Table of contents
Prepare for Disease
Your betta doens’t look like normal? Looks like it’s got some kind of disease??
Early detection and early treatment is essential to recover fighting fish condition and for its long life. Observe closely and find out what sort of symptom it has or suffering from.
This page introduces about symptoms and how to treat and prevent particular diseases.
pH Shock
Main symptom
- Swim drastically
- Way too fast breathing
- Sinking down to bottom
Possible causes
Water quality betta dwells in changed very rapidly. Thus, pH level jumped either from acidic to alkaline or vice versa in short period of time.
How to treat and how to prevent
This symptom occurs by changing water quality (pH level) rapidly. Hence, if this happens when you introduce betta to new home,
- Acclimate its temperature first by floating fish bag onto your aquarium
- Wait 5-10min
- Acclimate environment by “slowly” pouring your aquarium water into its environment
- Wait 5-10min
- Then let it go
Or if this happens after you clean your aquarium,
- Check pH level of your aquarium
- Check pH level of your tap water or rain water
- Adjust pH level by adding pH up or pH down depending on your aimed pH level
- Adjust temperature
- “slowly” introduce new water into your aquarium
- Do not forget to use water conditioner if you use tap water
Stress
Main symptom
- Not looking active and sit still
- Not eating
- Its colour is fading
Possible causes
- Actual reading temperature is either lower or higher than preferred level
- Water quality deteriorates over time and not stable condition
- Other fish in same space bully betta
- Loud noise affecting betta
- Light is way too bright or too dark
- Too much water change and/or water change is held irregular time/date
How to treat and how to prevent
Betta being shipped from one place to another place creates enough stress onto them. Due to this inevitable impact on betta, its colour is normally faded away.
Acclimate temperature & water quality slowly and introduce to new environment. As they settle down and get used to surroundings, its colour gradually becomes vivid.
Also, check whether if “reading temperature” is below desired temperature or not. Out of desired range will also impact on betta health.
Sometimes betta will not flare up but frightens up depending on its opponent or they are born to be little more placid and do not like to be with other fish in same space. If that’s the case, change opponent and/or look after them individually and do not put them with other fish.
White Spot
Main symptom
- White spot all over body and fins
- Initial stage is small spots but it will spread fairly quickly
Possible causes
- Excess stock
- Inadequate filtration leading deteriorate water quality
How to treat and how to prevent
If white spot is detected early, it can be treated by just raising temperature up to 28-30 degrees Celsius. Adding 0.2-0.5% of aquarium salt will also treat and prevent white spot. (2-5g per 1L of water)
Velvet disease
Main symptom
- Gold dust all over body and fins
Possible causes
- Excess stock
- Low quality filtration leading deteriorate water quality
How to treat and how to prevent
Same technique described in white spot section can be applied.
Pop eye
Main symptom
- Eyes become swollen
- Protrude eyes
Possible causes
- Bad water quality and rapid change in environment leading bacterial infection
How to treat and how to prevent
This symptom will most likely occur when water quality is deteriorated and/or impact by rapid water change. Those factors lead to have a weakened immune system and that is when betta will be infected by bacteria causing pop eye disease.
As this cause is due to lack of maintaining water quality, it definitely needs to be improved. If your filtration system is not adequate enough, consider upgrading so as to prevent future problems.
Chemical treatment and adding aquarium salt (0.2-0.5% which is 2-5g per 1L of water) is also essential to deal with this bacterial infectious disease.Dropsy disease can also be occurred at the same time.
Dropsy
Main symptom
- Scale spikes up (pinecone appearance)
Possible causes
- Bad water quality and rapid water change leading bacterial infection
How to treat and how to prevent
Bacterial infection will cause dropsy problem. If situation is severe, your fish can have pop eye disease at same time. Hence, water quality must be improved.
Chemical treatment and aquarium salt will help treat and prevent further diseases.
Fin rot
Main symptom
- Fins, body, mouth will rot away over time
Possible causes
- Bad water quality and rapid water change leading fungus infection
How to treat and how to prevent
If this symptom found in early stage, improve water quality by changing water and introducing new water “slowly”. In a meantime, add 0.2-0.5% aquarium salt to treat fungus disease.
Check your filtration system whether it is large enough for your aquarium size and stock density or not. It may not be cleaned for certain periods of time hence consider cleaning it if it’s not done for some time.
However, if this symptom is severe, consider using chemical treatment such as methylene blue. Also, do not feed while treating betta.