possible columnaris in female betta?

Question
Hello Chris,

Background: Tank has been set up for a few months, 10 gallon, 3 female betta fish w. heater and filter. Ammonia, etc. all fine.

My female betta, Snowball, has (within the last two or three days) been feeling under the weather. I examined her, and suspect columnaris (as one side of her lip has deteriorated and there are white strands visible every now and then.) She's stopped eating and spits out any food she grabs.

I added Melafix to the tank, along with aquarium salt (after doing a 25% water change) and removed Snowball and swabbed the area on her lip with a dilute solution of formalin/malachite green.

Do you have any other suggestions as to what I should do to help her recover? She did not like the medicine swab, and I don't want to stress her any more than necessary.

Her fins are not clamped any more and she is swimming around slowly and is still able to breathe from the surface.

Thank you for your time,
Amber

Answer
Hi Amber;

It sounds like it could be Columnaris. It can be a very aggressive infection. It's caused by a certain gram-negative bacteria. You will need an antibiotic that treats gram-negative bacteria or a broad spectrum antibiotic such as Tetracycline to treat it.

Melafix is an excellent support medicine. It helps prevent infection and heal wounds with natural ingredients, but it cannot heal an established infection. Keep using it along with the antibiotic and your fish should get better faster. Here is a link to a great article about it;

http://www.mushi.petfish.net/columnaris.html

I hope she gets better soon.....

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins