Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 6: Preparing for Illness
• Method 2 of 6: How to Treat Different Diseases
• Method 3 of 6: How to change the conditions in the aquarium
• Method 4 of 6: Disinfecting the aquarium
• Method 5 of 6: How to feed your fish
• Method 6 of 6: Treating with drugs

The cockerel fish, or Siamese fighting fish, are beautiful and elegant creatures that can live up to six years. Most often, females live longer than males. These fish are quite hardy, but they can develop health problems due to dirt in the aquarium, inappropriate water conditions and overfeeding.

Steps

Method 1 of 6: Preparing for Illness

1. 1 Prepare a first aid kit. Zoo pharmacies rarely sell medication for cockerel fish, so you have to search the internet for medications. If you start doing this when the fish is already sick, you may not be in time.
   • Whole first-aid kits for treating fish are sold on the Internet, but you can try to buy the necessary drugs separately. You will need an antibacterial and antifungal agent (such as Bettazing or Bettamax), kanamycin, tetracycline, ampicillin, and other fungus and bacteria in the aquarium and fish (such as Jungle Fungus Eliminator, Maracyn 1, Maracyn 2).
2. 2 Do not let the disease develop. Most often, fish get sick due to improper feeding and cleaning of the aquarium. This will be discussed below. It is important to remember the following:
   • Clean your tank regularly. To keep the aquarium clean, do not put too many fish in it, add aquarium salt to the water and disinfect the aquarium.
   • To prevent the spread of the disease from one fish to another, remove dead fish immediately, quarantine other fish in another aquarium, and wash your hands after handling fish.
   • Avoid overfeeding and rotting fish in the aquarium.
3. 3 Know how to identify the first signs of illness. The surest sign is refusal to eat. If the fish does not eat or does not respond to food, it is most likely sick. In sick fish, the color of the body also fades or discolored areas appear on the scales.
   • There are other signs: attempts to rub against objects in the aquarium; puffy and bulging eyes; raised scales; fins connection.

Method 2 of 6: How to Treat Different Diseases

1. 1 Start with food and water. Many diseases can be cured by thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting the aquarium. Try this first, and if cleaning doesn't work, move on to the remedies.
   • Watch for symptoms - you may need to seek help from an ichthyologist veterinarian.
   • Remove diseased fish from the tank as soon as possible.
2. 2 Treat fungal infections. A fish with a fungal infection will have a paler color, less active, and sticky fins. White areas similar to cotton fiber will be visible on the body.
   • To cure the fungus, you need to clean the aquarium and treat the aquarium water with an antifungal agent. Repeat the treatment and cleaning every 3 days until the manifestations of the fungus disappear. Finally, add an antifungal and an antibacterial agent to the water to get rid of the remaining fungus (BettaZing, Bettamax).
   • Fungus often develops due to poor salt and Aquarisol treatments.
   • Fungal infections are highly contagious, so get treatment as soon as possible. Quarantine the sick fish.
3. 3 Treat fins and tail rot. The fins and tail of the fish may turn black or red at the edges. They will gradually get shorter. Holes or tears may appear in the fins.
   • Clean the aquarium every three days. Add ampicillin or tetracycline to the water to kill germs. Repeat until the fins stop rotting.To help your fish recover faster, add an anti-fungus agent to the water.
   • The tail will grow back over time, but its shape may change.
   • If the fish is not treated, over time, the body of the fish will begin to deteriorate, which ultimately will lead to its death.
4. 4 Treat swim bladder disease. If your fish's belly is swollen, it may be constipated and need to be treated. There may be no traces of excrement in the aquarium. The fish may find it difficult to swim upright and may swim on its side or even upside down.
   • This is a sign of overfeeding. To solve the problem, give the cockerel less food.
5. 5 Treat ichthyophthyroidism. The fish may develop white dots all over its body and lose its appetite. Fish can also itch from objects in the aquarium. Ichthyophthyroidism is a contagious disease, and it is she who most often causes the death of fish.
   • You will need to raise the temperature in the aquarium to 25-26.5 degrees Celsius for 48 hours and add formalin or malachite greens to the water.
6. 6 Treat oodiniosis. Fish with oodiniosis press their fins to the body, turn pale, refuse to eat, and rub against rocks in the aquarium. The disease is curable, but difficult to notice. To make sure that the fish has oodiniosis, shine a flashlight on it and look for a golden or rusty-red film on the body.
   • Clean out the aquarium and treat the clean water with a product like BettaZing.
   • This disease will not develop if you regularly treat your tank with salt and water conditioner. If your fish develops oodiniosis, you will need to reconsider your approach to tank cleaning.
7. 7 Treat bulging. If one of the eyes protrudes forward, the fish has bulging eyes. Unfortunately, this condition is usually caused by a number of health problems. Sometimes this disease can be cured, sometimes not.
   • If several fish develop bulging eyes, the composition of the water is most likely to blame. Check the water and replace 30% of the water every day for 4-5 days.
   • If only one fish has bulging eyes, it could be a bacterial infection. Transfer the fish to another aquarium and treat with antibacterial agents until they feel better.
   • Occasionally, bulging is a sign of a serious illness that does not respond to treatment. If the fish does not feel better after the treatment, most likely nothing can be done.
8. 8 Look for signs of dropsy. With dropsy, the belly of the fish swells, and the scales stick out to the sides, like a pine cone. This is not a disease, but a sign that the fish is having trouble excreting fluid. This can lead to death.
   • At an early stage of development, aquarium salt and preparations help against dropsy. However, choosing a drug is difficult (and an incorrectly selected one can worsen the situation), so it is not easy to treat dropsy. See your veterinarian. If the disease is in an advanced stage, the fish may need to be euthanized.
   • Dropsy is not contagious, but it can indicate water problems. Check the water and replace it if necessary.
9. 9 See a fish specialist. There are veterinarians-ichthyologists who deal with fish diseases. There are fewer of them than doctors who treat cats, dogs and other pets. Look for a specialist in your city.

Method 3 of 6: How to change the conditions in the aquarium

1. 1 Buy a larger aquarium. It is recommended to buy an aquarium at the rate of 9.5 liters per fish. If you have multiple fish, you need a large aquarium.
   • If you have a large aquarium, you don't need to change the water too often. In large aquariums, bacteria accumulate more slowly and affect the fish less strongly.
2. 2 Check the water. The correct level of acidity in the water will limit the amount of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, which will keep your fish healthy. The ideal acidity level is 7.
   • Treat the water with a chlorine cleaner. Follow the manufacturer's instructions.
   • Test the water for ammonia with a test kit. Use a test strip or collect sample water.The water should not contain ammonia after chlorine treatment. Measure your ammonia level every day until it starts to rise. This will help you understand how often you need to change the water.
3. 3 Change water and treat with emollient. Change the aquarium water twice a week to keep ammonia, nitrate and nitrite levels from rising. Distilled water, bottled water or tap water can be used, but remember that all water must be treated before pouring it into the aquarium as this will maintain the correct water composition.
   • Change 25-50% of the aquarium water twice a week. This means that you will need to retain 75% of the old water and replace 50% (or 50% new and 50% old).
   • Buy a special solution to normalize the acid level in water. Use it according to the manufacturer's instructions.
   • Add 1 tablespoon of aquarium salt and fungus remover to the water as directed. Do not use table salt - it may contain impurities (for example, iodine and calcium silicate) that are dangerous to the health of the fish.
4. 4 Prepare your aquarium. Before placing fish in the aquarium, you need to put beneficial bacteria in it. The bacteria will reduce the level of ammonia in the water by breaking down the fish excrement and converting it first into nitrite and then into nitrate. Pour water into the tank first, but don't put any fish in it.
   • Add a source of ammonia to kickstart the bacterial growth. Either fish food or ammonia solution can be used. Use a test kit to check the concentration of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate in the water. Initially, the ammonia level will be zero.
   • Conduct water samples every day. Gradually, the ammonia level will begin to rise and then fall as the ammonia converts to nitrite. After that, the nitrite level will start to rise, then decrease, and the nitrate level will rise.
   • Add some fish food to the water every day. This will allow the production of ammonia, which in turn will be converted to nitrite and nitrate.
   • Be patient. It can take up to 4-6 weeks to fully prepare an aquarium. Prepared water will help your fish stay healthy and live longer.
5. 5 Adjust the water temperature. The water temperature should remain within 24-26 degrees Celsius. Use a 25 watt heater to maintain the same temperature. You can buy it at a pet store or online.
   • Keep a thermometer in the aquarium and monitor it regularly.
   • Place the aquarium in a warm place in the room. The temperature should always be the same. Standing near a window can cause temperatures to drop and harm the fish.
6. 6 Use a filter. Install a filter in the aquarium to keep the water clear. The filter should not create too many bubbles, because bettas love calm water. There are many different filters with different costs. The price depends on the size of your aquarium.
   • If you don't want to install a filter, try using an aquarium aerator connected to a small pump. These devices are inexpensive.
   • Find a filter that is the right size for the size of your aquarium.
7. 7 Add salt to the aquarium. Aquarium salt is obtained by evaporating salt from seawater, so it can be used to reduce nitrite levels in the water. Salt helps the gills to function properly. In addition, it can increase the electrolyte content of the water, which is beneficial for the health of your fish.
   • Use salt according to the manufacturer's instructions.
   • Add salt to the new aquarium when changing water and when treating fish.
   • Don't use table salt. Table salt may contain impurities (iodine, calcium silicate) that pose a health hazard to fish.

Method 4 of 6: Disinfecting the aquarium

1. 1 Drain the aquarium. If fish need to be separated, you will also need to disinfect the tank to prevent other fish from becoming infected.Disinfect fish again before placing fish in the aquarium.
2. 2 Throw away live plants. They cannot be processed, so it is better to buy new plants or use artificial ones.
3. 3 Get out the gravel. If there is natural gravel at the bottom of the aquarium, remove it, put it on parchment paper and bake it in the oven at 230 degrees for an hour. Then cool the stones completely. Do not put gravel in the oven if it is covered with something, as the shell will melt. In this case, it is best to throw away the gravel and buy a new one.
4. 4 Make a mixture of water and bleach. Take 1 part bleach and 9 parts tap water, mix, and pour into a spray bottle. Use regular household bleach without additives. Do not use bleach while the fish are in the tank, as this can kill them.
   • Apply the solution to the walls of the aquarium. Leave it on for 10-15 minutes.
5. 5 Rinse the aquarium several times. It is important to rinse off all traces of the bleach to prevent it from poisoning the water. Rinse several times and then again just in case. Dry the walls with a paper towel.
6. 6 Place all other items from the aquarium (filter, plastic plants) in the bleach solution in a bucket or bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes, then rinse several times and return to the aquarium.

Method 5 of 6: How to feed your fish

1. 1 Give your cockerels only suitable food. Buy shrimp meal or fish meal. Offer the fish mashed peas or fruit gnats with wings from time to time.
2. 2 Do not overfeed your fish. The stomach of the fish is similar in size to the size of its eye, so feed the fish no more than this amount twice a day (about 2-3 pellets per feeding).
   • Soak the pellets for 10 minutes before feeding. This will prevent them from swelling in the belly of the fish.
   • If your fish has a rounded belly, you may be feeding too much. If the belly is sunken, there is too little food.
3. 3 Remove uneaten food from the aquarium. Food breaks down in the water, causing bacteria to multiply and ammonia levels to rise. The bacteria will start attacking the fish.
4. 4 Do not feed the fish one day a week. If your fish is not eating well or is constipated, do not feed it one day a week. This will not harm the fish, and it will be able to digest the food already eaten.

Method 6 of 6: Treating with drugs

1. 1 Isolate the fish. If the fish is contagious, it will need to be removed from the tank to prevent it from infecting others. Take a second aquarium and pour prepared clean water into it. Remove the fish from the main tank and move it to a new one.
   • If your fish is stressed by new fish or changes in the tank, they may feel better when isolated.
2. 2 Disinfect everything after contact with sick fish. Many diseases are transmitted to others. Anything that comes into contact with water or fish should be disinfected, including hands, a net, a spoon, and so on. Wash your hands with antibacterial soap.
   • Disinfect objects that have come into contact with fish or water with a bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water). Soak items in solution for 10 minutes and rinse thoroughly. Then rinse again just in case. Do not put bleach in the aquarium if there are fish in it - it will kill them.
3. 3 Treat the fish with drugs. When you can determine the disease, give the fish medicine. Use only medication for the specific disease and follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
   • Give the fish a full course of medication according to the manufacturer's instructions.
   • Use common sense. Do not randomly give your fish several different drugs. If you are not sure, consult a specialist.