A hard decision

[bazil323]

Ok, I did a 100% WC and took some pics while he was in the bowl. You can see how thin he still is, and in one of the pics, I was able to capture the belly bump. It's still not a great pic, especially since it's cloudy from shooting through the side of the bowl. These were taken with my phone, so the quality isn't the best.

 

[bazil323]

I think I've decided to put him down. With the last water change (have been doing 100% changes now), I saw that he had lost a lot of color, and his fins were looking even worse, especially that belly fin. It was kind of pinkish (had been a dark blue), and it looked so thin I could almost see through it! I hate to do it since he's still eating pretty good, but I also hate to see him with such horrible fins. It looks so painful. He swims pretty good, but I notice that he doesn't swim if he doesn't have to, unlike my previous bettas who would preen any chance they got. Yes, they were lazy, but they would start preening and, well, prancing whenever they thought you were looking at them.

 

[Tay690]

It's been a while now...I know he's still eating and all (which is a very good sign)
But if he looks like he's suffering then you gotta do what you gotta do sadly

At least you can walk away with some satisfaction in knowing you at least tried right? To knowingly watch something suffer and do nothing about it is terrible
To see something is suffering and attempt to help it...deserves a pat on the back

It is a hard decision...but at least you know you did everything you could

 

[bazil323]

Yes, exactly. I was hoping to get the new/better/different meds that are supposed to be more effective and give them a try (ironically, they are supposed to arrive today), but I just don't want to make him suffer through another week if I don't have to. It just seems that he's doing worse if anything even with excellent water quality and meds (though perhaps not that effective of meds for such advanced disease). I keep vascillating about what to do, but I really think it's the best decision to just let go. If I knew what I was dealing with 100% (thinking of the bump things here), I would be more confident about what to do. If they are something really treatable, I would totally stick with the meds, but if they are something really hard to treat/untreatable, then I would definitely have let him go before this. I really wish I knew what I was dealing with, but I can't really find anything that makes sense here. I keep going over the stickies and checking out Wet Web Media and Googling, but I don't know where to even start.

 

[Tay690]

I can't really see the bump in question
Has it opened at all? has it grown since you first got him? do you think it's more superficial or internal?
there are a number of things (which i'm sure you know already) that can cause these bumps you've described
anywhere from cancerous tumor to even warts

If you could get a really clear shot of the bump as close and as precise as possible and if you can (or possibly have already) try to touch it (make sure your hands are wet first and be very gentle so you don't strip his slime coat)

Is it hard to touch? is it soft like there is maybe some type of liquid inside?

I usually don't recommend touching a fish for any reason with your hands...but if you're contemplating killing the fish...maybe we can try to get at the bump issue

chances are that bump is the main source of his ailment...clean water alone usually clears up fin rot very very fast

the fact that the fin rot isn't subsiding would probably account for his immune system being to weak to push it back (coupled with antibiotics, clean water and his functional immune system...those should be more than enough to kick off fin rot)

No matter what you decide you've done a good thing and you should feel proud of that

Giving that fish a few weeks with clean water and proper conditions versus the life it lead prior to you taking it...was probably like 2 weeks at a fully inclusive resort...fenced in...open bar...the whole 9

 

[bazil323]

Thanks! Everyone else in my fam/friends think I'm insane for doing even this much. Luckily, I don't really care, and I know I'm doing the right thing. Even for a $2 fish as has been pointed out to me about 50 times, lol.

Yeah, it's really hard to get a good pic, especially since I can't find the charger cord for my camera. All pics were taken with my phone. I'll see what I can do about feeling the fish tonight. I think I have some exam gloves in a first aid kit at home still.

The bump in the tail (pretty much at the base where it meets his body) appears to have been open before I got him. Most of its surface is whitish gray, so it's hard to tell if it's really open or just dead skin on the surface.

As for the belly bump, it looks like it's maybe open a little bit but mostly closed. The surface appears to be getting more pale and grayish, though not as white/gray as the tail. It appears to be superficial, just underneath the skin, and goes partway up the body and partway down into the fin. When I first got him, it looked more closed and a little smaller, more like a blister than a hard bump. Within a couple days, it had gotten the slightly lighter color and looks less fluid filled and more hard than it did. I'll check tonight to see if it actually is hard or just looks that way.

Thanks for the help on this. It was getting a little frustrating to have no ideas on what those could be or a direction in which to look.

 

[Tay690]

I think trying to pinpoint what it isn't will help us more in this situation
There are way too many variables here

I'm thinking we should concentrate on the time you've acquired it until now...

This will probably be easiest for us to troubleshoot...Once it was in your posession it got clean water, good food, good tank maintenance and medicine

Everything is beneficial for the fish since you've gotten it

Have you noticed him having trouble eating? You mentioned he eats which again is a very good sign

Does he ever spit out any food?

I just searched on google for similar situations and it seems you have a good one...I couldn't find anything other than people requesting them to add salt to their water to aid with healing

Sadly when I don't find answers I end up being more intrigued...

Just out of curiosity the medicine you said you were waiting for is the Kanaplex you ordered? You should really give that stuff a chance if that's the case...it really does work wonders and it's not your typical "lightweight" anti bacterial med like Melafix

This stuff is heavy duty and takes care of a WIDE range of infections

Really great stuff

 

[bazil323]

Yes, it's Kanaplex. I also have Neoplex and Focus (apparently has some antibacterial properties but can also be mixed with other meds to make them ingestable).

He eats quite vigorously, ever since I first got him which is why I didn't put him down as soon as I saw the poor guy. I do see him spitting it back out fairly often, but he always eats it all. I have to admit I haven't sat and watched him the whole time, but I come back after 10-15 minutes and all pellets are gone. I give 2-3 Atison's Betta Pro every morning and evening (have missed a few evening feedings as I don't feed my other 2 tanks in the evenings, not a routine for me).

"Sadly when I don't find answers I end up being more intrigued..." Hehe, might be sad for you, but helpful for me.

 

[bazil323]

Well, it's just intellectual now. He died this morning. I dosed the first Kanaplex last night, but I guess it was already too late. I tried taking pics with my phone by laying him out on some paper, but his color was really dark as soon as he left the water. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a decent pic in the water. Below are the best 3 pics that I could get.

The belly bump felt more squishy and gooey. The tail bump was more firm but not hard really.

 

[LeahK]

Poor guy. You did everything you could. At least he was well cared for after you got him and was able to go peacefully.