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IMPORANT: Watch For These Disease Signs

220K views 593 replies 187 participants last post by  End Balkanization WLM 
#1 ·
I wish to spread awareness about a disease that has struck several times in the recent months. It moves very, very, very fast, often killing within 12-24 hours. Nothing is known about this disease except that it is a bacterial disease that causes rapid and acute tissue necropsy and that it seems to strike blue bettas in particular. Several people are working on identifying this disease, including veterinary student DarkMoon17, but WE NEED YOUR HELP.

If you have a betta who develops the following symptoms or dies, please DO NOT DISPOSE OF THE BODY. It is very important that we have a body to send in for a necropsy. Several people have volunteered to take the bodies to local universities or veterinary clinics near them. All we need you to do is save the body and contact DarkMoon17 or me immediately.

The symptoms of this disease are:

* graphite gray or near black tissue necropsy that spreads from the bottom of the fins upward to the body within hours
* sudden loss of mobility as the swim bladder is affected
* death or conditions so severe that they require euthanasia within 12-24 hours, occasionally as long as 36 hours

The betta will look something like this:
Blue Feather Organism Fish Tail


There have been speculations about what it is, including suggestions that it is an acute strain of columnaris, but NOTHING IS KNOWN FOR CERTAIN. PLEASE DO NOT post speculations about what this disease may be unless you have been able to identify the disease through lab work. Such speculations only cause aggressive debate.

Any and all cooperation is much appreciated as we work to identify this disease so we can figure out a way to combat it. Thank you very much.
 
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#27 ·
I hope people don't just look at a sick fish and automatically assume the worst. :/ I don't like posting in this thread because I feel like I'm perpetuating something. It's like getting chicken pox and the doctor thinks it's smallpox.

At the same time, though, I didn't think my fish would get something like this, and I didn't even know what was killing them until Phaistos died and then the very last one get sick. I still don't know what killed the rest of them.

The guppies were only in my tank for a day and a half. On a weird note, I found the last missing guppy buried underneath plants and gravel when I broke my tank down yesterday. It was the most horrible, lumpy gray thing I had ever seen. I didn't recognize it as a fish. :/ I won't describe it (too disgusting >.>) but I'm fairly sure it had at least something to do with the gray necrosis that killed Erasmos and Phaistos, if it wasn't the same thing. Maybe it took advantage of the dead body after the fish had died though? Like I've said, I can't be certain.

Just... new fish owners, please don't assume the worst about your fish. :c It's sad that we would have to see a disease like this at all, but it seems pretty rare.
 
#28 ·
Erin, to address your concerns: this thread is for people to read about the symptoms of this disease and to report any possible cases.

This thread is not to scare people away from keeping and loving blue/teal/red bettas.

Just to reiterate, anyone who has a betta who has exhibited similar symptoms to this disease is asked to notify me or DarkMoon17, especially if there is a possibility the betta can be submitted for tissue sampling. We would like to find out the exact cause of this disease so we know how best to treat and/or prevent it.
 
#29 ·
Rainbow

Rainbow, my mostly blue, green, and teal betta (although he also had a black face, red in his fins some purple and white at the very tip of his front bottom fins) passed on sometime in the night. Yesterday morning he was fine and chipper. Then when I came home from work he was hiding in his coral reaf hidey hole and only came up for air. I noticed his face was covered in white stuff and his eyes were glassy. His back fin mainly was deteriorating and all his fins had a dark grey/graphitey look to them. It got worse over the nest few hours and he started getting really slow and lethargic as well as just letting the current carry him around. I tried treating him with some fungus clear stuff (that said it was also for fin rot and cloudy eyes and everything else he appeared to have) but that obviously didn't help. I simply thought that he and one of the new African Dwarf Frogs that I just got (who was dead upon my arrival home) got into a fight and the frog beat him up pretty bad. But I researched all over and found nothing at all about it and so finally asked on yahoo answers. Someone posted and suggested this malicious disease/thing might be the culprit. They were right, I came here and looked around and he most definitely had whatever this crap is. It killed him in about 12 hours I'd imagine. I'm horrified. He was the first Betta I've ever had (first fish too but I've had him since November) And I've tried so hard to be good for the little guy. Now... he's gone.

I'd like to donate his body so that we can find out what is killing all these babies. I am very upset and angry and a lot of other things. I really loved that fish :/ Should I call up veterinary clinics in my area and see what they can do? Should I send his poor little eaten body to this Darkmoon person I've been hearing so much about? I'm afraid to get another betta cause I don't want to lose them like this again...
 
#30 ·
Today when I went to PetCo., as I was admiring the bettas as I always do, I found three fish with this mystery disease. Two out of the three were blue, and the third was teal, more green than blue. Any information helps, right? *useless*
 
#32 ·
Hello. I'm new to the forum and have a very sick Betta as of this morning. I have been searching the internet for information on what could be wrong and finally found this thread that seems to describe what I have going on.

I have had my betta since Sept. 2011 (so 8 months now) and he is in a 10 gallon aquarium with a sponge filter and live plants. I do weekly water changes of approximately 30%. I test my water monthly with the API liquid test kit and last month (as always) my readings were: ammonia-0; nitrite-0; and nitrate-5. He has never had a health issue and always had bright color and been very active. He is fed New Life Spectrum Betta Pellets (4 in the am and 3 in the evening).

Last night when I fed him at 8:00 pm, he was fine and this morning when I turned on his light at 11:00 am, this is how he looked. He has a large gray area across his back, on both sides, and into his tail fin. He will barely swim and his eyes are sunken.



I haven't been able to read this whole thread yet but am going to go back and read it right now. I just wanted to go ahead an post this in case someone might be able to offer some quick advice. Although from what I have read so far, the outlook is not good.
 
#33 ·
The pictures I posted earlier were taken around 2:00 pm or 2:30 pm this afternoon and by 5:30 he had lost his ability to stay upright and and was lying on his side and having very little gill movement. I just checked on him at 6:15 and he had passed.

These were taken at 5:30 pm and you can see how much more area was covered by the gray and how much lighter it had become.

 
#35 ·
So Leto, my blue dragon HM, just passed away from what I assume is this disease. It presented a bit differently since he was a dragon scale (his fins turned greenish/grey instead of full black/ash colored) but he died less than 20 hours after symptoms first appeared and his body turned grey so pretty sure it's the same thing.

I have him preserved in a formalin biopsy jar and am preparing to have him sent out for a necropsy and hopefully a diagnosis. It will probably cost about $100-150 to have him tested, we'll know a more accuarate price once i've found someone who can do it. I am a college student and cannot work much because I have to shadow veterinarians whenever possible so if anyone wants to donate to this diagnosis please let me know. It would be very much appreciated!
 
#36 ·
Ichtheology labs typically use 90% alcohol with fish. It will draw out all their color and turn it flesh/sculpy colored but it works.
 
#37 ·
Alcohol is not the prefered preserve for necropses but it is easy to find. It's just 90% Isopropal slcohol (rubbing alcohol). Walmart sells it. Pharmacies probably do too.

Formaldehyde/formalin is very easy to get thought. Just walk into your local vet office and ask for a biospy jar. We all have them and if you just explain why you need it, they shouldn't have no problem giving you one.

To preserve fish while you are searching for a preservative, wrap it loosely in a paper towel or gauze and put it in the refrigerator (not the freezer). If the fish has been dead in the tank for more than 6 hours, it isn't a good subject for testing.
 
#38 · (Edited)
I read to post 120 and if post #91 is right about hormones, fungus and bacteria are behind it then I would suggest a mix I found elsewhere that lead to me buying Kanaplex which will treat everything=bacteria, fungus and parasites you might want to try on this fast acting killer. In this post it said the hormones would work out of their system if they live long enough. Probably poster #91 hit it right on the nail as to the cause of this since they had seen it in bulk before. Even America is guilty of this when they used hormones in chickens that affected our young girls bodies that ate them long term and with breast cancer on the rise it may even have something to do with that.

The mixture I found was to make a product that is no longer made that was called Paragon 2 by Aquatronics. To make it you need Kanamycin combined with Furan 2 & Metronidazole. The Kanaplex (Kanamycin) & Metronidazole I use are by Seachem. Only problem with the site was it didn't break down exactly how to mix this up but I used the below for 10 days and it didn't kill 2 of my fish I treated with it.

Kanaplex can damage the kidneys if used for extented periods of time so 10 days was all I put them through.
I may have used Methylene Blue on them before using this which helps improve their oxygen, internal organ damage, etc. but I was not treating for this fast killing disease. I have no ideal if that can be used with this mixture or not, but I didn't combine them.
Furan-2 Powder (Nitrofurazone) can be harmful to you so protect your eyes/hands and don't breath any dust. Wash hands after use.

This is what I mixed up in a pill container to use in 2 gallons of water:
Kanaplex_Level spoon=5 gal...Level spoon-half=2.5 gal so little less than half spoon
Metronidazole_1 measure=100mg...25mg/2gal=1/4 measure
Furan-2 Powder(Nitrofurazone)_1pkg/10g daily...2 gal=1/5pkg..25-50mg Nitrofurazone/2gal=1/4 pkg to get Nitrofurazone amount

Treat: 2 Gal
100% water change...Dose 1
2 days=50 % water change...Dose 2
2 days=50 % water change...Dose 3
2 days=50 % water change...Dose 4
2 days=50 % water change...Dose 5
2 days=75 % water change
Each water change I did not get the water on me since the Furan-2 warns of cancer and I soaped the sink down, should have put it down the toilet.
It will turn the water yellow and have flakes in it that are okay.
The Furan-2 said the water color would clear up using a carbon filter, but that doesn't apply to a hospital tank. From there I just did the normal water changes in it getting the floating pieces out.
Not sure on these medications affect on niftifying bacteria.

Site that suggested this mixture:
Dose every 2 days with 50% water change before each treat for 10 days.

I don't like using heavy medications either, but if I'm not sure what I'm treating or a combo of problems or something like this fast killer it's worth having it on hand. I'm about to explore the use of epsom salt on one tonight, but if that doesn't get him better of his multiple problems he came up with a week after being put in a 5 gallon cycled tank I will use this as a last hope for him.
 
#39 ·
BlueStar, I've read about some of the medications that used to be made by Aquatronics. It might be a potent mix of meds but it seems like little else works for this fast-moving mystery disease. Note to all: I would not recommend such a potent mix for ordinary cases of columnaris, fin rot etc. If you choose to use this mix, use it only for extremely severe cases where the fish will certainly die otherwise.
 
#40 ·
Help! My fish is really sick

I have a new tank, onc the water levels were correct on Sunday I bought my betta. It is now Tuesday and for the last 6 hours he has been getting sicker. He has stopped moving laboured breathing stopped eating his tail fins are falling apart and he is turning a grey colour from
Tail up his body. I can't get any advice or medicine til
Tomoro and I'm worried he won't make it that long! What is happening to him?!
 
#42 ·
Yes it is possible. It is mainly blues BUT other colors can get it. For me it is mainly blues from one particular store.
 
#43 ·
My blue/purple bettas tummy (where his ventral fins are) is turning grayish over the past 2 days. He is still eating and has fin rot right now. Im treating with Melafix and today is the last day. Could this be the mystrious illness? Ive had him for 2 years 7 month 10 days so could age be a contributing factor?
I hope he'll get better!! Scrath that, he WILL get better!!
 
#44 ·
That... Is from being old. Lol. I noticed grey belly is either internal parasites...stress related... Or age related :)
 
#46 ·
Since I cant voice all of my though here, I HATE FISH DISEASES!!!!! THEY NEED TO DIE IN A HOLE!!
Glad I got rid of that anger . . .
Anyway Im changing the water tomorrow, should I do a hundred percent?
 
#49 ·
If his rot is that bad, I'm not sure Melafix will really help. It's mostly an antiseptic more than a medicine. If you can, you might try API Furan-2 but I'm not sure if you have that readily available in Canada or not.

If not, continue with the Melafix. As long as you're careful, it won't hurt. Good luck!
 
#50 ·
I wanted to get Maracyn, but it was like 25$ and I dont have that money. I changed the water today, shuld I do a smale change every other day to get rid of the koodies? Ill give him a break for the Melafix for a 2 days and then continue. My neighbor suggested salt, but he is soo old I dont want to hurt Swish. His belly is more so white right now.
And my friend gave me a great link on Columnaris, which explains Maggandras and Squiggles death . . . really interesting pOst.
 
#51 ·
You can get Maracyn cheaper if you can find a smaller package. Sounds like all you could find was the 25 dose one or something like that. There's a 5 dose one that should cost much less. But Maracyn isn't a very effective med anymore.

If you dose the AQ salt right (1 tsp per gallon), it shouldn't harm him any more than the Melafix would.
 
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