will ich treatment hurt my healthy fish?

Ezzy1986

18 years ago

Hi,

I am a new owner of two bettas. One is in a jar (soon to be in a matching 12 gallon pentagonal penthouse like the other) and I believe it may have a bit of fin rot. It is dark blue (with a little red at the front fins) but one tiny bit of white on one strip of fin is evident. Could this be fin rot?

I have put a product in called 'multicure' (0.4mg Malacgute green, 4mg Methylene blue and 2mg acriflavine). Will this help? and if my fish does not have fin rot, will this make it sick?

The other betta, in the large tank, is red with a white tail and red 'spots' on the tail... some of the scales in the centre of the body are whitish, but I cannot remember if they have gotten whiter or were like that when I got it (about 4 days ago)... also some of the scales around his face are pale... could this be ich? or something else? Should I treat it for ich just in case, or could ich treatment harm a healthy fish?

But maybe I'm just a paranoid new owner, what do you think?

Comments (5)

moregirll8000
18 years ago
My betta had fin rot when I bought him. Fish get fin rot because they live in poor water qualities( hence them living in a cup of water). They can get cured buy adding a bit of aquarium salt in their tank and an improvement in water qualities. Also, I believe the white means it is healing- black tips means it is deteriorating. As for the fish with ich, sorry I cant help but this web site could help you. Good Luck!
Morgan

Here is a link that might be useful: betta talk
Minaku
18 years ago
Yes - white or clear fin is regrowth, while a black or brown wilted area is rot. Rot is always black or brown because the tissue is dead or dying.

Your betta seems to be in good health. Remove the medicine and just let him have warm, clean water with a bit of aquarium salt for the first week to help with the stress.
Minaku
18 years ago
As for ich, it looks literally like grains of salt on the fish. If ich is not present, do not treat. Don't treat unless you know exactly what the illness is - antibacterials will build up resistance, and medicines stress out a fish.
Ezzy1986
Original Author
18 years ago
Great, thanks so much for your help guys!
I've also noticed that the blue fish also has his mouth slightly open most of the time whereas the red doesn't... ALSO the red is very slow to eat, he will often take the food spit it out and do this a couple of times before he eats it. Is this their different personalities shining through or could there be a problem?
Minaku
18 years ago
It's just their adjustment period. It'll take two weeks or more for them to settle down into a routine and begin eating voraciously like the little pigs they are. :)