Sick Betta
Taking Care of Your Sick Betta
If you have enjoyed your tanks of bettas, it will be a sad event when you notice a sick betta in the group. But it need not mean you will lose him - if you are prepared, you can treat your betta and nurse him back to health.
Here are some symptoms to look for, and ways to treat them… The first thing to do is to isolate every sick betta from the healthy fish, to avoid further disease.
If your betta has white or yellow patches that look like cotton on his head or body, he may be suffering from a disease known as velvet. He may look pale in color, and his fins may be clumped. He may have stopped eating, and he will probably be less active.
To heal velvet, you should treat your fish with Maracide. This should help to clear it up. Make sure the water is clean, but don’t shock the fish by changing too much water so fast that it changes the temperature of the tank.
If your fish has fins that look like he has been fighting but he hasn’t, and ragged-looking fins or tail, he probably has fin or tail rot. You can treat him with Melafix, and make sure you clean the water in the tank, because this disease is usually caused by bacteria.
If your betta has white spots that look like granules of salt, all over his head and body, this is probably Ick. Many tropical fish are susceptible to Ick, and the betta is no exception. Other symptoms include clumped fins, lack of appetite and attempting to scratch his body by darting against plants and rocks. Treat ick with an anti-bacterial put into the tank. Ick can also be brought on by fluctuating water temperatures, so watch your thermometer carefully.
If your sick betta has dropsy, he will display two symptoms, raised scales and a bloated belly. You can treat as you would for other diseases, but if he has dropsy, it’s not curable.
When a betta suffers from Popeye, his eyes will start bulging from their sockets. It is caused by poor water cleanliness. Treat your sick betta with antibiotics and give him a gradual full water change.
Swim bladder disorder is caused by overfeeding, particularly brine shrimp. Your fish will float in an unusual way, at awkward angles. The fish is not in pain and he may heal by himself, but the best offense against this disease is not overfeeding in the first place.
Inflamed gills can cause your betta to become ill from bacterial infection. Like many of the other bacterial-based diseases, these are usually caused by poor sanitation in the tank. Use an anti-bacterial treatment for the tank, and change the water every few days.
Prevention is the best way to avoid a sick betta. Keep the tanks clean, don’t overfeed, and isolate sick fish immediately.