Watch the white closely and let us know if the fins start to shorten any or you get white patches on the main flesh or what looks like fine gray hair hanging off anywhere.

[k2ofcu]

Originally Posted by Thunderloon

Watch the white closely and let us know if the fins start to shorten any or you get white patches on the main flesh or what looks like fine gray hair hanging off anywhere.

Will do!
Update- the patch came off (couldn't find it in the water, but there was stringy stuff in the water). The stringy stuff seemed to be off the fins, too.

Because I just couldn't stand having him in the same water with that stuff, I did do a 100% water change (it's just a quart so not a huge deal), and he seems better. I don't see the stringy stuff on the fins anymore (but it was ugly and disturbing when it lasted!) (crossed fingers that it's over!)

In the process of the water change, I did see a bit of it on his betta hammock- I lifted it with a Qtip & examined it. It looks mucosal in texture, & was yellowish. However, he was in a green tea tannin solution, so I'm not going to over-interpret the color (ie: would ordinarily ascribe yellow mucus to infection process, but not necessarily so given the tea matrix).

Again, I'm seeing white tips (no damage, just color change) on his (largest) ventral fin, and on the rostral aspect of his dorsal fin.
I am also wondering if this is a case of sloughing off of the slime layer (as suggested by OFL - hope I'm paraphrasing correctly, with apologies if not!).

Did another water change today (day 5 of 2tsp/gallon Epsom salt regiment) and fed him lightly. He rests contentedly on his hammock, comes forward with cognitive stimulation (take top off tank, turn on lights, etc. and is otherwise BAR (bright/alert/responsive).

Will keep everyone posted!