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I've taken a friend's betta to try and heal him. His water looked awful and I haven't tested him but have moved him to conmpletely new, clean water so there should be no nitrates/nitrites or ammonia. His temp is not about 27 C, pH unknown, but the Ph has never bothered other bettas.

He's in a 1 litre jar surrounded by heated water so i can change some of his water every day easily.

I've used a dechlorinator and Melafix

He seems to have his skin peeling infront of his fin on his back and on his sides. I thought it might be due to bad water conditions. He is active now he's warming up and even flaring at his neighbours(a good sign). I haven't fed him yet.

I'm not exactly sure what it is or if there's anything else I can do for him.

<Vet in Training>
Blog under development: http://www.nearlydrferox.blogging4life.com/

Keep the water clean, you could try abit of salt.

does it look like a saddle?

are the scales peeling up?

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

some pics would help us!:%)

I can't get any pics, but yes, it does look a bit like a saddle in front of the fin. He's still very active and quite happy to eat.

At some points it did look like it was flaking off in white misty bits, but it really looks like a layer has been taken off him in a saddle.

Thanks for your help!

<Vet in Training>
Blog under development: http://www.nearlydrferox.blogging4life.com/

look up "saddleback"

You are probably now dealing with an ulcer, so try to keep the water as clean as you possibly can without stressing the injured fishy or introducing bugs to the wound.

Saddleback is a common pattern of columnaris, which is also the cause of a lot of cases of cottonmouth, so do enforce those quarrantine protocols!

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

also what colour is it where the scales are peeling?

I looked up saddle back (and actually found a lot of simiilar posts on different forums made by you Callatya) but this fish doesn't look anywhere near as bad as any of hte photos, in fact he seems to be getting better.

It looks more like a chunk of hte scales have been taken out, and it almost completely better on one side.

Where the scales are gone, it looks like pale fish flesh colour, and when I siphoned out the water from the bottom of his jar during the water change, it looked like a few scales had fallen off.

I can't tell if his colour is fading, because although his fins are red, he might be a sort of cambodian because his body is paler. It doesn't look like he's got an ulcer.

<Vet in Training>
Blog under development: http://www.nearlydrferox.blogging4life.com/

Fantastic! pleased to hear it!

hatever you are doing, keep at it

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Thanks. I hope the little fella pulls through. I'll get his real owner to look at him on the weekend, just to see if she can tell if he's improved.

<Vet in Training>
Blog under development: http://www.nearlydrferox.blogging4life.com/

According to his real owner he looks much better, so much better that she gave me her other Betta(also her last one). Looks Like I'll be quarentineing(sp?) things for a long time.

<Vet in Training>
Blog under development: http://www.nearlydrferox.blogging4life.com/