Please Help Me Find What’s Wrong With My Betta.

My girl Julia is about a year old. She lives in a 10 gallon cycled tank with no tank mates. She’s always been an eager eater and very sweet. Her colors were so pretty and she was really special to me. Still is.

But a month ago, fin rot accidentally spread from my other tank to hers. Treated with Furan 2 and clean water and everything was fine. She reacted well.
But today she’s way more dull than usual and very lethargic. She didn’t seem to see her food which she used to always do. Her one eye is showing signs of Popeye, but I change the water weekly, use Prime, and my readings are always good (I’ll check ASAP, but I can’t right now). She’s paler and thinner. Her back isn’t pineconing at all but her head (?) is a little bit. She’s acting like she’s old but she was a baby when I got her a few months ago. Please help.

Before than after photos.

More pics plus the before:
*Sorry they are so low quality, it’s a bad angle and I’m using an IPhone camera. Her eye looks like a opique film covering it. Not like cataracts or anything though.

 

What are the water parameters?

 

What are the water parameters?

Just checked- all perfect.

 

Just checked- all perfect.

What’s “perfect”?

 

What’s “perfect”?

0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 5 ppm nitrate.

 

Probably not the case but did you do the fin rot treatment recently? Maybe she’s sluggish from that? Is the temp okay? Besides being pale is her coloring different?

 

Probably not the case but did you do the fin rot treatment recently? Maybe she’s sluggish from that? Is the temp okay? Besides being pale is her coloring different?

About three weeks ago, she was okay after that until last night. The temperature is around 80 F so that’s fine. Her face is almost white now and she’s staying on the bottom, just sitting there.

 

About three weeks ago, she was okay after that until last night. The temperature is around 80 F so that’s fine. Her face is almost white now and she’s staying on the bottom, just sitting there.

Is the white fuzzy at all?

 

Is the white fuzzy at all?

Nope, just a translucent cover.

 

Nope, just a translucent cover.

Have you looked at pictures of things like columnaris? Maybe it’s just starting?

 

What are the main symptoms? What is the best way to treat if it is?
Does the ‘popeye’ have anything to do with it?

 

I don’t think Fin rot is contagious, so it’s not possible for it to spread from one tank to another. It usually happens when water quality gets bad. How long has your betta been like this? I do see some lifted scales on the head, but i’m not sure what that could be.

 

I don’t think Fin rot is contagious, so it’s not possible for it to spread from one tank to another. It usually happens when water quality gets bad. How long has your betta been like this? I do see some lifted scales on the head, but i’m not sure what that could be.

The lifted scales are just from yesterday.
I brought home a betta from PetSmart that had fin rot. The water was fine the fish just had it already I transferred it accidentally with my gravel vac.

EDIT: her back is also curved slightly, which I know isn’t a good sign. It wasn’t like this before.

 

Maybe you cleaned the tank too well and are lacking the 100% cycle. Maybe too much medication ?

 

Maybe you cleaned the tank too well and are lacking the 100% cycle. Maybe too much medication ?

I did a 100% water change about 2 months ago and I do 25% a week. She reacted fine to the full one (I had to change substrate). The filter media is nice and gross and my parameters are good. Hmm.

The dosage is one packet for 10 gallons (her tank is ten gallons) and I underdosed. Her tank still has the yellowish orange color from the meds on the sides, could that have contributed?

I just really need help with this because I’m freaking out and I don’t know what to do. I can run out tomorrow to get any medication but time it’s columnarus than I don’t know what to do. I love this fish with all my heart (I’m really attached to her because she helped me through a really hard issue in my life, she’s just really special.) I’m willing to get as much meds as I need I just can’t order anything. If it is columnarus is it better to just euthanize? She’s just laying on the bottom, curved spine, head pineconing and not eating. I don’t really want to euthanize but I don’t want her to suffer and I can’t go through the pain of watching her die (I know it sounds dramatic but whenever any of my animals are the least bit not okay I get really really upset). I would give her to a local fish store and they could take her but the ones near me all keep their bettas in cups. I have Clove oil if I need as well as IAL, prime, and Furan 2 but that’s it. I just need to know what I should do. Whatever this is, is there any chance of recovery? I’ll link a current photo. Please help.

More pictures. I moved her to a breeder box so she isn’t laying on the bottom.
I discovered that she’s showing the same symptoms as my other betta, who died in August, did the night I put him down. It’s the same and it’s scaring me. Please, I’m desperate.

*Mods, sorry for double posting. Time is just running out and I don’t know what to do*

 

Is this a patch of white?

 

Is this a patch of white?

Nope, just bad reflection, sorry about that.

 

I would try and get some kanaplex, 100% and smaller water changes will not hurt fish as long as the bacterial cycle remains in the filter, water does not contain enough bacteria to worry about.
I would get an antiparasite if you are able and treat her (since she is not eating one dosed to the water and absorbed through the skin is the best route).

To be honest she doesn't look as bad as I have seen some that recovered. I would turn the temp down a little bit to 78, if it is fungus it will just enjoy the heat - the second thing you could be looking at here is internal parasites or organ issues (since it was sudden). The kanaplex and dewormer/deparasite meds are going to be the best bet right now based on her current rate of deterioration and visual symptoms.

 

I would try and get some kanaplex, 100% and smaller water changes will not hurt fish as long as the bacterial cycle remains in the filter, water does not contain enough bacteria to worry about.
I would get an antiparasite if you are able and treat her (since she is not eating one dosed to the water and absorbed through the skin is the best route).

To be honest she doesn't look as bad as I have seen some that recovered. I would turn the temp down a little bit to 78, if it is fungus it will just enjoy the heat - the second thing you could be looking at here is internal parasites or organ issues (since it was sudden). The kanaplex and dewormer/deparasite meds are going to be the best bet right now based on her current rate of deterioration and visual symptoms.

Thanks so much!!! What antiparasitic med would you recommend?
If she’s okay in the morning I’ll get her the medicines. Do you think she has a chance of making it through the night?

I think it’s more likely the internal issues because I’m not seeing any visible patches. But that’s just my thought.

I would try and get some kanaplex, 100% and smaller water changes will not hurt fish as long as the bacterial cycle remains in the filter, water does not contain enough bacteria to worry about.
I would get an antiparasite if you are able and treat her (since she is not eating one dosed to the water and absorbed through the skin is the best route).

To be honest she doesn't look as bad as I have seen some that recovered. I would turn the temp down a little bit to 78, if it is fungus it will just enjoy the heat - the second thing you could be looking at here is internal parasites or organ issues (since it was sudden). The kanaplex and dewormer/deparasite meds are going to be the best bet right now based on her current rate of deterioration and visual symptoms.

Thanks so much!!! What antiparasitic med would you recommend?
If she’s okay in the morning I’ll get her the medicines. Do you think she has a chance of making it through the night?

I think it’s more likely the internal issues because I’m not seeing any visible patches. But that’s just my thought.

 

It probably is internal because internal fluid (caused by many potential things) is how the pine coning is started. Good luck!!

 

I'd say a good one for starting is prazipro.

 

Unfortunately no stores near me carry kanaplex any substitutes?

 

Triple sulfa, erythromycin, maracyn two (the last is much harder to get a hold of, even than kanaplex, without it already being out of date).

 

API fin and body cure is Doxycycline, it’s a pretty good substitute.

 

Unfortunately she died last night at around 11:30.

I realized she showed the exact snail symptoms not only as my previous betta, but as two of the guppies I had months before the last betta died. They all died within a day and they all showed the same death. (Laying on the floor, lethargic, curved spine, slight pineconing). What’s weird is that these tanks didn’t exist near each other for months. There was no affect from any tank to be contagious or anything. I don’t know why this happened. It’s not my water or the food or the filter: I don’t know what happened

 

I'm so sorry...