[orphansparrow]

so, i have written about hoshi's strange behavior lately, and more and more i'm thinking maybe it's parasites. because he's darting around fast, off and on throughout the day. not a lot, but still...

a new symptom: his poop is very very pale tan, almost white. but it is not stringy at all. they're little balls of poo like normal, but really pale.

is that a sign of parasites?

any suggestions?

thanks~

 

[callistra]

You should probably have updated your last thread but here it is for people who need more info: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=93126

Could be parasite or bacterial actually. Is he scratching on anything? Are you seeing anything external? Especially check gills if nothing is obvious on his body.

Also wondering why his tank is so cold.. under 75 w/heater. What heater are you using? If you're going to treat for parasites you're going to need something that can heat him up into the 80s and even for basic care he's too cold.

As a side note, I suggest changing off hikari as they changed their formula and now it's mostly wheat which isn't suitable for bettas. I'd get Omega One or New Life Spectrum. I like NLS personally and it has garlic in it which is a good natural treatment and preventative for parasites.

 

[orphansparrow]

i use a marina heater...and i just checked the thermometer, and right now it says in between 75 and 80. but yeah, i should get a different heater. this is my third one, and so far it works better than the others i've tried.

i'm not seeing anything external at all. and he's right on my desk near my computer where i see him all day.

and i'll get him NLS. i've been wanting to get him something for variety at least. that one sounds good.

i examine him closely each day, and i don't see anything on his gills or anywhere else. for a while i kept thinking i saw a small lump near his head, but i don't know...i just can't see it anymore, if it ever was there.

he's a very active guy, but he is doing some erratic swimming that does not seem normal. like he'll be swimming along all peaceful, and then shoot off really fast. and then calm down. i have not seen him scratch or anything else. for a while it looked like he was "smacking" his face on the plants. but he doesn't seem to be doing that anymore. just the sudden really fast swimming. something is definitely off.

 

[orphansparrow]

okay! new developement. hoshi has a hole in his lower fin!! he's always been a bad tail biter, but now i think something else is going on, because he can't bite a hole in his fin. ><

his water is kept sparkling clean. instead of 1 1/2 full changes a week, he is getting about 2 full changes. a tiny pinch of aquarium salt + Prime is added.

i know i need to buy him different food, but what the heck else can i do??? =((

he's also still swimming erratically, and some of his poos are white/light tan. not all of them, but some.

ALSO it seems that his scales are now starting to grow over his eyes just a tiny bit. he's always had giant eyelids, but they now seem to be covering about half of one of his eyes.

he just seems like a mess. =(

 

[orphansparrow]

oh, and another thing. i don't know if it's swim bladder issue or what, but some of his erratic swimming consists of him looking like he's having trouble controlling his tail end. he is kind of swimming around bent at a funny angle. :/

 

[orphansparrow]

okay, another new symptom this morning. he now has a hole in the middle of his dorsal fin. not a bite, a hole in the middle.

i have been changing his water 100% twice a week with a pinch of aquarium salt.

what else can i do? i might need to start a medication or something. could it be bacterial?

please help?

 

[callistra]

This would be good water change routine for a 5gallon. How big is the tank?

Is he bloated at all? Sounds like he's got an internal infection of sorts. Possibly parasite with secondary bacterial or possibly just bacterial.. but the darting sounds parasite in nature.

This may be helpful:

Housing
What size is your tank?
What temperature is your tank?
Does your tank have a filter?
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?
Is your tank heated?
What tank mates does your betta fish live with?

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish?
How often do you feed your betta fish?

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change?
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change?
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change?

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed?
How has your betta fish's behavior changed?
When did you start noticing the symptoms?
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how?
Does your fish have any history of being ill?
How old is your fish (approximately)?

 

[orphansparrow]

Here's the form. And no, he's not bloated at all. And I've never heard or read anywhere here to do more than 2 100% changes in a 2.5 gallon. o.o ...though i know there are differing opinions...I used to do just 1 100%, and 1 50% per week until he started these odd symptoms. Also, I haven't noticed any more white poo in the last 2 or 3 days. His poos all look normal. I regularly remove them with a baster when i see them.


Housing
What size is your tank? 2.5 gallons
What temperature is your tank? 74-78 degrees.
Does your tank have a filter? no
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? no
Is your tank heated? yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? no

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? hikari gold & "color-enhancing" pellets
How often do you feed your betta fish? 2 or 3 times daily

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change? 2 times weekly
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? two 100% changes, and several very small changes just to get the film off the top of the water (which i heard is very normal)
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Prime & pinch of aquarium salt

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH: i forget, i used to test it regularly, and it was always pretty high
Hardness: same as above
Alkalinity:

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? there isa little discoloration on his lower fin a while ago, but it seems like he changes color every now and then. also there is now a small hole in his dorsal fin. =( he's always been a major fin-biter, but he just looks extra raggedy lately.

How has your betta fish's behavior changed? lately hoshi has been doing some odd erratic swimming. darting a little bit, but not scratching i don't think. though sometimes he seems to sort of smack his head against a plant. it's always his head area. he seems quite energetic, and has a good appetite though. also, sometimes he seems to have some swim-bladder issues. swimming a little sideways with his tail end up. but it doesn't seem to last long...

When did you start noticing the symptoms?
a couple weeks ago

Have you started treating your fish? If so, how?
no
Does your fish have any history of being ill? no

How old is your fish (approximately)? i got him when he was probably a young adult 9 months ago.

 

[callistra]

Your 2.5 gallon needs 100% change every 4 days minimum. I suggest doing an additional 50% on day 2 based on my own experience. Especially while he's sick and if you haven't been testing ammonia. The 100% changes need to include rinsing the bowl and gravel as well. If you feel strongly he can go longer get a good drops test kit for ammonia and test daily. If you ever see .25ppm ammonia you know you're not changing enough. The pin sized holes and darting you're describing can be signs of ammonia problems (especially the hole as that would not happen with parasites like the darting could).

You're going to need to get the temp under control to treat this. For the size I suggest getting a 25w Marineland Visitherm heater. It will run you about $20. If you can't get it local you can get it here:
http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/247258/product.web
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=21322

I would change pellets as Hikari changed their formula and now are mostly wheat based. Some good protein based pellets are Omega One Betta Buffet (3-4 a day split up plus one fast day) or New Life Spectrum 6-8 split up plus fast. This will help with the SBD/constipation tendency and will probably be all he needs in this area. I especially suggest the NLS as its small size and garlic additives helps to prevent constipation further.

As long as he's not bloated I would treat by bumping up temp to 80-82F, increasing water changes as outlined above and adding 1 tsp per gallon aquarium salt. You can treat with the salt for 10 days. Watch for signs of change to see if he's improving. If no improvement after a week something else may be needed.

 

[orphansparrow]

thanks again callistra.

i'm going to the pet store today to buy the new heater, and the new food.

i'm planning on doing a week or a week and a half of 100% daily water changes. taking all rocks/plants, everything out of his tank.

i'm going to up the aquarium salt, and treat for about a week and a half.

today he was rubbing himself on the side of the tank...so i'm guessing parasites now.

he also seems lethargic today, when usually he is quite active.

i'll let you know how it goes. ^^

 

[callistra]

Ok just keep watching his poop if it continues to be odd he may need some medicated food. Also watch to make sure he doesn't decline or start bloating

 

[orphansparrow]

so, i found the omega one betta buffet pellets, but no heater. =( i guess i'll have to get it online.