Ill Female Bettas????

Question

I just last weekend got a 2 female bettas from Petco to add to my 29 gallon tank, it was a Saturday. Well, I haven't been here for a week and I come back on 4/7/07 to find that one of the female bettas was really bloated. I took her out and looked down on her, and she resembled a pine cone! So now she is in a ten gallon hospital tank, she has a heater( water is around mid 70'sF, should it be warmer?) with gravel, 1 plant, and 2 hideouts. The water has ben treated with Maracyn 2 (on day 2 of treatment), she won't eat her food, freeze dried bloodworms. What else can I do to make her get better faster? Does she need a filter, airbubbler, and a new heater so the temperature can be turned up? Also, can epson salt be purchased at Walmart? Now here is my other question, the other female bettas are fine, but the other new one is acting a lttle strange. She twists her body deep into the plastic plants, looks stuck and dead, than I shake the plant and she comes out. I have checked her white body

for sighns of illness like ick, and so far dont see any. Is she sick or just does she act wierd? Btw, the 29 gallon got a 1/4 water change on Saturday, before the new bettas were added.
Please Help!!!!!!
Thanks!!!!

Soory, I forgot to add, I know she has dropsy, that why I had to got get Maracyn two when I already have 1, but thanks anyways! :)

Now I get it, sorry! :)

Both little girls have bloodworms and flakes.

Answer 1

Sorry to her your fish is sick. I'm sure you know most people consider drospy to be the kiss of death for a fish. It can be, but it can also be treated. Maracyn 2 is a ok medicine for dropsy, it's my second choice. If you can get Furanace I would recommend you switch to that, if not stick with the Maracyn 2. Adding additional antibiotics is "shotgunning" at the problem and causes loads of stress for the fish, I wouldn't recommend it at all.

Your temperature is fine where it is, drospy doesn't respond to treatment with temperature and in fact could get worse at higher temperatures depending on the exact cause. An air stone wouldn't hurt, just to create a gentle current in the tank .

I wouldn't even try to feed her at this point. She will not suffer for the lack of food for a few days. When you do try again to feed her, try a medicated food for bacterial infections, it will help the cure along.

Continue to watch that other female closely. What you are seeing could be just hiding from being the newest fish in the tank or it could be early signs that she is sick.

Hope that helps.

MM

Answer 2

I am sorry to tell you this, but the "pinecone" appearance is symptom known as dropsy, which is basically an internal infection that is the result of another disease. Epsom salt will do little for your fish. You need a VERY strong antibiotic or combination of antibiotics. I would recommend a combination of Maracyn, Maracyn 2, and Maracyn Plus to treat her with as the bacteria in her system could be anything and if she has been suffering for a couple of days, her time is limited.

Keeping her water warm is a definite plus, continue to do that. I would put her in something smaller than a 10 gallon tank, maybe like a one gallon or even a 1/2, with a much lowered water level to help her reach the surface easier. She is feeling pretty crummy right now and the reduced stress of fighting her way to the surface will really help her. Keep her water sparkling; I would not offer her food again until she shows signs of feeling better (calmer breathing rate, better color, pinecone appearance going away, etc.). Food at this point means nothing to her and it will just serve to dirty her water. Also, do not add Aquarium salt to her water.

I will be honest in that I absolutely hate dealing with dropsy, and of the 11 fish I've had over the years that have come up with it, I've only been able to save 2. It is a really nasty symptom and I wish it didn't happen. Good luck to you, and I really do hope your fish gets better soon.

Answer 3

She has dropsy! You need to treat the whole tank. here is a couple of websites that might help. I have just lost one of mine through this disease. It horrid. It can effect their swim bladders so they try and wedge themselves in places so not to float when they are resting. I dont know where you can get the salt in US sorry. But it will help with the treatment but your will needa special treatment for the dropsy. Hope something in these links help. good luck

Answer 4

If she resembles a pinecone and it bloated, it is dropsy. Your betta can get it from eating live foods. Find out more information about it here:

http://bettatalk.com/betta_diseases.htm

Keep her away from your other bettas! I'm sorry but your betta will probably die. It is possible for it to get better on her own, but it is very unlikely. I'm sorry about your betta. :(

And yes, you can get epson salt at Walmart.

Answer 5

Dropsy are like cancer, there's no cure to it. Those medicine can only prolonged her lives, not cure her.

Dropsy usually cause by either infected feeds or dirty living enviroment..So, it's really not a good idea to put her in community tank. Just do your best to see her to her last day..it's not so far-probably less than a week..Sorry..

Answer 6

The only part of the question that I know the answer to is the epsom salt. Yes it can be purchased at Wal-Mart. I saw it there last night. It's in the bath and beauty section.

Answer 7

Your fish has dropsy.If you were only feeding her blood worms and nothing else that isn't good,bettas should have a varied diet.