Tank is 10 gallons, with my Disco and 5 Amano shrimp. Temp is 79F, params are 0A 0Nitrite, 10-20Nitrate. Tank/Disco has been established for about a year. All decor is wood, aquarium safe rock, natural substrate, and real plants. Nothing fake or painted. No CO2 or fertilizer. Water is conditioned with Prime. Tested with API test kit.
It started around a month ago. I went to feed him, and noticed he was a little bloated. So I held off feeding and fasted with no lights for two days. As soon as I fed him again, it came right back, and hasn’t gone since. I’ve tried the fasting 3 times since and it showed no improvement.
I tried feeding frozen thawed daphnia consistently, in case he was just constipated, which also didn’t have any results. Have since fed nothing but daphnia and spirulina-fed mysis or brine since.
Then, I noticed a very small white protrusion at his anal area. Although barely identifiable, at that point, I decided to treat for internal parasites/worms, because the fasting hadn’t worked. I dosed his frozen food with it per the instructions, which he ate without issue. This also did nothing.
The protrusion looked the same up until today. Even just yesterday it was a small white bump. But over the past month, I’ve also seen his fins slowly, very slowly degrading/rotting back, despite the treatments, so I can only assume it’s part of the root issue of the bloating and protrusion.
Today, I came home, and the protrusion from his body looks like a piece of food that’s grown mold. I know it sounds crazy that it happened that fast, but I swear it did, I sit with him at least an hour every night. He is far more bloated than yesterday, and one or two scales look raised on one side. The protrusion is fuzzy and has fungus looking fingers growing from it. He still seemed completely unbothered, but obviously this is very concerning to me.
In a haste of desperation, I gave him a 15min salt bath tonight in a hospital tub. Both in the bath and immediately after, he was lethargic and his fins were clamped, which he hasn’t been this whole time. I feel like I only hurt him more by doing this.
Someone please, please tell me what I can do. Anything, anything at all you’ve had success with. I think I’ll crash out if he goes, he’s my absolute child. I feel like I’m failing him.
Pics 1-5 are from tonight in the hospital tub. Last ones are from the first appearance of the symptoms and his normal look. For reference, he is one of my 2 bettas, and the other one is doing very well, so I promise I know what I’m doing in general.. but this has completely escaped me.
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1r00pst
Posted by taystelessidiot