Hi, I got directed to this thread after my blue got what seemed like this. He, and another (grey silver and red) betta were in the same tank but through a divider. I've noticed tonight that the remaining fish is showing signs of this.
It doesn't look like any scales are necrotic yet, but he's clamping one fin and the gills on one side are displaying a mucous layer. He's labored, and clearly unhappy.
When the other Betta in the tank started going black, we moved him to another clean, 2.5 gallon half filled so he could get to water easily. We then did as much as we could to clean the existing tank (clean water scrubbed rocks, decorations, plants etc) We've also swapped filter cartridges and PH Tested the tank.
Currently the other fish is only displaying clamped fins on one side and a black mucous layer around his gills on one side only. The tank pH is about 7.6 and clean.
Based on Sena Hanslers post, I'm wondering if this is actually showing that the disease is contagious?
Can anyone offer advice or anything that we might be able to do to slow this or stop this? It 'looks' like we might have caught this early on.
There is another fish in the tank, a gold spotted pleco but he is showing absolutely zero signs of issue
I'll start uploading now. It's hard to say how quickly this is setting as we've been out all day. Came back 12 hours later to see him not using one fin. As I look at him right now he is 'resting' at the bottom of the tank, one fin completely immobile and the black mucous on his gill moving farther and farther out on each breath
edit: he is also not resisting the net whatsoever and while he's always been a pale betta, his fins are 'pale' with some of his redness gone.
okay think for a moment ,ur bettas dont share same water,or same container,most betta keepers prefer to keep there pet in same container always. it looks like to me from a bad picture , that the chorine was removed from water ,but not amnonia, and the yellow ish areas are bruising under surface or blood thats not circulating, start deeping fish in quart jar of distilled water, with aquarim salt, deep for about 4 to 6 minutes , 4 to 6 times a day. and make sure water temp is in upper mid 80's Bettaworldfighters@weebly.com. Alex love to talk about fish.
Ok here's a pic. He's noticeably more pale with zero use of his forward fin on this side. The black you can see at his gill is flexing in and out with each breath, he has never exhibited this before and his opposite side isn't doing this either.
The other (now deceased) blue Betta that was in the same tank had exactly the same around his gill but only on one side. He again, never displayed this before this infection.
The photo is of him simply resting at the bottom at the tank. Pump is off, water is clean, but he isn't interacting at all with me as he usually is. Appetite is still there... sorta. Less than before.
[he looks like my steel blue bettacrown fins, if he's haveing trouble breathing lower water to about 3 or 4 inches , start salt treatments, deeping him in a quart of distilled water with 1.0 or 1.5 of aquraim salt , also drop a bag of decaf green tea in same quart jar,only use it on one fish dont treat multiple fish in same sick area.
We have no aquarium salt, nor green tea. It's 10:35pm so nowhere will be open to get any. Is there an alternative? He is swimming as I type this reasonably happily.
We had two bettas in the same tank yes, however the tank was divided by a screen mesh type divider. Neither could see the other, we tried this numerous times and there was no evidence of flaring or any other 'sight' of one another. We've not seen any 'stress' in the tank either
LorRenee, how long before the other fish died? One of the key characteristics of this disease is how quickly it kills, typically before we can begin to medicate or provide any other help. Was the blue guy in the pic acting normally in the morning but sick when you came home, or was he acting kinda off in the morning as well?
Did you ever notice what color his beard was when he flared? It's possible that's not black mucous but his beard emerging as his gills work extra hard. If that IS black mucous then, I don't want to know what the insides of gills look like because it can't be good. :(
The good news is with the guy in the pic, I don't see the creeping gray necrosis. There's a little patch on his anal fin near the front but otherwise, he has a normal blue grizzle coloring. Pale but not graphite gray. Based on that, I might say this particular case isn't the mystery disease but perhaps a severe external parasite or columnaris infection. Either way, I would recommend getting him into 3 tsps of aquarium salt per gallon at about 78-80 F.
EDIT: LorRenee, just read your last post. Based on your descriptions, he should be okay without AQ salt until tomorrow.
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