[Itieguy]

So recently I've done a water change in my 180 gallon tank.

Recently my male Betta Silky has developed a red spot near his fin which has made him stop eating, facing head down and tail up vertically and being larfargic overall!

I feed him dried worms from the store,Does anyone know what is wrong with Silky?

I'll appreciate any help anyone has as I'm quite attached to him.

Many thanks

 

[Feanor]

Hello and Welcome to the Forum!

Could you fill out this form so that all important information about your boy‘s environment is in one spot?

That would be perfect! Thank you.

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING: Fill out this form so we can...

 

[betta_for_life3928]

So recently I've done a water change in my 180 gallon tank.

Recently my male Betta Silky has developed a red spot near his fin which has made him stop eating, facing head down and tail up vertically and being larfargic overall!

I feed him dried worms from the store,Does anyone know what is wrong with Silky?

I'll appreciate any help anyone has as I'm quite attached to him.

Many thanks

View attachment 1029735 View attachment 1029738 View attachment 1029735 View attachment 1029736

so this happener to my betta as well... Except the red spot part my Betta sat at the bottom of the tank with his head first and also not eating them he died

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

Do you have "before" photos? Thank you.

 

[betta_for_life3928]

Do you have "before" photos? Thank you.

I wish I did but I dont I would gladly show them to you... sorry

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

Do you have "before" photos? Thank you.

Referring to the OP. We need before photos of Silky.

 

[Itieguy]

Afternoon guys,

Thanks for your responses 👍

Here's some before pictures, there was no red near the fins but he was perfectly white before the water change.

He's been swimming around the tank a bit more today also , is that a good sign?

 

[BettaloverSara]

Could you please fill out the form that was linked above?

 

[Itieguy]

Housing:
How many gallons is your tank?
180 Gallon tank.

Does it have a filter?
Yes it's a Jewel Filter with new sponges green , white and black.

Does it have a heater?

Yes the heater is on

What temperature is your tank?
The Tempreture is on 75

Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?

Yes I recently replaced the air stone.

Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind?

8 Tetras
1 Molly
2 Plecos
1 honeydew Gourami

Food:
What food brand do you use?
I use dry bloodworms not sure of the brand.

Do you feed flakes or pellets?
A combined of both.

Freeze-dried?
No

How often do you feed your Betta? How much?

Small pinch in the morning and night.

Maintenance:
Before your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change?

Every 2 weeks.

What percentage of water did you change?

3 qauters of the tank.

What is the source of your water?

Tap water buy I put in Tap safe and anomina remover to cleanse it.

Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water?

Vacuum the Substrate.

What additives do you use other than conditioner? What brand of conditioner?

Not sure what you mean.

Water Parameters:

What are your water parameters? Please give exact numbers. If tested by pet store please get exact numbers. "Fine" or "Safe" won't help us help you. Important: Test your water before the regular water change; not after one.

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness (GH):
Alkalinity (KH):

Symptoms and Treatment:
When did you first notice the symptoms?

2 days after the water change.

How has your Betta’s appearance changed?

Red blotch near his gills and his fins have pink streaks in them.

How has your Betta’s behavior changed?

Not eating and is head down tail up and always hiding.

Is your Betta still eating?
No

Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how?

Not yet need more information.

Does your Betta have any history of being ill?

No

How long have you owned your Betta?

4 months.

Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased?

No but he had black gills so I'm not sure if that is something to be concerned about.

 

[Itieguy]

Good Morning,

I've checked my water this morning here's the results.


Water Parameters:
What are your water parameters? Please give exact numbers. If tested by pet store please get exact numbers. "Fine" or "Safe" won't help us help you. Important: Test your water before the regular water change; not after one.

Ammonia: 0mgl
Nitrite: 250mgl
Nitrate:0.5mgl
pH:7.6
Hardness (GH):0
Alkalinity (KH):20

Hope that helps.

 

[Feanor]

There must be something wrong with your Nitrite/Nitrate readings.
Could you test those again?
Nitrite should have a 0.s.th. mg/l reading (ideal would be 0.0) and only Nitrates could read s.th. above 10 mg/l.

How is Silky doing today? Does his belly look bigger than normal?
If he‘s fine I would feed him a more nutritious food like Fluval Bug Bites (should be available in the UK)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fluval-Bites-Tropical-Granules-125g/dp/B07194GD1F?th=1&psc=1

Also to clarify:
Are your Bloodworms frozen or freeze dried (I couldn‘t figure out)?

 

[Itieguy]

Hello,

Silky has been hiding alot this morning in plants and resting alot , his red marking is white in the middle and red outside so could he be healing?

I've attached the water test I've done just now and the food I've been feeding him.

 

[Feanor]

Ok. So Nitrite reads 0.5 and Nitrate is too high aswell.

Are you sure you mean you are changing 75% water every 2 weeks and your tank has 180 gallons? That would be 135 gallons - a lot of water. We need to find out more precisely what‘s going on. So please check again if your answers in the form were precise and if you like also post a picture of the entire tank.

The bloodworms are freeze dried and should only be given as an occasional treat according to the producers. They can also promote constipation and are more like candy for Silky.

So I‘d switch to Bug Bites, Northfin Betta Bits or Omega One Betta Buffet (whatever is available in the UK) or/and Frozen Food.

 

[Itieguy]

So I've checked the results again and they are the same unfortunately 😕

I've put Silky in a net as the tetras in my tank started to pick on him and there's another picture seems like he's developing an ulcer and his scales are spiking.

Is there anyway to help him he's not swimming and lying down all the time.

 

[RussellTheShihTzu]

Silky is what is called "pine coning." This is not a disease in and of itself but, rather, a symptom. Could be a bacterial infection, organ failure, several things. Are any of the other fish showing any symptoms? Is the reddish area raised? When I saw his photos my first reaction was it looks like a bruise.

If you have something that can be used as a hospital tank that would be good. If not, leave him in the net or a breeder box. Up the temperature to at least 78.

To help reduce swelling, you can do an Epsom Salt Bath at one tablespoon per gallon. Use plain ES with no additives. Thoroughly mix the ES and condition. Water should be same temperature as in his tank. Place him in the bath for no more than 15 minutes. Do not leave him. If he shows any signs of distress.

You can also have a separate "re-acclimation" tank ready with half the amount of ES. If he shows distress in the bath, remove him to the half-dose container before putting back in the tank. You can do this anyway if you wish.

I wish I could help you as far as antibiotics but I'm not versed enough to advise.