If you've been to a fish shop before, you've probably noticed a small colorful fish in a lonely plastic bowl. This is the wonderful aquarium fish Betta splendens, also known as the Siamese fighting fish. Unfortunately, many times this fish is transported from its place of Asian origin in unsanitary conditions. This aspect, combined with related stress, makes it particularly vulnerable to various diseases, most of which, however, can be cured with timely treatment and appropriate care.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Recognizing Diseases
Step 1. Observe the fins for non-homogeneous areas or pay attention if the fish are not particularly active as usual
It may also be paler than normal in color and have white cotton-like patches on the body. These are signs of a fungal infection. Fungi can develop in the aquarium if it is not treated with salt and other specific products once the water is poured.
The infection can quickly spread from one sick fish to another, so it is important to intervene promptly
Step 2. Observe the fish's eyes to see if one or both protrude from the skull
This is the symptom of a bacterial infection which is referred to as "exophthalmia". The fish may suffer from exophthalmos from dirty aquarium water or from a more serious disease such as tuberculosis. Unfortunately, it is a non-curable disease and the Betta fish is destined to die.
Step 3. Check for any protruding scales or if it appears swollen
In this case, the symptoms indicate a bacterial infection, dropsy, which affects the kidneys of the animal; it can cause kidney failure and fluid buildup or swelling. Fish weakened by poor water conditions or contaminated food are particularly susceptible to this.
When the animal comes to suffer from kidney problems as a result of fluid accumulation, it probably has no way to recover. There is no cure for dropsy, but it is possible to prevent it by avoiding feeding the fish live worms or contaminated food. If you are concerned that your fish has this disease, you need to separate it from other fish, so as not to spread the infection
Step 4. Pay attention to the presence of white dots on the body that look like grains of salt or sand
In this case, the fish is affected by the white spot disease (icthyophtyriasis). The dots appear slightly raised and the fish tends to rub against objects in the aquarium to soothe the itching and irritation. He may also suffer from breathing problems and gasping at the surface of the water. This disease affects fish that are stressed due to uneven water temperature or pH fluctuations.
Step 5. Look at the fins or tail in case they are frayed or faded
In this case, the fish is suffering from a bacterial infection that leads to gangrene of the fins, tail and mouth. Typically, this disease affects individuals who are bullied by other fish in the aquarium or who are injured by other mates biting their fins. Another factor is the poor hygienic conditions of the tub.
- Fortunately, in most cases the fins and tail will reform if the gangrene is treated promptly. However, once they grow back, these body parts will no longer be as vibrant as they used to be.
- In some Betta fish, rot can affect many parts of the body and fins if the problem is neglected for a long time. As the disease progresses, the fish may also lose their fins and other body tissues; at this point, it becomes difficult to cure the ailment and decomposition practically consumes the whole body.
Step 6. Point a flashlight at the fish to see if the body appears golden or rust-like in color
This is the symptom of velvet disease (oodyniasis), which is caused by a highly contagious parasite. If your fish has been hit, you may notice that it locks its fins against the body, begins to lose its color, appetite, and may continually scratch against the walls or gravel of the aquarium.
Ooodinium is a highly contagious parasite and you need to take care of the whole aquarium, even if the symptoms of the disease are present on a single fish
Step 7. Check if the fish floats on one side of the body or if it stays on the bottom of the aquarium without moving
These are symptoms of swim bladder disorder, a common disease among Betta fish. It is caused by overeating, which leads to swelling of the swim bladder; as a result, the fish is forced to swim to one side or stay at the bottom of the tank, because the movements become too demanding.
This ailment is easy to treat and does not harm the fish, so you don't have to worry that it might die from the condition
Step 8. Notice if there are any greenish-white streaks on the skin
This is a symptom of lernaea, an infection due to crustacean parasites that burrow into the fish's skin and enter its muscles. Before dying, they release their eggs, damaging and infecting the fish. Betta fish can contract this disease from being exposed to parasites in pet store tanks, if the food is contaminated or because it has been infected by another specimen introduced into the aquarium.
The fish will likely continue to scratch at objects in the tank in an attempt to get rid of the crustaceans; the spots where these parasites attack the fish may be swollen
Part 2 of 3: Treatments
Step 1. Quarantine the infected fish
If it lives with other specimens, use a clean net to remove it from the aquarium and place it in another smaller tank with an appropriate filtration system. This way, you can clean the water and the aquarium of any disease without harming the fish.
Also check that the water temperature of the quarantine tank is correct, around 25-27 ° C
Step 2. Use a medicated product for Ichthyophtyriasis
You can find it in pet stores. You can also treat the disease by raising the water temperature if your tank has a capacity greater than 20 liters. If, on the other hand, it is a small aquarium, you must avoid raising the temperature, otherwise you would kill the Betta fish.
- In case you have a large tank, increase the temperature gradually, in order not to create a thermal shock to the fish, until it reaches 30 ° C; this allows you to kill the parasite.
- If, on the other hand, you have a small tank, clean it thoroughly, change the water completely and do a treatment with a specific product and a sea salt for aquariums. You can decide to transfer the fish to another temporary container and increase the water temperature up to 30 ° C to kill the residual parasites before introducing your friend back into the aquarium.
- You can avoid the development of this disease by keeping the water temperature constant and cleaning the tub regularly every week.
Step 3. Eliminate mushrooms with ampicillin and tetracycline
These drugs can kill fungi and prevent fungal growth responsible for tail and fin rot. Also be sure to thoroughly clean the aquarium and completely change the water. Add one of these drugs to the new water, as well as a product to eliminate the presence of the fungi.
- You must clean the aquarium and change all the water every three days, adding the medicine with each change, to kill the fungi effectively. When you notice that the fish is no longer losing tissue from the tail or fins, you can return to normal hygiene procedures for the aquarium.
- You can also use ampicillin to treat exophthalmia. Again, clean the tub, change all the water every three days, and add medication to each change. Symptoms should go away within a week.
Step 4. Apply a copper based product to kill external parasites
If your Betta fish shows signs of these parasites, such as lernaea, you need to change at least 70% of the water. Afterward, treat the remaining water with this product to kill the residual parasites and their eggs.
This medicine is available in pet stores
Step 5. Don't give him too much food to avoid developing swim bladder disease
These fish don't have much appetite, so you need to feed them small amounts of food every day, so as not to overfeed them. Your specimen should be able to finish its entire ration within two minutes. If too many leftovers remain in the aquarium, they can degrade water quality and make the fish more vulnerable to disease.
Provide a varied, protein-rich diet. Search the pet store for approved betta fish products, as well as give them frozen or processed tropical fish food
Part 3 of 3: Prevention
Step 1. Prepare a first aid kit for the fish
It is quite common for this fish to contract some disease or infection during its life, so you need to be prepared by having the medications available to provide it with the appropriate cures or treatments quickly and efficiently. Medicines can cause stress, so you should only use them if you are sure they are strictly necessary to treat a specific disease or infection. You can find these kits at pet stores. Usually, they should contain the following medicines:
- Mycopur: This is a copper-based drug that fights parasitic, fungal and protozoal infections. It is useful for many problems, such as fungal diseases and ooodinium. You can use this as a preventative if you are trying to get the fish to adapt to a new environment or whenever you introduce a new Betta specimen into the aquarium.
- Canamycin: is an antibiotic available in many pet and aquarium stores. It is used to eradicate bacterial infections.
- Tetracycline: is an antibiotic used for less severe bacterial infections.
- Ampicillin: this is a very useful antibiotic for treating exophthalmia and other infections; you can buy it in aquarium stores and online.
- Dessamor: it is an antifungal treatment that works on different fungi and must always be kept at hand.
- Erythromycin and minocycline: These medicines are often available as tablets and are used to treat mild infections such as fin rot. However, they are not as effective against more serious diseases as other drugs.
Step 2. Change 10-15% of the water every week
In this way, you eliminate the build-up of residues and all the decaying organic material, from leftover food to the dead leaves and roots of plants. If you perform weekly partial water changes, you eliminate toxins and maintain a clean environment for your fish.
- Do not remove any plants or decorations found in the bowl or aquarium. If you remove these elements or clean them, you can kill the beneficial bacteria that filter the tub water; as a result, the quality of the filtering system deteriorates. Likewise, you should not remove the fish from the tank when performing partial water changes, as this would stress the animal and expose it to dangerous bacteria.
- To perform partial changes, remove 10-15% of the old water and replace it with an equal amount of clean, chlorine-free tap water. You can use a siphon to remove dirt from the gravel substrate and decorations. Clean 25-33% of the gravel and decorations this way. Before changing the water, you will also need to use a scraper to remove the algae that have settled on the aquarium walls or decorations.
- If the tub holds less than 40 liters, you need to change 50-100% of the water at least twice a week or every other day. If the container doesn't have a filter, you need to change all the water at least once a day to get rid of waste and toxins. If you mount a lid or filter on the aquarium, you can reduce the frequency of changes and at the same time protect the Betta fish from infection or disease.
- Check the water once a day to make sure it is not cloudy, frothy, or smells bad. these are all signs of bacterial infestation and require a complete water change. This way, you prevent the Betta fish from getting sick or getting infections.
Step 3. Add aquarium salt to eradicate any bacterial infections
Those that lead to fin and tail rot can be avoided by pouring a little salt into the tank. Unlike table salt, aquarium salt does not contain additives, such as iodine or calcium silicate.
