Sick betta help! Columnaris??

So I got my new betta about 3 weeks ago. Everything has been perfect. 3-4 days ago i noticed a spot on his back where the scales had gone black instead of his usual blue. So I asked the breeder and he said that some of them had the marble gene so it was most likely some normal color change. So I went on with my day. The day after it had gotten a bit bigger but still didnt look "angry" so I stuck with the color change reasoning. On the third day it looked a little bit fuzzy on the edges so I started suspecting something fungal. But multiple people still said it looked pretty normal. Today tho, it has spread even more and his dorsal fin is shredded. Its deffo not color change but I dont know what it is? It kinda looks fungal to me but im not sure. Water paremeters are fine and I clean the tank once a week 30-50% everytime (its a 7 gal). What is it and what do I do? All I have is something called Medimore which is medics against a wide variety of diseases (great if the disease is unknown). It works against most fungal and bacterial diseases and a few parasite related ones. I also saw columnaris on the list but idk if this is that. So far his behaviour hasnt changed much. He still gets excited over food, but does sleep a teeny bit more in the plants.

Tank paremeters:
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate =30 ish
pH= 7,8 ish

Food:
i feed him attinsons betta pro and frozen artemia shrimp. Now and then frozen bloodworms.

The pictures are from the day i got him then day 1-4 of the sickness (some are taken with the flash which is why he looks more turqoise in some):

 

hmm, I dont know... The first three photos look like color change, but the last two are worrying... Could you fill out the Emergency Template?
Also, has he been acting off at all?

 

hmm, I dont know... The first three photos look like color change, but the last two are worrying... Could you fill out the Emergency Template?
Also, has he been acting off at all?

oh yes sorry. I didnt see that there was one of those. And I cant seem to edit the main post to get it in there so ill just do it here:


Tank
What is the water volume of the tank?
It is a 8 gallon (30 liter)

How long has the tank been running?
three years

Does it have a filter?
yes the mini pat filter

Does it have a heater?
no

What is the water temperature?
always between 27 and 28 degrees celcius

What is the entire stocking of this tank? (Please list all fish and inverts.)
Betta fish
5 ammano shrimp

Maintenance
How often do you change the water?
once a week

How much of the water do you change?
30-50%

What do you use to treat your water?
Normal filter medium by easylife -I live in Denmark so generally nothing dangerous in our water as its not treated with a million things.

Do you vacuum the substrate or just the water?
substrate and water

*Parameters - Very Important
Did you cycle your tank before adding fish?
yes

What do you use to test the water?
Pro JBL aqatest (combi version)

What are your parameters? We need to know the exact numbers, not just “fine” or “safe”.
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20
pH: 7,8

Feeding
How often do you feed your fish?
everyday (betta) with one fasting day

How much do you feed your fish?
4-5 pellets (untill belly looks healthy full)

What brand of food do you feed your fish?
attinsons betta pro

Do you feed frozen?
yes brine shrimp and bloodworms

Do you feed freeze-dried foods?
no

Illness & Symptoms
How long have you had this fish?
3 weeks ish

How long ago did you first notice these symptoms?
4 days ago

In a few words, can you explain the symptoms?
spots of black with white edges. Now shredded fin

Have you started any treatment for the illness?
I treated with Medimore by "Aquarium Münster"

Was your fish physically ill or injured upon purchase?
no

How has its behavior and appearance changed, if at all?
Not really. It seems pretty normal and is happy to eat. Comes out when i apporach it. Might sleep in the plants a bit more than usual when im not by the tank

 

Huh, I don't know. I know that there is something to treat columnaris, if that's what that is...

 

Hi,

So sorry about your little guy!!!!

That last pic does not look like a color change. There is something growing on his body.

For columnaris, you will need an antibiotic along with a med that contains nitrafurazone. Usually, you lower the temp a bit, and then treat with a combo of these meds. For the antibiotic, you will want something that treats gram negative bacteria.

I don't know what is available where you are, but you can check with your local fish store.

I hope this helps and I do hope that you can get what you need to treat him, and that he bounces back quickly!!!!

 

Hi,

So sorry about your little guy!!!!

That last pic does not look like a color change. There is something growing on his body.

For columnaris, you will need an antibiotic along with a med that contains nitrafurazone. Usually, you lower the temp a bit, and then treat with a combo of these meds. For the antibiotic, you will want something that treats gram negative bacteria.

I don't know what is available where you are, but you can check with your local fish store.

I hope this helps and I do hope that you can get what you need to treat him, and that he bounces back quickly!!!!

Thank you
Do you think it’s Columnaris? What confuses me is that Columnaris usually seem to appear white as it exposes the white skin under the scales. This doesn’t look like wound like Columnaris outbreaks do. I have no clue what it is tho

 

Hi,

So sorry about your little guy!!!!

That last pic does not look like a color change. There is something growing on his body.

For columnaris, you will need an antibiotic along with a med that contains nitrafurazone. Usually, you lower the temp a bit, and then treat with a combo of these meds. For the antibiotic, you will want something that treats gram negative bacteria.

I don't know what is available where you are, but you can check with your local fish store.

I hope this helps and I do hope that you can get what you need to treat him, and that he bounces back quickly!!!!

i have no idea what this is and no one seems to know either ;(
H

hmm, I dont know... The first three photos look like color change, but the last two are worrying... Could you fill out the Emergency Template?
Also, has he been acting off at all?

He’s getting worse by the day

 

Oof, I'm sorry.
I'd try getting some meds, though I'd be careful with the shrimp.

 

So sorry!

Does any of this sound like it is what you see or have seen? It's sometimes hard to diagnose from one picture, so there are other things to look for in his behavior.

Columnaris is often hard to distinguish as it can look like a regular fungal infection at times. There are 4 different strains of it; some move quickly while others are slower.

Columnaris usually affects the fins (starts there first a lot of the time), gills, and then the body issues start showing up. The betta might start having a lot of mucous as it creates more slime coat to fight off the infection. They have trouble breathing as the gills deteriorate. Sometimes their mouths get infected, so they stop eating due to swollen, bloody or white lips. Does any of this sound like what is happening to him?


Graphite disease looks a little like that (the last picture), but it kills very quickly (within 1 to 3 days of the first symptom usually), so he would most likely already be gone if that is what that is. Graphite is a fast acting mycobacteria, starts at the fins, and moves up to the body within a very short period of time. It affects mainly blue bettas. It turns the affected fins and body gray. Unfortunately, there is no treatment other than trying a strong antibiotic.


Fungal infections usually start off white, but can turn gray as the fungus sinks deeper into the body of the fish.


You can do a few aquarium salt baths to see if that helps. This helps with both fungal and bacterial problems. Dissolve one tablespoon of aquarium salt into one gallon of temp matched tank water. Put him into the bath. If he doesn't show signs of stress, leave him for 20 minutes. If he does show signs of stress (or if he poops in the bath water), remove him right away.

I would still try to get a good antibiotic that fights gram negative bacteria and start it as soon as possible, especially if he is getting worse.