Fish Tank With Light
Betta Fish Disease Symptoms
Please note that I am not a vet, and do not have any formal training in diagnosing Betta fish. I am simply Betta fish owner and breeder with more than 22 years experience. The information here is from my experience as well as some reading and other research I have done, but I cannot guarantee any of the data or cures in this article.
If you are not careful, your Betta can be exposed to a large variety of diseases and illnesses. You will typcially need to quarantine your diseased Betta fish. This will let you protect your remaining fish in case the illness is contageous. Stay away from a sudden change of water by only using water that’s been placed at a similar temperature for a minimum of 8 hours.
Make sure not to spread any germs by washing your hands with a purifying soap after dealing with a sick Betta.
It’s vital to be aware of the signs of illness, and afterwards treat the sick fish.
A fit Betta fish should be active and swimming in his tank, while a sick one usually stays in a corner of the tank or possibly at the bottom and may just come up for air.
Illness: Clamped Fins
If your Betta’s fins are constantly near his body, then he may have clamped fins. Clamped fins is a sure sign of bad water quality. It’s simple to fix this by replacing his water. Start replacing half his water every day until his fins are no longer clamped.
Betta Symptom – Ich
Ich is a serious and contageous parasite. If you notice tiny white spots on your Betta fish’s body, he must have Ich and require treatment as soon as possible. A definite sign of Ich is if you notice your Betta swimming against parts of the tank in order to wipe off the parasites.
If your Betta fish is unhappy (possibly by other fish or inconsistent water temperatures), this can make him more likely to Ich. Just like in humans, Betta fish that are stressed usually will be susceptible to many more illnesses.
Disease: Fungus Contamination
Big dots of grey or white is most likely a fungus infection. These growths will be larger than with Ich. It could eventually become a cotton appearance.
Disease: Tail or Fin Rot
Fin Rot can be diagnosed by looking at his fins or tail. If they look shredded, are getting smaller, or have holes in them, then he may has Fin or Tail rot. Fin rot comes from a bacterial infestation and is one of the most regular ailments of a Betta fish. Fin rot can spread very fast to the rest of his body, so must be resolved as soon as possible. In truly bad occurances, the fins and tail can start bleeding or turn red.
Disease: Constipation
Betta fish do best when consuming a wide variety of different foods. Check out the Betta fish Feeding Article for guidelines on what food is best for your Betta fish. If your Betta has a normal amount of daily swimming, but has a protruding abdomen, he is probably constipated.
Illness: Velvet
Velvet can be diagnosed by the tell-tale gold and yellow powder like dust that is on his scales. It is best to shine a light to try to spot it – it is tough to see without one.
Betta Fish Disease – Dropsy
If your Betta has raised scales and a protruding abdomin, he may have contracted Dropsy. The scales will appear to look like a wide open pine cone if watching it from above.
Illness: Popeye
Popeye is simple to spot – if your Betta has a cloudy, protruding eye or a large bubble over his eye area then he has contracted Popeye.
Illness: Tuberculoses
If you think your Betta fish has Tuberculoses, make sure to put on gloves prior to submerging your hand in the water. Tuberculoses can be transmitted to a human, so make sure you have no open wounds before putting in your hand. If you do catch Tuberculoses, you’ll end up with a skin infection and will need to go to the doctor to treat it.
Symptoms of Tuberculosis are:
* Scales swelling or sticking out and possibly even a loss of scales
* Weight loss and no appetite
* Skin deformity
* Clamped fins
* Lack of swimming
For even more info about Betta, be sure to read the articles, read this post of the Best Betta Care Guides. My favorite is the Betta Lovers Guide – it’s the one guide that covers absolutely everything you’ll need to keep your betta fish healthy and happy.
Planted Aquarium with CO2 / T5 Light (Close Up)