Sick betta

[fishycanuck]

OK, I give up.
One of my bettas has been lacking a dorsal fin for about 6 months. Never figured out what happenned to it. I treated the water with Melafix prophylactically, and that seems to be when the trouble started.
For at least 3 months, maybe more, he has had a fluffy white growth on the wound. Sometimes it looks raw and ugly, sometimes just fluffy. I've treated with salt, copper sulfate, Melafix and Pimafix, (carbon out), and no better.
I add that he seems quite happy otherwise, and none of the other tank occupants have taken sick.
Wot??

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[Sarah Bella]

sounds odd...

is it a pet store fish?

so its just an open wound that gets cotton on it occasionally? 

has there been any re growth? 

did you have any breeding traps or filters in the tank that he could have snagged it on? 

do you have pics? 

[fishycanuck]

He's a pet store fish, I think I've had him over a year, though. The wound has cotton on it pretty much all the time, but it waxes and wanes. The fin has not regrown at all from what I can see.
My fish photography isn't great, but I'll try.

[Sarah Bella]

i would treat for bacteria,  i like triple sulpha...

[sas]

could it be that it's a genetic mutation and this "fuznicity" is actually a fin? Seems odd that no other tank inhabitants are sick? Is there a culprit nipping the fin off and on and now all you're going to see is scar tissue? I don't even know if fish grow scar tissue .

[beowulf]

could it be that it's a genetic mutation and this "fuznicity" is actually a fin? Seems odd that no other tank inhabitants are sick? Is there a culprit nipping the fin off and on and now all you're going to see is scar tissue? I don't even know if fish grow scar tissue .

I would have to think the same thing, it has to be someone else in the tank giving him a good nip.  I think that would explain the sore and why it is not regrowing.

[Sarah Bella]

  Bettas are really susceptible to bacterial infections that other fish aren't so you wouldn't necessarily see it in healthy non-bettas.  the betta in question is probably around 18 mos - 2 yrs old so its immune system could be weakend from age. 

*interesting tidbit* The avg life span of a betta in temps of about 78 deg or higher is about 2 years.  They can live to be 4 in cooler temps. 

it is probable the dorsal got caught on the filter intake months ago or got nipped off and won't heal because of infection.

what i would do is separate him and see if the fin starts to heal in a few days, in case its being nipped.  If it doesn't seem to be healing then give him a round of antibiotics....

[fishycanuck]

I've attached some photos to the original post.
He has had several different tank mates since the initial injury - I've never seen any conflict. Not that that means much.
Do you still recommend antibiotics? Is triple sulfa readily available?

[Sarah Bella]

yep, i recommend antibiotics.  Triple sulpha and TC are readily available at SP for the same cost.  I've used Triple sulpha and it seems to work.   good luck

[babblefish1960]

Good luck with your medicinal regime, you have some good advice here, but I wanted to point out, that you have very fast fish with a very slow fish with drapery, danios can be very, well...danio-ish, they may be nipping at the poor little fella.

The only other thing lacking would have to be, what would a dalek advice be for such a circumstance?

[fishycanuck]

Babble, you mouldy old pot you,
The betta sustained his injuries prior to being housed with the danios.
I refuse to exterminate him unless he shows distress. Really, the fuzz seems to bother me more than it bothers him.

[fishycanuck]

Well, I bought some tetracycline as suggested, and treated for six days. The white growth has diminished, but the wound remains the same size and is still covered with a superficial layer of the fluffy stuff.
Should I keep adding TC to the water? It already looks like tea, and I'm concerned about toxic levels unless it breaks down on its own.
Should I do pwc and replace the carbon filter, then retreat with TC?
Should I treat with something else, with or without removing the TC?
Should I stop treatments altogether and go back to the usual schedule of pwc?

[Sarah Bella]

Has he been isolated from the other fish?  if so i would do 100% wc everyday and maybe some melafix for a few days to see if the wound starts to heal.    If you think the tc has helped then i would do another round, sounds like a nasty infection.

[fishycanuck]

He's still in the tank with the others, so I think I'll leave them all swimming in tea for a few more days before trying another round. Thanks for the help, all.

[babblefish1960]

You could still subscribe to the dalek seal of approval for resolution to this particular problem. Otherwise, good luck with the tea.

[fishycanuck]

Babble:

Shaddap.

xoxo
Fishy

[babblefish1960]

 

[Sarah Bella]

i would do a water change of at least 50% instead of leaving them in the medicated water.    the fresh water will be beneficial to the healing of the wound and will help get rid of some of the nasties.   

please keep us updated i hope he makes a speedy recovery