abbie Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 Hi! My betta has been flashing against plants and filter in his tank I started him on API general cure last Friday the 15th thinking he may have gill flukes and he is continuing to flash. He got his second dose of GC last night and seemed to be doing better until he started flashing again. He has scratched himself from the continuous rubbing but otherwise seems okay he's not as active as he normally is but is still eating and comes up to the front when I walk up. He doesn't seem to have any other symptoms besides maybe being a little lethargic before I started the GC. I'm super new to the hobby (maybe 3 months haha) so I don't know if this is just a normal course for gill flukes and I just need to wait out the GC or if I need to do something more? Would anyone happen to have any tips or is this just something that needs to take its course. Water parameters: pH: 8.2 - 8.4 Nitrates: around 10 Nitrites: 0 Ammonia: 0 Temp: 80 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted October 18, 2021 Share Posted October 18, 2021 It sounds like gill flukes with the symptoms your describing it can take 2-3 course of treatment 2 weeks apart to get rid of flukes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbie Posted October 18, 2021 Author Share Posted October 18, 2021 On 10/18/2021 at 6:14 PM, Colu said: It sounds like gill flukes with the symptoms your describing it can take 2-3 course of treatment 2 weeks apart to get rid of flukes Thank you! So after the 25% water change next give him two weeks then do another round of general cure? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_G Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 Beautiful fish, I’m a biased fan of Koi Betta, but just stunning! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 On 10/19/2021 at 12:49 AM, abbie said: Thank you! So after the 25% water change next give him two weeks then do another round of general cure? Yes sometimes it needs I third course of treatment that all depends on how he's doing after two courses of treatment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbie Posted October 20, 2021 Author Share Posted October 20, 2021 On 10/18/2021 at 7:50 PM, Colu said: Yes sometimes it needs I third course of treatment that all depends on how he's doing after two courses of treatment Hi! Thank you! I was checking him out today and he was doing super this morning and ate super well and now his lip looks a little swollen. This morning I added some easy green (completely out of habit not even thinking) so I honestly don't know if I'm just looking closer and unknowingly looking for something to be "wrong" lol. I don't know if his top lip like that could be columnaris from what I have read though columnaris is very fast acting so I would think the "swelling" I am seeing would've happened sooner? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 It's possible he injury his lip while rubbing against objects in the tank if he can still eat ok I would just monitor it for now @abbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbie Posted October 20, 2021 Author Share Posted October 20, 2021 On 10/20/2021 at 4:45 PM, Colu said: It's possible he injury his lip while rubbing against objects in the tank if he can still eat ok I would just monitor it for now @abbie Ohh maybe! I didn't even think about that! I started to get some algae in my tank (I just upgraded my lights so I think everything is just balancing out) and he's been pecking at that. So maybe the combination between the pecking and his rubbing caused his lip to swell. Are there any signs I should be looking out for with columnaris? I've seen the "cotton wool" growing out of the mouth is a symptom but anything before it gets that bad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 They get fuzzy patches on there backs like this and and white lips I don't think your Betta has Columnaris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbie Posted October 20, 2021 Author Share Posted October 20, 2021 On 10/20/2021 at 5:57 PM, Colu said: They get fuzzy patches on there backs like this and and white lips I don't think your Betta has Columnaris Thank you so much for all your help it is greatly appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbie Posted December 2, 2021 Author Share Posted December 2, 2021 On 10/18/2021 at 7:50 PM, Colu said: Yes sometimes it needs I third course of treatment that all depends on how he's doing after two courses of treatment Hi so I've got an update I did 3 courses of the general cure and this week I noticed he was still doing the flashing. I am beginning to wonder if this could be a boredom issue now that the parasites are gone? I believe I read somewhere that flashing can be a sign of boredom. He has also been sitting at the bottom of his tank, with him sitting there I don't know if he's hiding or hanging out within the java fern there and he comes out as soon as I walk up to the tank. Also no ammonia, nitrites, or nitrates and PH is staying consistent at 8.4. Still no spots on him or any other signs of disease so I'm starting to think that if this is something it is the slowest moving disease in the world😅 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted December 2, 2021 Share Posted December 2, 2021 On 12/2/2021 at 6:08 PM, abbie said: Hi so I've got an update I did 3 courses of the general cure and this week I noticed he was still doing the flashing. I am beginning to wonder if this could be a boredom issue now that the parasites are gone? I believe I read somewhere that flashing can be a sign of boredom. He has also been sitting at the bottom of his tank, with him sitting there I don't know if he's hiding or hanging out within the java fern there and he comes out as soon as I walk up to the tank. Also no ammonia, nitrites, or nitrates and PH is staying consistent at 8.4. Still no spots on him or any other signs of disease so I'm starting to think that if this is something it is the slowest moving disease in the world😅 Besides the flashing have noticed any other symptoms since finishing your last course of general cure such as White stringy poop rapid breathing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbie Posted December 2, 2021 Author Share Posted December 2, 2021 On 12/2/2021 at 1:56 PM, Colu said: Besides the flashing have noticed any other symptoms since finishing your last course of general cure such as White stringy poop rapid breathing This past week he has started hanging out in the java fern but comes right up when I come up and yesterday I saw him "yawn" a couple times but not going up to the top for air more than normal. I did start playing with the coops Liquid carbon and did 2 doses a day apart and he has an ayirstone in the coop sponge filter On 12/2/2021 at 2:19 PM, abbie said: This past week he has started hanging out in the java fern but comes right up when I come up and yesterday I saw him "yawn" a couple times but not going up to the top for air more than normal. I did start playing with the coops Liquid carbon and did 2 doses a day apart and he has an ayirstone in the coop sponge filter When he "yawns" he's swimming mid water and seems very relaxed not like he's struggling for air Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted December 2, 2021 Share Posted December 2, 2021 (edited) As you have done 3 courses of general cure that should have taken care of any Gill flukes most common causes of flashing are poor water quality or parasites I have never heard of fish flashing out of boredom have you checked your water parameters resently just in case something off Edited December 2, 2021 by Colu Spelling mistake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbie Posted December 2, 2021 Author Share Posted December 2, 2021 On 12/2/2021 at 3:09 PM, Colu said: As you have done 3 courses of general cure that should have taken care of any Gill flukes most common causes of flashing are poor water quality ot parasites I have never heard of fish flashing out of boredom have you checked your water parameters resently just in case something off I have been yesterday I had 0ppm ammonia and 0ppm nitrites and maybe 10 ppm nitrates for my plants I was using the coop test strips so its sometimes hard for me to see the difference between 0 and 10 ppm for the nitrites and nitrates so I will make sure to use my liquid test kit today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbie Posted December 3, 2021 Author Share Posted December 3, 2021 On 12/2/2021 at 3:25 PM, abbie said: I have been yesterday I had 0ppm ammonia and 0ppm nitrites and maybe 10 ppm nitrates for my plants I was using the coop test strips so its sometimes hard for me to see the difference between 0 and 10 ppm for the nitrites and nitrates so I will make sure to use my liquid test kit today My API test kit just confirmed 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and probably closer to 5 ppm nitrate and its saying 8.2 - 8.3 ph. I'm wondering if I should just run him through the med trio but I don't know if that could have bad after effects? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted December 3, 2021 Share Posted December 3, 2021 (edited) I wouldn't use the med trio as it's more of a proventive treatment do you use active carbon in you tank as the dust from them can irritate the gills of some fish causing them to flashing thinking out side of the box what I would do is increase water changes and add a small amount of aquarium salt 1 table spoon for 5 gallons at that level it shouldn't harm your plants and monitor him closely for the next week @abbie Edited December 3, 2021 by Colu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbie Posted December 3, 2021 Author Share Posted December 3, 2021 On 12/2/2021 at 10:19 PM, Colu said: I wouldn't use the med trio as it's more of a proventive treatment do you use active carbon in you tank as the dust from them can irritate the gills of some fish causing them to flashing thinking out side of the box what I would do is increase water changes and add a small amount of aquarium salt 1 table spoon for 5 gallons at that level it shouldn't harm your plants and monitor him closely for the next week @abbie I don't have a carbon filter one did come with the tank but it has been roughly a month I think since I took it out. Could his gills be healing from the flukes though? In my mind if he had a bad case of the flukes wouldn't they eventually cause damage? I may be completely out in left field though😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted December 3, 2021 Share Posted December 3, 2021 They can damage the gills that why I would try salt and leave him for a week if you feel he getting worse then or showing other symptoms you would treat again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbie Posted December 6, 2021 Author Share Posted December 6, 2021 On 12/2/2021 at 10:32 PM, Colu said: They can damage the gills that why I would try salt and leave him for a week if you feel he getting worse then or showing other symptoms you would treat again Ohh I gotcha I just got back from being gone this weekend and I noticed he looks like he's clamping his fins and overall just doesn't look happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted December 6, 2021 Share Posted December 6, 2021 (edited) Clamped fins can be a sign of poor water quality or illness I would check your water parameters if there ok then I would do a course of maracyn in food you will need one scoop of seachems focus as it acts as a binding agent mix well with 1 table spoon of pellets or frozen and use a quarter of a packet of maracyn to mix with the pellets feed for 7 days If using dry food use 1 or 2 drops of water you can a store any unused medicated food in the fridge if you use frozen food to make the medicated food throw out after 48hr and make a new batch feed no more than twice a day small amount @abbie Edited December 6, 2021 by Colu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbie Posted December 6, 2021 Author Share Posted December 6, 2021 I just checked my water parameters and everything seems fine🤷🏼♀️ Is API Erithromycin the same thing as Fritz Maracyn? I live in a small town and only have access to Petsmart and Petco. Could the damage the flukes did to his gills cause an infection? @Colu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted December 6, 2021 Share Posted December 6, 2021 (edited) On 12/6/2021 at 4:45 AM, abbie said: API Erithromycin the same thing as Fritz Maracyn Yes they both have the same active ingredient erythromycin parasites can weaken a fish leaving them susceptible to opportunistic bacterial infections Edited December 6, 2021 by Colu 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbie Posted December 6, 2021 Author Share Posted December 6, 2021 Does the same recipe work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted December 6, 2021 Share Posted December 6, 2021 (edited) Y On 12/6/2021 at 4:53 AM, abbie said: Does the same recipe work? Yes it does you can also add some garlic guard to the medicated food to make it more appetizering Edited December 6, 2021 by Colu 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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