[sprmankalel]

My betta, Nemo, has a problem with his tail. It seems to be going away. It has been like this for quite a while. At first he was in a 2 gallon unfiltered tank. I treated with tetracycline then beta fix then aquarium salt. At first it was just a little bit and seemed to regrow when I was using the aquarium salt. I moved him to a 10 gallon with a filter hoping that the circulation and cycle would help regrowth. In my 50 I had an angel that lost most of top fin and long ones on bottom but regrew very quickly.

I also added a DIY co2 to Nemo's tank and noticed today that the water is a little cloudy. I tested and got 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and about 10 nitrate. We were away in Europe for 3 weeks and i noticed his tail is worse when I got back. I had someone looking in and fertilizing tanks but no water changes. I did a 50% water change on
6-12 and again today 6-15. He seems a little lethargic and I noticed that he has a swollen part right where the body turn into the tail.

What is the best course of action at this point?

 

[sprmankalel]

My betta, Nemo, has a problem with his tail. It seems to be going away. It has been like this for quite a while. At first he was in a 2 gallon unfiltered tank. I treated with tetracycline then beta fix then aquarium salt. At first it was just a little bit and seemed to regrow when I was using the aquarium salt. I moved him to a 10 gallon with a filter hoping that the circulation and cycle would help regrowth. In my 50 I had an angel that lost most of top fin and long ones on bottom but regrew very quickly.

I also added a DIY co2 to Nemo's tank and noticed today that the water is a little cloudy. I tested and got 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and about 10 nitrate. We were away in Europe for 3 weeks and i noticed his tail is worse when I got back. I had someone looking in and fertilizing tanks but no water changes. I did a 50% water change on
6-12 and again today 6-15. He seems a little lethargic and I noticed that he has a swollen part right where the body turn into the tail.

What is the best course of action at this point?

 

[Kim]

I would urge you to consider this a very serious infection, as once fin rot progresses to the body it often becomes systemic. I would treat with kanamycin (Seachem kanaplex) combined with nitrofurazone (Furan 2) OR triple sulfa (API triple sulfa).

Kanamycin can be used as a bath (it is well absorbed by the skin) or, better yet, fed as a medicated food if the fish is still eating (Seachem advocates the use of their product Focus to bind the medication to the food). Nitrofurazone is used as a bath for external infections, and triple sulfa is also used as a bath. I've always had good luck with Nitrofurazone for moderate cases of fin rot, and I do know that it combines synergistically with Kanamycin for the treatment of tough bacterial infections - it would be my first choice to combine with the Kanamycin. I do not have personal experience with triple sulfa, so that recommendation is based on purely theoretical knowledge.

I hope this helps!

 

[sprmankalel]

I'll see if I can find any of these medications. Are there any other alternatives?

 

[Romad]

If you can't find any of those meds, get some Tetracycline. He looks pretty bad at this point and unfortunately, you might have to euthanize him.

Sorry Let us know if he responds to meds. and if there's any improvement at all.

 

[sprmankalel]

Oh. I have tetracycline already. Can I treat him in the 10 gallon with the love plants?
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[Romad]

I just noticed that you started out with the Tetracycline. You still want to get some of the other meds indicated but since the fish is in such dire straits, I'd start with what you have on hand until you can get something more effective.

Tetracycline isn't as effective in hard water and is said to work best on gram positive bacteria so that might need to be taken into consideration. It should not harm your plants and if your betta is the only tank inhabitant, you can treat in the 10 gallon.

 

[sprmankalel]

I will do a water change. I took the co2 out and I will treat.

 

[Kim]

Tetracyclines work well for a number of human diseases, but in my experience normal tetracycline hydrochloride has limited application for fish diseases due to its limited gram-negative activity. It is also ineffective at a pH higher than about 7.6 and in hard water. If you are going to use it, I would cover the entire tank with a dark cloth, as light inactivates tetracyclines, forming a brown precipitate.

I personally would try to locate the kanamycin and nitrofurazone. Kanamycin is sometimes hard to come by (check out this website for a list of retailers carrying Kanaplex: Seachem Dealer Locator), but nitrofurazone is sold as the brand name Furan, and is also in Jungle Fungus Clear, which is carried by most Walmarts. I personally have had better luck with the fungus clear than tetracycline, so I would try that. It is not readily absorbed, so is best used as a bath for treating external infections, but it may buy you some time (I'd still be on the lookout for kanamycin though).

 

[aurielssong]

Have you had an improvements yet? Were you able to locate the medicines you needed? and If you need to euthanize him, I've heard that Clove oil is the best way to do that for a fish. He does look pretty bad in the picture, But you never know! He may still recover!

 

[sprmankalel]

No improvements yet with the tetracycline. I did find API Furan-2 which is 60mg Nitrofurazone and 25mg Furazolidone. I have to do a small water change and we'll see what happens. He has been active and eating well. Would keeping him on a diet of only freeze dried blood worms for a while (for protein) help? I also have FD tubifex worms. He takes betta pellets well. I have been feeding every other day. Should I do everyday? Maybe pellets one day and worms the next?

 

[aurielssong]

I Find They Like The frozen Blood Worms Better. Mine Don't Like The Freeze Dried Ones Very Much At All.
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[Kim]

I feed twice a day, and I definitely would recommend feeding this often since he is sick. I wouldn't use freeze-dried bloodworms exclusively though, as that can cause constipation. I'd stick with the betta pellets and supplement with some frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp.

 

[sprmankalel]

Ok. I will see what I can do about getting frozen. He devours the freeze dried ones. Another question is should I increase temp? He is currently at 78.

 

[Kim]

You could. I usually keep mine at 80 F.

 

[sprmankalel]

He's around 78 without a heater. I am wondering go I bump him to 82 it if would make his body work more thus promoting regrowth.