|
|
Post by Suzie Q (Lori) on Nov 30, 2012 12:58:24 GMT -5
Carl contacted me a few days go because I've "been away"...actually I've been on, but not logged in (work computer and it is not "stay logged in"). My Bettas most likely have Mycosbacterium triplex which is "new" to the tropical fish area. This is a form of fish TB. I have to consider every fish I own contaminated. I am sending the adults that have the symptom - fin rot that won't go away - to the lab to have them tested and confirm that THAT is what it is. There is no treatment for adult fish, but I can breed the young fish YOUNG, and continue the breeding young for a year (destroying all parents in the process) or until no fish develop symptoms. The only other option is to destroy all my fish, nuke the tanks and start all over. I haven't quite decided what I am going to do yet about the fish. I'm pretty sure I picked it up in February 2011 when I got new fish, so if you HAVE gotten fish/plants from me in the past, those are safe. Lori |
|
|
|
Post by babygeige on Dec 7, 2012 11:17:13 GMT -5
Let me know what you find out about this. I'm wondering if my betta girls have it too. It seems pretty similar to what you've described. I removed them from the community tank and am just trying to keep them "comfortable" until the inevitable occurs. Fortunately I haven't noticed any symptoms in the other fish. Yet, at least.
That's hard decision you have to make. You hate to give up on the ones you have, but yet in some ways it might be the best route, for you and the fish.
|
|
|
|
Post by goldenpuon on Dec 7, 2012 18:40:44 GMT -5
I'm sorry to hear this Lori and that you ahve to go through putting down many of your fish.  It is a very smart idea on your part (IMHO) to send your fish to the lab for testing. On the positive side, at least you can keep the young fish so you can have more beauitiful bettas! I hope an effective preventative and cure for this disease is found soon! R.I.P. bettas.  Renee |
|
|
|
Post by Suzie Q (Lori) on Dec 11, 2012 12:24:36 GMT -5
BBG...I'm sorry to hear that you may have this too. It really sucks . A lab in FL are willing to test my fish, and they HAVE to be sent Fedex, so I gotta find a box big enough to insulate and ship. I hope to have them out this week, but may be next week. I did decide to check the water just before a water change...I had changed it 24 hrs prior...so this reading really sucks!!! Ammonia IN the 24 hr old water was 2.0!!!! everything else was 0. gH/kH was....ummm I forget exactly...126 and 79??? sorry...something like that. I tested my 36 hr old stored water and ammonia was .5!!! I made up some new water and instead of the 4 drops of Prime I had been using, I upped it to 6 and tested the water after 24 hrs...still at .5. Water is now 48 hrs old, and I will test it again today when I get home. I use Prime and I never really have worried about the ammonia....but now that it hit 2.0!!! I am now using the cycled water out of the 75g (readings are 0,0, .5). They are still getting daily water changes. The fish still look the same, even though they are getting the water out of there now. I am hoping that most of my issues are coming from the water and NOT a contagious disease  . I'm looking at building a barracks system using a canister filter, a 20g planted tank and a UV...Just gotta figure it all out . |
|
|
|
Post by Carl on Dec 11, 2012 20:36:40 GMT -5
Remember that Prime neutralizes Prime changing it from NH3 to NH4, so it will still test unless you use an Ammonia Alert Test by SeaChem See; Aquarium Test Kits; Aquarium AnswersAs for your findings, this honestly does not surprise me as I have seen this too in clients with Bettas in small containers (where I serviced larger aquariums in the office). Hopefully a system we have talked about will help with this by allowing a true nitrogen cycle and better control of mineral ions as well. Since TB can be opportunistic, this system may help too even if the pathogen is present initially, although I think learning of your test results should be interesting. BTW, this would be a good post/thread/discussion in the general area, as I get a lot of similar emails, this way others can learn from this too. But I also understand wanting to keeping this private too. Maybe someday you can write an EA Blog about your Betta experience? Carl |
|
|
|
Post by Suzie Q (Lori) on Dec 13, 2012 9:07:40 GMT -5
Carl, that is fine, but I'd like to wait on the results first. IF it is Mycobacterium (of any sort), I will go public with it, all fish in the fish room (offspring of these) will be destroyed and I'll start from scratch. Debbie at the lab said (I asked worse case scenario) what was the best way to sterilize. She said heavy bleach and spray with alcohol with ethonol(?) in it...I think I posted that already, but I didn't go back and look. I don't really care what people think if I do have this stuff. I haven't been selling my fish, and when they started showing signs, I pulled them from the show. We also heavy bleached all the show beanies between shows too.
|
|
|
|
Post by Suzie Q (Lori) on Dec 14, 2012 11:56:59 GMT -5
Ok Carl...time to take this public. Diagnosis is Mycobacterium. My fish had it so bad that they got results off a skin scraping. 3 out of 4 fish had Granuloma??? I asked Debbie to send me an email because my vet (well now that the dog is gone...lol) is very interested in this, and I wanted something to send to him.
This is not cure-able, and I can not "breed it out" of the fish. This is actually more in the hobby then we want to admit (per lab). I have to consider all fish (that in the last 2 yrs have been exposed to the Betta) to have it. The only ones I'm sure don't are both colonies of Endler's and the RCS. Everything else has been exposed through plants.
|
|
|
|
Post by Carl on Dec 14, 2012 17:04:26 GMT -5
You definitely need to consider this with all your fish that might be exposed.
I would slightly disagree with the lab though; I would qualify that this disease runs in certain circles which I have observed over the years. Once the circle is broken along with fish disease resistance is improved the circle IS broken.
It is these circles where this disease is common, not the hobby as a whole
As well, while difficult, in non advanced cases I have cured mycobacterium
Would you like to re-post this thread elsewhere in the forum and/or a blog post?
|
|
|
|
Post by Suzie Q (Lori) on Dec 17, 2012 11:04:50 GMT -5
Where ever you think is best. My breeding is so small, it is smarter for me to nuke and start over. Every post I have done about the fin rot goes with this...so if you want to combine it into a blog of some sort. It is yours to use how ever you see fit |
|
|
|
Post by Suzie Q (Lori) on Dec 20, 2012 14:38:09 GMT -5
Thanks for moving this Carl...
FYI...ANY and ALL of my posts on Fin rot and Columnaris are associated with this post........
|
|
|
|
Post by Carl on Dec 21, 2012 9:56:42 GMT -5
Thanks for moving this Carl... FYI...ANY and ALL of my posts on Fin rot and Columnaris are associated with this post........ Your welcome! Thanks also for your help here as well as your friendship!  Merry Christmas! Carl |
|
|
|
Post by parker002 on Jan 2, 2013 13:40:49 GMT -5
Ok Carl...time to take this public. Diagnosis is Mycobacterium. My fish had it so bad that they got results off a skin scraping. 3 out of 4 fish had Granuloma??? I asked Debbie to send me an email because my vet (well now that the dog is gone...lol) is very interested in this, and I wanted something to send to him. Just FYI but a granuloma (at least in humans) is just the term for a collection of congealed immune system cells. It's basically the body's attempt to build a firewall to block further infection. |
|
|
|
Post by Carl on Jan 2, 2013 17:06:23 GMT -5
Just FYI but a granuloma (at least in humans) is just the term for a collection of congealed immune system cells. It's basically the body's attempt to build a firewall to block further infection. Thanks for pointing this out Parker. I totally missed it. Carl |
|
It is a very smart idea on your part (IMHO) to send your fish to the lab for testing. On the positive side, at least you can keep the young fish so you can have more beauitiful bettas! I hope an effective preventative and cure for this disease is found soon! R.I.P. bettas. 
. I'm looking at building a barracks system using a canister filter, a 20g planted tank and a UV...Just gotta figure it all out 
