My Favorite and First Fish ill!

[Lady Samsara]

I have a male Betta in a 2 gallon tank, UGF, all parameters fine (0ppm
ammonia, 20ppm nitrates). He was my first and I have had him for
almost 2 years, so I am quite attached to him. Night before last I
noticed what appears to be a small white scratch between his eyes. My
first thought was ich and I waited till morning to see what was
happening. Yesterday I noticed an even smaller white mark on his face
a little further back, real teeny. I have looked over his body and
fins carefully and nothing looks amiss. I have seen ich on fish in
pet stores and it does not look like that. The larger mark almost
looks like a scratch of some sort, but even with a penlight it is hard
to see exactly what it is. The marks do not have a salt granule
appearance. All that is in his tank is a small ornament and a silk
plant (soft sided) so I don't think he could have scratched himself.
If this is ich would his body be covered by more than 2 parasites by
now? I noticed the first mark on Monday night. I do have Quick Cure
on hand but am not sure if I am in fact dealing with ich. Any input
would be greatly appreciated... I love this fish dearly. Thank you!

[Donald Kerns]

Lady Samsara wrote:

> I have a male Betta in a 2 gallon tank, UGF, all parameters fine (0ppm
> ammonia, 20ppm nitrates). He was my first and I have had him for
> almost 2 years, so I am quite attached to him. Night before last I
> noticed what appears to be a small white scratch between his eyes. My
> first thought was ich and I waited till morning to see what was
> happening. Yesterday I noticed an even smaller white mark on his face
> a little further back, real teeny. I have looked over his body and
> fins carefully and nothing looks amiss. I have seen ich on fish in
> pet stores and it does not look like that. The larger mark almost
> looks like a scratch of some sort, but even with a penlight it is hard
> to see exactly what it is. The marks do not have a salt granule
> appearance. All that is in his tank is a small ornament and a silk
> plant (soft sided) so I don't think he could have scratched himself.
> If this is ich would his body be covered by more than 2 parasites by
> now? I noticed the first mark on Monday night. I do have Quick Cure
> on hand but am not sure if I am in fact dealing with ich. Any input
> would be greatly appreciated... I love this fish dearly. Thank you!

If nobody else suggests anything, betamax wouldn't be out of line.

Also keep in mind that at 2 years your guy *could* be getting up there
in age...

--
"When you've lost your ability to laugh, you've lost your ability to
think straight." -To Inherit the Wind

[Sajjad Lateef]

On Wed, 03 Sep 2003 08:17:11 -0700, Lady Samsara wrote:

> I have a male Betta in a 2 gallon tank, UGF, all parameters fine (0ppm
> ammonia, 20ppm nitrates). He was my first and I have had him for
> almost 2 years, so I am quite attached to him. Night before last I
> noticed what appears to be a small white scratch between his eyes. My

Fish can heal themselves very well, if you give them healthy conditions.

You could do a water change with clean, conditioned (dechlorinated) water
that has been standing overnight. Feed the fish with good quality live food
(like blackworms, daphnia, etc.), include some greens (spirulina), etc.

Is the fish in a quiet tank with low or no water flow? Is there
any harsh lighting which can be turned down? Can you add a few live
plants into the tank?

I am usually not in favor of medications without giving the fish
a chance to heal themselves with clean water, good food and rest.

Also, (and I hate to say this) sometimes it's just that time of
a fish's life when it has to go beyond. That's how it is.