Body rot--serious!

[elise12192]

I need help! My fish has developed some serious body rot, and it came on really suddenly. He didn't have any signs of fin rot before this happened, and then the next time I changed his water, he had this white fuzzy stuff on his body. He wasn't moving around or eating, so I could tell he was sick. I went to the pet store but all they had for him was Bettafix, which is just tea tree oil.

I started using that, and it seemed to be helping a bit because he was moving around a little more. The fuzzy stuff was gone but it left a HUGE wound where the scales have rotted away. I'm not sure if this means he is getting better or getting worse. Today I threw away his bowl and put him in a quarantine cup until I can get him a new bowl and new rocks later today. He has been very active in this cup despite his really painful-looking wound.

I live in a college residence hall, and we don't have very good sinks so when I do water changes, I'm not sure I get all of the grit and grime out of the rocks of my bowl. I plan to do a better job cleaning the tank from now on, including weekly water changes and daily water changes until this disease clears up!

I think I need to use some kind of fungal medication, but I'm really not sure. Is he getting better or getting worse? What are his odds of survival? I feel like such a terrible fish owner :(

[lvandert]

The fuzz was a fungal/bacterial growth on him. The "-fixes" aren't the best choice due to their unreliable outcomes but given your situation I'm glad it worked. At this point I would keep his water super clean with a bit of aq salt and extra stress coat. If it gets worse after a week of that you can treat with something that says it cures "fin rot". Could you post a picture of your little guy so we can get a better look at what we're dealing with?

BTW welcome to the forum!

[elise12192]

lvandart--I will try to post a picture later this afternoon. Do you think the fact that the fungus is gone is a good sign? It left some serious rot but I'm not sure if he's getting better or not.

[lvandert]

The fact the fuzzies are gone is a good sign. Whats left is certainly a result of it being on his body vs his fins (a lot of times the fuzzies are on the fins). As for him getting better it will take some time and it might leave a scar, with a "weak spot" in his scales. It is possible to survive and thrive after that though. It might be tough to get him better but it is possible.

[elise12192]

I have attached a photo of my sick betta to this post. It really looks awful to me but I don't honestly know. I guess this wound is the result of the fungal infection, which I'm not sure if I should still treat since the fungus is pretty much gone. How should I treat this wound? Here are the different options I have:

1. Aquarium salts
2. Tetra Fugus Guard tablets
3. Bettafix (tea tree oil treatment)

I can do water changes as well as often as you guys think I should. Please let me know how I can treat my betta because I am really concerned!

[lvandert]

He looks like he has pineconing... Look at him from the top, does he look kinda like a pincones (are his scales sticking out?)

[elise12192]

Ivandert: Yeah, it does kind of look like that. What should I do?

[lvandert]

That, unfortunately, is a sign of dropsy which is major organ failure. I believe the only "treatment" for it is 2-3tsp/gallon unscented epsom salt. the only reason I say "treatment" is because it's not really cure-able but it is survivable in a few rare cases.

At this point I would try the epsom salt but prepare for the worst.