A possible disease diagnosis question
A possible disease diagnosis question
I've had two betta fish with similar issues, and I'm stumped. The first one was fine for a couple of months, then I noticed this white spot on his head. It didn't look like ich, but I treated him with Rid Ich just in case. Didn't work. I got out a magnifying glass and it looked more like a lack of pigment than anything else. He died a month later, and I'm guessing it was congenital since he was probably under a year old. So, I got another betta, about six months old, and sure enough, same thing - a white spot on his head. I'm running a course of Maracyn Two, but I'm worried it'll end the same way. The only changes I've made recently are adding some silk plants that I'd bleached and dried out beforehand. Could they have had some bacteria on them? I also have a pretty bright LED light on the tank, and I'm wondering if that could be damaging the fish's skin. The first betta had only been in the new tank with the new light for a short time before he died. I'm at a loss here, so any ideas or guesses would be appreciated.
Re: A possible disease diagnosis question
Hi brookie, I'm really sorry to hear about your betta's issues. I'm no expert, but I've had my fair share of fish-keeping problems, so I thought I'd try to help.
First off, have you taken any pictures of your betta's problem area? Sometimes it's easier for us to get a better idea of what's going on if we can see it for ourselves. Make sure the pictures are in focus and on a computer, not just a phone, as the bigger screen can help us see more detail.
I'm also curious, did you do a complete tank and filter cleanout between the two fish? I know it's a pain, but it's always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to preventing the spread of disease or whatever might be causing the problem.
Now, about your tank's water parameters - what are your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels like? And what's your pH at? Also, what kind of filter are you using, and how often do you clean it? Do you just rinse the media, or do you replace it completely?
Lastly, how often do you do water changes, and how much water do you change at a time? Do you also gravel vacuum the substrate when you do a water change? And do you dechlorinate the new water before adding it to the tank?
First off, have you taken any pictures of your betta's problem area? Sometimes it's easier for us to get a better idea of what's going on if we can see it for ourselves. Make sure the pictures are in focus and on a computer, not just a phone, as the bigger screen can help us see more detail.
I'm also curious, did you do a complete tank and filter cleanout between the two fish? I know it's a pain, but it's always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to preventing the spread of disease or whatever might be causing the problem.
Now, about your tank's water parameters - what are your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels like? And what's your pH at? Also, what kind of filter are you using, and how often do you clean it? Do you just rinse the media, or do you replace it completely?
Lastly, how often do you do water changes, and how much water do you change at a time? Do you also gravel vacuum the substrate when you do a water change? And do you dechlorinate the new water before adding it to the tank?
Re: A possible disease diagnosis question
Water quality's fine, thanks for asking. I'm on top of that. Squeeze out the sponge filter with each water change, which is weekly. Always vacuum the gravel too, 25% water change every week. I've been keeping fish since '96, so I'm pretty familiar with the basics and spotting diseases. This one's got me stumped, though. Just wondering if anyone else has seen this before. I'm trying the Maracyn Two treatment now, so we'll see if that does the trick.