MadMax1412

Hey guys I've got a Betta that about 5 weeks ago I noticed has a lump on one side and never swims around like he used to. Now he struggles to stay afloat at all and spends all him time either lying on the bottom of the tank or on one of the many plants I have in the tank. The only time he swims is when he darts up to get a bit of air or I try to feed him. When I do try to feed him, I can see him struggling to stay up at the top. Today he got one pellet and missed the second one twice and then sank to the bottom exhausted. Over the 5 weeks I have tried many things. 1) 3-4 days of fasting followed by peas in case it was constipation. 2) 3 rounds of Epsom Salt baths 3) increased temperature 4) used anti bacterial medication called Melafix 5) small amounts of high protein eg frozen bloodworms. 6) Indian Almond Leaves Nothing seems to work and it's heartbreaking to see him struggle to swim only to sink and rest on the leaves. Attached is 2 frames from a video I took of him about 5 weeks ago during one of the Epsom Salt baths. You can see the lump on the side. I'm thinking I may need to euthanise him but it's a heartbreaking decision and I don't want to prematurely end his life if there's something else that may fix him. At the same time, he currently doesn't have a life - resting and then darting up for air or food is not a life and I'm not sure if he is in pain. Any ideas?

I've found a 2nd hand tank and heater so I've bought an internal filter and have filled it up, added starting bacteria (I don't have a cycled sponge etc) and just waiting for the water to heat. I will check the water tomorrow after work and if ok, will try to catch the 4 Tetras involved and isolate them and treat with salt whilst I wait for meds. In the meantime, here's a video ai shot of their chasing behaviour, how they feed and how the other occupants of the tank behave. If it wasn't for the white spots and swollen mouth, I would put the chasing down to some protecting an area perhaps for mating purposes and consider it a good tank. Video is here - https://youtu.be/YYCgnqY7N40 The 4:55 mark is them feeding. The 11:15 mark is an overview.

Someone on the Facebook group "Tank Talk" suggested that perhaps the white spots are injuries. Given the first white spot I saw was where the tail fin on one was missing, that was my first thought. Then I saw the two with it on their mouths and one seems fiesty towards the others. The person on the group thought perhaps they were trying to mate or chase females? I will look into those meds. It's a pity Kanaplex has an expected delivery of Oct 4 - 29. Knowing my luck it would be the later part of this window.

Hi I noticed one of my Neon Tetras had part of it's tail fin missing and it was white in that spot. Then I noticed 2 other Neons with white spots on their mouths and one with a big lump. I thought the white spots might be cotton mouth. I have no idea about the lump which looks like it covers the whole mouth. Tank has 11 Neons, 1 Betta, 1 Ottocynlis and 2 Corydoras. My quarantine tank is currently in use with some fish I bought a week ago. Currently searching seems to favour using Kanaplex but I'm in Australia and orders from eBay/Amazon look like it will take 3-5 weeks. Would separation using a fry box in the same tank be ok (if it's just passed via contact)? Would love to know what the 2 issues are - the white around the mouth and the lump around mouth. I hope the photo is clear. BTW, one of the Neons with a white mouth seemed a little aggressive towards the others, swimming fast up to them like it was trying to chase them away. Should I order the Kanaplex? What do I do in the meantime. Also need to ensure whatever I try doesn't hurt the Betta. I was thinking of API Melafix which is available in store here but someone posted a review saying they found out the hard way that it kills Bettas. Any advice appreciated. TIA