problem with betta fish (lame, whiteheaded)?

Question

I have a usually pretty active betta fish that needs help. last week I put him into a small bowl so i could clean the big tank and he still seemed active but played dead once, very hard to get him up and swimming. Yesterday the tank was fully cleaned, watered and conditioned so he went in and was enjoying all the space. later, I noticed he was keeping his head in the gravel. late in the night I went to feed him and noticed he wasn't coming up. I tried to get his attention by moving the net around his tail. he wasn't darting off as usual just slowly swimming away. then I noticed two large white spots on his head. not like a bubble but like a tear in his skin with white cotton underneath. I woke today to find him on his side at the bottom of the tank and his right eye had at least doubled in size but he isn't dead. 1: white spot on head; 2 &3: big eye; Picture: http://images6.theimagehosting.com/peterhelp.jpg

I think he may now be dead. I'm not seeing him flap his fins anymore but he looks the same. Sorry for the bad quality of the pictures. its hard to get any good but I will keep trying. and please keep answering. all help appreciated!

I'm back home and well looks like he must be dead. Whatever happened happened aggressively as he wasn't showing such sick signs until late yesterday and this morning he seemed extremely weak and the popeye had bearly started. I guess he will be going down the toilet and and a water sample will go to the petco for testing so I can see what I can do from here.

I was just looking at him in the net and I noticed another white breakout near his tail. It almost looks like some of these lyebumps I get on my tongue.

Answer 1

People ich/ick is small whitespots. The white growths are either a fungus, or Columnaris (aka mouth fungus, but actually bacteria). The eye is obvious pop eye. Pop eye is the result of an infection, or organ failure. I suspect that the fungus/columnaris is a secondary infection, and the betta is suffering from a bacteria infection. As far as if he is alive. If you watch him for 10 minutes and he doesn't go to the surface for air he is death. (Bettas gills don't work and they drown if they can't reach the surface.)

Treatment-
You need to pull out the big guns, and speed is of the essence. This may rapid lead to death. Try to find a med with Trisulfa in it (idealy Nifurpirinol as well), and an antifungal med. Failing that get Jungle Labs Jungle Fungus Elimintor, and combine it with a broad spectrum antibotic.

Broad spectrum antibotic:
Trisulfa
Marcyn Plus
Marcyn I&II
Any 1, or 2 meds that target "gram negative, and gram postive bacteria"

Answer 2

Can't really tell from that picture. Could be ick. There is some stuff you can buy and put in the water for it. Usually at a pet store or you can try 1800petmeds.com. Hurry, ick kills pretty fast.

Also when you change the water, don't change more than 50% at a time, check the pH before and after, let the new water sit a day to evaporate the chlorine or use the chlorine neutralizer from the pet store. All these things can burn, injure or kill your fish. The white patches sound like ick but since you just changed the tank these other things are a possibility.

Answer 3

Sound to me to be a combination of pop-eye, fungus (the cotton) and swimbladder disease. All of these conditions are brought on by poor water quality and over feeding. Next time, you will have to make sure you change half of the water every week by swirling the water around and pouring half of it out. Don't worry about some stuff not being removed, the main reason for you to do a water change is to reduce the amount of nitrates in the water. There are beneficial bacteria growing in your tank that digsest the fish waste (ammonia) and turns it first into nitrites, and then into nitrates.
A

Answer 4

My betta had the exact same symptoms. I treated him with tetracycline for a few weeks. He lived and is doing quite well. He still swims on his side a little and seems to be permantly affected by his illness but he has recovered. He is happy and finally healthy again. I would suggest starting him on tetracycline stat. I can't see your betta to confirm it but it sounds like either ICK or bacterial septicemia. Treat him with tetracycline and an ICK medication. Good luck.

Answer 5

Hm I have my own Betta Fish, and have never had this occur. ALthough I believe t may be that there is too much chlorine in the water this happened when i got my first Goldfishes they all kinda had inflated heads. i seriously don't know if it was the fish or the water but I blame it on the chlorine.

Answer 6

That's etheir ick or a fungal infection. Go to www.bettatalk.com and click on " Betta care" on the left, then "betta diseases" has everything you need. ( I have a Betta, too!) Hope ypur betta feels better!

Answer 7

The problem sounds like a 'pop eye'. See the link for detail.

Answer 8

There must have been something in the smaller bowl. He caught some kind of infection...possibly "ick."

Answer 9

sonuds like it go to the petstore now get new rocks and ick stuff i love bettas mine died the same way

Answer 10

it might be fungus because i had a problem like that with my fish so i reccomend for you to go to a pet store and ask the people if they have anything to treat fungus.

good luck!