FishProfiles.com Message Forums

<img src='/images/forums/eek.gif' border=0><img src='/images/forums/eek.gif' border=0><img src='/images/forums/eek.gif' border=0><img src='/images/forums/eek.gif' border=0> I have a red crown tail betta. For the past couple of days i have noticed that he has lost a great deal of color. He stays at the bottom of his tank kind of on his side and only comes up for air. Also his fins have begun to turn brownish between the rays and his tail is noticably shorter. Many of his rays have all but disappeared. He almost looks like a ragged veil tail now. I assumed that it was fin rot but am confused by the fact that his stomach is extremely bloated. However, his scales aren't sticking out. He never was an extremely active fish but he has gotten increasingly lethargic over the past week. If anyone has anything that could help please let me know. What kind of medicine do i need to use? etc.

It sounds like a systemic bacterial infection. It can happen without causing dropsy.

I would suggest that you isolate him from other fish and attempt treatment with Jungle Fungus Eliminator and some sort of antibiotic food (I think Jungle makes one of those too, Tetra used to, but it has been pulled as far as i'm aware)

At this stage, it doesn't sound like any action you take will work, but you can't really not try

Do you know your ammonia reading? Illness and treatment will usually make it jump sky high, so keep an eye on it and do daily partial water changes

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

I should have had this thread closed as it was an accidental duplicate. Here's the ongoing discussion.

Mary - please tell us how the betta is doing now. Have you had any success yet? Please update us in the other thread (link below).

[link=http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Hospital/53735.html?200501272004]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Hospital/53735.html?200501272004" style="COLOR: #C000C0[/link]