Let me ask one more thing: can methylene blue stress the fish? I mean he's
not "right" now, so he might die if I do nothing, but if it is something
digestive that methylene blue can't fix, then I'm concerned about using it.
I think I'll check around the net re this and neomycin. It seems this ng is
a bit slower than it used to be. Of course you seem to be knowledgeable.

Thanks again!
dwhite


"carlrs" wrote in message
ups.com...

Dan White wrote:
"carlrs" wrote in message
oups.com...


Check your kH, I recommend 80 ppm mostly as a check of calcium, which
is essential.

kH is a little low, but not bad. I have a color measurement for kH, so
it
is a little subjective.


Your fish is old in beta years (depending how old your fish was when
you acquired him), so may be a factor here.

I assume he was about 6 months old when I got him. I'm going to call
the
fish store and doublecheck. He definitely wasn't full grown back then.
Does fish age depend on the variety of betta? I'm hearing everything
from 2
years to 5 years for lifespan of these fish so I don't understand. If
he's
only 2 years in a tank with live plants, constant temperatures, and
general
decent care, it makes me think we've fed him wrong.

A couple of medicine options:
Neomycin; neomycin is not absorbed by the intestinal tract and is
effective in treatment of diseases thereof. But Neomycin can damage
the
kidneys as it is nephrotoxic, so this is a poor treatment choice for
Dropsy or similar diseases. Neomycin is very effective when used in
feeding again due to the fact that this antibiotic does not get
absorbed. This is my preferred way to treat with this antibiotic.

A bath in methylene blue for 30 minutes, I use methylene blue in a
bath
where I add methylene blue at double the recommended dose for in tank
treatment (as per manufactures instructions) to a bath of about 16 oz.
of used tank water. Throw this water out when you are done (do not
pour
this water back into the tank).


Is methylene blue useful for ridding a fish of disease, or is it a kind
of
general fixer upper for things like constipation as well?

Thanks a lot for your suggestions. Oh, I should note that he did not
have
much interest in eating bits of pea. He did take a pretty big piece,
but
then spit it out about 30 seconds later. I don't know about his general
appetite as I haven't fed him for coming up on 2 days now. I don't know
how
long to go without feeding. He's quite plump looking and I don't know
if it
is some kind of internal infection, or constipation. I don't have
anything
to put him in to see his stool, so maybe I need to pick up something for
that.

OK thanks again,
dwhite

The lifespan for bettas is rather subjective (maybe others can give
their thoughts as to Betta life spans). My experience has been 2-4
years with bettas in my care, but I have heard claims of 5 years.
But as a generalization, I consider 2-3 years common. I also have seen
differences in different strains of Betta.
I would consider your care to be good (maybe more regular water
changes), so if age is a factor I do not think it is from poor care.

As to your feeding, you can try bloodworms, or better, Brine Shrimp for
use as a natural laxative. Again soak all dry foods prior to feeding.

Methylene Blue is not a magic bullet, it is an effective topical
treatment for fungus, some bacterial pathogens, some parasites, low
oxygen levels and gill damage especially form ammonia poisoning. But
it will generally not help for internal digestive problems if that is
your Betas only problem.
The Neomycin (such as the Gel Tek Neomycin in a food encapsulated form)
would be a good start if all water parameters are good.
Regular water changes of 20-25% using a gravel vacuum are of coarse
good idea too.