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Help! Trying to save a male betta

2K views 49 replies 10 participants last post by  headerthebettalover 
#1 ·
I just got a betta fish at WlaMart. I bought him knowing he is not well. I am pretty sure he has a fungal infection but I am not sure what else. He is laying on his side and struggle (and makes it) up to get air. I bought him a new tank so he is away from my other bettas.

I bought him because I knew no one else would and he would just lie there and die. I thought maybe I could give him a chance if I treated him.

He is in his new tank with just enough water (it is a square tank so there is volume) so that he could reach his head up for air without having to struggle. Just did this so if I need to change this I can pretty fast. I got some fungal medication and put in just a little because of the level of the water. Added stress coat and of course the water conditioning before I put him in.

I tried to let him adjust to the water temp by sticking his container in the water first, but I didnt leave him long as there were lots of fungal cotton stuff in that stupid little container.

He does seem a little more active since I tried to treat him and he doesnt have to waste all his energy getting air. Its hard to explain and maybe its just because I wish it to be so.

Is there any way he might pull through? I can post photos if you need to see his condition. Is there anything else I can try to help him????:oops:
 
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#33 ·
Hi there. The poor guy. I'm glad you were able to take him so he doesn't have to suffer there on a lousy Walmart shelf.

Looks like shedding slime coat and probably columnaris which mimics a fungus because of all that fuzzy stuff. The only true fungus we regularly encounter in our aquarium fish is saprolegnia and he definitely doesn't have that.

Most likely his real problem is internal. :( The med you want to get right away is API Furan-2 to treat the external columnaris (it's at Petsmart). If he hangs in there, the other med you'll need is Seachem Kanaplex which unfortunately usually has to be ordered online (try www.drsfostersmith.com). Kanaplex is absorbed through the gills and skin and will treat the internal infection, which Furan-2 won't. I'd also put him into 2-3 tsps of epsom salt per gallon to help keep fluids from building up in his system.

I will be honest because I don't want you to get your hopes up: his chances of survival are pretty low because of the way he's just laying there. :( But you are an absolute angel to try to save him and at the very least, he will get to spend the remainder of his life in clean, warm water with someone who cares about him.

Good luck with the little guy and keep me updated.
 
#35 ·
Hi there. The poor guy. I'm glad you were able to take him so he doesn't have to suffer there on a lousy Walmart shelf.

Looks like shedding slime coat and probably columnaris which mimics a fungus because of all that fuzzy stuff. The only true fungus we regularly encounter in our aquarium fish is saprolegnia and he definitely doesn't have that.

Most likely his real problem is internal. :( The med you want to get right away is API Furan-2 to treat the external columnaris (it's at Petsmart). If he hangs in there, the other med you'll need is Seachem Kanaplex which unfortunately usually has to be ordered online (try www.drsfostersmith.com). Kanaplex is absorbed through the gills and skin and will treat the internal infection, which Furan-2 won't. I'd also put him into 2-3 tsps of epsom salt per gallon to help keep fluids from building up in his system.

I will be honest because I don't want you to get your hopes up: his chances of survival are pretty low because of the way he's just laying there. :( But you are an absolute angel to try to save him and at the very least, he will get to spend the remainder of his life in clean, warm water with someone who cares about him.

Good luck with the little guy and keep me updated.
Thank you so much for your reply. I wont be able to get him medications until tomorrow. Should I just change the water thats in there with the fungal stuff? I take it without the meds, he is pretty much a goner. I appreciate you being straightforward with that. With the meds it doesnt look good either. I will certainly try though!
 
#36 ·
The stuff he's shedding is probably excess slime coat. When a fish gets sick, his slime coat is his first defense against infection so he goes into overtime producing it. It won't hurt him to be in water with it but if you want to change the water and it doesn't stress him out too much then that's fine too. Otherwise, if he looks like it'll stress him out, it's best to leave him.

Poor guy, such a pretty color too.

I'd say if he lasts the night without meds, his chances of pulling through go up. It'll mean he's got some fight in him still. He probably won't eat anything, will he? If he'll eat, that's even better. Try bloodworms if you have them.
 
#43 ·
I'm sorry. You gave him the best and most dignified end a fish could hope for. Far better than rotting at Walmart.

Unless you feed live bloodworms, there's no chance a fish could get internal parasites from bloodworms. Frozen and freeze-dried worms go through a rigorous sterilization process before hitting the market.
 
#44 ·
Well, took the fish back and got another in exchange. The rest looked pretty healthy so I took one that looked the most like my little fish. I scrub everything down enough I though I was going to leave marks. Set the tank up and new fish is still in his plastic bowl getting used to the temp change. I've conditioned the water and added some stress coat. This is not a fantail like my first one, he seems to have solid fins with a space between the top part and the bottom part. I will have to look him up and see what kind he is.

Thanks again everyone for your help. As in the skinny pig community you all are ready to help anyone with questions and offer support. I am glad I found this site. I will start new tread to post photos of the new guy.

Diana
 
#46 ·
Oh yeah, took a scrub brush and antibacterial soap to it. Scrubed it for about 5 minutes then soaked it in the hotest water we have which is up in the 120s I think, we really love hot showers, specially in the winter. I just need to get a biobag and heater for him and hes gonna be fat and happy like my other two! :-D
 
#49 ·
i am so thankful that there are people out there trying to save bettas. you have a heart to want to try and save him. most people would have just picked a different betta and let him suffer and die. so good job:) im not an expert but i believe it looks like fungus. if you have a petsmart in town, you can take him there and have someone look at him for a more expirenced answer. hope this helps!
 
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