Content

• Steps

If you've ever visited an aquarium store, you will probably see colorful little fish swimming in separate plastic cups. They are very interesting aquarium fish called Betta splendens, or the Siamese fighting fish. Unfortunately, this fish is often transported under unsanitary conditions from indigenous Asian countries. With the added stress, the betta fish can be susceptible to many dangerous diseases. However, most of these diseases can be cured with prompt treatment and care.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Identifying Betta Fish Diseases

1. 

   Notice if the fish's fins look rough or the fish isn't as flexible as usual. The fish's color may be paler than usual and have white or cotton-like markings on the body. These are signs of a fungal infection. Fungi can grow in aquariums that are not treated with salt and Aquarisol when water is added to the tank.
   • This fungus can spread rapidly from an infected fish to other fish in the tank, so sick fish need immediate treatment.

2. 

   
   
   Check the betta's ankle to see if one or both fish eyes are protruding. This is a symptom of a bacterial infection called protrusion. Fish can develop bulging eyes from dirty water in the aquarium or from a more serious illness such as tuberculosis. Sadly, fish pulmonary tuberculosis is incurable and kills the betta fish. Tuberculosis can cause a fish's spine to curl (not to be confused with the natural "lump" that usually develops in older Betta fish).

3. 

   
   
   Check to see if the scales are bulging or bulging. These are symptoms of edema, an infection of the fish's kidneys. This disease leads to kidney failure and fluid retention or bloating. This usually occurs in weak fish due to poor water conditions or ingestion of contaminated food.
   • Once you have kidney failure due to fluid retention, your fish is in danger of dying. You can prevent edema by not feeding your fish raw worms or contaminated food. A fish salt bath can help drain the fluids, and medicine can help. Since it is difficult to know which drugs are suitable, and the edema often progresses quickly, it is acceptable to give the fish a smooth death.

4. 

   
   
   Note if the fish has many spots or white spots that look like salt or sand. This is a sign of white spot disease or ich disease. These spots can be slightly lumpy, and fish will often rub themselves against objects in the tank due to irritation and itchiness. Fish can also have breathing problems and often float to the top of the water in the tank. White spot disease attacks stressed fish due to fluctuating water temperatures and fluctuating pH of the water in the aquarium.

5. 

   Watch for discoloration or discoloration on the tail or fins. These are signs of an infection that causes the fins, tail and mouth of the fish to rot. Fin rot usually occurs in fish that are bullied or injured by other fish in the tank that bite their tail. Bad environment also contributes to fin rot. However, if your fish is a crustacean, they have natural crustaceans.
   • Fortunately, most bettas can regrow their fins and tail if treated promptly. However, the tail and fins may not be as splendid again after regrowth.
   • Some bettas can develop advanced body and fin rot if the normal fin rot is not treated for a long time. Your fish may lose fins and meat tissue as the disease progresses. Once the fish's flesh tissue has rotted it is very difficult to treat advanced fin rot, and essentially your fish will be eaten alive.

6. 

   Look at the betta fish with a flashlight to see if the fish has a yellow or rust color. This is a symptom of velvet fungus, a contagious parasite. If the fish has a fungal infection, they will often put their fins close to the body, begin to discolor, lose their appetite and may rub themselves against the wall or gravel in the aquarium.
   • Since the velvet fungus is a highly contagious parasite, you should treat all the fish in your tank if one fish shows signs of infection.

7. 

   Check for floating fish on one side or lying still on the bottom of the tank. These are signs of bubble disorder, a common condition in bettas. Bubble disorders are often caused by fish overeating, leading to swollen bubbles that cause the fish to float to one side or lie on the bottom of the tank because it cannot swim.
   • Remember that bubble disorders are easy to treat and won't harm your fish, so you don't have to worry about your fish dying from it.

8. 

   Notice if there are green and white threads on the fish. This is a symptom of anchovy, a tiny crustacean that burrows deep into the skin of the fish and enters the fish's muscles. They then lay eggs on the fish before they die, leaving damage to the fish and possibly leading to infection. Betta fish can get anchor infection from aquarium contact, food or from infected fish that are released into the tank.
   • Fish may also rub themselves against objects in the tank to try to get rid of anchor worms, and anchor worms that attach to fish may swell.
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Part 2 of 3: Treatment of Betta Fish Disease

1. 

   Isolate infected fish. If the infected fish lives with other fish in the tank, use a clean racket to remove the fish and place it in a smaller tank with the necessary filtration system. This will help you treat the water and the tank without harming the fish.
   • You should also check your quarantine tank to make sure the temperature is right for your bettas, between 25 and 27 degrees Celsius.

2. 

   Use ich guard to treat white spots. You can buy this drug at aquarium stores. You can also treat white spot by increasing the water temperature if the tank has a capacity of more than 20 liters. If the aquarium is smaller than 20 liters, you should avoid an increase in temperature, as this can kill the fish.
   • Gradually increase the water temperature in the large tank so as not to shock the fish until it reaches 29.5 degrees Celsius. This will kill the ich parasites that cause white spot disease.
   • If you have a small aquarium, clean it thoroughly, change the water completely and treat the water with Aquarisol and salt specifically intended for the aquarium. You can also transfer the fish to a temporary tank and increase the water temperature to 29.5 degrees C to kill the ich parasites that remain before you re-enter the tank.
   • You can prevent white spot disease from developing by maintaining a constant water temperature and cleaning the tank weekly.

3. 

   Treat fungus with ampicillin or tetracycline. These medications can kill the fungus and prevent the betta fish from getting fungal infection, which can lead to fins and tail rot. You should also thoroughly clean the tank and change all the water. Treat new water with ampicillin or tetracycline and fungicides.
   • You will need to clean the tank and do a full water change every 3 days, adding the medicine to the tank after each water change to permanently kill the fungus. When your betta has no longer lost any more tail or fins tissue, you can go back to your usual tank cleaning schedule.
   • You can also use ampicillin to treat bulging eyes in bettas. Clean and change all the aquarium water every 3 days, adding ampicillin to the aquarium after each water change. The bulging eye symptom of the betta fish should go away within a week.

4. 

   Add BettaZing to the aquarium to destroy all the external parasites. If the fish shows any signs of an ectoparasites such as anchor parasites or velvet fungus, you should change at least 70% of the water in the aquarium, then treat the remaining water with BettaZing to kill any remaining exogenous parasites. and their eggs.
   • You can buy BettaZing at an aquarium store.

5. 

   Avoid overfeeding your bettas to prevent bubble disease. Betta fish are not voracious, so you should only feed the fish a small meal a day to prevent the fish from overeating. The fish must eat all the food in the tank within 2 minutes. Leftover food left in the aquarium can reduce water quality and make the fish more susceptible to disease.
   • You should feed your bettas a rich, protein-rich diet. Shop for certified betta fish food at an aquarium store and for frozen or prepared tropical fish foods.
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Part 3 of 3: Preventing Betta Fish Disease

1. 

   Prepare a first aid kit for the betta fish. Betta fish can become infected or infected at some point in your life, so you need to have medicine ready to treat your fish quickly and effectively. Medicines can be stressful for your bettas, so you should only take them if you are certain that the fish is infected or has a specific disease that requires medical treatment. You can find fish remedies at aquarium stores. Your first aid kit will need the following medications:
   • BettaZing or Bettamax: These drugs have antiparasitic, antifungal and antiparasitic effects. These medications help with a number of problems such as fungal and parasitic fungi. You can also take it as a preventive measure while acclimatizing your bettas to a new environment or each time you add new fish to the tank.
   • Kanamycin: This is an antibiotic that can be found in many aquarium and pet stores. This medicine can be used to treat serious bacterial infections.
   • Tetracycline: This antibiotic is used to treat milder infections like fungal infections.
   • Ampicillin: This is an effective antibiotic to treat keloids and other infections. You can find this drug at specialty fish stores and online.
   • Jungle Fungus Eliminator: This is an antifungal medicine that treats many fungal infections and is very useful for the hobbyist.
   • Maracin 1 and Maracin 2: These drugs come in tablets that are effective for mild infections such as fin and tail rot. However, this drug is not as effective as other drugs in treating more serious infections.

2. 

   Change 10-15% of the water in the aquarium weekly or every two weeks, depending on the type and level of the aquarium filter. This will remove accumulated waste and organic matter that is rotting from the food and dead leaves in the aquarium. Changing a small amount of water weekly also helps to remove toxins in the water and keep the water clean.
   • Do not remove aquatic plants or decorations from the aquarium. When these are removed or washed, the beneficial bacteria that filter the water in the tank can die and reduce the quality of the filtration system. In addition, you also do not need to transfer the fish to another tank when partially changing the water, as this will put the fish under stress and can be exposed to harmful bacteria.
   • You can use a siphon to absorb the dirt in gravel and decorative objects. Use an algae scraper to remove algae from tank walls or decorations before absorbing less water.
   • If your tank does not have a filter, start by cleaning the water and testing for ammonia levels daily. When the test kit shows ammonia, it's time to change the water. You can use the tank cap or filter to reduce the number of water changes and protect the fish from infection or disease.
   • Test the water once a day to make sure it is not cloudy, foamy, or has a strange smell. These may be signs of bacterial growth and require a complete water change. This will help prevent the Betta from getting sick or becoming infected.

3. 

   Use aquarium salt to eliminate bacterial infections. Fish infections such as fin and tail rot can be prevented by treating the tank with specialized salt. Unlike table salt, aquarium salt does not contain additives such as iodine or calcium silicate. (Don't use salt!)
   • Do not use aquarium salt or copper-containing medicines if you have aquariums with aquatic snails or small rat fish, as they cannot tolerate these substances and may die. The nerite snail can tolerate salt but not copper, so handle it with care.
   • Always follow the directions on the package for dosage. Typically, the recommended dosage is 1 tablespoon of salt for every 20 liters of aquarium water.
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