# Betta Health Help



## Rory (Oct 26, 2012)

Hi all,

My Betta has had velvet for a few weeks. Ever since I noticed, I've been using CopperSafe, but I feel like it's been having no effect. I was wondering, even though I add Nutrafin Betta Plus (Water conditioner) to the tank before the CopperSafe, is the CopperSafe affected by it?

As a side note, My betta has blue-ish black marks around some of his scales (since long before the velvet + CopperSafe), and I was wondering what it could be. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/8133875455/in/photostream/)


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

If he had those bluish black marks around his fins since you got him that is probably just part of his colouring. If copper based medicine had no effect you might want to consider switching to malachite green based medicine. I have no experience treating velvet with it though, just ich and that is completly different. I just know that people use malachite green to treat velvet.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

BettaGuy said:


> If he had those bluish black marks around his fins since you got him that is probably just part of his colouring. If copper based medicine had no effect you might want to consider switching to malachite green based medicine. I have no experience treating velvet with it though, just ich and that is completly different. I just know that people use malachite green to treat velvet.


Malachite green is known to rewrite fish's DNA and cause birth defects. Malachite green is a carcinogen, teratogen, and phytotoxis (kills plants). Methylene blue is much more effective but it does kill plants. It's also really hard to O.D. on methylene while malachite is easy. I have successfully treated velvet with methylene blue. If you do decide to use malachite green which is a bad idea, turn off the lights to the tank, do a water change and remove as much detritus as possible and remove any plastic decor and gravel as malachite green gets absorbed. Also remember to remove any carbon filtration you have.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

I have to disagree on it killing plants, I used an ich medicine which was 50% malachite green and the plants didn't seem to suffer at all. That might have been because I did a half dose but still.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

meth blue kills plants 2 ways. It raises the alkalinity and it blocks out the light. The darker blue, the worse it is. The reason they started using malachite green is because meth blue is "known to the state of california...." a suspected carcinogen that you are not allowed to use in fish for human consumption. 

But back on track, 

The BettA+ dose is 1 capful for 1/2 gallon. That seems like a lot (a capful of Prime doses 50 gallons). It claims to have almond leave extract and something that protects scales. I don't think it should interfere with the med, but you should e-mail Nutrafin and/or Mardel and ask. 

Agree that the blue stuff looks like pigment and likely belongs to the fish. 

I also agree that if one med isn't working and the fish is getting worse, you should change a lot of water, run carbon in the filter, and then switch meds.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

do some water changes.....run some carbon in your filter.....increase temp to 84+ F....buy some Aquari-Sol and treat according to directions...this is a standby med for me..i always make sue i have it on hand...an excellent treatment for a number of diseases such as ich and velvet...along with several types of parasites...works quite well on bettas...not so good for inverts though...


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

Don't want to question you loha but isn't aquari sol also copper based? If that is the case might it not work because the medicine that is being used right now is also copper based and doesn't work?


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

i advocate the use of Aquari Sol because it is one of the best meds i have ever used..works on many issues and is even recommended for bettas...
yes...it is a copper based med..but it has other ingredients as well..and one of the real added benefits is that it does not discolor the water..
i do not even keep any meds that contain malachite green...not because it doesn't work ; but because it stains everything....i only use meth blue for keeping fungus off of eggs...
formalin is also good for fungus....
i try not to keep too many meds around..you can tie up a lot of money in them...but i do keep........aquari sol......lifebearer...meth blue..acriflavine...metronidazole..mela fix...pimafix and only a couple of others...
all will treat a number of problems...

EVERYTHING.......IS A CARCINOGEN...............even holy water


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Loha, Methylene blue really stains!!! I have stained things with malachite, but not nearly as much as meth. It is like it jumps out of the bottle every time I use it. SERIOUSLY!!! For velvet, darken the tank. Velvet likes light. I have also found that hydrogen peroxide baths work well for velvet.


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