Betta has a white area on head

Hi, I just joined this group for advice on my old male Betta. His name is Sapphire and I've had him for since 2013 so he is beyond his actual expexted age. He is still very very active. I just bought him a new tank last week. So yesterday I noticed a white spot on his head. It's not ich or ick as some know it as. I was thinking maybe hole in head by chance. He is eating everything right up and is swimming about as he always had. He has no tank mates of any sorts in his 8 gallon tank. There are 2 plants and 5 algae balls in areas. Also a bubble maker on the opposite corner from the water pump and heater.

What are the suggested remedies ans cures? Thank you all for any and all input for this situation.

 

Very good job on getting this guy to senior citizenship!

It's a lesion that has a secondary fungal infection on it. The location and shape make me think of saddleback disease (columnaris), a serious bacterial infection.
Give him a methylene blue or hydrogen peroxide bath to clean the lesion, then let's have a look at the cleaned wound. It could just be mechanical damage. Is there anything he could have hurt himself on?

While you're working on the bath, do a 50-70% water change to knock back pathogen populations in the tank.

 

Okay, I've never given a fish any of these lol. How do you "give" a hydrogen peroxide bath per say or the methylene blue? I will do an additional water change here as well.

For hurting himself the tank is new. I don't thinknso too much. But he seems to like to wedge himself behind the housing for the water filter and tsnk. He did this as well on the old tank too.

 

Here are also some more pics from this morning. I fed him and he came right up perfectly happy and ate almost all his food. Then he just did his thing and is now just swimming around the tank.

 

Methylene blue, the most commonly sold is Kordon brand (I'm assuming you would prefer not to mix your own solution), in which case you can just follow the instructions they provide to a T.
Hydrogen peroxide you can get at any pharmacy (3%) but may be a little scarier because you have to do your own math and dosing revolves around tiny amounts (which may be hard at home without equipment). Alternatively you can just use a q-tip to swab the fish with it (harmless) but this involves removing your fish from the water which I think is a little too much for that poor old guy.

Hmm, just pay attention if the spot gets significantly bigger or spreads to other parts of the body, it is a bacterial problem. If not, it could just be that he hurt himself on the filter and the wound got a fungal infection.

 

I got some Furan-2 for him today. I had him on Artemiss till I could get him it. He seems to be doing okay. He is still eating at well. He maily is sitting on the top of the tank swimming a moving around. His spot is a little red now. I'll take pics and post them.

 

He originally was in a different tank until I need it which had also salt in it to help him as well. But I had to move him back in this tank for the time being.

 

Here they are.

 

Here they are.

Is it just the pictures or is he starting to look a little bloated?

For now it looks like the size of the lesion is stable, I still see a little fuzz around the edges. On the other hand it seems a little raised (as in, looks a bit like a bump), but I can't see it well. I hope it's not fluid accumulating underneath.
Focus on keeping it clean for now and give the fish as little stress as possible. If he gets more bloated, try some epsom salt baths.

 

I did have in the other tank before it and it had kosher salt mixed in. His current tank it may harm all the plants so, I'm hesitant right now. The fuzz is I think remains of the white earlier? Which I think may he scales. I'll dou le check when I return home and get more pictures.

 

I did have in the other tank before it and it had kosher salt mixed in. His current tank it may harm all the plants so, I'm hesitant right now. The fuzz is I think remains of the white earlier? Which I think may he scales. I'll dou le check when I return home and get more pictures.

Are you a native speaker of English? I have a little trouble understanding exactly what you mean, if you are not a native speaker then I apologise and I'll try a little harder. If you are, could you phrase your thoughts a little more precisely, I am having difficulty helping you.

You don't need to add salt, just let him be for now especially since you are already treating him with something.
Yes, the fuzz at the edges is still the stuff that was there before, the thing is that it should be clearing out. If it gets thicker again, or get threadlike, that is a sign that you need to disinfect his wound.
"Which I think may he scales" -> sorry, I'm not sure what you are trying to say here.

 

I'm sorry for my grammar and phrase things better a little better.

 

I'll try to disinfect the wound here soon. The thing I am very worried about I have to leave for work tomorrow and won't be back home till Thursday night. I may try the hydrogen peroxide route you mentioned too. Do you apply it to the q-tip and apply it and remove the fuzz?

 

Jere are some up close pics. He has had the Furan-2 itself for only 6 now. So he may continue to improve.

 

Hmm, that isn't looking as good as I hoped. It looks it got slightly worse compared to the previous picture. Starting to lean more towards a bacterial problem instead of a wound caused by external physical force.
If you are going away, who will dose the antibiotic? Find someone to do it for you, don't throw in a dose for one day and then just leave it at that.

As for the hydrogen peroxide, yes, you do, but you will have to put the fish on a wet cloth (so outside of the water) in order to apply it that way, or the moment you stick the q-tip in the water the H2O2 on it will just mix with the water. It is also possible to dose like that, but in that case you need to very precisely dose it because the stuff can be quite toxic.
If you just want to give it a short bath, methylene blue is a better option.

 

I think it may be clearing up a little though vs previously. I am about to leave right now sadly. I will have my gf keep applying Furan-2 every 24hrs to help clear it up.

 

I'll take 2 more pictures before I leave.

 

It looks even better than last night.

 

It looks even better than last night.

To me, it looks like it's healing! The red might be new healthy scales, like when you have a big wound and it's starting to grow over. Just continue using the Furan-2 and please try to keep us updated

 

She sent a new pic.

 

Here are new pics, I think he may be getting worse sadly. He is still swimming and stuff. I have been still giving him Furan-2. Also gave some API General Cure.

 

Here are new pics, I think he may be getting worse sadly. He is still swimming and stuff. I have been still giving him Furan-2. Also gave some API General Cure.

I'm sorry to say but it really is looking like saddleback disease, and a pretty massive spot too, with secondary infection. If you want to keep treating, add Maracyn II in additional to the Furan 2, or you could consider euthanising. It doesn't look like something that it has great odds of beating, if you want my honest opinion. I'm sorry,.

 

I know, he is very old and I'm lucky to have had such a great pet for so long. It's very sad indeed. How may I euthanize a fish?

 

Wow that's an old old betta

 

I know, he is very old and I'm lucky to have had such a great pet for so long. It's very sad indeed. How may I euthanize a fish?

There's several ways to euthanize a fish, personally I prefer the clove oil method because it is available to basically everyone and painless.

 

I want to thank everyone in support of helping me try to cure my fish and all advise given to me. I moved him to a small container and added a clove oil mixture and euthanized him. It was terrible how hard the disease came back with such aggression after it receded. Thank you all again.