Gerald Bassleer examines a giant betta with swollen belly, emaciation, and visible tubercles in skin and organs. Fish tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium is the likely diagnosis; about 80% of fish with tubercles test positive for it. Lab culture costs around €125, and treatment options include euthanasia for severe cases, antibiotics like erythromycin, and probiotics for survivors.
Questions this video answers
June 20, 2023.
Gerald Bassleer.
About 80%.
Approximately €125.
Chapters
Now we will talk about fish disease. Case number 16 about the Betta splendus giant variety. The females the fish came in somewhat deformed. Some were swollen bellies, some were skinny. Swamp showed listless behavior, fraying fins and a few fish died. Certainly we could not see that much as white mouths or white patches or fin and tail rod. No, we could not see any ulcers. We could notice when we, we looked at the behavior of the fish that, that some were well, listless, laying on the bottom here like clamping fish. Here you see the corners. Here you see these fish here they were not doing very normal. They looked very weak and they were suffering. Some like here had a swollen belly and some here in the back were skinny. So we had different signs, but we took skin scrapings. The first thing we could notice were some big tubercles here in the skins, in the scales. This is not normal to see that in the fish. Here we see more scales. Look how many tubercles were already in here in these scales. And when we looked inside, in the organs here in the intestine, fully loaded with a large amount of tubercles. Also the spleen was completely filled with tubercles. Hardly any healthy spleen tissue left. Also the liver, many, many tubercles in the organization. So most of the organs had tubercles and most Likely it's fish TB or fish tuberculosis or mycobacterium. Many studies show that 80% of the fish showing tubercles had Mycobacterium and only very few other diseases. There is like some fungal disease and there is also some other bacteria who can cause tuberculosis. But when you see it this massively already in the scales, also in all the organs, it's most likely tuberculosis and particularly Bettas. It's known that they are pronable to get this infection. So what can you do as a treatment for this Betta giant? Well, you know, I explained it's most likely fish tuberculosis. Laboratory can check that for you. They can make from the tissues they can grow the bacteria and and make a correct identification. Of course it will cost you about €125 if you're interested to learn. For the breeder it might be interesting to know the origin is usually the mother fish, the motherfish who passes on the Mycobacterium to the eggs and also live or frozen food like mosquito larvae. They have usually a high microbial pollution and in many cases like several studies show, it can be Mycobacterium. So the very sick fish, you better euthanize it's no use to keep them alive they are easily a risk to spreading more the disease amongst these mates in the aquarium apply biosecure measures. Sometimes you can use medication like erythromycin, tetracycline or monocycline but it depending on how advanced the stage is of the disease. If it's very much advanced very little help you can do. The fish can live a long time with it yes but you don't know how long. Try to feed the fish with pro and phytobiotics like our Dr. Besley by Foucault that helps the fish to repair to defend themselves. You want to learn more about the mycobacterium? Well I have a specific video here on YouTube take a click on that on that link and there I explain more in detail about the mycobacterium and where it comes from and what you can do about it and how to identify so that is about the beta giant and the next time we will talk about the worm infection in angelfish so stay tuned and hopefully you can listen to the next video very soon. Thank you.
