Betta fish Health Problems

Fish are very delicate creatures to take care of, and it is important that their owners are attentive to their needs and able to quickly address health issues and other complications. Believe it or not, it is even possible that fish might get depression, which you can witness as malaise and lack of activity. Of course it is often impossible to know whats going on inside your little fishes, but by being attentive and prepared there are some great precautions you can take to try and help them no matter the problem.

First of all, make sure you keep your water clean and well balanced for your fish to try and prevent betta fish diseases before they occur. At the same time keep a close eye out for betta fish diseases if one occurs you need to act fast as the condition will likely spread through your fishs tiny body quickly. At the same time it is also important to put your fish in quarantine to prevent the infection spreading to others. Finally, as you need to act so quickly, make sure you have medicines for the various betta fish diseases before you notice anything wrong with them. This way you can combat the condition immediately as soon as you notice it.

Some good medicines to have around include: BettaZing, for a general preventative; tetracycline, for bacterial infection; ampicillin, for eye-pop (bellow) and some other infections; maracin, for mild infections; and jungle fungus eliminator, for fungus infections. To know what to administer your then need to be able to quickly and accurately diagnose the individual betta fish diseases. Following is a list of some of the more common problems:

Fungal Infection This causes your bettas body to develop faint white patches and also results in a lack of activity. By adding a tea spoon of salt to your aquarium you can prevent this occurring, and can treat with fungus eliminator and then bettazing. This is contagious so be sure to remove your fish, and change its water every three days to remove the infection from the tank.

Tail Rot This is an unpleasant condition in which the fins will appear to shorten and fray, possibly also changing colour. Your fish will likely also lose its appetite. This is caused by dirty water so be sure to change it regularly. Once you notice the condition, change the water completely and use ampicillin this should take about 4 weeks after which the fins should begin to grow back.

Body Rot If you do not catch the tail rot early enough this can progress to body rot which is more serious. Here the fins will start rotting away and then the body, and might even result in bones becoming visible. It is hard to cure the condition at this point, but your fish can live happily for several months still with the right treatment. Use tetracycline and change the water completely. Additionally use ampicillin on a higher does and bettazing and change the water regularly. Do not be worried about overmedication at this point.

Ick Ick is caused by a parasite and can be prevented by adding salt to the water. Here your fish will develop small white dots like sprinkles (smaller and more abundant than a fungal infection) and may stop eating. They might also be seen scratching against rocks and other inanimate objects to try and scratch their skin. Treat the whole tank incase the parasite has already spread by raising the temperature of the water to 85 degrees F, and by adding a drop of auarisol every day. You should be able to deal with the problem fairly quickly, and fortunately it is not a serious condition.