BetDisFAQ3

Featured
Sponsor:

FAQs on Betta Diseases 3

Pic of Add's Bettas, a breeder in Thailand: plathai@hotmail.com

Betta on rebound
Dear Don: Thank you for the information and the encouragement you gave me concerning my Betta. He is doing just fine after the mirror incident. I changed the water and there appears to be no sign of disease (yet). You advised me to reduce the amount of feeding and I have cut him down to half. He came to me extremely undernourished (his dorsal fin was and is non-existent) and I was having a hard time feeding him because of the intake/outtake flow in the Hex 5. I surrounded the intake with plants and floated "fry havens" near the outtake. This helped a little, but then I installed a feeding ring to prevent his food from swirling away and this actually worked in keeping his food stationary which might have allowed me to overindulge him at meal time. He comes right up to his ring and even occasionally builds his bubble nest inside. <Good move. Filtering a small Betta tank can be a challenge. They do not need or like a heavy current. Many use simple sponge filters.> You wanted to know the results of his chemical tests: PH 7.2, ammonia 0 mg/l, nitrate 10.0 ppm (mg/l), nitrite 0 ppm (mg/l). <Wow, Great! Ammonia and nitrite must be, and are, at zero. Keep nitrates as low as possible. Under 20ppm is great.> Two questions? If I want to feed him in the morning and at night, do I give him portions equal to half an "eyeball"? <Yep, or maybe a little more. The biggest problem with overfeeding is the effect it has on water quality. Yours is great right now. As long as you are testing and doing water changes, I see no problem with that schedule.> And why hasn't he bubble nested in a few weeks? Is there a cycle for this? <Many triggers for breeding behavior. Water changes, temp change, even an approaching storm have been known to trigger in different fish. And of course his single status is a factor. I would not worry about it too much.>
Once, again....thank you for being so gracious and so readily assessable to the average fish-keeper. <The mission here is simple, save lives. Glad to be of help. Sue, have you joined us in the forum yet?. If not, please do. A lot of great people with diverse experiences and opinions. You can learn a lot there. In the forum, I'm "Fish Soup". Hope to see you there. Don>
Sue Kennedy

A tale of two Bettas and black fuzz
Hi Crew,
My 1+-yr-old Betta ("Rue") died y'day. I have one more ("Miles"), appx same
age, still alive. :)
They each have/had a 3-gal tank, with glass marble/rocks from pet store and
bottled water.
They used to have smaller tanks, but Miles jumped out ... 4 feet down to the
floor (!) so they both got new big tanks that day.
And while I was at it, I got plants and a few guppies for Rue's tank. The
plant introduced a hidden snail. (I recently read that guppies shouldn't be
kept w/ Bettas, so I'll definitely not return to that bloody pet store.)
Two of the guppies died within a week of purchase. Then after Rue seemed to
have fun chasing the remaining guppy around for awhile, that guppy died.
And funky clear globby jelly-like dots began growing on the tank walls and
floor. I scrubbed the heck out of it (dish soap and water) and rinsed
thoroughly. Got rid of the plant.
Back to Rue, water, and glass rocks.
Rue was happy for awhile.
Then one day I noticed that his tail looked discolored. Upon closer
inspection, the last half-inch+ of his tail was covered with black fuzz,
completely, all-around. Like the ash of a cigarette. Looked like it was
spreading to his other fins as well. I put tetracycline in the water. The
black part of the tail fell off later that day and seemed to have stopped
spreading.
2-3 weeks later, we moved. Black fuzz returned. Tetracycline went back
into the water. Black fuzz didn't seem as brutally overtaking as previous
time. Slowly moved up the fins and the affected areas looked black &
shredded (as opposed to falling off completely like before).
This time, though less "brutal", it was lethal. Rue died within a week of
the move.
Any idea what that was that killed him?
< A bacterial infection from the guppies probably killed your Betta. A quarantine tank for the guppies might have helped. Tetracycline is an old time medication and has many resistant strains of bacteria. I think it may have helped the first time but the bacteria may have built up an immunity and it didn't work the second time,-Chuck>
Many thanks,
Juliana

Two Bettas, one tank
I have 2 Bettas and somehow they got into the same tank and one has almost
no bottom fins.. he is movable, I was just wondering if he will live.
You need to separate these two fish IMMEDIATELY, my friend. Get these guys into their own tanks, with clean water (be sure to match the parameters from where you are moving them from), and, you may want to add MelaFix according to the bottle's dosing instructions to prevent infection and speed fin regrowth. I keep two Bettas myself, each in his own 3 gal. Eclipse tank, and find this to be a perfect sized home for my Betta buddies. Do separate the fish ASAP.
Jorie

Jorie Betta follow-up
<Dear Jorie,
Thanks for the information on my Bettas. I can breathe easier now! I will go to the store to get the medication tomorrow. Thanks again,
Andrea>
You are welcome, Andrea. Were you able to separate the two? And, don't forget, that keeping the water clean is the most important thing you can do for these guys now to prevent infection. The MelaFix will indeed help, but a good environment is paramount. Best of luck.
Jorie

Bloated Betta
I was wondering if my Betta fish is very fat and lays sideways, what does that
mean. He's not dead cause he still swims around but he floats to the side
cause he's too heavy. So what should I do?
<Hi Don here. I'd like to help your Betta, but I need more info. What is he living in. A tank or bowl? Is it heated? Do you change his water? How often and when was the last time? What are you feeding him? How long have you had him? Many reasons for this, including an internal infection.>

Bloated Betta
The Betta is in a bowl and he is 1 year 2 months and 13 days old. It is not a heated bowl. <He should be kept in the high 70s.> He eats Betta food made by Wardley. <OK, but try to mix it up a bit. A very few Blood worms would be good> We change the water like once a month <With no filter, I'd change at least half each week.> but we haven't because we thought it would hurt him cause of his bloated gut. Do you think we need a bigger bowl or do you think we should just let him die?
<Well before letting him die I'd at least change his water. Match temps and dechlorinate first. Don>

Bottom of Bowl Betta
We have a female Betta that we purchased February. She eats only freeze dried blood worms (she won't eat anything else). <A good treat food, but a more varied diet would be better> She has always been a very happy, active fish and her colors have become absolutely beautiful. We discovered that our cat had gotten on the shelf where we keep her in one bowl/vase and a male in another bowl on the other side of the shelf. The cat did not actually get into their bowls, just beside them. The male is fine. However the female is on the bottom of the bowl and looks to be in distress. I changed her water yesterday because there seemed to be an excess of food in the water that she didn't eat and it didn't look very good. There has been no change. We use Bowl Buddies for Bettas along with a couple of drops of Stress Coat at water changes (100% change out). Could this be an ammonia problem like I saw in one of your FAQ's, or a stress thing from the cat or just an age thing? <Any of the above> We love her as a member of the family and do not want to lose her. <Understood> We have already lost 2 males to old age and don't want to lose another. Can we do anything to help her? <Not a lot to go on here. Yes the stress of having the cat in her face could be a cause. And she may be someone's old breeder. But I think it more likely a water issue. How often have you been changing her water? What size tank and is it heated? Betta need temps in the mid to high 70s. Do you test for ammonia, nitrite nitrate and pH? If not, please get a test kit. It may be that the rich blood worms are fouling the water very quickly. Try doing 50% water changes for a few days. Keep her water warm and steady. Vacuum any uneaten food and waste. Hopefully this will allow her to regain her strength. Good luck. Don>

Bottom of Bowl Betta
We added Epsom salt and stress coat to her water Sunday. After a couple of
hours, she was up off the bottom and hasn't been there since. The problem
is that she is still not her normal self. I am going to take your advice
about the 50% water change. She is in an extremely large vase/bowl with a
plant (lily) in the top. I have always done the same things with her with
no problem. I am going to get a test kit for the water. Should I put her
in a different type of tank and get filter, heater and such or would that
change in her environment be too much for her. I just don't know what to
do. <A bigger tank with a filter and heater (76 to 78 degrees) would be paradise to a Betta. A 5 gallon would be fine, but a ten would allow you to add a few more smaller fish. A very small power filter or even a sponge filter will do to keep water in line. Betta do not need or like a lot of current. Read up on "Cycling" and do not add her until the tank is ready. Float her in a bag in the new tank to slowly warm her up. Then add a cup or so of tank water every 30 minutes or so until you have replaced about half her water. Don>

Bottom of Bowl Betta
If we can get the water and temperature right, will she start acting normal
again. <Good chance, no promise though> She hasn't gone back to the bottom, but she is at the top acting strange and she still isn't eating. <Not good> Have you ever seen one come back from acting like this? <Yes, and worse> Could the temperature or water quality have caused permanent damage of some sort? <Temp, not likely. Water quality, yes. I've been rethinking my suggestion. I think you would be better off getting this fish warmed up ASAP. The fact she is not eating worries me. If you upgrade her tank I would move her there now. Pick up a test kit and check for ammonia and nitrite spikes. Do water changes to keep them at zero. Not good to put a fish in an uncycled tank, but she could starve waiting for the tank to cycle. Good luck. Don>

Bottom of Bowl Betta
If I can't get the new tank set up until the weekend (waiting for payday) should I go ahead and get a small heater for her current bowl? <No. Even a small heater will to too hot for a small bowl. Temp swings are worse that a steady, but incorrect, temp. A warmer place in the house may help. Just keep it steady for now.> Will the test kit advise me on how to get the water right. <No, we'll be looking for ammonia and nitrite build up at first. Until the filter is cycled, the fix is partial water changes. Very important, these are deadly!> I know this sounds horrible, but other than putting in the Bowl Buddies or the Stress Coat, I don't know anything about how to do anything with the water. I want to learn to be a good "mommy." <Search this site for "Cycling" and all will become clear.> Will the info be on the test? Is there anything else you recommend I get? <Bubbling treasure chest?> (by the way, thank you so much for all of your help along the way)<My pleasure>
<I'd drop the Bowl Buddies and Stress Coat. The only thing I add to my water is dechlorinator. Better to have our fish adjust to our source water than to be tinkering with things, IMO. Remember, it's the sudden swing that kills the quickest. Float her in a bag until temps match, then add small amounts of the new water to match pH. She should handle the move well. Good luck and thanks for caring enough to ask the questions. Don>

Male's Betta tail fin seem to be dissolving
Hi Chuck,
I checked his fins and they do not show any noticeable
blackened borders.
All his fins (top, tail, bottom) do not look that
healthy, they seem to hang a lot and look soggy.
I have him in a unheated, untreated, and unfiltered
container.
I would like to keep him in an non-filtered container,
and use a desk lamp for heat, but if adding some
treatment to the water would help grow back his fins
and have then look healthier, what do you suggest?
< Get a thermometer and measure the water temp. Should be around 80 degrees F. Check the ammonia and nitrites (Should be zero). If there are any measurable readings then change the water, especially when it looks cloudy or has any smell to it.>
He shares the container with a female Betta, I have
them separated with a plastic wall and a handkerchief
to block the male's view of the female and vice versa.
Could it be the handkerchief ?
< Probably not. Cotton will decompose so use a synthetic that will not breakdown.>
Should he be separated from the other Betta ?
< He will probably kill her if she is not ready to breed.>
Should I put him in a container by himself or would
"Nitrofuranace" help ?
< Try clean warm water that has been treated for chloramines and see if that helps. I don't like to treat if it is not needed.-Chuck>
Thanks again,
Mario D.

Lethargic Betta
I was wondering if my Betta fish is very fat and lays sideways, what does that mean. He's not dead because he still swims around but he floats to the side cause he's too heavy.
<My first guess would intestinal problems or a tumor.>
So what should I do?
<A change in diet, clean (warm) water, and maybe some Epsom salt mixed into his water. The link below will have more information on treating these types of problems in Bettas. Best Regards, Gage>
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/betdisfaqs.htm

Fuzzy Betta
Hi- <Hi back, Don here> recently I purchased three Betta fish. <How long ago? Is your tank cycled?> I was told all three were female and that they would be fine together in my 1 gallon tank. <More would be better, around 6. It spreads out the aggression. But you would need to use a 5 to 10 gallon tank.> The tank has a filter and pump. It's temp is about 68 F. <This HAS to be fixed. Bettas are warm water fish. They must have a steady temp in the mid to high 70's. It can be hard to find a heater small enough for a one gallon tank. Another reason to upgrade.> One of the "females" has acted very aggressive and as soon as I came home from work I noticed she had torn most of the fins off of one of the other females. <Ouch!> She also appeared to have bite's taken out around the head and body of the fish. <Ouch, Ouch!> I immediately removed the aggressive female to her own tank, <Good> which I now believe to be a male. It's got a lot longer fins than the other two. <May be a young male> It's been a couple days and the injured female appears to be acting normal but has grown fuzzy white stuff over her injuries. <May be something like Columnaris or fungus. I would treat with Oxytetracycline in food. Barring that, Oxytetracycline, tetracycline, or Kanamycin in the water. Add one tablespoon of aquarium salt also. Keep the water pristine with water changes> I don't know much about bettas other than the diet and conditions they should live in. <temp?> Is there anything I can do for her? <Warm her up, treat as above> Should I take the other female out? <If not aggressive she can stay, but better to move her before treatment. Some female bettas are almost as bad as the males. Watch her. If they fight either give each their own space or add more in a larger tank. If you have the females in order to breed, the larger tank will serve you well. The meaty foods used to condition them will not foul the larger tank as quickly. You can use the smaller tanks for breeding and hatching fry. Good luck with her>

Male Betta tail fin seems to be dissolving
Hi Chuck and friends,
I am noticing or maybe it has been this way that my
male Betta tail fin is dissolving or maybe it has been
this way when I bought him. It has been three to four
weeks since I bought him.
Is it normal?
Is it stress?
He ill?
Is it the water?
He seems to be eating well, I feed he a mix of dried
worms and pro-gold pellets.
Thanks Again,
Mario D.
< Watch him carefully and see if in fact the tail has a blackened border. It is "dissolving" then it is probably a bacterial infection commonly called tail rot. Make sure the water is clean and treat with Nitrofuranace as per the directions on the package. Clean the filter too as organics in the water affect the medication.-Chuck>

Crown Tail Betta Question - 10/10/2004
I recently bought a friend a Crown Tail Betta to cheer her up. She has had two bettas and both have died and she was not going to get another.
<Might be a good idea to try to help her figure out why the others died; perhaps it is something you can help her prevent from happening again.>
Do the Crown Tails have the same habits as a regular Betta or are they different altogether?
<They are precisely the same. They may be a bit more delicate due to more extensive inbreeding, but still, same behaviours and such.>
Her first Betta used to jump up and eat out of her fingers, got excited when she was around - could this one do those sorts of things too?
<Yes indeed. It's just a matter of time and proper care. Wishing you and your friend (and her fish) well, -Sabrina>

A Siamese fighter- stress
I've recently bought a Siamese fighter (male).. about 2 weeks ago I think. Up until now he has been perfect, no signs of stress, eating as much as I give him (about 2-3 blood worms per day, recommended by the pet shop people).. <A good treat food. Your Betta would be better off with a more varied diet. A lot of good Betta food on the market> I have done the mirror trick about 3 times in total to see what kind of temperament the little guy had, and also to show him to friends, etc. I realize that putting a mirror where he can see his reflection would cause stress, but am sure that this is not the cause of the problem, as this problem has started at least a week after the last time I did the mirror thing. The problem is that he seems to get really scared every time I put my hand or anything else near the bowl.. I'm pretty sure this started when I put a camera close to him to take his picture.. it is the first time I've observed this type of reaction. Note that it was not after I took the picture (with flash) that he got scared.. simply showing him the camera did this. I find this *extremely* odd.. I'm pretty sure he's displaying fear because he begins thrashing about in the water when I put objects close to him. I have changed his water and used the correct amount of water conditioner <Only once in two weeks on a blood worm diet?>.. he's in a small tank on his own, not sure of the temperature, <Warm water fish. You need a small heater to keep the tank in the mid to upper 70's.> He's not in direct sunlight.. not sitting next to any loud speakers or anything.. I've got no idea what's going on. <First you need to start doing more water changes. Next improve his diet and add a heater. A very low flow filter would help a lot. But you want very little current in a small Betta tank. I think all those rich blood worms are fouling the water in a day or so. His thrashing could be the result.>
If you could get back to me with some questions or suggestions that would be great.
Thanks a lot.
Regards,
Sam <Don>

Betta & 10 gal home
Hi Chuck.. thanking you again for finding time for me & my Betta...but for
now I need to set aside the aquarium dilemma.
I have found on 2 occasions what looks like a black piece of hair,
but it doesn't move. First time it was size of eyelash, 2nd time its nearly
twice that size (very thin but tubular and perfectly straight) totally alien
from his normal stool-if it is a part of his stool, doesn't look like his
regular stool movement at all. I'm hoping its not a parasite since I'm
planning to place him in an aquarium w/ plants by himself.
I have fed him on occasion wild fruit flies I killed myself and brine shrimp.
Could the fruit flies have had parasites, when I squashed them they had red
blood to my surprise!
I don't have a digital camera now - so I cant send a pix

And these past 2 days he spit out his Betta bite pellets & Hikari brand
pellets, maybe his loss of appetite is coincidental. Maybe its his way of
telling me he wants live food!--don't know---
< Could be fat and sassy and can wait for the good stuff. Wait a couple a days and see how he acts. If the water has cooled down then that would make a difference on his appetite too.>
(A separate ques. How many brine shrimp would you feed him per serving he is
an adult Betta?)
< Only enough so that it can eat in a couple of minutes. No more!>
Eagerly awaiting your response
I writing to you from NYC its 4:15pm now if you cant respond by 6:30pm to
this email address: XXXX@dot.nyc.gov can you then Email me at
XXXX@hotmail.com, since for the next 3 days I wont have access to the
1st address,
And thank you again *smile*
Diane
Ps just the other day I went to "Petland" - and was very saddened to see 6
tiny bowls with gorgeous bettas sitting listlessly and dejectedly in their
confines. It really upsets me how pet shops are marketing these poor little
souls - its very cruel.
< Keep in mind that these are temporary setups and not designed for long term residence . It fact many bettas are usually sold in the first week they arrive at the shop.>
I cant help but to feel I'm doing a justice for my Betta at home - he has a
2 gal to himself - and he has quite a bit of energy. (even though I'm ques
parasites) They are lovely animals, they're very curious and love to inspect
the newness of everything they come across
< Welcome to the world of tropical fish keeping. You are truly a hobbyist because you watch your fish and not just look at them.-Chuck>
Regards Diane

Betta Losing His Fins - 10/06/2004
While I was out of town my family fed my beta fish but let the tank go.
<Yikes!>
It was a major mess. Now he is missing fins.
<Oh dear, so sorry to hear this!>
He really had beautiful flowing fins, now the top one is gone and the bottom one is ragged.
<A shame.>
If I get the problem under control will they grow back?
<They may, provided you give him excellent care and the damage was not too extensive.>
I have cleaned the tank...what now? What should I add to the water.
<If anything at all, I would consider an antibiotic such as Kanamycin (Kanacyn, Kanaplex, Spectrogram). This may not be necessary, if he begins to improve without. You should know in a day or two whether you should intervene, I'd think.>
I check the ph and attempt to keep it stable.
<Always crucial.>
The water temperature is a little on the cool side. As long as I kept the tank clean it seemed ok.
<Best to keep him in the mid 70s Fahrenheit. Wishing you and your splendid splendens well, -Sabrina>

Re: Slightly Older New Tank Queries
Hi once again, <Hi Anthony, nice to talk again! MacL once again here>
I'll be out of your hair in one more email. :) <Ask all you need> First up, bad news - my Betta has white spot. But, as I do spend quite some time checking the fish, I think I've caught it early on. He's eating well and swimming though he does spend more time resting (and last night, he tried to ' beach' himself on the top of my filter!! I've raised the water level now). I've just
bought the medication and will administer it when I get home. Unfortunately, I don't have a quarantine tank... damn.. I'm crossing my fingers. <No type of bowl to isolate just him in?>
I was just wondering about cleaning the tank. I've not used a vacuum as yet (I have used a jug) as I wanted to query it with you. My substrate is primarily sand with some gravel - mainly around the roots of my plants. How can I clean the sand without getting half of it sucked up? I've done searches on the net but only find things which relate to gravel cleaners.
There's plenty of algae for the Bristlenose by the way - and I have wafers. I just have to find him now... damned camouflage. <Don't feed until you know where he is, you don't want rotting food just laying around>
Thanks once again for the kind advice and patience <Good luck Anthony, MacL>
Anthony

Betta - Spots on Pecs
Hi Crew!
Glad your out there to help!!!
I noticed my year old male Betta splenden's pecs have tiny little dots same
color as the tone of his pectoral fins- I 1st thought debris of some sort -
since he likes to swim under fake branch the swim-through space under the
branch is a little tight for him - he gets under it by swimming a little on
his side to get through to the other side.
His home of 2 gallons has light blue gravel (so its not gravel -dust in his
pecs) I will buy him a slightly larger drift wood that has a larger curved
limb so he can swim through easily.
I always add .25 - .5 teaspoon of aquarium salt with water changes
bi-weekly.
I hope this isn't some type of disease cropping up - I noticed last night he
seemed a bit dazed couldn't see his pellet easily (unusual).- seemed blind
(maybe bec. He was in the dark for a few hrs & his eyes needed to adjust for
feeding once I switched on the light, but he finally saw it and ate it
His disposition could have something to do with temp change of my apartment
which I cant control-live in Brooklyn NY. We've been having temp swings
since summers ending some days cool 70- 82 degrees temp dipping further at
night
I'm doing research/regarding 10-15 gal tanks heaters and wave-free filters
for my Betta - pretty complex
In the meantime should I be concerned about these specs on his pecs?
They are not white in color just same as his skin tone. - I even tried
spying on them with a magnifying glass - but still too small to make out -
looks like dirt specs.
Thanks Again Diane
< The specks may just be part of his normal coloration as he ages. If the fins are not clamped and you don't see any other spots on the rest of his body then I wouldn't worry about the spots. Do try and keep him in a warm area so the water temp doesn't dip too low. A larger container will take longer to change water temperature so it might be worth looking into.-Chuck>

Response for Chuck: Betta - Spots on Pecs
Hi Chuck! -
Great Relief with your reply on his pectoral specs!
He does have tiny black dots in perfect line on his dorsal and bit on anal
fins - I never noticed till I looked at him very closely with a magnifying
glass but to me as novice of these animals these dots look like his design
they are all in perfect line - maybe fish can have freckles too....
Been doing my research on a tank for him. At NEW WORLD AQUARIUM in
Manhattan - the guy said my 1 male Betta splendens would not need a filter in
a 10-15 gal tank. Just a heater and to do my water changes with siphon hose
I would think by not having filter I would need to do 100% water changes
Once @ 2 wks?/ netting of fish etc as part of my routine for a 10-15 gal
tank...sounds cumbersome @ stressful for fish...with netting (well I
capture my fish from behind when he surfaces to top for food & he Swoops
right in then I leave him in a waiting bowl when I clean his bowl) haven't
had much luck w/netting
If I get a filter it eliminates 100% water changes & capturing Betta
But still I'm finding that filters can cause stress too. This aquarium shop
is only offering a small power filter w/carbon cart. He said it has valve to
control water flow. If I were to get this one do you suggest I put a long
silky plant to calm the pull of filter in front would this suffice or should
I put little sponge on tip of intake?
Or I can get the same filter with a bio wheel -which allows tank to still
hold onto its bacteria without losing all of it, with each cart change , but
draw back it doesn't have valve to alter flow...
In the past you wrote me that I need to "turn the vol. of tank over at least
3 times an hour to protect Betta from intake tube" - does this still hold
true for a tank 10-15 gal? And what's this equivalent to in GPH?
What do you think of having 2 sponge filters in this tank are they noisy
Would they do adequate filtering as I change 1 sponge leave the other in
tank to keep good bacteria constant?
This shop also doesn't have gravel filter - I read they're great for
growing/main good bacteria. But there are "dead spots" if you have piece of
wood or ornament maybe plants with these filters.
I'm still deliberating on "ideal" filtration for Betta for 10-15 gal tank
< If all you want to do is keep a Betta and no other fish then a small 5 or 10 gallon aquarium would be fine. Put a couple inches of sand in it and a couple of rocks or driftwood for decoration. Use a good quality heater to keep the water at 80 degrees. A good light is important too to support plant growth. Use a small Marineland out side power filter with the BioWheel. For just a Betta a small one that moves 20 to 30 gallons per hour would be just fine. The key to all of this is to use some live plants. Floating plants such as hornwort or naja grass/star grass are easy to grow and provide and area of security for your Betta . They also absorb any strong currents and help reduce nitrates too. Another trick is to stick the rooted end of a Pothos plant inside your tank and the leafy end will grow and absorb nitrates from the tank. When changing the water I would only do a 30% water change with gravel vacuuming one half the tank. The Betta will be hiding in the other half in the floating plants. You could tie a piece of anubias or Java fern to the driftwood. These slow growing plants are very hardy and add a lot to the looks of the tank while absorbing some fish waste. With this set up you may only have to change water once a month. You could add a couple Otocinclus to the tank to control some of the algae. Check the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and I'll bet you hardly have to do any maintenance to your tank at all.-Chuck>
Thanks again for your thoughtfulness & expertise
Diane!

Re: Response for Chuck: Betta - Spots on Pecs
Thank you
Would I have to use the Otocinclus 's as "the cycling" fish & once the
nitrites are at the acceptable level I will then add my Betta?
< The Betta is hardier than the Otocinclus. If you have no algae then you don't need any algae eaters and they will starve.>
I was just a
little hesitant re: roommates for my Betta (approx yr old) - don't know if
he'd prefer to live alone....or do they fare Betta with suitable
companions???
< They do better alone. The Otocinclus are little obscure algae eating catfish that the Betta probably will not bother.>
Before you mentioned the couple of Otocinclus I was
deliberating on 2 mollies or a couple of platies or a specific type of snail
top keep him company. So I'm not sure about roomies yet
Also I noticed you mentioning sand rather tan gravel...easier to clean... Or
maybe its more like Betta environment?
< Sand has more surface to volume ratio so it actually has more surface area then gravel. What this means is that the good bacteria that break down the fish waste have more area to live on so the more the bacteria the more the waste they can break down.>
Do you need to start the cycle with hardy fish first or do you recommend a
starter solution think its called "Fritz" or something like that. Also I
read its not a good idea to take bacteria water from a pet shop, it can be
risky to start the cycle.
< Use Bio-Spira by Marineland and start checking the ammonia , nitrite and nitrate levels. Check out Dr. Tim's library for an article titled the first 30 days. It will give you a lot of good information.>
If I choose to use the Otocinclus (maybe you recommend them because they are
bottom feeders?) as companions or mollies... Should I jump to the 15 gal
instead of the 10.?
< When you started the questions you were only talking about a Betta and now we are heading towards a community tank. Unfortunately I have found that bettas do better by themselves then with other fish over the long run. The bettas fins are just too long and flowing and the other fish are attracted to them and they chase and harass the poor Betta until his fins become torn and ragged.>
Other alternative if I just have my Betta how should I cycle water for
him...you see I'm waffling should I or shouldn't I join him with other fish
-will he be happier and live longer alone or in good company - & how would
that affect the cycling of my tank either way I choose. I'd probably choose
the 15 gal if I have 3-4 fish total.
Interesting advice
And thanks for your plant suggestions
< After you read Tim's articles you will have better understanding on how to get a tank going and getting it cycled. The process is the same for all FW aquariums regardless of size.-Chuck>
Diane

Sick Betta
Hi guys! I have a Betta fish, that has developed cloudy, white bulges over
both eyes. Is this a fungus? His mouth also looks swollen, but otherwise
ok. What is the best treatment for this?
< Sounds like a bacterial infection. Make sure the water temp is up around 80 degrees and do a 30% water change. Treat with Nitrofuranace as per the directions on the package.-Chuck>
Cari Knapp

Problem with my Betta
Hello, <Hi Michael, MacL here with you tonight>
I have a Betta in a bowl, nothing fancy. <Betta's are great>
Today we noticed a red "thing" hanging from the rectum of the fish. It also seems to be swimming "stern down" a bit. <I think your Betta is pooping to be blunt Michael. Sometimes it comes out in a long stream and if he seems to be having difficulties then you get into a whole nother set of issues. But sounds like he's just going. Good luck, MacL>
Michael

Is My Betta Sick?
I recently bought a Betta fish from Wal-Mart. It probably isn't the best place to buy a Betta, but they looked so sad in those little Tupperware things they had them in. Anyways, I've had him for a week or so and he seems to be acting funny. He's terrified of anyone who comes close to a tank. He has a little plastic tree in there with him and he hides in the corner between the tree and the wall of his tank. Also his top fin is bunched up. My sister has a Betta and Martin (my fish) doesn't look a "flowery" as hers. I read an article that said some bettas are passive and won't fight. Is that why he's so skittish? I'm using bottled water. He's blowing those little bubbles so he can't be that sick. Maybe it's just because he's in a new place? Also, he stares at his reflection and anything shiny outside his tank. He's a weird fish.
Thank you so much. I've been worried about him.
P.S.
My user name and password won't work. What's up?
<<Hello. Some bettas are scaredy-cats :P Give him some time :) As long as his water quality remains good, he should do just fine. How big is his tank? Some bettas prefer smaller tanks, as strange as that may sound. They
are not used to large, open spaces, and will hide if they feel threatened. You can try adding more fish, not just any fish, but a species that will not be aggressive towards him, like a few Pristella tetras, or some Corydoras catfish. This will make him feel as though there is no danger, since these "other" fish are out and about without coming to any harm from predators. I can't help you with your password, perhaps you should try again? Make sure you are using the right one!
-Gwen>>

Sick Betta
I have a Betta that has suddenly lost fins, is listless and not eating. His body has areas of reddening. I recently added the substrate Sera which is mostly sand and peat and that's when the symptoms began. My pH was running 7.6 and is now at neutral but was running slightly lower than that for a few days. During those times I added drops of pH Up that came with my test kit (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Deluxe pH). I am now doing large water changes and have done 2 treatments of BettaMax with a third due today. I am no longer doing drops of pH Up but am adding drops of a product called KoiZyme. I have a 5 gallon Eclipse Hex 5 and tankmates are 1 platy, 2 albino Corys and 4 cardinal tetras. I lost 2 cardinals recently to what I think was due to pH changes, however, now all except the Betta seem fine. What, if anything, can I do to save my Betta? The BettaMax does not seem to be helping and the body reddening appears worse. The tank has been cycled for 2 months and shows no ammonia or nitrite. Only the substrate is new and there is about 2 inches of it under 2 inches of gravel. In addition I have plants and a bog log. The water normally is slightly tea colored perhaps due to the bog log. Any help you could give this frustrated aquarist would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Susan
****Hi Susan,
Either the substrate itself, or the act of installing it has stressed your fish and whacked their immune response it seems. It could very well have been a pH shock. Adding a peat substrate will lower the pH of a tank very rapidly. Adding a product to increase pH, when you have a peat substrate is almost futile, so I wouldn't bother with that anymore. This sounds a bit like Trichodina, a parasitic organism that can cause the symptoms you describe. Although the missing fins can mean a fungal infection. Hard to say without seeing the fish. The best medication I've ever used when treating freshwater fish is "Clout" http://www.wetpetsusa.com/aqprodfismed1.html its seems to treat just about anything, and I've used it for everything from fungal infections to anchor worms. Give it a try, in a hospital tank if possible. This medication is VERY strong. Going forward, remember that changing a substrate in a tank after it's stocked with fish is very stressful to the inhabitants. You open the door for all sorts of problems. Sometimes when these infections get to an advanced stage, especially on a small fish, saving the fish isn't always possible.
Good luck
Jim****

Concerned about the new Betta - sick or tank issues? Also, truth or myth?
Hi,
Thank you for the reply. Before reading this I had already divided them up
into their own tanks but what is frustrating is how divided the different
sources are on these fish. No offense, I'm sure this website is a good
source for me to go but it's hard as a novice to know who is truly an expert
and who isn't. Some experts say that some interaction (not in same tanks
but near each other) can be beneficial to them to keep them somewhat active
(exercise...) and mentally alert.
< Just like raising kids, it is hard to find two opinions exactly alike.>
The "mellow" one had a golden algae eater as tank partner and he tormented
him but now in a 5 gallon tank, he leaves him alone or rather, the algae
eater has a place to go and 'hide'. He's been much more active since then
but like you said, he has his mellow moments.
I'm enjoying them but my mellow guy I did move to see the other ones because
if he couldn't see them, he would hit the corners in the tank constantly
like he was trying to get out. Now he does his occasional show, and then he
just hangs out.
I guess it all depends on the fish and the environment. My other active
guys have mellowed out two. The flare at times but hang out more and get
excited when they see me. They now have their own space and seem to take to
that very well.
< In the wild bettas come from shallow little pools that males need to defend from other males to establish a breeding territory. These battles are often terminal for the losers so don't feel to lonely for them . That's the way they like it.-Chuck>
Thanks for the update and I'll be checking the website.
A new-found Betta lover
Heleen

Betta splendens of the 2 thin hanging fins under chin 1 is turning opaque white from the tip-does he need meds?
Hi hope you can help me I never had a fish before & I love my Betta
I've had my fish for 2 & 1/2 weeks -male splendens- blue and maroon not a baby
I noticed of the 2 beard-like fins under his chin 1 is becoming opaque white
from the tip -its not a growth. Also these 2 thin beard-like fins never open
just hang there since I got him
I also noticed his gills are RED which I get to see beneath when he flares
at his image in mirror is that a healthy color?
He's energetic with mirror and eats well 6-7 (Betta bites) pellets per day.
He's in a gallon bowl I'm careful to age 24hrs and condition to be room temp
I make his 1/2 bowl water changes 2x a week. I added 1/2 teaspoon aquarium
salt to his 1 gal home. I'm moving him into a 2 gal bowl
When I got him from pet shop he had little hole in bottom long fin-the anal?
<Yep>
I was told by pet shop person to give him BettaFix for 1 week w/o changing
water (1 gal home) I just gave meds 3 days and then his tail started to
shred I stopped the Betta-fix gave him 100% water change I noticed later the
hole mended --he's just starting to regrow tail slightly should I just
continue like this with the 1/2 tsp aquarium salt or does he now need
meds--- now that his bearded fin is turning opaque white (does not look
like a growth)
Pls help me to help him...a pet shop owner said meds will kill him.. But I
see contrary info on web site
Pls respond ASAP as I'm leaving for Maine this Thursday Sept 2nd for 1 week
and a very responsible friend will take care of him
That is I don't know what kind or if he might need meds
His little life is worth saving he's a fighter after all his hole mended
Thank you very much in advance
< The white tips at the edge of the ventral fins are normal for a maturing male Betta. The red gills are also normal because this area needs to be red from blood to pick up oxygen and release CO2 into the water. Everything sound fine now and I would discontinue the medication and remind your friend that a little food is better than too much food. Make sure that you give your friend this email address so in case anything goes wrong they can get help.-Chuck>
Thanks Diane

Betta Stress
We have a couple of bettas. We recently changed tanks (they're in separate
tanks beside each other) and one of them seemed to go into the classic
stress mode, not eating much of anything for a couple of weeks or so, but now
seems to be rebounding nicely with a healthy appetite and much more active.
However it seems to have a slight oily sheen on the surface of the water
that seems to be coming from the fish itself. We've changed the water and
washed the tank contents well, so I know it's not from that but it's
returned. Ever heard of this? If so, assuming it's some type of problem is
there a cure? thanks, Ron
<<Hi. Oily sheens on the surface of tanks and bowls is caused by a few things,
like the type of food you are feeding, dust etc., that settles on the waters surface,
and organics (waste) in the water itself. In a normal tank, you could adjust the filter
outlet to break the surface tension of the water, so it can be pulled down and into,
and thus removed by the filter. As long as it just sits on top, it has nowhere to go.
This is most likely due to your efforts to get the boy to eat, and the residual organics
have built up, so just do a few extra water changes, that should take care of it. -Gwen>>

Bettas and Bass (sound)
Hi,
I would like to know how well Bettas can hear. Are they bothered by loud
noise or base? Mine doesn't seem to be annoyed by the two, but I want to
make sure I am not hurting him as I am enjoying my music!
Thank you, Tadeja
<<Hello. Fish can be adversely affected by the vibrations of loud music,
too much bass can most likely damage the sensitive, tiny, ocular bones in small
fishes. Loaches and tetras, for example, are quite sensitive to sound, their
ocular bones are attached via nerves to their swim bladder. Fish that tend to
swim in schools do so by vibration and can actually "hear" the fish swimming
near them, and hence the direction they are going. Sight is secondary in many,
many species of fish. They navigate by lateral line and sensitivity to the
water pressure around them.
If you have ever spent any time diving underwater, you will understand
how well sound carries, and even the slightest noise is heard by all,
heard by us, too, and our hearing is only half, if that, of what fish can hear.
You should be careful with your sound system, I know it's not easy, and the
sad part is, no one pays attention to stuff like this. People will play
their TV's loud, their sound systems louder, and they think that because their
fish are still swimming around like normal that it doesn't affect them.
Tell me, can YOU tell a deaf person with hearing damage just by looking at
them across the room? No, indeed. -Gwen>>

Betta with silver coloring on his face, maybe a parasite?
Hi! I sent in an email yesterday, about 30 hours ago but I cannot find it
on the site anywhere. I am SO sorry if you have answered it and somehow
I missed it. I am really worried about my little guy or else I would
just let it go so as not to bother you again. I will check the site
every few hours this time so I can catch it.
August17,2004
Hi! I am so happy I found you and your website! I think my Betta might
be in the beginning stages of some sort of parasitic infection. I
readily admit I do not know much but I am absorbing everything I can as
quickly as I can. My husband and I got Zen 5 weeks ago. He is in his own
ten gallon tank with two little O-cats. The tank has a Penguin mini
filter and an aerator (sp?) The tank is in it's fifth week of being set
up. We had two little O-cats die about three weeks ago. So we did a half
tank change when the tank was two weeks old. We added Betta water
conditioner made by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals) and Ph down. ( The Ph has
been high since we started... cannot get it down) We have had the water
tested throughout the past five weeks and Ph has always been high.. by
high I mean 7.6 - 8.2. Everything was going along fine and about a week
ago Zen started eating much less and then not at all... then he started
eating again but just a little. He always was interested in the food and
went after it like a true predator but he would spit it out. Now he is
eating fine. I went to a local, huge fish store with very knowledgeable
staff (Aquarium World) and they did another water quality test and said
the ammonia was a bit high ( 0.5) and the Ph was 8.2. New tank syndrome.
So we did a 1/3 tank change and took all decorations out and washed them
with warm, clean water and siphoned as much of the waste as we could
get. We put a water softener pillow in the filter cause the water was
hard, added Aquasafe to dechlorinate and some Ph Down. The water added
was a match in temp to what was left in the tank That was three days ago
and that night was when I first noticed the odd coloring of his face
beneath his eyes. The next day we tested the water and it was perfect
except for elevated Ph ( around 8.0). We plan on doing 10%-15% water
changes weekly for another month until that "good" bacteria starts
taking hold. The temperature has always been steady at 78, dipping to 76
overnight. We do not have a heater. They , also, told us that we had
probably overfed Zen. Ugh! I still have not gotten the same answer from
any resource on how much to feed these guys. The employee said he was
probably just full from the excess food and living off reserves. He is
eating small quantities now. I feed him once a day now, about two-three
pellets (Bio-Blend by Marineland) and either a couple freeze dried blood
worms, fresh brine shrimp, freeze dried brine shrimp or freeze dried
Daphnia a couple times a week. He has remained active, alert, social and
well-adjusted. He gets excited when he sees us ( Betta's are SO cool!),
he catches reflections of himself and puffs up to show his reflection
how tough he is (LOL) and he makes little bubble nests upon occasion. He
seems fine behaviour. The main problem now is a silvery look to some
of his body. He is a solid blood red with gorgeous fins! As I stated
above, I noticed it three days ago. It goes from his mouth to his gills
, covering the area beneath his eyes, on both sides. It appears grayish,
hardly noticeable in natural light, but when the light catches it (or a
flashlight to get a better look) it is definitely silvery. Like his skin
is silver plated. It does not look like cotton or ulcerated. It is very
smooth just like his skin. It has not progressed in the past three days,
it has been status quo. The two little Cats do not seem affected. I
talked to someone I considered knowledgeable and she said it might be
velvet disease OR it could possibly be that he is a marbled Betta which
means he will change colors throughout his life at different stages and
possibly he is starting to shift. She said to treat him with a copper
based medicine just to be sure and it would be okay to do it in his ten
gallon tank with the O'cats and it would be okay to leave the carbon
filter in. Well, I did some research and I have gotten conflicting
information so I am at a loss what to do. I love this guy SO much!! I am
so afraid my inexperience is going to kill him and I just couldn't live
with that. I attached some pictures but I only had a digital, I didn't
want to take a couple days to get high speed film and developed it.
Anyway, they are very blurry but maybe it will help, the silvery color
under his eyes and just behind his gills is in sharp contrast to his
deep color. I , also, sent one of him in natural light, it is hardly
noticeable then. One more was of my tank, I attached that because as I
was trying to get these shots of him I *think?* I noticed him eating
some sand from the bottom! He then would open his mouth very big!
Uuummm, I hope this isn't bad. I've never seen him open his mouth so big
and it's behaviour I have never noticed before. Again, we have gotten
conflicting advice on sand in a freshwater tank, some say okay others
say not. Can you please help me? I will do my best to provide any other
info. Thank you for your help. I finally found some experts I can trust!
August 18,2004
More info from today's water quality testing: Ph=8.4 / Nitrite=0.5ppm /
Temp : 76 degrees F / Toxic Ammonia=.05% / Ammonia=1ppm / Iron=0ppm/
Carbon Dioxide=3ppm / Chlorine=0ppm / General Hardness=3/ Carbonate
Hardness= 9/ Permanent Hardness=negative 6 /Copper=0ppm.. As I stated
above, we did a 3 gallon water change 4 days ago.... what do we have to
do to get the Ph down? We put Ph Down in but it seems to do no good at
all. Please help!! The silvery coloring is still on his face, it hasn't
changed in any way and his behaviour remains normal today. Quite happy,
active, alert, social and feisty. We bought some Aquarisol tonight in
case it is velvet disease and some aquarium salt and a heater. I just
don't want to put that copper in his tank if I don't need to and I have
no idea what this could be. I can't find anything anywhere that sounds
similar. I am sorry if I missed a previous reply to this, I really,
really am. I will return to the site every few hours during waking hours
to check this time. Thank you SO much for your time and for sharing your
knowledge!!
Regards, Patricia Russell
< The coloration on your Betta seems normal. As long as he is eating and acting fine I would leave things alone. As far as your high pH goes you have too much calcium in your water. The acid is soon neutralized by the calcium and the pH bounces back up. To reduce the pH I would get a clean 5 gallon bucket and fill it with distilled or deionized water. After that I would add a buffer that would stabilize the pH at pH 6. Shouldn't take too much. When I change water I would take the water from the 5 gallon bucket that has already been stabilized. Never change the pH of the water in the tank itself with fish. The pH change can be too much for many fish to handle. Change 30% of the water weekly removing the waste from the bottom of the tank. After the 5 gallon bucket is gone I would use 20% tap water to 80% pure water for future water changes. Your water will need some calcium to keep the nitrifying bacteria healthy and keep things fairly neutral.-Chuck>

Betta Color Change
Hi, I have a male Betta and have had him now for probably 3mos.
He is in a tall vase with a plant in the top , the roots are in the water.
Things have been great. I change the water once a week and let the tap water
sit for 24hrs before I put him in it. Recently he is turning pale, silverish
in color. Any ideas? Should I be using something in the water?
Thanks, Geoff
<<Hello. The color change could be normal, or it could be indicative of an illness.
I have no idea: you need to give me more information.
First, you will need to test your water and tell me the results. Do an ammonia test, and it
should be lower than .25 ppm, or trouble will arise. Also any other info, such as does he still eat,
does he do anything that he didn't before, such as hide a lot, or stay in one place? What is the temp
of the water, and does the temp fluctuate? Keep a thermometer in there for a few days, and check the temp
in the morning, afternoon, and evening. The temp must remain as stable as possible.
Has your city recently started adding chloramines to the source water? Chloramine, unlike chlorine,
does NOT gas out in 24 hours. You may need to use a good dechlorinator. Also, is there any sign
of finrot? -Gwen>>

Betta with lump 9 Aug 2004
Hi it's me again, <Hi Magic, MacL here with you tonight>
One of my bettas has a lump on it's side like around the abdomen. <There are a lot of things this could be, some type of injury or possibly Lymphocystis. It would truly help to have a picture of it. Please take a look on the website at the freshwater diseases, and see if any look similar. Let me suggest you start here http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/parasitcdisovr.htm> I am curious what it might be and what I can do to help it. I don't want to lose the lil fella. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Magic

Betta troubles
Dear Chuck:
I need a little sympathy and some input, please. After all I went through
with my Betta to get him back by himself in the 10 gallon tank, something
unexpected happened and I just had to euthanize him. Yesterday, he was on
the mend and swimming around just fine, but this morning, when I went in to
feed him and turn on his light, he had turned a grayish color around his
face and his fins were shredded beyond belief. There's no fish in there
with him, so it couldn't be other fish, but I knew he was beyond help, so I
took him out, put a towel around him, and killed him as quickly as possible
by squeezing him on both sides of his body. I read all the various ways,
and somehow, instantaneous death seemed preferable to trying all the other
methods suggested. He died instantly, but I think a part of me died with
him. That was SO hard to do. Please tell me I did the right thing.
< Next time put him in a glass with an Alka-Seltzer tablet. The co2 bubbles will pit him to sleep and you can put him in the freezer and he will slowly an painlessly freeze to death.>
Back to what may have caused this, I can only think of three possible
factors. Please weigh in, please. The first is that he tried to swim
inside a small hollow that I've now discovered in the piece of driftwood.
The hollow doesn't seem that splintered to me, but I supposed it could be to
a fish. At any rate, I've removed the driftwood. The second possibility is
that he got jammed behind a recently installed heater. The heater hasn't
been turned on our used, so that didn't have anything to do with it, but I
guess it's possible he got lodged around the suction cups-although it's hard
to imagine how something like that could happen, as I could easily get my
fingers between the heater and the back of the tank, and there isn't
anything sharp on the heater or around the suction cups. Lastly, and this
seems the most improbable, is it possible that too much MelaFix could've
caused a reverse action to what it was designed to help?

 This is a 10
gallon tank, and it was virtually impossible to measure the precise dose.
Also, I would think that if he died chemically, his fins wouldn't have been
shredded.
I'm going to keep this as my quarantine tank, and am not going to do Bettas
again for a while, but I would appreciate your thoughts on what might have
caused this, so it can be prevented in the future. This just broke my
heart-and it was very difficult trying to explain it to my 2 year old, since
I didn't really know what happened myself.
< Bettas need to come to the surface to breath. If not they will die . It is possible that the fins got caught on the driftwood and your fish struggled to break free and get to the surface. Another thought would be that he jumped out and flipped around awhile before getting back in.-Chuck>
Cyndy Monarez

Betta 9 Aug 2004
Hi, <Hi Stacy, MacL here with you tonight> I have a very active male Betta fish. Recently, however, I have found him to look extremely bloated and round in his front just behind his head. He is still as active as he has ever been and is eating the same as well. I believe that it is either the hot weather where I live in California or overfeeding (however, I only feed him 5 pellets two times a day). If you could reply what might be wrong, that would be wonderful. Thank you for your time. <Just cut way back on the food and possibly even skip a day. You'll do just great! MacL>

Betta question
Hello,
First let me say I'm very intrigued by your site. Although it has not
answered MY question directly, I have gained a lot of knowledge.
Now with my situation - Until a couple days ago, my two male Betta fish
were in a 2.5 gallon tank w/separator (first attachment). These are the
first fish I've ever had so when I saw tiny little white spots all over
them, I panicked. I had done my homework after my purchase and was
aware of "ich", so I kind of thought that's what it was when I saw it.
I've only had the fish for about two weeks now. In further reading I
have came across many columns of advice on how to treat ich but no one
that I can actually talk to. Anyway, after coming to the conclusion
that it was ich, I went to Petco and was advised to buy some Mardel
Freshwater CopperSafe. I'm sure you're familiar with the product. I
loved the fact that you only had to use it once and it lasts for one
month. However in all of this reading about a hospital tank, although
my original tank was only 2.5 gallons I purchased another smaller to
serve as a hospital tank. There are no other fish in the 2.5, but there
are a few decorations in the other one and the new one (2nd attachment),
is much smaller and clearer.
And now we get to my problem: The CopperSafe has a ratio of (one
teaspoon to treat four gallons). Now it's easy to assume only 1/2
teaspoon for 2 gallons, but how do you break down the dosage for a small
tank like the second one I bought? I finally broke it down to 4
medicine drops. I was shying away from using my regular tank because I
wanted to keep it clean and dry until my babies are ready to go back in.
Also, I've heard that table salt is good for ick - is this true?
Please advise. Please send responses to this E-mail address &
XXXX@hotmail.com.
< Get a 5 gallon plastic bucket and fill it 80% full. This will give you approximately four gallons. Put one teaspoon of the CopperSafe into the four gallons of water and use that water to replace the water in the hospital tank and also use it when you do water changes.-Chuck>
<<betta2.jpg>> <<Betta.jpg>>
Thanks,
Glanatta

Sick Siamese fighting fish
Hi,
I am pretty new to the whole thing, and lost my fish today. He was fine when I went to work yesterday, and when I came home he had lost his color completely, was breathing funny and not eating. He was also in the tank vertically with his mouth out of water. And this morning he seemed to have fungus or something growing on him skin.
I have had him for a few months and up until yesterday he was fine. The only thing I have changed is a week ago I bought a new tank for my axolotl, and bought a little box to hang over the side of the tank to put him in. Everything else, food and temperature was the same. I only realized today that I needed to have the temperature warmer.
I have another fighter fish and don't want to lose that one either.
< For such a quick die off it makes me think that their was something in the water that did not agree with him. If the box was hanging outside the tank then some chemical such as a household cleaning solution may have drifted into the water. The fish may have been startled and hit his head on he top of the box and knocked himself out and drowned. If the water had not been changed in a awhile then their might have been a pH crash if you have very soft water. IF the box was one of those Betta barracks that fits inside the tank then I think the water from the axolotl had high ammonia and killed the Betta while the axolotl is much more tolerant of the ammonia in the water.-chuck>
Thanks, Kylie

Lethargic Betta - 08/05/2004
I recently changed the water in my fish bowl...now my beautiful Beta is lethargic and laying on the bottom and he won't eat.
<A few possibilities here - first and foremost, did you use a water conditioner that removes chlorine and chloramine on the new water, before putting the Betta in it? Was the temperature the same as what he'd been in before? Do you happen to test for pH? If so, was that the same as his water before?>
I changed the water again today thinking something could have been wrong with the water when I changed the first time, but he still isn't moving. I only have him 9 months and I'm very upset about it. Should I be testing pH...
<I would. I would even test ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, if at all possible. As long as pH is somewhere between 6.5 and 8.0, and constant (as in, if it is 7.5, it is always 7.5, or if it is 6.8, it is always 6.8), bettas are pretty tolerant of a wide range of pH. Ammonia and nitrite should always be zero, and nitrate ideally less than 20ppm.>
or is there something else I can do?
<Just be absolutely certain to remove chlorine and chloramine from tapwater before use - these will burn the fish, perhaps severely, and make him sick. If this is what has happened, I would recommend making up some new dechlorinated water (condition it before the water change) and transfer the Betta to the dechlorinated water right away. Though chlorine will dissipate overnight (roughly), chloramine will not; this is why it is crucial to use a conditioner. If he's otherwise healthy, he will hopefully recover from the ordeal; just keep his water optimal.>
He is breaking my heart!
<We'll be keeping our fingers crossed for yah. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance. Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Betta Problem
Hey Bob, <Hi Manuel, MacL here with you today, sorry about the delay in your response.>
I need your help. <I'll do my best.> Chico is my Betta, whom I've had for about 15 months. He was the 2nd I bought, but he outlived Spartacus as well as each of the other 4 or 5 that I've had. He was as healthy as he's ever been until about 3 days ago, when I decided to change the water and add only rocks I'd picked up at the beach in Malibu to the bowl. I've had other fish that grew strange funguses and had died when other rocks and or half of shells were added to their bowl (I do keep them separate). But I took extra care, boiling the rocks and then baking them in the oven before repeating the process to ensure that any bacteria in the rocks would be eliminated. <If there was poison on the rock boiling and baking might not have taken care of it.> His 1 Gallon bowl looked amazing with the rocks, but his behavior changed soon thereafter. <sometimes fish held in a long term situation don't adjust well to major changes he could have been stressed for that. Also depending on the type of rock you added you could have changed the PH of the water he was used to. That could have bothered him as well.> He began to swim diagonally and changed colors, as he has done in the past when intimidated (when another bowl is placed next to his and the other Betta is bigger or more impressive). Chico's head is a dark black, his body turquoise, with a deeper and brighter turquoise and purple fins. <He sounds lovely> There's also almost a transparent stripe down his side. When he changes colors, it can vary from the aforementioned to a pale grey )completely including the fins, with two deep blue racing stripes down his sides. He's amazing. He's also usually very aggressive. But he was acting different. Within about ten or 15 hours, I saw that there was something growing on his scales. He wasn't acting normal and I didn't want to watch it get worse, so I took him out and put him in another bowl (a 1/2 gallon, but with BettaMax). Tomorrow night, I'll change the water and have him in BettaMax for another 3 day/night stint before returning him to a gallon bowl and the surroundings he's always thrived in. 
Now, he's acting himself, but a tail of film, it looks almost like he's shedding, is growing off each of those long useless fins (though I've always thought the length related to their age). I have my fingers crossed that I can heal him, but I would like to know if it is all or just some of the beach rocks. <You never know what a rock has been exposed to and I don't think that anything can actually tell you what its been exposed to without breaking it open and having chemical test run.> I've heard of vinegar tests that indicate whether they're safe for Betta bowls, but I don't know how to administer the tests, and my google searches lead me to boundless Betta related problems that do not address my question:
how do I know which rocks are bad? <Unless you buy them in a pet store of some type and they are certified safe I would recommend assuming they are not.>
I know Bettas don't usually live that long and a year and a half is a long and rich Betta life, but he's lived here longer than my x-girlfriend did, and has made been the ideal NYC roommate. What can I do to help him? <Put him back like he was before, treat with the BettaMax. I think you are on the right track. MacL>

Sick and dying fish
To Whom it May Concern:
It was recommended to me that I come to this site and ask you all for advice. My situation is fairly critical. I have 2 bettas lost to unknown but suspected conditions, Callamanus infection is what I suspect but I cannot be positive since I have never dealt with any internal parasites. The first fish died of apparently no reason. She was a female Betta that lost appetite, was lethargic, and had clamped fins. She also developed some black on the tips of her tail fin so I suspected fin rot and started treating her for it with Jungle Fungus Clear. She died the next day with no other symptoms. Then a second female (I had all these fish in the same tank) became lethargic, lost appetite and was clamping her fins so I removed her and began treating her for internal parasites because after some research I had decided that must be what the problem was because she had no other outward symptoms. I treated her with Jungle Parasite Clear. The same day I started that treatment she got white stringy poo hanging from her and later on that turned into red stuff hanging out of her anus. After some research I had decided it must have been the Callamanus worm. Before I got the right medicine to treat her (I continued to treat her with the JPC) she died. Now I have another female who has stringy white poo, is lethargic, and has lost appetite. As of yet she does not have the red stuff hanging from her. I am currently treating her with Jungle Parasite Clear. I still have not gotten the correct medication to treat Callamanus. I also had another male in the same tank in a divided off portion but he has not exhibited any symptoms yet. He is still swimming actively and eating. I went ahead and treated him in the tank anyway to be safe. I also treated my other tank that has Neons and otos because I used the same gravel vac on both tanks before any of the fish got sick. Everyone is currently being treated with Jungle Parasite Clear since it is the only medicine I have available. Lastly I now have a neon tetra that is sick, his symptoms are white patches on one side of him and something on his eye, same side. His color is fine other than the white patches and he is still swimming actively and eating. No stringy poo. I went ahead and separated him from the rest of the tank to be safe. Now I know it is probably not going to be very easy to help me with no pictures but I don't have a camera or I'd send some. So far I've got 2 dead fish, probably sick from the store, I haven't had them that long. I know, I know I'm supposed to QT and believe me I will never not QT again. I just need some advice for damage control. What are the best steps that I can take to save the remaining fish that I have? So far I've done some water changes and treated tanks with JPC. What else can I do? Do you think the neon's illness is related to the bettas? I tend to think not because he is exhibiting totaling different symptoms so far. Please help me.
< You have a lot of things going on so we will take it one step at a time. First the bettas died from bloat/dropsy. This is an internal anaerobic bacterial infection that must be treated early to be successful. First you must keep you bettas warm and clean. They are being stressed by one or all of the following reasons, (dirty water, wrong water temp, wrong food, uneaten food left over, bullied by other fish and or external stress). Treat with Metronidazole as soon as the fish stops eating. Follow the directions on the package. Do a 30% water change and service the filter before treatment. The Neon has an external bacterial infection. Treat the Neon with Furanace or Maracyn. If you ever treat the main tank with medication you need to be aware that it will affect the good bacteria that break down the fish waste. You can find these medications online at DrsFostersSmith.com.-Chuck>
Sincerely,
Linzy Brannan

Betta With Columnaris continued
I think my Betta has body slime how do I treat it! he is a beautiful
Betta but I have noticed white stringy stuff coming off of his body and
I want to know what I can do to treat it I do not want to lose my Betta
for he is so very beautiful? What are my options?
< Do a water change and treat with Furanace. Try and keep him in a warm
spot (80 degrees). Don't overfeed.-Chuck>
WHAT IS FURNANCE??????
<<Hi there, What chuck was referring to was a medicine, that I think is
rather hard to find. Since the fish has Grayish-white stringy material
covering much of the body; white or grey patches. (Not furry!) This is
not a true fungus but a bacterial infection known as Columnaris or
Body Fungus. Rather than looking for Furanace you can usually Treat with
Maracyn which I believe is much easier to find. It's from the Mardel
Medicine company, it can be found at any pet shop. Good luck and I hope
the Betta gets better. Signed -Magnus.>> <Hi, MikeD here today>
< MY BETTA DOESN'T SEEM TO ENJOY THE HIGHER TEMPS I GOT IT UP TO ABOUT 80 DEGREES YESTERDAY AND I NOTICED MOST OF HIS COLORING WAS GONE<I've caught Bettas in the wild in Vietnam. Trust me, they evolved in 80 degree plus water>. HE IS A DARK RED BETTA AND WHEN I CHECKED ON HIM HE WAS A VERY PALE ORANGISH COLOR!<This is likely a result of excess body slime from the infection, not the temperature> NOW WHAT DO I DO? I HAVE MELAFIX WILL THIS WORK<NO> AS WELL I HAD PURCHASED THE MELAFIX FOR ANOTHER FISH BUT I CANT LEAVE MY HOUSE RIGHT NOW TO BUY MARACYN FOR IT WILL NOT STOP RAINING AND IT IS RAINING HARD WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS FOR RIGHT NOW!!<Hmmmm, 1) fix your caps key, 2) open an umbrella and 3) get some Maracyn (erythromycin) as soon as possible. Columnaris is a bacterial infection, thus requires an antibiotic to treat it. While I've not heard of Melafix doing any real harm, I do know it's a derivative of the Eucalyptus tree, much like Vick's Vaporub and definitely DOES NOT occur in SE Asia where the fish originated.>

My Betta has a blue film over her eyes and they seem to be swollen, can you help?
<Will try to help as much as I can. Your Betta sounds as if he has eye fungus, and luckily it is treatable. Make sure to keep up with water changes, Betta fish are notorious at become sick with fungus issues and it spreads quickly. The best way to be sure of the fishes health is to keep up on water changes and not overfeeding it.>
I've been adding fungus eliminator to her water but it doesn't seem to be helping.
<I used Fungus Eliminator on my school of Iridescent Sharks and at first I thought it worked, but I found that it required multiple treatments but still I didn't like the results. So, I began searching for other products to deal with these fungus infection. I found that if I treat with MarOxy, which is offered by the Mardel company and is found in most pet shops that it worked quite well. Also, you can use Maracyn-Two, Maracyn, Tetracycline or TriSulfa to prevent secondary infections on your Betta.>
Is she going to be blind or worse will she die??
<She shouldn't go blind, if the treatment works. Just be sure to move quickly and treat, like I stated before Bettas get sick quick and especially dealing with fungus spreads fast on these little fish.>
I really really miss the forums... posting questions and such. Please lend me some advice. Angie
<Good luck with your Betta, hope it returns to health. -Magnus>

Re: Betta issue with eye fungus
Thank you so much. I have Maracyn two I will try that.
<Treat the fungus with Maroxy, it's a different product that Maracyn. I only suggest the Maracyn as a secondary treatment incase the fish has bacterial infections that come about from the primary fungal infection. Sorry for the confusion on that.-Magnus>

Another satisfied customer - Betta illness 7/28/04
hey guys thanks for taking a whole week to answer my question glad to see how reliable you all are. and I really appreciate the attitude with which MikeD wrote to me with! blah blah blah! did my writing in caps make you wait a week to write a response? do you read better on certain days of the week MIkeD? maybe you were just being lazy? was that it? At this point I didn't even need your response! what the hell for! you took too damn long to answer the question!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! really appreciate it guys! I knew I could count on you!!!!! Oh and by the way my Betta is just fine but really no thanks to any one of you!!!!!!!!!!!!
< Unfortunately when you responded to my answer I was out of town and the other crew members had to fill in so you got caught in limbo for awhile, sorry. If you ever need to find something that you local store doesn't carry then you can always go online to DrsFostersSmith.com. They are always open and can deliver almost anywhere anytime. I am in California and different areas of the country sometimes don't carry all the same items. All of the medications that I recommend are always found on this website with descriptions and prices. They have a free catalog. The advice from my fellow crew members was right on the money. The 80 degree water temp alone may have saved your fish by increasing his resistance to the disease so I don't think your question to the crew was a waste of time. Glad to hear your Betta is better.-Chuck>

Betta has body slime 7/28/04
I think my Betta has body slime how do I treat it! he is a beautiful Betta but I have noticed white stringy stuff coming off of his body and I want to know what I can do to treat it I do not want to lose my Betta for he is so very beautiful? What are my options?
< Do a water change and treat with Furanace. Try and keep him in a warm
spot (80 degrees). Don't overfeed.-Chuck> WHAT IS FURNANCE??????
<<Hi there, What Chuck was referring to was a medicine, that I think is rather hard to find. Since the fish has Greyish-white stringy material covering much of the body; white or grey patches. (Not furry!) This is not a true fungus but a bacterial infection known as Columnaris or Body Fungus. Rather than looking for Furanace you can usually Treat with Maracyn which I believe is much easier to find. It's from the Mardel Medicine company, it can be found at any pet shop. Good luck and I hope
the Betta gets better. Signed -Magnus.>> <Hi, MikeD here today> < MY BETTA DOESN'T SEEM TO ENJOY THE HIGHER TEMPS I GOT IT UP TO ABOUT 80 DEGREES YESTERDAY AND I NOTICED MOST OF HIS COLORING WAS GONE
<I've caught Bettas in the wild in Vietnam. Trust me, they evolved in 80 degree plus water>.
HE IS A DARK RED BETTA AND WHEN I CHECKED ON HIM HE WAS A VERY PALE ORANGISH COLOR! <This is likely a result of excess body slime from the infection, not the
temperature> NOW WHAT DO I DO? I HAVE MELAFIX WILL THIS WORK<NO> AS WELL I HAD PURCHASED THE MELAFIX FOR ANOTHER FISH BUT I CANT LEAVE MY HOUSE RIGHT NOW TO BUY MARACYN FOR IT WILL NOT STOP RAINING AND IT IS RAINING HARD WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS FOR RIGHT NOW!!<Hmmmm, 1) fix your caps key, 2) open an umbrella and 3) get some Maracyn (erythromycin) as soon as possible. Columnaris is a bacterial infection, thus requires an antibiotic to treat it. While I've not heard of Melafix doing any real harm, I do know it's a derivative of the Eucalyptus tree, much like Vick's Vaporub and definitely DOES NOT occur in SE Asia where the fish originated.>

Sick Betta
Hello, <Hi John, MacL here with you tonight>
I hope you can help me. I am fish sitting my daughter's betta. This morning when I went to feed him, he was staying on the bottom of a 2 gallon aquarium. He came up for the food but didn't eat it. I noticed a lump on his right side about half way between his head and tail fin. <Not good, sounds like it might be a tumor of some sort.> He will lay on the bottom with his head pointed up sometimes, otherwise he just stays on the bottom. Every now and then if he sees something on top he will quickly come up and then go back down. The back of his body is turned a little past the lump. <Sounds like a condition that happens with old age as well. I would suggest you also check out the faq's on bettas at http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/betdisfaq2.htm to see if something there sounds similar.> I did a 50% water change but don't have access right now to a thermometer or PH testing materials. I tried adding some Epsom salt after the water change. <Works well for constipation.> He is still staying on the bottom. He is almost four years old. <Actually pretty old for a Betta. So obviously he's been well taken care of.> He was mostly beige when she bought him and so color loss is hard to tell. Any help you could give me would be appreciated. I don't want to lose him. Thank you.

Listless Betta
hello,<Hi, MikeD here>
 about 3 weeks ago I purchased two male Bettas and tank that is made
for Bettas<As in a divided tank with a clear, see though divider?>, they are in the same tank, technically, but separated. one
of the fish is larger and was much more aggressive than the other,
constantly trying to fight<This may be the source of your problem right here. If allowed to "combat" even their own reflection non-stop, the fish have been known to die of exhaustion.>. they both seemed healthy and energetic.
however, upon my last water change, about 3 days ago, the larger Betta
has grown lifeless. he has faded, he was once a brilliant blue and red,
but now is a white-ish gray in his midsection and face. his fins seem
clamped and he just rests at the bottom of the tank. now and again he
jumps to the top to eat, but makes kind of lame attempts and if he does
not get the food on the first try (usually he misses...this illness has
severely impaired his accuracy), he sinks immediately<This could be old age, exhaustion, a combination of the two or possibly added to by having allowed the water quality to deteriorate>. his breathing
seems to have slowed a bit. he ignores the other fish now as well.<You really should block the partition with something opaque. I suspect this divided tank is to allow a male and a female to get acquainted for breeding purposes, otherwise it would seem pointless and cruel>
when I first bought the Bettas, I filled the tank with Betta water,
purchased at the pet store.<That's a new one on me. I suspect it's just RO water> at the last water change, I used tap-water,
at approximately 80 degrees. I do not have city water, so there is no
chlorine in it, but I can only assume that (the change) is the problem,
since nothing else is different<If you have very hard water it would definitely contribute to the situation, but likely not cause it>. for about an hour, there was a plant in
his tank, which he did not seem to like, so I removed it. the other
Betta is doing fine. he is eating regularly and is still energetic,
which made me think that maybe the other fish is just older<Quite possible>, but I
cannot understand what suddenly made him this way<Again, exhaustion>. I am very concerned
for my Betta, and treated the water today with "Betta remedy" and a
water conditioner<I'm also leery of panaceas. It sounds like your LFS has happily bonded with your wallet>. he seemed to perk up for a few hours and some of his
color returned, but, much to my disappointment, he has returned almost
to the exact same lethargic state he was in before. should I switch
back to the Betta water?<Couldn't hurt, but removing him to a separate container might be much better> I've heard of using RidIch<NO!> but after reading
the symptoms of that, I'm not sure that is what he has. I've also heard
of acriflavine and tetracycline<Using medication indiscriminately without knowing what you're treating for is a guaranteed way to kill fish>. I really am not sure what to do for my
fish. I hope you have some suggestions for me.<Again, my suggestion is to remove him from the sight of the other fish and hope for the best. Often really spectacular appearing males are retired breeders, thus almost "out of time> thank you!!<You're welcome>

BETTA DYING
<Hi Wendy, MacL here with you tonight.>
Quick question for you.... We recently had a Betta die after only 3 weeks of having him. Am curious as to what happened so that it doesn't happen again. He was in a nicely sized jar in a controlled temperature, fed according to the guidelines on the bottle, and his tank cleaned every one to two weeks. He was fine in the morning then by that afternoon his head was white and he was head down on the bottom.. Any clue as to what happened? <Would be very hard to tell without seeing the water chemistry tests but let me also ask, you didn't mention whether your water needed dechlorinating or dechloraminating. Chloramines or chlorine can kill a fish pretty quickly and unfortunately some pet stores don't mention this needs to be done for Betta's as well as other fish.>

Betta loss
We were using Distilled Water...<That should be okay for a Betta. Wendy did you see anything on the fish at all? Any dots? or spots or fuzzies? Just trying to think of things that might have killed him. I am sorry for your loss I know how easy it is to get attached to them. MacL>

Another Bloaty Betta - 07/14/2004
I have a female Betta who I'm pretty sure is suffering from dropsy,
<Please understand that "dropsy" is a *symptom* of disease, much the same as having a fever is a symptom of something - maybe you have the flu, maybe the chickenpox, but the fever itself is not the illness. Dropsical conditions can be the result of constipation, parasitic infestation, bacterial infection, or even a tumor.>
I found some info on your site about the Epsom salts, so I added some to her tank, she seems to be perking up a bit, still swollen. I've also given her some peas which she seems to love.
<Great. If she is constipated, this should help.>
I was just wondering how often do I need to add the Epsom salts?
<How big is her tank? You could probably do a 50% water change, give or take, and dose again in a few days.>
I'm also treating the tank with Maracyn-Two, after researching (a lot) on the internet I found that the Maracyn may help if caught in time.
<By this I assume you suspect bacterial infection. To treat internal bacterial infection, the medication is best ingested. Food medicated with oxytetracycline is the best route, in my opinion.>
Hopefully I've caught it early on, she was swelled yesterday when I got up so I went straight and bought the Maracyn. I also went and bought a heater (after reading your posts) hoping that it will help also.
<A constant temperature is always a good thing.>
I did a 50% water change before I gave her the meds and the Epsom salt. I change her (their) water at least once to twice a week,
<Who are her tankmates?>
depending on how dirty the water is.
<Do you test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate?>
I use start right conditioner and I was adding aquarium salt until I saw that that would or could actually worsen her condition.
<Not sure I agree with that.... where did you find this info? Aquarium salt should be okay, if used only in very low doses (as recommended for freshwater aquaria). This will also not interfere with the Epsom 'salt' (magnesium sulfate, really).>
I bought some Betta fix as well ...

I don't really know what to do, I'm just hoping something will work and pull her through.
<I encourage you to visit our forums, as one of our forum members is currently experiencing a very similar issue. See here: http://wetwebfotos.com/talk/thread.jsp?forum=31&thread=21151&tstart=0&trange=15 . Also, do a search in the forums for "Bernie", and you'll find another tale of a swollen Betta, also jam-packed with information. Please feel free to include your own experiences and questions in the forums, as well; there're a lot of helpful folks there.>
Thank you so much for your time.
Angie
<And thank *you* for your care of your Betta. Wishing you and your splendid splendens well, -Sabrina>

Another Bloaty Betta - II - 07/14/2004
Thelma (female Betta) has a friend "Louise" and also the male Betta, 3 Neons and 1 bottom feeder plus 1 algae eater. It's a 10 gallon tank, do you think that is to much?
<No, not at all. Though I wouldn't keep a male in with the females full-time; his amorous affections can get too aggressive for them - he might even harm or kill them, trying to convince them to breed. Uh, also - have you considered that the "swollenness" might just be an egg mass? Maybe she thinks the Mister is cute. Do you see an ovipositor (egg tube) in front of her anal fin? It'll look a bit like a white hangy speck, right where the anus is.>
Also I've been feeding peas and they actually seem to be crazy about it, well except for Thelma the one who really needs it.
<I think at this point, it'd be best to quarantine her and observe, or at least separate her while still keeping her in the main tank, in such a way that you can feed her specifically (perhaps a breeder's net, with several plants or pieces of plants in it) - that way you can make sure she doesn't OVER eat, and make sure she gets the foods she NEEDS.>
At first she ate it very well ...now she doesn't really want it. I felt sorry for her so I gave just a sprinkle of freeze dried brine shrimp, which is the only thing my crazy fish will eat. I think I have them spoiled.
<Indeed :) >
After reading much of the info on the net I'm sure I was overfeeding, 3 times a day - brine shrimp.
<Do keep in mind that brine shrimp are nutritionally worthless.... I'd get your pals onto a healthier diet, slowly; include vegetable matter and also a high quality staple flake or pellet. If you were overfeeding, I think that might be the whole problem; bettas will eat until they die, given the opportunity. So, with all due luck, she's just plain fat.>
Thanks again for your help. She is still swollen but she is a little perkier than yesterday.
<Good to hear. We've got our fingers crossed for her! Wishing you and your Betta girl well, -Sabrina>

Epsom Salts in Betta Tank
Well she does have egg's and her tube is there but she is swollen everywhere. She and the male have already done their thing and the eggs actually hatched but no luck they all died. I will put my tank divider back in and keep an eye on her. Seems all I've done for the past week is stay glued to the fish tank. She is indeed probably overweight but the fact that she has the pine comb look makes me think it's more. I'm hoping that's all it is. She's hanging in there! : )
thank you Sabrina, you've been most helpful!!
< Sounds like your fish has come down with dropsy also called bloat. It is an internal infection caused by anaerobic bacteria it the gut where a blockage has occurred. Recommend Metronidazole treatment as per the directions on the package. Your fish sounds like it is pretty far along. The key is to catch it early as soon as the fish stops eating.-Chuck>

Betta Fish Missing Fins
I bought my cousin a Betta fish for her ninth birthday. He was doing great for the first couple days, adjusting to his new home. We had a problem with his filter the first night but immediately turned the water flow down and fixed it. Well, my little sister (she's 13) changed the water the other day, I don't know if she turned the filter back up or not, but I noticed today that Phil, the Betta was laying up against the filter. It looks as if his fins were sucked into the motor. I feel absolutely terrible about it. Now, Phil has nearly no tail or underside fins. He seems to have no weight to counteract the weight of his head and often ends up head down in the corner of the tank. Will his fins grow back, and will Phil be okay. Ashley, Phil's owner and I, are praying that he will. Also, is there anything that I can buy to help his fins grow back. Please help us!!!!!!!!!!
< Phil comes from an area where the water moves very slowly, almost stagnant. They aren't designed for fast moving water situations. I would turn off the filter or at least keep the intake tube away from Phil. The fins will grow back it the damage has not reached the body of the fish. The fins will not grow back as long or as straight but they will be functional.-Chuck>

New Betta
Hey guys I just bought a beautiful red veil tail Betta from a LPS and I just want to make sure he is ok. when I bought him he was active and looked free of disease and all still looks well. I noticed that the top of the water seems to have something floating on the top could it be body slime,
< Could be but most likely it is dust that has liquefied on the surface. Pour it off and refill with treated water and see if it returns.>
it is slightly white stringy stuff. I also want to know how to keep a constant temp I have my Betta-Senor Pizza- in glass vase sitting on my computer table away from any drafts and stuff and the air in my house us usually constant round 73-74 degrees but when I wake up the temp in the tank is at 69-70 and during the day it is at 74-75. what can I do to keep it constant and warmer! I think that is too cold for him, right?
< You could place a small reading/night lamp on him at night to keep him warmer during the chilly evening. Bettas can take water temps in to the mid 80's and probably higher.>
also I haven't seem him eat! when I bought him, I bought him at night so I didn't feed him till morning when I feed the rest of my fish at 730. he didn't eat till later that day and today he hasn't eaten is he not hungry or sick? help plzzzzzz
< Warmer water temps will increase his appetite. Just don't over feed. it will make him sick.-Chuck>

Betta has Body Slime
I think my Betta has body slime how do I treat it! he is a beautiful Betta but I have noticed white stringy stuff coming off of his body and I want to know what I can do to treat it I do not want to lose my Betta for he is so very beautiful? What are my options?
< Do a water change and treat with Furanace. Try and keep him in a warm spot (80 degrees). Don't overfeed.-Chuck>

More Betta Body Slime
I think my Betta has body slime how do I treat it! he is a beautiful Betta but I have noticed white stringy stuff coming off of his body and I want to know what I can do to treat it I do not want to lose my Betta for he is so very beautiful? What are my options?
< Do a water change and treat with Furanace. Try and keep him in a warm
spot (80 degrees). Don't overfeed.-Chuck>
WHAT IS FURNANCE??????
<<Hi there, What chuck was referring to was a medicine, that I think is rather hard to find. Since the fish has Grayish-white stringy material covering much of the body; white or grey patches. (Not furry!) This is not a true fungus but a bacterial infection known as Columnaris or Body Fungus. Rather than looking for Furanace you can usually Treat with Maracyn which I believe is much easier to find. It's from the Mardel Medicine company, it can be found at any pet shop. Good luck and I hope the Betta gets better. Signed -Magnus.>>

Betta Help
I need help with a Betta who looked like he had tail rot and clamped fins. Anyway I have been treating him since Saturday with Maracyn-Two & I am unsure if I should do a water change? He currently lives in a 1 gallon tank with no type of filtration & I normally do a 25% water change every 2nd or 3rd day and a complete water change one a week. I treated him the first day with 2 teaspoons of Maracyn-two and then 1 teaspoon each day after, I am currently on the 3rd day of treatment and his water is REALLY CLOUDY & the directions that I have state that NO WATER change is necessary when treating. I am afraid of over dosing him. I was going to do a 25% water change tomorrow before treating him with another dose of Maracyn-two. If any one has used this treatment in a bowl/1 gallon take I would appreciate any advise.
I also treat the water with Novaqua conditioner & fish protector and a pinch of aquarium salt.
Thank you, Jennifer
<<Jennifer, it is always advisable to do waterchanges between treatments, clean water is half the battle. I see no problem with going ahead and doing your 25% water changes. Good luck. -Gwen>>

Betta Parasite
Hi! There is something reddish brown hanging from my Betta's gill/neck. It
falls off and onto the bottom of the bowl after an hour or less. This
happened once yesterday and two times today. I have increased the fish's food (flake
kind) intake recently and the "goo" is the same color. I appreciate your
help! Thanks! Sincerely, Tracy Bible
<<Tracy, it's hard to say what that could be. Any way you can take a pic and scan it? Please email the pic to us, we will take a look. In the meantime, continue to do regular weekly water changes, and do NOT overfeed! -Gwen>>

Sick Fish Photos/Question
Hello,
I have three female bettas in a five-gallon tank. Two of them have dark
growths or lesions that have developed over time. All three came with dark
spots on their fins. Their activity and appetites are utterly normal.
I've prepared a webpage with photos for your review, and I'm hoping you or
some readers of your website might be able to tell me what is wrong with them
so that I can care for them properly.
http://icanspin.com/~swussow/gracepics/sickbettas/sickbetta.htm
Their symptoms do not seem to match any of the medication packages I've
seen, or other info on the Internet. The only thing I can think of is that
they have "black ich" or fish tuberculosis.
Perhaps the drawings on the packages are just not similar enough to what I'm
seeing, and it's actually a more common malady and easily remedied?
ANY help would be appreciated - I'd like to make my girls as comfortable as
possible.
THANKS!
< Looks bacterial to me. Treat with Furanace as per the directions on the package. Bettas like warmth. Keep the water temp up at least to 78-80 degrees. Watch for ammonia spikes during and after treatment for awhile.-Chuck>
Stasia in WI

My Betta fish
Hey!
I found your website while searching for information on my Betta fish.
Jewels , my Betta, died last night . Earlier that day, I was cleaning her tank and
she seemed fine. She was swimming and eating like usual. I made sure that I
left the water out long enough to become room temperature and I placed her and
her new water back into the cleaned bowl. She seemed fine after that too. A few
hours later, she died. I've had her for maybe a year or so. I was just
wondering what I might have done wrong?
Thanks for the help-
< By letting the water sit you may have gotten rid of the chlorine but you may still have a problem with chloramine. This form of chlorine is much more stable and much more deadly to fish. To get rid of it you need to add a water conditioner made to get rid of chloramine. Many cities are now changing over the water supplies to chloramine. Check with your water supplier.-Chuck>
Sarah

Sick Betta
Hi, We have a 20L heated, filtered, cycle tank with live plants and gravel, one male fighter, six tetras, two cat fish, one sucker fish , one snail. Usually change 1/3 of the water once a week. Change water is treated according to instructions with water conditioner, treatment for pH neutral, salts, bacteria etc.
All fish were happy and healthy until yesterday morning when we found our beta fighter with a hole near its tale, could see through. Needless to say we are very frustrated. He is still alive, and eating but is mostly on the bottom of the tank (had to separate from the big tank into a mini floating tank) and does not look good at all. Please help.
<<Hello. Where is the hole located? On the body of the fish? on the tail? It might help if you could give me stats, like your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels. What species of tetra is it? Some tetras can be very aggressive, and Betta fins make good targets. I would recommend removing the Betta permanently to a large bowl (or better, his own small tank) and keep his water clean so he can heal properly without harassment from the unknown tetras...you can add a bit of Methylene blue to his bowl water to prevent fungus or secondary infection while he heals up. -Gwen>>

Plant Betta
My Betta is 10 months and has been very healthy. He is in a large plant vase
with a bamboo top plant and a small, feathery green water plant. this set-up
has kept the bowl and water very clean and clear with minimal intervention.
He is fed M-W-F. On Monday the Betta started to act lethargic and erratic when
swimming, like he was drunk. We looked up all Betta problems. He does not
have: fin rot, white spots, velvet, enlarged eyes, or anything on his gills.
He has not changed color. I don't think he's being overfed. On Wednesday,
the feathery green plant in the bowl erupted in little brown balls and black
dots. The Betta was struggling to breathe. We dumped the plant, changed half
the water, and added Aquarisol drops. Do you know what this is, and is there
anything else we can do. Thanks. His "parents".
<<Dear Parents; Yes, you can do some water changes. Do not add any more Aquarisol, it is an anti-parasitic copper medication and unless the fish has actual external parasites, it will only make things worse. Copper is highly toxic to all living things, and your fish is already suffering from enough toxicity problems. Chances are good that the ammonia level is quite high in his water. Ammonia is liquid waste that the fish produces. Ammonia test kits are available at all decent pet stores, and will cost you around 6 or 7 bucks or so. Please test your water! Ideally, this fish needs a small 10 gallon tank with a filter and regular weekly partial waterchanges, done at the same temperature, which should be 75-80 degrees F. Bettas CAN be kept at room temperature, but I have found they are much better off if the temp is a bit warmer. Keep the temp stable. If you are intent on keeping the Betta in his current vase, please test the ammonia and do regular weekly waterchanges on the vase in order to keep your Betta healthy. The practice of keeping bettas in vases has long been frowned upon by true fishkeeping enthusiasts, due to the very "minimal intervention" methods that people buy them for. While popular, it is really NOT the way to keep any fish alive long-term, and in fact, some overly avid fishkeepers find it a cruel method, as waterchanges are the ONLY way to keep fish healthy for any length of time. Please keep in mind that crystal clear water is not necessarily "clean", nor toxin-free! Please, do some research on the 'Net, and buy yourself an ammonia test kit! Your Betta will thank you :) -Gwen>>

Floaty Bloaty Betta - 06/05/2004
Hi, I came across your site while doing a search on Google to try and save my Betta.
<Welcome, then; hope the site proves useful to you.>
When I went to feed him this morning I thought he was dead.
<Yikes!>
He was floating on his side on top of the water, although he wasn't dead, just floating there, and he moved when I gave the tank a wobble. I put some food in the tank and he ate it, so he still has his appetite.
<Ah, a very good sign, indeed.>
His tank water was also due for a change, so I changed that, and didn't put any of the pebbles or fake plant that he usually has in there, just plain neutralized water.
<Might make him feel better to have some sort of cover in there; I'd add the plant back in, or get him some java moss or such to have to hide in.>
He seems very jumpy too, and if I wobble the tank he will dart around it very fast, which he doesn't usually do.
<I, too, would be jumpy if I were in a clear box with nowhere to hide - granted, that's obviously not the cause or sole solution to the problem, but a stressed fish doesn't recover well from illness; I would definitely offer him something to hide in. Again, java moss serves this purpose excellently, and requires only very little light. Great for Betta bowls.>
I also noticed that his fins were much shorter, and after doing a search I've concluded that he has fin rot.
<Sounds quite possible.>
But I am unable to find out why he's floating on top of his tank. His belly is very bloated, and if he tries to swim down he really struggles and then eventually gives up and floats back to the top, where he'll occasionally move around the side of the tank, swimming on his side because he's unable to swim like normal. After searching through the pages on disease in bettas on your site, I am unable to determine what it may be that's causing him to do this.
<A few possibilities, here; first and, hopefully, likeliest - simple constipation. This can cause the fish to bloat up (unable to pass waste), and possibly be gassy (therefore floaty). Easiest fix for this is to feed foods of high roughage content, like frozen/thawed peas (just squeeze it out of the shell, offer a tiny portion), adult brine shrimp, or daphnia. Feed *extremely* sparingly. Another possibility is internal bacterial infection, perhaps affecting one or more internal organs. Sadly, this is often quite hard to fix. Feeding food impregnated with Oxytetracycline may help. A third possibility is internal parasites. Do you see any poo? What does it look like? Normal, clear, stringy, what? Fixing internal parasites is best done by feeding food medicated with Metronidazole (for protozoa) or Levamisole or Piperazine (for large parasites, like worms).>
Another site described an untreatable disease called dropsy,
<Dropsy is a symptom, not a disease. Though your fish is dropsical, it could be any of the above diseases that he is afflicted with.>
where they are bloated and their scales stick out, but my fishes scales don't stick out.
<Also good. Scales sticking out most often suggests bacterial infection.>
And they mentioned nothing about