My Betta has nitrite poisoning...treatment?

by **zambize** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 3:16 pm

I have a Betta that I'm fairly certain has nitrite poisoning. He has the symptoms and testing revealed a nitrite spike (long story). Anyone have a successful treatment for this? Hurry....

Thanks,
Z

by **Tmercier834747** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 4:12 pm

The primary concern is that the poisoning leads to a condition in the blood which hinders its ability to carry oxygen, which in turn causes your fish to have great difficulty breathing. In turn, its recommended that you create as much aeration as possible..but since your fish is labyrinthine I'm not sure this will accomplish much. The easiest way to do that is by dropping the water level several inches below your filters output if you have no airstone.

The second recommendation is full doses of aquarium salt between water changes (a lot w/c's are necessary with high nitrite concentations anyway as I'm sure you're aware). I'm not sure if this really helps to aid the present condition so much as it does to help prevent the fishes failing immune system from letting it become susceptible to many other problems. It -supposedly- also lowers concentrations of methemoglobin - the checmical or w/e in the blood that makes it unable to carry the oxygen.

Beyond that it seems all you can really do is hope for the best.

by **zambize** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 4:34 pm

I moved the fish to a new tank, one not experiencing a nitrite spike. He is now in a 3 gallon sick tank. What is a "dose" of aquarium salt? I am reading conflicting instructions online. How many teaspoons should I put in 3 gallons? His breathing is really labored. I don't think he's going to make it, but I want to give him every chance.

Zambize

by **Tmercier834747** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 5:24 pm

if you have yet to treat the tank with salt, most containers come with a measured tablespoon, and the recommended dosage is 1tbsp per 5 gal of water. Since the volume is so small, you should cut whatever dose you use initially in half after the water change since you'll only be removing I'm guessing 50% of the water. Salt doesn't evaporate or dissipate, it can only be removed with water changes. For your initial dose I would go with 3/4 tbsp.

by **zambize** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 10:16 pm

Thanks T - my Betta (Asia is his name) is still alive, but his eyes are large and protruding and he's at the bottom of the tank gasping for oxygen. I'm afraid irreparable damage has already been done to his internal organs. All my cherry shrimp in the tank died. I hope he makes it, he's been through a lot. I just "rescued" him from a lousy store and a grungy cup, only to poison him with nitrite. But, if he makes it through this, he'll get the best of everything. Poor little guy. Geez, sappy over a $4.95 fish!

Z

by **tomargir** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 8:44 am

Sorry i didn't see this earlier on. Nitrite can be counteracted by adding hydrogen peroxide to the water in 2 hour intervals. Hydrogen peroxide reacts with nitrite to give an isomer of nitrate (which is less harmful to fish than nitrite). So this is considered as an emergency solution.
If the fish has exopthalmos, it possibly suffered a secondary infection due to its decreased immune responses. Make sure to keep it quarantined.

And of course the things that Tmercier said are accurate.

by **zambize** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 4:09 am

Thanks for everyone's help. My fish died. During the last two days, he stopped gulping for air and his body body bloated, then he died. I usually euthanize a fish long before this with a product called Finquel, but I am out of it and my source is backordered so the poor little guy toughed it out to the bitter end. I hoped he would make it, he was really beautiful. Thanks again.

Z

My Betta has nitrite poisoning...treatment?

7 posts