Betta struggles after roundworm treatment

[lyrix]

Morning,
I'm hoping I've got the right spot to post about my concerns with my King Male betta - if not, please let me know and I'll repost accordingly. I'm still getting the hang of these threads and just looking for some advice.

I've got a male King Betta, rescued from a pet store about 6-8 months ago, who was struggling with fin rot. I've had him in a 10-gallon planted tank with an air pump, heater, and canister filter. His light's on a timer for 6 hours a day, and his water parameters are good - I do 25% water changes weekly, and I've got zero nitrates, nitrites, or ammonia.

About two weeks ago, I noticed he was worm-burdened - I'm pretty sure it's roundworm. I think I must've introduced it through some new plants I added, despite quarantining them. I didn't have any antiparasitic meds on hand, so I used some fenbendazole I had from work - I'm in the veterinary industry. I did 100mg per 10 gallons, and our exotics doc calculated the dose. I crushed the meds, reconstituted them in betta water, and let it sit for a few hours to dissolve.

I also got some medicated food with metronidazole and praziquantel, but I read that fenbendazole in the water wasn't very effective. I went ahead and tried it anyway - dosed him for two days, did a 50% water change, and then dosed again. I used Stress Coat and almond leaf extract to boost the tannins during treatment.

After a few days, I did another 25% water change and noticed his eyes were cloudy and his fins were clamped. The medicated food arrived, but he refused to eat it - even with garlic guard. I ended up getting some Geneflake Cure and dosed him according to the package directions. I stopped filtration and did the recommended water changes.

Filtration was turned back on, but his eye cloudiness remained, so I started him on Doxycycline. I also did some salt baths to help with gut motility and replace electrolytes since he stopped eating altogether - pellets, flakes, crumbles, blood worms, peas, you name it.

I'm getting worried he might have blood poisoning - there's what looks like hemorrhaging on his abdomen. He's listless, rubbing on the substrate and rocks, and not active at all. I'm not sure what to do next. He's still refusing food, and it's been three weeks. I'm wondering if the roundworms died inside him and caused an internal bacterial infection.

I've tried to reduce his stress during treatment, but it's hard - he's very sensitive. I've let him sit for days between treatments and haven't done multiple treatments at once.

Am I overdoing and overthinking this? Should I just let him sit in his main tank or risk the stress and move him to his hospital tank? Should I treat again with erythromycin? I'm at a loss, and I don't want to give up on the little guy - I've got clove oil on hand if it comes to that.

On a side note, he can still swim - he takes a cruise around his tank a few times a day and doesn't appear to be sinking. He comes up for food every morning but eats it and spits it right back out.

[lyrix]

Here are the current pics of my little guy, taken during feeding time - he's still got that spark in his eye, but it's clear he's struggling.

[lyrix]

Update: He finally ate some defrosted blood worms this afternoon, so that's a small victory. Still, he's really listless and keeps rubbing on the substrate, which is worrying me. Also, I've noticed he's been docking in between the lava rocks, which is totally out of character for him - he usually likes to sit next to the heater on his moss bed. Never was a fan of sleeping on leaves either.

[dungeon]

I'm stumped, it sounds like you've covered all bases. One thing that might be worth trying is adding some garlic to his food - I've heard nematodes aren't too fond of allicin. I've used Seachem Garlic Guard in the past, but you could also try a DIY approach if you're feeling adventurous. Additionally, do you have any plants that you could uproot and let float on the surface to give him some overhead cover? Maybe some water sprite or anacharis? It might give him a place to chill out if he's feeling stressed.

[kingrise]

Morning,
I'm hoping I've got the right spot to post about my concerns with my King Male betta - if not, please let me know and I'll repost accordingly. I'm still getting the hang of these threads and just looking for some advice.

I've got a male King Betta, rescued from a pet store about 6-8 months ago, who was struggling with fin rot. I've had him in a 10-gallon planted tank with an air pump, heater, and canister filter. His light's on a timer for 6 hours a day, and his water parameters are good - I do 25% water changes weekly, and I've got zero nitrates, nitrites, or ammonia.

About two weeks ago, I noticed he was worm-burdened - I'm pretty sure it's roundworm. I think I must've introduced it through some new plants I added, despite quarantining them. I didn't have any antiparasitic meds on hand, so I used some fenbendazole I had from work - I'm in the veterinary industry. I did 100mg per 10 gallons, and our exotics doc calculated the dose. I crushed the meds, reconstituted them in betta water, and let it sit for a few hours to dissolve.

I also got some medicated food with metronidazole and praziquantel, but I read that fenbendazole in the water wasn't very effective. I went ahead and tried it anyway - dosed him for two days, did a 50% water change, and then dosed again. I used Stress Coat and almond leaf extract to boost the tannins during treatment.

After a few days, I did another 25% water change and noticed his eyes were cloudy and his fins were clamped. The medicated food arrived, but he refused to eat it - even with garlic guard. I ended up getting some Geneflake Cure and dosed him according to the package directions. I stopped filtration and did the recommended water changes.

Filtration was turned back on, but his eye cloudiness remained, so I started him on Doxycycline. I also did some salt baths to help with gut motility and replace electrolytes since he stopped eating altogether - pellets, flakes, crumbles, blood worms, peas, you name it.

I'm getting worried he might have blood poisoning - there's what looks like hemorrhaging on his abdomen. He's listless, rubbing on the substrate and rocks, and not active at all. I'm not sure what to do next. He's still refusing food, and it's been three weeks. I'm wondering if the roundworms died inside him and caused an internal bacterial infection.

I've tried to reduce his stress during treatment, but it's hard - he's very sensitive. I've let him sit for days between treatments and haven't done multiple treatments at once.

Am I overdoing and overthinking this? Should I just let him sit in his main tank or risk the stress and move him to his hospital tank? Should I treat again with erythromycin? I'm at a loss, and I don't want to give up on the little guy - I've got clove oil on hand if it comes to that.

On a side note, he can still swim - he takes a cruise around his tank a few times a day and doesn't appear to be sinking. He comes up for food every morning but eats it and spits it right back out.

I'm glad to see that your little guy finally ate something, that's definitely a step in the right direction. I did have a question about the bloodworms though - are they dehydrated? If so, I'd recommend switching to a different food source. Dehydrated bloodworms are often high in fat, which isn't ideal for betta fish. I've had good luck with high-quality foods like Omega One or New Life Spectrum. My own betta does well on Omega One Betta Buffet Pellets and Fluval Bug Bites - they're packed with protein and made with fresh ingredients.

It's great to see that you're taking such a thorough approach to his care, and I think it's a good idea to get @coltin's input as well. If he gives you the green light to continue with the treatment, I'd say go for it. Fingers crossed that your little guy makes a full recovery soon - he's definitely in good hands with you.

[lyrix]

I was thinking the same thing, hours of scouring forums and websites, and I finally hit a wall, which is why I decided to post and see if anyone had any advice I might have missed. This is my first time taking on a treatment like this and trying to rehab a Betta, so I'm learning as I go. I did have anacharis in the tank about a month ago, but he didn't really seem to care about it - he'd occasionally bite it and swat it around, which was pretty funny. I ended up swapping it out for some tall grass, and he seems to really enjoy that, he'll often dock in it and just chill.

[lyrix]

I really appreciate the responses from both of you.

The bloodworms I've been using are fresh frozen, not dehydrated, so that's a plus. I'm a bit concerned that I might have inadvertently created a finicky eater, and now he's refusing all other food sources because of the bloodworms. Hopefully, that's not the case, but I'm just relieved he ate something after three weeks - it's been a long and challenging time for him.

I'll definitely reach out to Colin for further guidance, thanks for tagging him. I appreciate the advice and referrals - my main goal is to keep Big Grosso happy and healthy for as long as possible.

[kingrise]

Morning,
I'm hoping I've got the right spot to post about my concerns with my King Male betta - if not, please let me know and I'll repost accordingly. I'm still getting the hang of these threads and just looking for some advice.

I've got a male King Betta, rescued from a pet store about 6-8 months ago, who was struggling with fin rot. I've had him in a 10-gallon planted tank with an air pump, heater, and canister filter. His light's on a timer for 6 hours a day, and his water parameters are good - I do 25% water changes weekly, and I've got zero nitrates, nitrites, or ammonia.

About two weeks ago, I noticed he was worm-burdened - I'm pretty sure it's roundworm. I think I must've introduced it through some new plants I added, despite quarantining them. I didn't have any antiparasitic meds on hand, so I used some fenbendazole I had from work - I'm in the veterinary industry. I did 100mg per 10 gallons, and our exotics doc calculated the dose. I crushed the meds, reconstituted them in betta water, and let it sit for a few hours to dissolve.

I also got some medicated food with metronidazole and praziquantel, but I read that fenbendazole in the water wasn't very effective. I went ahead and tried it anyway - dosed him for two days, did a 50% water change, and then dosed again. I used Stress Coat and almond leaf extract to boost the tannins during treatment.

After a few days, I did another 25% water change and noticed his eyes were cloudy and his fins were clamped. The medicated food arrived, but he refused to eat it - even with garlic guard. I ended up getting some Geneflake Cure and dosed him according to the package directions. I stopped filtration and did the recommended water changes.

Filtration was turned back on, but his eye cloudiness remained, so I started him on Doxycycline. I also did some salt baths to help with gut motility and replace electrolytes since he stopped eating altogether - pellets, flakes, crumbles, blood worms, peas, you name it.

I'm getting worried he might have blood poisoning - there's what looks like hemorrhaging on his abdomen. He's listless, rubbing on the substrate and rocks, and not active at all. I'm not sure what to do next. He's still refusing food, and it's been three weeks. I'm wondering if the roundworms died inside him and caused an internal bacterial infection.

I've tried to reduce his stress during treatment, but it's hard - he's very sensitive. I've let him sit for days between treatments and haven't done multiple treatments at once.

Am I overdoing and overthinking this? Should I just let him sit in his main tank or risk the stress and move him to his hospital tank? Should I treat again with erythromycin? I'm at a loss, and I don't want to give up on the little guy - I've got clove oil on hand if it comes to that.

On a side note, he can still swim - he takes a cruise around his tank a few times a day and doesn't appear to be sinking. He comes up for food every morning but eats it and spits it right back out.

In my experience with Anacharis, I've noticed that Bettas seem to have a clear preference for the broad leafed variety. The narrow leaf type just doesn't seem to hold their interest, whereas they love to rest among the thick, lush leaves of the broad leafed type.

Take a look at the difference - the top section of the photo shows the narrow leaf, while the big one in the center is the broad leafed version. I've found that the broad leafed Anacharis provides a much more appealing environment for my Betta to relax in.

[kingrise]

Thanks for the advice, guys. I'm glad to hear that the fresh frozen bloodworms are a good source of protein, that's a relief. I'm just worried that I might've spoiled him with them and now he's refusing other food. Hopefully that's not the case, I'm just happy he ate something after three weeks. I'll keep an eye on it and see how he goes. I'll also keep in mind that @coltin doesn't do PMs, so I'll just have to wait for his response here. Thanks again for the help, I really appreciate it and I just want to keep Big Grosso happy for as long as possible.

[aquagone]

I should clarify that about @coltin. Don't expect a response from him via PM, just post here and he'll likely chime in when he's back.