Betta Fighter fish & metafix

Question
QUESTION: Hi Lynda,I just read your comment regarding melafix being too strong for Bettas. Alas, I may have found out too late. My Betta is extremely sick and appears to be paralysed in his back half unable to move his tail section at all. We noticed he was on his side in the bottom of our 40litre tank. We have moved him inot a small container and immediately did a 30% water change (this morning). He is not eating and is only just managing to move to the surface to breath. We used Melafix on the advise of our local aquarium expert store owner to treat what we thought were damaged fins (very transparent on one side). I have since done another 30% water change of the small bowl he is now in. We put him into the small bowl so that it was easier for him to get to the surface to breath. Can we do anything else? Do you have any experience with fish suffering apparent paralysis? Can they recover? I'm told that they can have strokes by the same expert that recommended the melafix? I cannot be sure that the Melafix caused this but it seems extremely likely as the acid and nitrite level was tested only the day before and was perfect and the only change was the melafix. Any assistance would be most appreciated, I believe all life is precious.

ANSWER: Hi!
Melafix can kill a betta, they should never be treated with Melafix.  Change all of his water completely, using a good water conditioner, and wait a few days.  Add a little aquarium salt to his water.  Tetracycline would have been my choice to cure his damaged fins.  I do not know if it is too late.  Melafix is so harsh on bettas.  Melafix can certainly cause paralysis, and death to a betta.  Put a silk plant in your tank, so he can rest on the leaves.  Fish may have strokes, but there are no cures.  I'm hoping that maybe in clean water, and a little rest from melafix may help him.   Please keep me posted on how he is doing.  I really hope that he will be okay, but Melafix can do so much harm to a betta.  Bettafix is less harsh than Melafix and can also be used, but for now give him a rest from medication.  I'm so sorry this happened.
Lynda

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Lynda, Just an update on my sick fighter fish. He is still alive and has moments when he is quite activet (still only able to move his front half), but at other times stays very still, I assume resting. His rear section is still paralysed and seems to have a bend in it. He is still in a small approximately 1 litre bowl which we have placed resting in the top of the larger 40 litre aquarium to maintain a constant water temp around 26 degrees celsius. He has eaten once a day, a couple of thawed frozen blood worms, but missed a whole day in between without eating. (He was always really fussy and refused to eat the pellets. I've been trying those as well, but at this stage would rather he ate something rather than nothing.)

We have been changing his water 100% once a day, being very careful to keep the PH at close to 7 and the water temp exactly the same as the old water. Thought this would help to keep things really clean for him.

We are wondering how to clean out the aquarium contaminated with melafix and then whether to put him in there if we keep it quite shallow.  I do not think he would manage getting to the surface to breathe the full depth of the tank. Im worried he would get exhausted in a big tank and do not think filtering the tank would be too good  again because it might create a current that would tire him out.

We also have plants in there, but do not know what to do with them.  Im not keen to recontaminate the water with any residue left on the plants.

He also seems a bit agro when not still and resting. That's kind of normal for fighter fish though I think.

Thanks for your help


Answer
Hi Paul,
He would be better in his tank with the water lowered.  Change his water every three days until he has finished his medication. Bettas do better without a filter,with complete water changes every 6 days depending on the size of his tank. Are you using chemicals to adjust your PH?  Chemicals are never good for fish.   Bringing the PH up is easy, but you must bring it up slowly.  Poor little guy, he seems to want to live, he may make it seeing as he is eating.  When a betta eats, it is always a good sign.  The residue left on the plants, will not harm the betta.  This would be a very small amount, so there is no problem, you can keep your plants.  Wash your tank with water only, and wipe it clean with a paper towel.  Put your gravel in a pail, and rinse it well.  Bettas are a little slow, this is normal.
Keep me posted on how he is doing.
Lynda