need help diagnosing sick betta girl Dali and find medication

Antje

Hello,

I just remembered that there is this area to talk and ask about fish diseases. I posted my questions and pics in the betta fish section. I don't know how to copy the post here, but maybe some of you can look it up in the other section? The thread is called: need help diagnosing sick betta girl Dali and the new pics are on the 3rd page.
I never had fish before, so I'm really in the dark about what she could have, besides the fin rot and I'm even more unsure about all the medicine and the dosage.
Maybe some of you can help me a little bit?

Thank you in advance
Antje

Antje

Ok, it IS easy to copy text and pics, sorry about that...

I'm wondering about these black spots that she has everywhere. What is that? Are these parasites or a fungus?

Also, when I did water changes earlier, I accidentally mixed up the cups I do the smaller water changes with (I have another betta girl in a 7 liter bowl, and she is fine). I only rinse the cups a little bit or not at all, after using, because every one has her own cup. I freaked out, when I realized it and did a complete water change for Amelie (the one, that is not sick) right away. I rinsed everything with hot/cold water and used another cup of hers to keep her in, until the bowl was reay. I'm not sure, if that was helpful at all, because I don't know, if rinsing would help at all and also the new water wasn't aged yet. So, I am really really hoping somebody can help me figure out, what is going on with Dali and if she could be contagious.

So, here is the post with pics:

Unfortunately, hello again.

Dali is not really getting better and I think, she looks different, too. Maybe it's not only fin rot? Does that look familiar to any of you? Especially these black spots?

I haven't treated her with anything yet, because I wanted to get the water situation under control first. So I changed the pebbles to "safe" ones and I do water changes in the bowl about 2 times per week (around 20-40%) and about once a week to 10 days 100%. I let the spring water age for 1-2 days, so the ph should be sturdy. I don't check the water all the time (api liquid kit), but it takes about 3-4 days for ammonia to show in a very little amount (closer to 0 than to .25). The temperature is around 76, but sometimes changing. I can't do anything about that, until the aquariums are ready, which seems to be never getting done, but I'm working on it. She is eating and swimming around as usual.

I bought Maracyn. Would that be an option for her condition? And what about the dosage? I read on the healthy betta website about the dosage per gallon: 1 tsp of concentrate (1 tablet dissolved in 10 tsp of water). Does that mean, I let the concentrate sit there for the time of treatment and just take out 1.5 tsp daily for my 6 liter bowl? I also think, I don't have tablets, but powder. Does anyone know, if this would be the same amount as one tablet?

Thanks in advance
Antje Attached Images

Little-Fizz

Have his fins always been that short? And I do believe those black specks are the colours he is supposed to be.

dramaqueen

Its a female betta.

Antje

Hi, thanks for reading and posting.

Yes, she is a She and No, her fins weren't that short. They were a little bit longer. When I got her, she was pale on her body, so that didn't change, but her fins were nicely red, like the middle part of them are right now, with shining blue stripes (the thicker parts of the fins were red and the fine parts in between them were shiny blue). Could she change her color to this dark one?

I'm a little concerned about this pale and almost transparent spot on her back fin. Or do I not have to worry, but change the water and wait?

She is still eating and swimming around and following me. Maybe she's hanging out on the surface more often for a longer period of time, but otherwise, she acts normal. Only when I do water changes and put her in her cup, she turns all pale, until I put her back. Then she gets her color back (or I think I have to say, what is left from it), grabs her pellets and swims around.

Antje

Little-Fizz

I see the transparent part you're talking about.

Hahaha that's why 'he' looked so weird.

Do her fins look like they are getting shorter? I think she is probably loosing her colour due to poor water quality. Do you have a heater? Your tanks are way to small. You should get your bettas at least a 3 gallon tank with a heater. And test the water at least twice a week because thats probably how many times you'll have to clean it.

Lol ok I missed the last bit of your last post... You stress your fish out to much when you change the water by the sounds of it.

Antje

Yeah, I know the situation is not great, but we all have to hang in there for a little (or a longer) while, until I'm ready with the aquariums....

I think I can't really use a gravel vac for the bowl, so every once in a while I have to take it all out and rinse it. But if I do partly water changes (which she doesn't like either, but at least she keeps the color) every other day of about 20-50%, could I maybe wait with the "big cleaning" for 2 weeks?

The whole time I had the feeling, that her fins were staying as they were, but when I compare the pics from my first post ("need help diagnosing sick betta girl Dali" in the betta section) with the ones from now, I think they are a little shorter.

dramaqueen

Maybe you could use a turkey baster to get the debris off the bottom of the bowl.

ajulie724

Antje- Her coler change is most likely genetics - try looking it up. A lot of red bettas lose their colors or fad as they get older. The dark spots on her are also most likely normal for her and you are just really noticing them. Yellows, reds, oranges and even some blues have these little black spots on them. When my bettas were in bowls I cleaned them out 100% once a week and rinsed the gravel out - never had a problem. As far as the fin rot I have used melafix in the past or bettafix (I think that is the spelling). The one for bettas gives you smaller dosages for small containers (it will turn your water blue and stain some decorations). Remember that bettas can change over time as well. here is a link to genetics that talks about red-loss in bettas - oh, she looks like she is a cambodian (color wise anyway). Good luck with her.

BETTAS by Jim Sonnier/genetics

Antje

Hi dramaqueen, yes, I'll get two next week and see, if she does better with using it. Amelie doesn't seem to mind being in the cup during cleaning, but she will probably be better, too.

ajulie724, thanks for sharing this link. It was interesting to read. I would be really happy, if it was just a "normal" fading and the spots were normal as well.