TowMater88 Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 My name is Andrew and my mom and I keep many species of freshwater tropical fish. I currently have a sick female betta that is in need of help. She’s bloated, you can really see the shape of her scales, she has clamped fins, and is very lethargic. She lives in a 10 gallon aquarium with a divider cause I was gonna try my hand a breeding koi betta’s. Her flashy male counterpart lives next door. The aquarium is planted and they live with some snails to help clean up the food that they don’t eat. Kinda like a self sufficient ecosystem, she’s been relocated to a planted hospital tank for observation and treatment any help anyone can give would be greatly appreciated. I’ve been laid off from my job and have been working for myself while my mom has been working part time. We’ve had a rough couple of years and I was gonna try my hand at breeding betta’s as a fun side project and make a little bit of side money. Please help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 (edited) @TowMater88 Hi there, firstly I'm sorry you're having a rough time I totally understand. Your poor betta. You said her scales are really pronounced- if when you look down on her her scales stick out from her sides? This is something called "pine-coning" and sadly it's a sign of Dropsy. I've had a betta that had it. It is near impossible to cure, and even if you are able to usually the outward signs of dropsy has already started an organ failure they can't recover from. If it's not that bloating can also be constipation, sometimes a tumor (but one side is usually a different shape than the other). @Colu is our medicating guru, and there are lots of other betta keepers....others may have more insight. Do you test water? Can you tell us more about the tank sne was living in including temperature, your set up, if anything recent changed in the tank etc. It would be helpful so we can help you. Edited January 24, 2022 by xXInkedPhoenixX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowMater88 Posted January 24, 2022 Author Share Posted January 24, 2022 They don’t look like they are sticking out, they look more inflamed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 (edited) Well I hope for your sake and your Betta it isn't. Do you test your water? If so what are the parameters? Do you do water changes? How often how do you treat your water? What's the filtration? What's the temperature? Is the other Betta (understand she was in a divided tank) showing any signs? This would be my concern- if it's an illness your other betta could get it or has it- so both the hospital and your display tank may need to be treated. Other than the physical signs how is she acting, can she swim is she flashing, anything else physical we can't see in the picture? Most important do you have any medications on hand? If so what are they. A picture of the tanks she came from may help. Not knowing further right now I'm posting a link with good general information on Betta illnesses, maybe something will stand out for you and maybe help you diagnose. If you have Epsom salt (plain, no scents or oils in them) you can make up an epsom salt bath (which helped in my past dropsy treatments but it's also good for other illnesses and bloating/constipation -so in the meantime you can do this if you're comfortable. 1 tablespoon, mixed in a gallon of water until disolved. I'd keep the gallon aside and put miss betta in a plastic container with enough of the water to be comfortable and not jump out, for 15-20 minutes a day. Then back into the hospital tank. Edited January 24, 2022 by xXInkedPhoenixX 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 I would follow @xXInkedPhoenixXadvice and start with Epsom salt baths if your not seeing any improvement after a couple of days then I would do a course of kanaplex in food and metroplex to treat the water column and some aquarium salt 1 table spoon for 3 gallons the salt will help reduce any possible fluid buildup 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowMater88 Posted February 20, 2022 Author Share Posted February 20, 2022 So I have been treating with Epsom salts for almost 2 weeks and her pineconeing has began to go away she’s definitely not as bloated and swollen as she once was. She’s picking at food every other day or every other 3rd day. I’ve noticed she has been staying more towards the middle to top of the hospital tank now. She’s been behaving a little more normally but I know she’s still not out of the woods yet 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowMater88 Posted February 20, 2022 Author Share Posted February 20, 2022 I haven’t messed with aquarium salts in a long time cause I recently switched over to live aquarium plants and don’t wanna kill them and lose their benefits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now