Help with skinny betta / Mycobacterium??

[Stef]

Hi everyone.  Looking for some help identifying what's going on with my betta, Venom. Am fearing the worst.  He's a big box store Crowntail I've had since last year Sept 2021. Per my aquarium tracker for water changes, etc., symptoms appeared Oct 24 this year. He started having swimming difficulties (too buoyant) and there appeared to be separation/gap from behind his gills to his stomach per notes. By now I think this is emaciation. He's really thin. But he's been eating but maybe not able to process nutrients?? I normally feed daily, and he's got an appetite but seems to not be able to grab his food right. He attacks it but misses over and over. He cannot eat without help. For the past 5 days, I've been feeding his Xtreme betta pellet that has been soaked in tank water for feeding #1 and then at night after work frozen bloodworms using a pipette. His coloring looks OK (he was more black and now more blue), he has no bloat or dropsy or pineconing. No fungus or fin rot either. His eyes are clear and bright. His body is contorted in a "C" shape, though. When he does swim, it's not normal and he struggles. He perks up and wiggle swims every time I check on him. Poor guy.

After reading posts here I'm thinking this is some kind of wasting disease or mycobacterium. Today he's gone from floating too much to wedging himself in the plants at the bottom. He ate his bloodworms. I dropped a few near him at the bottom and was able to pick them off the gravel bed. 

Water changes have been consistent at every 2 weeks. He's the only occupant in a 6 gal cube (except for a few ramshorn snails).

Temp 78F
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20
pH 7.2 - 7.6 (cannot tell the difference on the strip)
GH 300
KH
Buffer 40
Chlorine 0
(water test results from ACO test strip today)

Filtration is an ACO Nano sponge with air stone and a Dymax 120 SlimFlo Hob. Last water change was on Oct 29.

The last photo of him in the sunlight is from March this year for comparison.

All help appreciated. Thank you.

 

 

[Colu]

With the symptoms you could be dealing with wasting disease what I would do if a course of Expel p active ingredient is levamisole in food feeding a small amount twice a day for 7 days  repeat the medicated food in two weeks in-between treatments with Expel p I would do a course of paracleanse that will cover against most types of internal parasites 

[Stef]

Thanks @Colu I will give it a try.  I'm confused though.  If the recipe is .5 grams levamisole to 7 grams of fish food, 7 grams converts to .246 oz.  Is the math right?  4 oz. is a lot of fish food.  Also does just the medication + water last 30 days in fridge and soak food as needed?  Or is it medication + water + food lasts 30 days in fridge?  Sorry I'm not clear.

[Colu]

It should be about about 0.246 oz yes you can store the medicated food for up to 30days in the fridge @Stef

Edited November 4, 2022 by Colu