Okay, after two days of the Bettafix treatment, Zeta still is not showing much improvement, but I know it is still early. I did notice that his fins and tail are now loosing the red color that seemed to be getting worse, so i think he really did have fin/tail rot and that is going away. However, his tail still looks frayed. He is still NOT swimming around much, making bubble nests, eating or flaring. He comes up for air and then sits on the bottom either slightly sideways (to rest I guess) or with his face in the gravel. Half the time I think he is dead. I just want to see him looking happy and healthy and flaring at his own reflection. Today will be day number 3 of his treatment. I just wish he would start eating so he could get stonger. I also notice what looks like a possible cottony growth forming, but it is too hard to tell if that it is really cottony or just messed up scales. I am going to keep an eye on this for ick, but so far it does not look like ick. Bettafix says it is good for cottony growths as well, so I will keep you all posted.

Next, my niece Haley named her Betta (also won on the boardwalk) Angel. Her sister and brother got jelous so their mom (my sister) went out and bought two more Bettas. Now my niece Haley is very upset as the two new Betta's are bigger and more active then hers. Angel does swim, blow bubble beds, and flare, but he is NOT eating and my sister (after reading about fin rot) thinks he may be sick, so she bought the medicine. But you know a 9 year old girl. She wants a new one because she is worried hers is too weak. I told her to give the medicine time and that Angel is smaller because he is younger. ( I know from experience that they do grow as the get bigger) I also told her that this medicine should perk him back up and he will be as active as the others. Did I giver her the right advice? He is on day two of medicine today. I just feel bad because my mom was so happy to buy her this fish and now she is upset and worried about him because she sees other fish being more "healthy".

I will keep you all posted on the progress of both fish. I couldn't do all of these without all of you. Thank you.

Well to be honest with you things with Zeta aren't sounding really good, but yes it is still early in the treatment. I don't like the sounds of the cottony growth. The other little fish for you niece sounds little but like overall it is definately holding it s own and hopefully will grow big and beautiful as the others. Maybe this will be a great time to teach alittle girl that just like it takes time for her to grow, it takes time for bettas too, and since it is younger she will probably have it longer if she takes really good care of it, and she will enjoy watching it grow.

Good Luck Does Zeta have salt in his water too?

Glo

Hi Rns, iagree that Zeta does not sound good. the cotton is fungus. A secondary infection that is hard to shake. Keep up the salt, heat and bettafix. PLease read this article I wrote about betta treatment:

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art16478.asp

When bettas start lying upside down with their head in the gravel, that's a very bad sign. I hope you can save him but he might well die. I don't think this is your fault - I think the cold boardwalk situation is at fault, and that person giving out those fish should learn to stop. bettas cannot be chilled like that and NOT get sick - very sick.

anyway, hang in there, and tell your niece what you think is going on. it's not her fault either.

I think Emg should send you her hand-raised, healthy betta babies.

Oh no, he is not laying upside down at all. He rests on the bottom and his body will either lean to the side (not all the way sideways) or he will rest at the bottom and place his little nose in the gravel. But he is not upside down. As far as the cottony growth, it is really too hard to say if that is even what it is. I can only seem to see it iat a certain angle with a certain light.

I am using salt, but only put it in two days ago. How often do you add the salt. I thought is was a one time thing, but maybe I am wrong. I am glad to see the red fading away on his fins though. I am trying my best. If he passes, I will be okay, but I will feel awful if my neices passes. Luckily he seems much healthier than my Zeta.

As for the fungus, can Bettafix help that if that is what it is, or would I need something else? I do have ick treatment at home as well, but have not used it.

I only used the salt 1 time too, but when I changed half the water on day 3 I replaced 1/2 tsp of salt with the half gal of new water I added. Salt doesn't evaporate into the air and like you I was not sure on how much concentration was good for bettas so I kep it to 1 tsp per gal of water..replacing it appropriately ONLY if I removed it.

I don't know about the fungus stuff...maybe send Jilly a personal message she may know more about treating a secondaryinfection if in fact tht is what t is.

Yes if he passes it WAS NOT you, you plugged right in to treat him as best you could. It is sad that these beautiful fish get subjected to some pretty poor conditions sometimes.

Glo

If you make a trip to our local fish store or pet sho See if they have something called Maroxy and read the info. I used this when breeding angels to help prevent egg fungas before they reached the wiggler stage. It may be something that could help a fungus. It comes in a liquid so I think you can get the dose down to something close to what you need for Zeta in his liitler tank.

To behonest I do not have a clue if you can add it along with the Betta Fix but considering Betta fix is all natural my guess is it woud be just fine. The call will have to be yours in the end, but you could go read about the product.
Glo

And if it isn't really fungus....... Would it hurt him?

No I don't think it would But I do want you to go read about it yourself. I parent raised my angels which means the adults were in the same tank with the eggs while being treated with Maroxy for 2 days waiting for the wiggler stage...it doesn't disrupt the bio filter and certainly didn't hurt the healthy fish at all...still spawning like crazy I just don't raise the angels anymore.

Glo

I am going to the pet store this afternnon to get a thermometer and read up on Maroxy and some other fungal meds I saw. I might wait to see if it gets any worse (like I said, I could only think I saw it at a certain angle in a certain light), but I will rush right to the store if I think it got any worse. The store is walking distance to my home, so it isn't a hassle for me (and i pass it on the way home from work every day). Once I know the temp, I am going to get out one of my reptile pads and place a small part of the tank over it. Oh, and just an FYI. My Betta will get his third dose of medicine when I get home from work today, so technically he has not been on it for a full 48 hours yet.

Found this on the Bettas R Us site info on dosage of maroxy for 1 gal tank.

Maroxy�
by Mardel Laboratories Inc
Ingredients
Stabilized chlorine oxides
T
Dosage :

Shake well

For Aquarium use: Use 1 drop per gallon on all fish exept those of the Tetra group.

For Tetras - 1 drop for every 2 gallons

For Marine Fish - For Lymphocystis use 1 drop for every gallon daily in a bare aquarium
Glo

Quantity- 1 Fl Oz
Avg. Price - $1.77
Technical Information
Directions: Read enclosed brochure carefully before use.

If I find it for that price it will be bought. At Petco's site, it is like 20 bucks. There must be a smaller bottle. I am going to try Petsmart on the way home.

Yep there is a much smaller bottle that's what I always bought. Probably in the $3 range IF they have the small bottle.

Glo

Methylene Blue is another anti fungal agent if they don't have maroxy. I never used this on the adult healthy fish though Thia is used oneggs by angel breeders who do not parent raise but Bettas R Us does list it on the site for true fungus and also the dosage is 1 drop per gallon. I amnot at all as familiar with this product but it may be an alternative if they don't have maroxy.

Glo

Do you recommend I get this or shoulf I wait until the weekend to see if the BettaFix and warmer temps help at all? I don't want to overmedicate. Bettafix supposidly helps fungal diseases as well. Just don't know how well.

Okay, it is Friday Morning. This afternoon at 6 pm will be the start of day 4 of the treatment. I got Zeta's tank to 78 degrees last night, so I put a little more of the heat pad under it this morning in hopes to get it to 80. The cottony growth, I don't see anymore so that is good. His bottom fin looks great, but the top is still clamped and the tail still has red around the edges adn it still frayed. He is still not eating, but will come to the top to look at me if I look in to his tank. Other than that, really no change. No bubble beds, no flaring and still a lot of sitting at the bottom. I added some more salt because I know I didn't use enough last time (only 2 salt things). So we will see what happens in the next couple days. I just wish he would eat.

An update on Angel, my niece's fish. He is still not eating or making bubble beds, but it swimming and flaring. He has clamped fins, but seems to be getting some color back. My sister says he is going on day 3 of his treatment (the body fungus is getting better), but she feels she is going to have to do a water change because the water is gross. She even mentioned flushing him to me if he does not get better soon. I told her to give him to me to care for before she does that. I mean, hers is doing a lot better than mine and she is talking about flushing him. Some people just don't feel for animals the way I do.

I will keep you all posted on both fishies progress as time goes on.

rns

Most of the time when my fish were in bettafix treatments...at some point during the treatment they would develope that white cottony fungus. I just kept up the treatment making sure the water temps were ok (80ish F) and that I kept the bowl as clean as I could by removing any crud on the bottom every day...taking out only a very little water with the airline syphon.

I would wait till the end of the bettafix treatment at least, if there is only just a hint of fungus. If after the 7 days it is still evident..then go with the stronger antifungus meds.

Emg :beamedup:

That is what I decided to do. I figured I will finsih up this treatment and see how he looks. From there, I will obvously post here and get some opinions on the next step. Right now I am more worried about his eating and non-activeness than anything else, but I like to believe that I see a very small amount of improvement everyday, but we can only wait and see.

And if my sister tries to flush her fish, I will rescue him.

RNS

It sounds like you have a lot of compassion for the fish. I hope your sister will let you take over Angel if needed. :angel:

You're doing all the right things for Zeta, and I'm cheering you on. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

It's amazing how attached we get to our finny friends. :love:

Nannynan,

Thank you. It truly is amazing how attached you can become to these fish, but they have personality as well. I think that is why. It is so hard for me to not buy more. Petsmart by me just got a shipment yesterday of 500. Everywhere I turned there were more.

I will do my best to save both these fish. We just now need to wait and see. Wish me luck.

Good Luck RNS....I'm cheering you and Zeta on, and hoping for a speedy recovery. I do know how attached you can get to these little guys, and you're right it's all because of their personalities.

You're being a very good fish Mommy, and doing all that you can for your little guy---I'm hopeful your efforts will be rewarded with a happy healthy fishy!!