Spiderwebs on my Betta

Question
QUESTION: HI ,
I have a betta .. he has had some issues with fin rot. I found the substrate was raising the Ph.. I took it out .. changed him to a Glass tank .. and got a live java fern ..
now after 5 days ... there is spiderwebs type things hanging off him everywhere ...
I treated the fin rot with Maracyn 2..
ANSWER: Hi Melanie
So, you treated for fin rot with Maracyn 2, did it heal the fin rot?  And then, you moved everything around, added the fern, and now 5 days later you see the spider web things?  When did you last treat with Maracyn 2 or remove it from the tank?  I'm thinking of 2 possibilities here, one's bacterial and the other is a parasite.  2 different medicines involved.  The bacteria could've gotten in the fish through a sore, like the fin rot, and the parasite could've come into the tank through the plant.  So need to know more of a time frame on that.
Are there/were there any other symptoms, like rubbing on the sides of the tank or objects in the tank, gasping at the surface-more then what they usually do, gills moving fast/rapid respiration, flashing/darting around the tank, acting lethargic, eating properly?

Christy

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

QUESTION: Thank YOu very Much Christy .. I will answer your Q's -
So, you treated for fin rot with Maracyn 2, did it heal the fin rot?
** No , doesn't look that way , I did 2 5 day runs in a row... Still looks "shreddy"
And then, you moved everything around, added the fern, and now 5 days later you see the spider web things?  
** yes, just like that
When did you last treat with Maracyn 2 or remove it from the tank?
**Last treatment day was Sat, Apr.7, 100% water change Sun the 8th - No Meds .. Added Plant the Sun 8th

Are there/were there any other symptoms, like rubbing on the sides of the tank or objects in the tank, gasping at the surface-more then what they usually do, gills moving fast/rapid respiration, flashing/darting around the tank, acting lethargic, eating properly?
** Nothing odd ... I have looked at articles on FLEX , and VELVET - nothing like them .. He has been eating , and pooping Normal ... Very active .. nothing unusual .. except the spiderwebby things ..
I did see an article on White Slime Disorder .. Could it be that ?
Tahnk YOu for your time Christy ..
Melanie  

Answer
Hey Melanie
Oh you're welcome :) I know how frustrating it can be trying to figure this kind of stuff out.  Gets frustrating for me as well, especially trying to figure out what some are describing :) And even when they are described good, like yours, it's still hard to do.  I hate recommending, and doing on my own tanks, the "trial and error" method with medications.  But so many of the diseases and such have similar symptoms...you can't win lol.

Well here's my thought....There's a bacterial infection called columnaris.  It can cause those symptoms, white stringy strands hanging off the body, fins get tattered looking, sometimes there's white or grey patches on the fish, and sometimes there's a fungus or redness around the mouth.  Some call  it cotton mouth or wool cotton disease, and it resembles a fungus but it's a bacterial infection.  

The other thing I was thinking, was like you said the slime disease, which is caused by a protozoan/parasites.  Also has similar symptoms, fins tattered, stringy strands hanging on the fish.  

But the fin rot started before any of this-and 2 rounds of meds didn't help it, and the stringy stuff started after the fern was added.  It could be that slime disease.  You can try a product called Rid Ich + , I'm looking at it online now, it contains malachite green and formalin.  Those are the 2 main ingredients that will kill off protozoan infections.  And, if it ends up being a fungal infection, that will take care of it as well.  You should see an improvement pretty quick, so you'll know if it's working or not.  Pet store should have it, I've never used it, but I've seen it before on the store shelves.

Good luck and let me know how it goes!!

Christy