[Shinkutsunami]

Hi guys! my dragon scale betta has a discolored white patch above his left eye and on his dorsal fin. it started around 2 3 months ago and I didn't think anything of it at first but now it's getting worse! it looks swollen now and I went to petsmart to have them tell me what they thought it was and they just gave me some bettafix. I put it in the tank and it didn't do anything so I did a full water change and put some sea salt in his tank because I didn't have any aquarium salt at the moment. it's been about 3 days since I put the salt in and I see no difference in his fungus or whatever is on his head. what should I do? I don't want him to die and i've had him for around 6 months now and I was planning on getting him a bigger tank soon. I need like a professional opinion here on what I should do. heres a pic. let me know what you think I should do guys! thanks.

 

[ZackyBear]

You should start up an AQ salt treatment for a few days and see if that helps.

 

[Shinkutsunami]

I read that non iodized sea salt is basically the same thing should I just use that? and how much would I for a 1 1/2 gal tank? I went to petco and petsmart looking for the jungle fungus eliminator but I guess it's discontinued... -_- I had him in the sea salt for 3 days and I didn't notice any difference was it just because I didn't put enough in? I put a half of a tsp in.

 

[Sena Hansler]

Uhhhh sea salt?! Never heard of using it.

I use AQUARIUM SALT. 3 teaspoons per gallon - and note: dissolve the salt first. Add one teaspoon per gallon over the day until you reach 3 teaspoons to avoid shock. You should do this for 10 days, cleaning EVERY day at least half.....and since it is fungal to avoid it spreading LOWER THE TEMPERATURE. They can survive at amazing low temperatures, so leave it at 68-75 degrees. Yes, that means NO HEATER.

 

[Shinkutsunami]

I read that sea salt is pretty much exactly the same as aquarium salt and that it works great as long it's it's non iodized! I would just use aquarium salt but I don't have any at the moment. so I add 1 tsp everyday until it reaches 3 over the course of 3 days? or I add 1 tsp throughout the day until it reaches 3 tsp??? and ever since I got him he's been in a non heated, non filtered 1 1/2 gallon tank so that's probably why he has got whatever is on him. D: my house is always at or around 76 degrees though and he seems to be fine with the temp. I DO plan on upgrading him to a 3 gallon filtered, heated tank I just hope he actually makes it. :O... here are some more pics just to point out how it's protruding off of his head. that's what makes me think it may not actually be fungus...???

 

[Sena Hansler]

hmmm that doesn't look really fungal to me... more like a wound blister (which happens, and is similar to what popeye looks like, just on the body itself)...

Are any of the scales raised? does it look fuzzy, slimy, or solid...? And how many water changes do you do a week and how much?

 

[Shinkutsunami]

Uhhh, well last month I really didn't do very many but I try to do em weekly! I was doin them daily last week cus I didn't want him to get worse. and no, his scales are not raised he doesn't really look slimy, if you're talking about the thing on his head then yes, it does look slimy. other then that though he looks normal. he even acts normal. he still eats like a pig!!! lol and if it's some sort of blister, how would I treat him for it?

 

[Sena Hansler]

Well if it looks like a "water pocket" or similar to popeye, I use epsom salt. it drains the fluids safely. plus epsom salt is very safe!!! Same amount, same time frame, and dissolve first of course.

These can happen because of an infection (Iknow little of that), bumping into something (which to you it could look like loose skin and a bubbled area on a cut we get!), or lost some scales - it acts like the body's defense but it's best to drain it.

 

[Shinkutsunami]

okay lucky me I happen to have some epsom salt in my house this very moment! does it have to be specifically for fish or just regular epsom salt? and it looks like slimy and i'm not really sure if it looks fuzzy but i'd have to say no. and it's not very transparent it's more solid looking so I really don't know what it could be especially since it's all discolored in that area. even if it's not what you're saying, it wouldn't hurt him right? and how do you treat him with it again? you add one tsp every how many hours? and it probably is what you're saying because he would act all sick if it were fungus right? and he acts completely normal still. but when it first started his scales in that area just looked discolored but over the course of about 3 months it looks like it does now.

 

[Sena Hansler]

slimy may be slime coat, and should be fine, but epsom salt is good to drain fluids My Tina is the one still with columnaris and the mysterious orange discoloration - and she acts fine but is permanently quarantined. I've seen severe columnaris and the fish still act all happy - but yes usually something serious they tend to lose appetite, color, and/or activeness.

as long as it is plain old epsom, it should work. NOT fragrance stuff - that'll kill him. every few hours works for me.


since you noted it started a few months ago, go ahead with epsom.. if it does not go away I think it may be a tumor or lipoma/cyst......

 

[Shinkutsunami]

okay sounds good! I just did a 50% water change and added 1 tsp of epsom to his water! so do you think it may be permanent? I hope not and he didn't have it when I got him so it probably isn't. thanks for the help I appreciate it! i'm sure my betta will also. lol hope it works! i'll add another tsp in a an hour or 2 then? and I change the water at least 50 % everyday and add back the salt that I took out or do another 3 tsp or don't add any back??? oh and I have a 1 1/2 gallon tank so I should add 4 1/2 tsp?? O_O lol that sounds like alot and I just let him sit in it for 10 days straight??? sorry for so many questions I just don't want to over dose him or anything.

 

[Sena Hansler]

1 and 1/2 tank, 3 teaspoon and 1.5 teaspoon - so yes. It does sound a lot, but it's okay

You did dissolve it first before adding right?

Yes only add enough to replace what you took out.

Trust me I've had bettas who "never had it when I got them" and it turned out they had something genetic or chronic. BUT doesn't mean they cannot live some pretty good healthy lives

 

[Shinkutsunami]

yeah, I dissolved it! and I hope it's not permanant because it's kind of ugly >.> he is a pretty good lookin betta though wouldn't you agree? x) oh and one more thing.. my epsom salt is from up&up and it says
"epsom salt magnesium USP (heptahydrate) soaking aid for minor sprains and bruises saline laxative for relief of occasional constipation"
lol will this work or?... they are all the same, right??

 

[Sena Hansler]

As long as it is 100% epsom salt also known as heptahydrate epsomite , no fragrance, it works. I use one that says "use 1 cup per ----- of water for baths"

and yes he is very good looking - Spartan was pretty too, despite the weird raised bubbly spot which was a tumor

 

[Shinkutsunami]

i'm pretty sure it's 100 % epsom! but i've added the 4 1/2 tsp of epsom to his 1 1/2 gallon tank and i'm kind of scared that it may kill him if I keep him in it over night because it seems like too much for him! D: are you sure about this? I don't want to kill him (( i've read about epsom salt for fish and bettas and everything and all I get is how it's for constipation so how do you know that this even works? have you tried it??? should I just do a 100 % water change tonight because i'm really worried that if I leave him in it over night that it will be the end of him...

 

[Sena Hansler]

I've done epsom for bloat, popeye, blisters, and internal ailments other than the genetic disease my three blues endoured and of course parasites. Watch him for any dramatic behavioral changes - but yes it should be fine. I know it seems like a lot but it isn't. And it is safer than AQ salt, apparently.

 

[Shinkutsunami]

okay i'm trusting you! I just don't want to wake up to a dead fish after i've worked so hard to try and cure him. his behaviour doesn't seem much different he just seems slower like he's not doin much but i'm lookin at him now and he's swimming all over the place so he's probably fine. it's just the amount of epsom because everywhere else I read it says like 1 tsp of epsom per 1 1/2 gallon and I have 4 1/2 tsp in there!! idk just seems crazy to me. you seem confident about it though so I guess i'll leave him in it over night and see what happens. O_O if this does actually work, when would I see results?? and if I don't should I just take him out of it?

 

[Sena Hansler]

well, 1 and a half gallon... one teaspoon PER GALLON like I said... I said to add 4 and a half total, not per gallon :lol:

Never do it for more than 10 days and I suggets using it for the full length even if it does disappear, keep it going for the full length to avoid any relapse

 

[Shinkutsunami]

I know! I only have 4 1/2 in there but it just seems like so much!! :O he's fine though so i'll just do a 50 % water change later and add the salt that I took out back in like you said. thanks so much for the help I hope that this works on him! i'll have to let you know if this works. and are you sure he's not gonna just poop his brains out and croak? lol cus other people say to add 3 tsp per gal like you do but only let him sit in it for like 20 mins

 

[Sena Hansler]

20minutes???? never heard of that!

I've had to use epsom on so many things.

Constipation: left until they pooped their little guts out :lol: and boy, they poop!

SBD: One boy I had battling for a few months. on and off epsom because we had to break it inbetween doses since it should only be 10 days. 3 months! We were worried it was chronic - so we left him in it again and finally it cleared up with no feedings for a couple weeks D: he is the meanest healthiest booger now.

popeye and blistering areas: it seems to help sooth, avoid infections, and drain the fluids. Can be done for those water pockets (forgot the actual name for it) as you should never drain it yourself...

So if it is the last one, it should work. One teaspoon per gallon, up'd to 3 teaspoons per gallon. Hence the large number I've never had a negative problem with epsom as long as it is thoroughly dissolved beforehand. 20 minutes won't give it time to kick in - it can be 1-3 days before any signs usually - or in severe cases, 5-10 days.