BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish sick betta

My male betta was doing really well when he started to lie on the bottom of the tank for the last week he only rises to the surface to get air. I have been treating him with bettafix for 4 days. He had a white patch below his mouth and around his gill area, and now it looks like he has rubbed it raw. Kinda streaky red in spots. He hasn't eaten any food in a week but doesn't look smaller. He is losing his colour though. Any suggestions. He is only a month old.

Do you have any pictures, or anything you've seen online that looks like what he has? That will help diagnose better. Is the white patch like an open sore, or is it more fuzzy like a fungus? The bettafix is a good place to start, and adding aqauarium salt will also help. One teaspoon for 5 gallons I think, though it will give you a portion on the bottle that you should follow, because I'm not quite sure of this right offhand. Losing color is a sure sign he is sick. Is he too cold? If the temperature is below 68 or so, it's likely low temperatures, or temperature fluctuations (overnight can be brutal if it's col) lowered his immune system and allowed him to catch something. If I've learned anything with my betta, it's that there are two important and often overlooked things you need to keep your fish healthy: aquarium salt and a thermometer. If it's small white spots on his face, it could be ich, in which case continue to treat with bettafix and aquarium salt. If no improvement is seen, you may need to look for an antifungal or antibacterial medication, but until you know for sure what it is, you should not medicate, as you could treat him for the wrong thing. Any more information or pictures you can give would be helpful too <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

no its not fuzzy, just like no colour at all in the spots, now streaky red, but he keeps pushing himself between the stems of the artificial silk plants and then lies there, until he goes up for air again, then back down and he repeats the whole process. I have him under a lamp too

there are so many things it COULD be. hard to tell from what we know right now. Do raise his temps to the low 80s, use the salt and betta fix, and keep an eye. Lots of times lying on the bottom is a swim bladder thing, but then that doesn't explain the streaks. I would not feed until you've got this figured out, since we can't rule out GI problems.

Maybe a fungal or bacterial infection???
From bettatalk: (bacterial infection)
"SYMPTOMS: Betta may have clamped fins, lay at bottom or at surface, not eat, lose its color, turn gray, barely swim around. In more advanced cases, its body may start developing red patches, open sores and all kinds of nasty looking stuff. (Even holes in its head!! YIKES!!)"

Fungal infection: "Betta has white cottony like patches on its body or head. He may be less active, may have stopped eating, fins may be clumped, color may be pale."
HTH!!!
Amber

hi
thanks for reply, he is a little more active , he seems to have bursts of energy where he will swim around almost frenzied like, his color in the spots is changing back to his normal colour, he is still lying on the bottom though, he isn't eating so I haven't put anything in his tank, should I keep the light on all the time thanks

Hi again

his white patches are disappearing but around his gill area it looks bruised the streaks are gone but it is a real purplish color there, any other suggestions his natural colour is a orange with a blue fins but his fins are like strands they aren't open at all

Sounds like it could be a lot of things, like Jilly said. I might guess a bacterial infection, but swimming around the tank in bursts of energy sounds like something in the water may be bothering him. Is he rubbing against the sides or bottom at all? A lot of fish do this when they have ich, because it irritates their scales. If the temperature drops during the night, leave his light on, but put a towel over half the tank so he gets some darkness too. Otherwise, give him an object to swim under for some shade so that he can sleep. Just like humans, I think these guys need sleep to get healthy again. Clean water and aquarium salt is the first place to start with any fishy disease though, and if he's improving, just keep doing that.

no he isn't rubbing against anything, he is either on the bottom hiding in the arch of the bridge decoration or swimming around like crazy, then back to the bottom. his color is really good today and his tail is a lot fuller, I put the towel on half hI removed her from her tank just in case, the other female is okay, but the red one is starting to lose color, she sits in the corner under the lily pad with just her nose out, doesn't go to the bottom, and seems to be gasping is tank but the light is still on, now my little female in the other tank is not swimming or eating. She seems to be gasping for air but no white patches or spots, should I treat her with the bettamix too, she isn't swimming and was sitting on the leaves at the top of the tank as if they were holding her up. Not that i have removed her should I treat the other female with the bettamix just in case or is that bad for her as she doesn't seem to have any symtoms yet. All my fish are in tanks with filters, and I use the betta bowl conditioner too. They eat the freeze dried blood worm. I have followed the instructions about the water and feeding and just about everything so am at a lose of how to make them better.

Ohhhhhhh he died, poor thing just couldn't keep up the battle. The little female has recovered though and is back to normal behaviour. I now have a male betta, orange face, white body and navy fins, tail. With all your advice I have sanitized the tank, filter, put in the salt and a little betta fix to start. Hopefully this one will live a long life. Thanks for your help.