Don't want Boomer to die

[Boomers G ma]

Hi everyone,
Well, trying to cure my daughters Betta fish Boomer. yesterday we notices he had white fuzz on his eyeball and some on his body, to be honest I can't see any on him today, but I have given the tak two doses of colloidal silver since lastnight and one does of Pimafix...but he's still 'lurking' very unenergetically around the tank, he's gone darker in colour and generally doesn't look well. I have snails in his tank, so my idea of salting the water is out and we are in peak snail breeding time, as most of you may know, the snails will multiple very quickly and then die off as food source because a problem, so we have babies at the moment, no way i can 'fish' them all out of there.Anyway I am concerned also, the last two days he has had what looks like a long transuscent/white piece of string approx 2 inches long coming from the front of his body just behind his head, now i used to have gold fish and their poop never looked like this, theirs was brown and would break off, this just kinda....floats, like string, what could it be?We have had Boomer for two years, found some fungus yesterday also growing in the filter, have cleaned it thoroughly, was advised with the Pimafix that we dont do a water change until the 7th day...as it says also on the bottle.Any ideas? I swear i was up googling at 5am this morning looking for cures etc, i could not for the life of me sleep, no matter how big or small the pet is they worry me just the same.Any help appreciated, thanks.He has been a very happy boy for the last two years so no, i dont wish to change anything, step one is saving him, then I will look at how to prevent it from happening again. My daughter would be heartbroken if he died.:1luvu:

[madagascariensis]

It would be helpful to know your tank size, water temperature, tank maintenance schedule, etc,...

[Lady Hobbs]

Is that an anchor worm hanging from him? His darker color sounds like stress. I don't know what colloidal silver is or what used for. But I don't think Melafix is very useful for much of anything and not sure as it should be used with another medication either.

[madagascariensis]

I think that by the string the Op is referring to poop, since the vent of a betta is quite close to it's head.

[Lady Hobbs]

LOL I read that one twice and wasn't sure what he was talking about because he said "behind his head". I know a little about fish anatomy and was pretty sure he didn't poop behind his head but ..........?

LOLOL If it's long stringy poop, internal worms, not anchor.

[Boomers G ma]

Hi guys, I have been tryyyyyying to post and I don't know, having a lot of trouble.
I have photos, very hard to get pics that show his problem because it seems the flash on the cam kind of disguises it...also I have nowhere to upload images, it's been sooo long since I used photobucket or flickr. I will try upload something tonight, sorry busy woman here..two jobs....etc
Anyway, I am even more concerned today, re the stringy thing coming from his body is only as thin as a piece of cotton, it is 'transluscent'/white.
I begun with the Pimafix on Monday simply because what he had was very obviously a kind of fungus,( looked like the fuzz that grows off mould) on his right eye and just below on his body. As far as I can see ( this is day 4) the eye has cleared up and there may be a small amount on his body still but this morning I noticed a NEW thing I am worried about now. He has, only what I can explain to be like a mouth ulcer on his 'chin', it's not raised, it looks infectious if anything and it may be slightly inverted asthough maybe he had something that burst?????Also he is staying at the top of the tank, using the plant tops to rest on an sticking his mouth out of the water a lot!, he appears to be 'tail down' facing upwards. I have still continued Colloidal Silver ( its a natural antibiotic), also got Stress Coat yesterday and today I panicked and bought Melafix, so he has his first dose of that *sigh*, he is still sort of eating though his 'aim' seems to be off as he swims a little on his side and appears clumsy, hes also hanging around the heater, wedges himself in between that and the tank wall.His mouth is open constantly, he has the ability to dart off every now and then but I can tell there is soemting very wrong because his movement is very little and not in a normal fashion, to sum it up, he is acting sick....I also did a quarter water change today, was advised at the petshop to not do any more than this because it will shock him. he is in an 18 litre tank at 25 degrees...I have those pesty little snails in there, started off with 2 which someone told me would keep the tank clean and voila...I have a gazillion of them now, though it seems they tend to die off when there are too many an obviously small food aupply. I do NOT want to kill them though by putting in an unsafe product, I have done a lot of Googling, yes...GOOGLing to make sure what I have put in is safe and so far no losses. I have bought a new tank today, decided if boomey makes it he's going in that and the snails can have the other one since it's very hard to clean the tank with the snails in it. I had the water tested today everything is good except ammonia was a bit high hence the part water change. I am at a loss, the pet store says theres nothing else I can do for him. I have been reading about Melafix and from my understanding between this and the colloidal silves I have got the bacteria covered....do i just wait and see???:scry:

[Boomers G ma]

Please see my previous post for details. I tried to access every single one of my photobucket and flickr accounts, but alas I was forced to make a new one, and here is the link. I have put descriptions under each photo, somebody please help.:scry: http://s1310.photobucket.com/albums/s653/BubblesBubblesBubbles/

[Stlouisfish]

May I suggest that you get your own test kit - a liquid one is the best. If you aren't checking your own water parameters, chances are really good that poor water quality is stressing this fish - most LFS use test strips which aren't as accurate as liquid testers and they become unreliable once exposed to air.

Also, if you have a snail "explosion" in that small tank, it's very possible you are overfeeding that fish. Leftover food will rot in a tank and contribute towards ammonia. In a cycled tank, the ammonia should be 0 - anything more than that you should be changing large amounts of water to remove it - it sounds to me like your tank isn't cycled. Buying a new tank to put the fish in if it survives isn't a good idea unless you cycle it first.

I don't know how long the fish has been in the tank and how often you are changing the water, but checking your own water parameters will tell you when to change the water which should be once a week if it's cycled - more often if it isn't.

[Boomers G ma]

Hi Andrea,

We have had Boomer for 19 months now. I should have mentioned the test kit at the pet store is a liquid test kit but I will get my own.We do a part water change every 3 weeks? that's hard for me to gague, I should probably mark it on the calender.I'm not sure what you mean by cycling?

Is there anything else you think I might do for him now to save him? What do you think the new spot on him is?

Thanks muchly ::fish:

[Azurescriber]

Do the most massive water change you can do, right now. Make sure the water is dechlorinized and at the same temp.

You need to change the water every week at LEAST. Perhaps more depending on how many snails.

I am assuming you also don't have a heater. Bettas NEED warm water (about 80 degrees) to be happy and healthy. Room temp water stresses them out and makes them prone to infection.

If the fungus is growing on the filter, there is way too much waste in the tank. Rinse the filter in old tank water to get the gunk off.

Your problem isn't bacteria, so stop that treatment.

Clean water, stat!

[Boomers G ma]

Ok , water change.....
Sorry I didn't realise I was in an American forum, when I said 25 degrees I meant celsius, he has a heater.:ssmile:
As soon as he is better, if he gets better, the snails are outta there.

[Boomers G ma]

Also, I want to take the snails out now, as many as I can, do they need a heater? these are not store bought snails, I was told by the store they are the brown variety that come into the store attached to their plants, they weren't sure of their name.

[Stlouisfish]

I do remember reading numerous times of effective ways to remove snails, however, once you remove what you want, there is no need to get rid of all of them - just watching how much you feed can control them a bit.

I wonder why you are asking whether they need a heater - are you planning to put them somewhere else or just get rid of them - I think most of us have aquired snails via plants - that's why people recommend soaking plants in alum before putting them into a tank.

In general, when a fish in an established tank isn't doing well, we always ask about water changes, water parameters and what the owner has done recently which might have brought on stress/illness - like replacing filter media. As you were advised, it's very important to change the tank water more than every 3 weeks and vacuum the substrate to remove waste/uneaten food - the filter doesn't get everything.

[CGY_Betta_Guy]

Hi

In case I missed it what size tank is your betta in? Adding so many things to your tank at once like the way you have been doing may be doing more harm than good if its a smaller tank. I would advise to stop adding all your meds and start doing partial water changes every couple days and get it diluted down to just clean water. I would even go so far as leaving out your water change water for a day or 2 to allow most of the chlorine to outgas or "age" from out of your water instead of adding all the dechlorinator (maybe do half dosage to be "safe") and ensure its about the same temp as the tanks water to prevent temp shock.

Biggest thing you should pay attention to now is that Melafix and possibly Pimafix are tea tree oil based "natural" meds. Melafix should be used at around half the dosage for Betta fish as it can affect the labrynth organ which allows betta or gourami fish to breath air from the surface. Safe dosage is something like half dosage to make it the same strength as bettafix which is made specifically for bettas. Your guy might be gulping air at the surface more because of this. Gradually dilute this out of his tank water so you dont shock him by simply plunkin him into clean clear water. What I would do for this is do a 50% water change but add in the clean water very slowly over a period of hours by using drip acclimation techniques.

Also, the normal lifespan of bettas is approx 2-3 years. Since pet stores usually carry fish that are about 1 yrs old to start, and you have had him for close to 2 years, your guy might be getting up there in age and is finding it harder and harder to fight off disease and infections etc. In my experience with the 9 or so bettas I have had in my 58G community tank (some of which were from my own spawns) when they are getting old they start to exhibit the same behaviors of hiding, floating at the surface, wedging themselves in plants and behind filter tubing later in their lives. You may need to prepare yourself for the inevitable.

Cant comment on the long skinny string of poop as I have never seen that but its likely internal worms as someone else mentioned.

Hopefully this helps!

[Boomers G ma]

Okay, reading through your messages ( thank you btw)thumbs2: I am trying to answer everything.
First of all I did the water change last night as Azurescriber said, I have changed at least 1 third of the water twice in the last two days and since the water change last night ( it's Sat morn here now) I have not put in anymore medications, but I can tell you this worries me too because of the ulcer type spot he has on his mouth, what happens if I don't treat this? I think I will half dose as you suggested CGY.

The water here is heavily treated, letting it evaporate chemicals wont work here, I was already advised this for me green tree frogs, we have chemicals that must be treated but I am doing this with the Stress Coat now.

Boomer had little fins when we got him, I think maybe he was a baby:11: when we got him and I think I said we have had him 19 months now...I guess yes, you maybe be right about old age.

This is day 6 of being sick and the long piece of thread like material coming from his body ( shown in the photograph in link from previous post)has finally vanished overnight.....if it is intestinal worms, what will I treat that with?...and can I continue other treatments at half strength?

Andrea, yes I would like to keep the snails in the tank which Boomer is in now (18 litre), Boomer will hopefully be well enough to go into his new bigger tank. I want to put natural plants in for him...he likes hiding, loves his castle too but he doesn't fit in it, he thinks he is hidden with his entire butt hanging out the back lol.Me thinks....a bigger castle too.I don't mind if the snails die off naturally, but i can't bring myself to kill any living thing and nobody else of course, wants them so this will be my solution I guess...for now.

I think btw, it has been the snails that are the trouble as you all said and I would like to at least shift them out for now and put them into something else until Boomer is better( if he makes it) because I have been told I cannot take him out yet and put him in the new tank because it will shock him, so yes I wanted to know if the snails need a heater. Also not changing the water more often is obviously a problem, I always thought is 'looks' clean.....the only sediment it has is visible way 'under' the gravel where I can't clean....and I didn't know ammonia would be a problem.

Still concerned re the ulcer...and the worm thingy, if it's worms? He is still not looking any better...but he is still eating.:fish:

[Boomers G ma]

Also, in the second photograph, does anyone think his tummy is bulging?if he has intestinal worms, this would cause bulging right?
http://s1310.photobucket.com/albums/s653/BubblesBubblesBubbles/?action=view&current=P1220038Medium_zps0433930f.jpg#!oZZ2QQcurr entZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs1310.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2 Fs653%2FBubblesBubblesBubbles%2F%3Faction%3Dview%2 6current%3DP1220042Medium_zps0e176798.jpg

[Boomers G ma]

Sorry, another note, I have read that Bettas dont do well in larger tanks, is this true? and what is the reason for it? also another member said I needed to 'cycle' the water...not sure what this means.

[Boomers G ma]

I found this picture too, this looks like what Boomer had hanging from him the last 6 days, as I said it appears to have fallen off now...http://africancichlidforum.com/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t8990.html

[CGY_Betta_Guy]

Bettas do fine in larger tanks as long as there isnt too fast a current especially if he has a big tail and fins. I would move him with most of the current tank water then fill the rest of the way slowly with fresh water. Sorta like another water change. Also depending on how well you cleaned the filter of fungus, If you scrubbed and washed everything then u most likely wiped out any beneficial bacteria which means u have lost your cycled tank if it ever was to begin with. Might as well put him in the bigger one but make sure u keep with weekly water changes. How big is the second tank? And where do u live? Canada? Gonna guess you have chloramine in your local water.

[Boomers G ma]

Chlorimine sounds a familiar word yes, and I am in Australia.The new tank is 34 litre.
Did you mean I can move him even if he's sick? like...right now?
re the filter, it was washed, not scrubbed, just with water about 2 weeks ago when we found the fungus, and there's no 'new' fungus growing in it since.

Sorry i still don't understand the term 'cycled' water......does this just mean the water is 'old"?

[Azurescriber]

Water is not what we are referring to when we say cycled.

Cycled means having bacteria that eat ammonia and nitrite growing on your filter media (the spongy stuff). Otherwise, the waste from fish adds up very quickly to toxic levels.

Old water is never a good thing. :)

And even with cycled tanks, we do water changes to remove nitrate (the by product of bacteria) and other bad stuff.

I'm very glad you have a heater, I must have missed that line. Also, we aren't all American, all are welcome. :)

There are anti-intestinal parasite foods out there to try. Also, sometimes their bellies bulge from constipation...either way, a pea shelled and cut to bits is good for them every once and a while...cleans out the system. If the water stays pristine clean, then the ulcer should go away.

If you don't care about the snails, a bit of aquarium salt in the water may help the betta heal, but will hurt the snails.

[Azurescriber]

Just looked at the pic...definitely try feeding him the pea (avoid canned peas, too much salt).

And likely he does have parasites.

Bettas can live longer than 2-3 years if kept in the right conditions.

If you washed the filter in straight tap water, the chlorine killed all the good bacteria that had built up, and that means you need to check for ammonia and nitrite build up. Anything over .25ppm is *very* bad.

[Boomers G ma]

Oki doki, the tests at the pet store showed too much ammonia a few days ago but I have been doing several water changes since then. I did what you said ( massive water change) and cut his pimafix and melafix in half.he has bee hanging around the lower tank today, and racing to the top for air, strange behaviour and I know from a previous post that's not a good sign. I will give him peas,help me here.....do i cook them? silly question I know but who would have thought they eat peas at all?:ssuprised: I did another big water change today, bought one of those suction thingys to vacuum from under the rocks, Boomer....still not a happy fishy, worried about his lack of activity, turned up the tank one degree ( it think he liiked it)...ditched the old heater, bought a new one ...how can I get good bacteria back in the tank and will the peas cure internal parasites? It looks like this long wormy thing is gone..wonder if the colloidal silver helped kill it......if he is looking better overall ( i mean his visible condition)....why he he falling to the bottom of the tank>>>>......even caught him nose down, which is a change from his nose pointing upwards the last week.This sounds silly but worrying about the fish has kept me awake this week *sigh* it's as bad as the dog or a child being sick....:goldfish: thanks again guys.

[Boomers G ma]

Also, when I said he's looking a bit better overall, I meant his scales dont look as shabby as yesterday, all other signs are negative.....this ulcer thing he has under his mouth? appears to be making an infectious type hole...like eating away. Just checked the cupboard, no peas....have to get them in the morn before work and hope he is still alive then :( Ta

[Azurescriber]

Hmmm...ok sounding more like bacterial infection. I did some research for you and the poop thing can be caused by bacteria too. A pea will still do him good...if fresh/frozen, just thaw and chop up into little bits, then serve.

The temperature should be about 27 degrees C or over, so raise it a degree and hour as needed.

Add aquarium salt (though it will harm the snails, you can get more...they are common pests and are adding to the bioload).

And keep up on the water changes. Your good bacteria will eventually regrow, but until then his water needs to be pristine if he has hope.

I've never used melafix or pimafix, and the reports on its effectiveness are varied, but those won't hurt him with the salt.

[CGY_Betta_Guy]

just a reminder to not feed the entire pea to him... 1 or 2 chunks the size of his eye ball. Bettas will eat and eat and plug themselves up.

[Boomers G ma]

Ok, thanks, I'm on it, will let you know how we go....he seems much more active this morning, still popping up to the top for air though, ta.thumbs2:

[Boomers G ma]

One more quick question, what should I do to prep the new tank before I put him in? Ta :)

[Azurescriber]

Get the water up to temp, and dechlorinated.

Any decor you may want.

When you move him, move the filter with him, making sure it stays wet in the transition.

Run the new filter alongside the old filter for a few weeks, or just never take the old one away (I have two running off my 20g for when I need a QT).

Make sure the ph and temp is the same, and you can just net him in. If it isn't, float him in a bag for 20 min in the new tank, adding a small amount of new tank water every 5 min or so.

Anyone else think of anything?

[Boomers G ma]

Ok, decided to take the night off work and get this tank change done because I have to work day and evenings for the next seven days and if I don't do it ow, it's not going to get done!

I need to know how much salt per litre.......and should it be rock salt? Also, noticed that since the other long white stringy thing fell off he has a new one that has appeared since this morning, really really looking like the parasite thing I saw on the pic of the gold fish I posted in the link of a previous post so I am hoping this tank change with salted water will save him????? I tried feeding him peas, he wont eat them simply because he's busy hanging around the surface of the water for constant air and the peas sink straight to the bottom.:fish2:

[Boomers G ma]

Also, did a pH test, it is in the middle on neutral, is this where it should be? The test kit doesn't say neutral is ok, it just says if it's 'too high' or 'too low' and i'm sure the lady at the pet store said the water should be more acidic.I was told to put some of the old water into the new tank.......for good bacteria, but i'm pretty sure you guys said 'clean water'....I have been given bad advice from this pet store before....tried cooked pease, tried raw frozne peas...they all sink before Boomer sees them.

[Boomers G ma]

Okay, tank is salted temp is almost the same, hence little fishy in the bag floating in water, it's about a degree off....the pH is the same as the old tank ( neutral), still have to place the old filter in alongside the new one and let him go.I will not put melafix or pima fix in until tomorrow morning.:fish: I did figure out what to do after reading the previous posts again, thanks guys, will let you know how he is in the morning.

[Stlouisfish]

Also, did a pH test, it is in the middle on neutral, is this where it should be? The test kit doesn't say neutral is ok, it just says if it's 'too high' or 'too low' and i'm sure the lady at the pet store said the water should be more acidic.I was told to put some of the old water into the new tank.......for good bacteria, but i'm pretty sure you guys said 'clean water'....I have been given bad advice from this pet store before....tried cooked pease, tried raw frozne peas...they all sink before Boomer sees them.
The lady at the pet store told you wrong regarding putting old water into the new tank - it's the bacteria in the media of an established filter which is what you want - bacteria dont' live in the water.

You should not fiddle around with your pH - where it is is where it is - fish can be acclimated to a range of pH readings by slowly introducing them to the water in the tank. Many of us have readings anywhere from 6.5 up to 7.8 and even more on the opposite ends of the spectrum.

The one thing I like to share here is that there are many people who purchase fish online so unless you ask the seller what pH the fish is coming from, there is no way to know this so fish have to be acclimated anyway.

[Boomers G ma]

The water in the old tank reads 7.0 pH, so I matched the water in the new tank so it's what he's used to, apparently our water is 7.0 because i've not treated the old water for pH, the only prob I've had is ammonia. I had the old tank water tested yesterday and ammonia is no longer a problem since I did so many water changes. I moved him with only a little water in the bag so that he could adjust to the one degree temp difference for a while before putting him in.I placed his old filter in, actually had no choice in that, the new filter which sits in the top of the tank cover throws him around and pushed him to the bottom of the tank, terrible turbulance, it scared him and now he's hiding in the corner of the tank near the filter pump but I have to say he 'seems' better than two days ago.Don't know about this new filter, there doesn't seem to be anywhere to adjust it.:scry: but otherwise so far so good, still no luck with peas.....why don't my peas float? :hmm3grin2orange:

[Azurescriber]

Did you shell the peas? Like, take the outer covering off the pea itself? And did you cut them up very small?

Either way, don't let the peas sit on the bottom...scoop them out.

For the filter, stick aquarium-safe foam or something where the water comes out to slow the flow. Betta are not strong swimmers.

If you are sure he has parasites, go find an internal anti-parasitic.

Yeah, don't trust the pet store. Old water is just dirty water. :-P

[Boomers G ma]

Yep I shelled the peas, ( I used fresh frozen, and briefly nuked them) I see some people don't cook them at all? I think I need to see if I can get the anti parasitic food.
Good thinking re the foam!, I was ready to buy another filter and finding one that fits this....I think not easy.Will get on that today.

I do have another question, about the heater...why does it never read the same temp as the thermometer? I took out the old heater, bought a new one because I thought it was broken.I had it set on 27 yesterday, but in order for it to be 27 on the thermometer I had to turn it up to 28.5...now I have the heater in the bigger 34 litre tank since lastnight I have turned it up to 29.5 and still the thermometer says only 25.5....do I need a bigger heater or do I just keep turning it up until it says 27...which is what I'm aiming for.:fish:

Thanks for the tip re the foam in the filter.

[Boomers G ma]

I am back, and if it's not one thing it's another, the water in the tank looks cloudy :sconfused: Also, the foam I use to slow the filter flow, does it have to be specific material, is there anything unsafe?:goldfish:

[Azurescriber]

Anything not labelled for an aquarium may be unsafe...best bet is to either search the item, or go to a petstore. They have foam for a couple bucks. I have heard a clean plastic scrubbie would work too.

Cloudy water is fine, it means your good bacteria is growing. Don't do anything special other than what you have been doing. It will clear up in a few days.

[Boomers G ma]

Boomer is swimming around, tail wagging, happy little fishy on the mend in his new tank. He adores his new plants, much bushier, he thinks I can't see him lol.Loves the UV light, gets a little excited when I turn it on.
Still having trouble with the heater? or maybe this is normal. The temp was 80 ( US temp) but then when I get up in the moring it's dropped a few degrees to what I consider too cold and it tends to vary up and down a lot. As I said this is the second heater that has behaved in the same way...thinking maybe I need two heaters in one tank?
I still have the old filter running, it seems to be a little clogged in an awkward spot I obviously missed cleaning last time....can I use untreated or bottled water to clean it without removing good bacteria?
Also, the ulcer on his little chin looks like it's healing from underneath and the sore is peeling off now.
Aaaaah no luck getting fresh peas around here, I could probably get them across border sometime when i'm not working.
Ty everyone, pretty certain Boomer wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you guys.thumbs2:
I will search for the right foam, thanks.

[mommy1]

This will explain cycling

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=36492

Frozen peas are fine for your fish, just microwave them as you did and take the shell off before you give them to your fish. Instead of anti-parasitic food I suggest PraziPro, I've used it with great success and many fish won't eat the medicated food.
You can clean the filter media in old tank water or new dechlorinated water if it's badly clogged, but it's not advised to clean it while cycling, the link I gave you in this post will explain.

[Boomers G ma]

Okay thank you I will have a read later when i get home from work about the cycling. :) re the ulcer on his face, It really did look like it was coming 'away' from his chin lastnight and i posted just that this afternoon when I got home, BUT, upon seeing him again I have noticed it is not coming away from his face like it was yesterday and appears to have grown 'fuzz', so now he has a little mound of fuzz below his chin.....like the same kind of fuzz mould grows on it.How can this happen when I have Pimafix in the water? it would seem it's actually worse. Thinking I have to go and get a 'real' Fungal treatment now that there's no snails in the tank to kill.
Still woukd like a reply about the heater...anyone? thank you kindly.
btw, been posting Boomer updates on my Facebook wall for the last week and a half...i have friends at work asking everyday and I'm sure, 'lol'ing behind my back :hmm3grin2orange: hehe:fish: I can't help it I love the fish ;)

[Azurescriber]

Yeah, my husband used to laugh about my new fish obsession...now he cries. ;)

Sorry, I'm not an expert on the technical stuff...I just buy a heater marked for my size tank and leave it at that. :-/

Fuzz could also be columnaris, which is bacterial. Pictures?

[Boomers G ma]

Hmmm well, I didnt know heaters came for different sized tanks, guess I will check that.
Aaaah re the fuzz....it was there bigger than ever this morning like a mound of white hair, was trying to snap pics this morning before work but nothing came up clear enough, thought i'd try when i got home from work but it's gone??? and left a red patch like an area that has no scales.
He is acting normal again now, very lively, eating, curious as usual compared to last week when he almost turned up his fins, BUT...remember this long transluscent white stringy thing he had coming from his butt????( posted pics last week) well it fell off a few days ago, thought I'd hold off on the parasite treatment and then this afternoon, whammo, thought it was just poo because it's got colour, but upon closer inspection it appears to be red in colour, like it's got some blood in it?:sconfused:

[Boomers G ma]

Sorry for the repeated replies, but I keep coming across 'new' things. I came home from job #2 tonight and discovered in a matter of hours he has a piece of his tail coming off and it has what looks like fungus on it...tried to snap a pic, very hard, all blury sorry.What next ?*sigh* so now he still has this intestinal thing with what looks like blood in it AND the fungus on his tail, and I'm still using Melafix and Pimafix, how can this happen? I will head to the pet store tomorrow, please, just telll me what I need to buy.:scry: