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Bloated Betta, Treated With Maracyn, no luck, now onto Parasite?

5K views 35 replies 6 participants last post by  danifacetastic 
#1 ·
I'm sure you've seen my postings before about my betta who's been bloated since about Sept/Oct. Since December I've noticed he's gotten more bloated. He isn't AS lethargic as he was but still sinks to the bottom of he doesn't use a lot of effort to stay to the top. The bloat isn't as bad but somedays it's worse and then the next day it will be fine. Also his body has a slight red sheen to it. I treated with Maracyn/Maracyn II for a total of 10 days now (5 days, about a week, then another 5 days) and 2 tsp epsom salt a day with no changes really.

I was advised that if this didn't work to move onto something that treats parasites. I wasn't able to find the anti-parasitic food but I picked up Tetra Parasite Guard fizzy tablets that treats internal and external parasites. Should this be my next course of action? Should I combine it with Maracyn or Epsom salts? I've noticed he's gotten more stressed since I upped the epsom dosage to 2tsp instead of 1...should I cut back?
 
#28 ·
I tried a few different shots but that's the best i can get. He's eating, pooping and reacting to me but he's lethargic and can't stay at the top without a lot of trouble. He's been bloated this bad since Sept/Oct and lethargic since December.

And I understand what you're saying with the medicine. I know I'll have enough Maracyn 2...I have 20 packets left, but I only have 6 packets of Maracyn. Should that be enough?
 
#29 ·
While I don't personally get a lot of sick fish in my fish room anymore-I do receive a lot of ill fish at my home to be treated from various places due to my reputation from the fish shop I deal with-sadly, some are my fish that had been bought-received poor care then referred to me for treatment...anyway...

Yes, I have successfully treated several different species of fish as well as Bettas using natural treatments that had symptom of full body edema, scale sticking out, lethargic, server ammonia burns...the list goes on......

As I am sure you know Callistra-many of our member are young and/or often can't afford expensive medication and/or have them readily available and/or understand the importance of proper use of strong antibiotic and/or how the water itself can sometimes compromise the medication itself as you and I do...not to mention some member may be allergic themselves to the products.

Often with sick fish it is important to treat as soon as possible and often no matter what you do the fish may not survive- Bettas can be delicate to a degree especially when you have poor genetic involved-by using natural treatments that most people will have on hand can at least give the fish a fighting chance.....

You also have the internet with a massive amount of information that can confuse new keepers-not to mention all the myths that are repeated so much that they soon are viewed as fact when they are still only a myth and this further confuses new keeper or a keeper that is worried sick and that may or may not be feeling guilty and like they failed their wet pet...when in fact...its not their fault...just bad information they trusted that caused them to do more harm than good......

I am not saying I am the expert or know everything...I base all my information on personal experience or experiments that I have conducted over the many years I have kept freshwater fish-on what has worked for me...this is why I often ask so many question to help me pin-point the problem since the fish is not in my hands and try to explain things in terms that a new keeper can understand...I admit....I do confuse some...but I also try to explain the why and what or rational behind what they are seeing-why I feel that is the problem and why I think something may or may not work......

Above all....I try to support the keeper, encourage them and teach proper husbandry so to prevent problems in the future with the understanding that sometimes stuff happens no matter what we do.....thats life and sadly death and illness......

Sorry dani...didn't mean to derail your issue....so back to that......

A better pic would be helpful...more light to see him better both side view and from above...since he is otherwise acting his normal self but has the full body edema with scale sticking up and now more lethargic...I suspect the immune response is severely compromised at this point-if not toxic....I would be really careful with the overuse the of the antibiotic-I wouldn't make any 100% water changes since you want to limit stress at this point as well.....I would get the Epsom salt up to 3tsp/gal and if you have a tannin source-add this too-you want a dark amber colored water-no more than 50% water changes at a time using premixed treatment water...but only if you want to go natural treatment...it will not offend me if you choose antibiotic....so don't worry about that......you need to do what you think is right by your Betta....good luck.....
 
#30 ·
Thanks for your help. I don't have any tannins and I'd have to buy them off Ebay or Amazon and they'd take over 2 weeks to arrive so I'm not sure how helpful that'd be. What water change percentage would you suggest? And I might try the Maracyn for a few days since he only got 1-2 good doses because during the first round of treatment he seemed to do a lot better within 4 days. If it seems like it's not doing anything after a few days I'll discontinue. And would aquarium salt help anything?
 
#33 ·
OFL is very knowledgeable and has many years of experience. Why I base most of my treatments from her. I am personally under the opinion that the lethargy is from the medication and that he is in a small QT container, just as much as it is from the illness itself and would stick with just plain, clean water and possibly Epsom Salt to reduce any swelling. Basically, I'm sticking with what I originally said :)
 
#34 ·
I dont want to remove him from qt because he still has problems staying at the top. How much of a daily water change should I do aince I'm not doing 100 percent
 
#36 ·
Alright thanks, I'll do that today.
 
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