Betta seems sick, please help :(

[brunaleski]

My boyfriend and I bought our first fish ever, which happened to be a betta, about 6 months ago, and we named him Glubby. I'll admit that to this very day we're still fish novices, but we tried our best to make him as comfortable as possible because we got really attached to him. When we first got him he was just in a bowl, and then we bought a ten gallon tank with a filter and decorated it just for him. He was in there by himself for awhile, but we thought he looked lonely so we went out and bought 4 rasboras and 4 glolight tetras. We reasearched what fish would go well with him and he hasnt attacked them and they all seem fine. We've had them all together for about a week now.

This morning I woke up and now Glubby has this white stuff all around his mouth, and on the sides of his fins. He still moves around but he wouldn't eat this morning and usually he comes swimming over to me whenever he sees the food, all excited. He was just staying at the top of the tank, looking lifeless. He moves if you try to get him to, but not much else. It also seems like he can only use one of his fins, but the other one has white stuff on it like I said.

Since we thought maybe he was sick we put him in the original bowl we bought for him so the other fish didn't get sick.

What's wrong with him? We don't have any money right now for fish medicine! D:

We love him so much we don't want him to die. What can we do?

[Allenbetta]

It seems Glubby got virus infection which living with other fishes around. And thankfully,you have isolated him already."white stuff all around his mouth",as you mentioned,that does really need fish medicine made Glubby well,thus,you don't have the money. I would suggest that you put little of salt and amp up the temperature with heater on the bowl. Then wait one night,check how is going lately/tomorrow morn,if Glubby still not good,the medicine is the only to save him,I afraid.

[brunaleski]

Is the medicine needed very expensive? Where would I even go to get something like that? They don't have it at local pet stores

[Oldfishlady]

Keep him in QT, lower the water temp to 76F add an air stone and start making 100% water changes with Aquarium salt 1tsp/g up to 3tsp/g for the next 10 days, make sure the water temp is about the same from old and new water to prevent temp shock and if on city water supply use a good dechlorinator with all new water.

This sounds like Flexibacter columnaris, this is ever present in our tank just waiting for the right conditions to infect the fish, usual cause from poor water quality, overstocking, sudden rise in heat, low oxygen content in the water, overfeeding.
Two types of this bacteria-fast acting that will eat away the fish in 12-24 hours and the fish will die and a slow moving type that the fish can recover from.

On the 10g tank start make 50% daily water changes for 4-5 days then 50% weekly thereafter and lower the water temp to 76F for at least 10 days and then keep it at no higher than 78F and re-eval your stocking for a 10g tank.

[brunaleski]

I'm doing everything you mentioned, but it's not working. The bacteria has covered his eyes, I'm pretty sure he can't see. It's also growing further down his head. I can't believe I'm going to lose my fish. :(

[Oldfishlady]

It sound like the fast acting flexibacter and sadly most fish do not recover.

You need to make sure and start the water changes on the main tank to help prevent it from affecting the fish in that tank, hopefully it is not too late....get the water temp lowered and add an air-stone, sometimes aquarium salt 2-3tsp/gal will help but not always...this is a pretty fast moving bacteria that can kill fish in 12-24 hours.......

[Allenbetta]

I have one Betta got infection as Glubby does now. After I curing him with temperature up and medicine,he is fine now. But the fins were torn.............

[brunaleski]

He died. :( I found him this morning on the bottom of his little bowl, on his side. The bacteria didn't look any worse, it hadn't grown anymore. I wish I could have done more. v_v

[Allenbetta]

Sorry to hear that,brunaleski . Maybe,next time,you would know what should be done after this. RIP,Glubby.

[dramaqueen]

I'm so sorry about Glubby.