How to cure beta fish

If you’ve ever visited an aquarium store, you’ve probably seen colorful little fish swimming in individual plastic cups. They are very interesting aquarium fish called Betta splendens , or Siamese fighting fish. Unfortunately, this fish is often transported in unsanitary conditions from its native Asian countries. With those added stresses, bettas can be susceptible to many dangerous diseases. However, most of these diseases are curable with prompt treatment and care.

Table of Contents

Identify betta fish diseases

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Pay attention if the fish’s fins look rough or if the fish is not as flexible as usual. The color of the fish may be paler than usual and there may be white or cottony-like patches on the body of the fish. Those are signs of a fungal infection. Fungi can grow in aquariums that are not treated with salt and Aquarisp when water is added to the tank. ^{[1] X Research Source}

This fungus can spread quickly from an infected fish to other fish in the tank, so sick fish need to be treated right away.

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Check the betta fish’s eyes to see if one or both eyes are bulging. This is a symptom of a bacterial infection called bulging eye disease. Fish can have bulging eyes from dirty water in the aquarium or from a more serious disease such as tuberculosis. Sadly, tuberculosis in fish is incurable and kills betta fish. Tuberculosis can cause a fish’s spine to arch (not to be confused with the natural “hump” that often develops in older bettas). ^{[2] X Research Source}

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Check to see if the fish scales are ruffled or bulging. These are symptoms of edema disease, a bacterial infection of the fish’s kidneys. This disease leads to kidney failure and fluid retention or abdominal distension. This condition often occurs in fish that are weak due to poor water conditions or from eating contaminated food. ^{[3] X Research Sources}^{[4] X Research Sources}

Once you have kidney failure due to fluid retention, your fish is in danger of dying. You can prevent edema by not feeding your fish live worms or contaminated food. Salt baths for fish can help drain the fluid and medication can help. Since it is difficult to know which medication is appropriate, and edema often progresses rapidly, euthanasia is acceptable.

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Note if the fish has many white spots or spots that look like salt or sand. This is a sign of white spot or ich disease. These spots can be slightly raised, and the fish will often rub against objects in the tank due to irritation and itchy skin. The fish can also have breathing problems and often come to the surface for air on the surface of the water in the tank. White spot disease attacks fish that are stressed by erratic water temperatures and fluctuating aquarium pH levels. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

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Observe if the fish’s tail or fins are chipped or discolored. These are signs of an infection that causes the fish’s fins, tail and mouth to rot. Fin rot usually occurs in fish that are bullied or injured by other fish in the tank biting their tails. Bad environment also contributes to fin rot. However, if your fish is a kingtail, they have natural crown fins. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Fortunately, most bettas can regrow their fins and tail if treated promptly. However, the tail and fins of the fish after growing back may not be as gorgeous as before.
Some bettas can develop advanced fin and body rot if common fin rot is left untreated for a long time. Your fish may lose fins and fleshy tissue as the disease develops. Once the fish’s flesh has rotted, it is very difficult to cure advanced fin rot, and your fish will essentially be eaten alive.

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Shine a flashlight on the betta to see if the fish has a yellowish or rusty color. This is a symptom of velvet fungus, a highly contagious parasite. If fish have velvet fungus disease, they will often fold their fins close to the body, begin to become discolored, lose their appetite and may rub themselves against the walls of the tank or gravel in the aquarium. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Since velvet fungus is a highly contagious parasite, you should treat all fish in your tank if one fish shows signs of infection.

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Check for fish floating on one side or lying still on the bottom of the tank. These are signs of bubble disorder, a common disease in bettas. Bubble disorder is usually caused by fish eating too much, leading to swollen bubbles that cause the fish to float on one side on the surface of the water or lie on the bottom of the tank because it cannot swim. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Remember that bubble disorder is fairly easy to treat and doesn’t harm your fish, so you don’t have to worry about your fish dying from it.

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Notice if there are green and white threads on the fish. This is a symptom of anchorworm, a tiny crustacean that burrows into the fish’s skin and penetrates the fish’s muscles. They will then lay eggs in the fish before they die, leaving damage to the fish and possibly leading to infection. ^{[9] X Research Source}^{[10] X Research Source} Betta fish can become infected with anchors from contact at the aquarium, from food or from infected fish released into the tank.

The fish may also rub against objects in the tank to try to get rid of the anchors, and the places where the anchors are attached to the fish can swell.

Treatment of diseases for betta fish

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Isolate infected fish. If the infected fish lives with other fish in the tank, use a clean net to remove the fish and place it in a smaller tank with the necessary filtration system. This will help you treat the water and the aquarium without harming the fish.

You should also check the isolation tank to make sure the temperature is right for your betta, around 25-27 degrees Celsius ^{. [11] X Research Source}

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Use ich guard to treat white spot disease. You can buy this medicine at pet stores. You can also treat white spot disease by increasing the water temperature if the tank is larger than 20 liters. If the aquarium is smaller than 20 liters, you should avoid raising the temperature, as this can kill the fish. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Gradually increase the water temperature in the large tank so as not to shock the fish until it reaches 29.5 degrees Celsius. This will kill the white spot disease ich parasite.
If you have a small aquarium, clean the tank thoroughly, change all the water and treat the water with Aquarisp and salt specialized for aquariums. You can also transfer the fish to a temporary tank and increase the water temperature to 29.5 degrees Celsius to kill any remaining ich parasites before releasing the fish back into the tank.
You can prevent white spot disease from developing by maintaining a stable water temperature and cleaning the aquarium weekly.

Preventing diseases for betta fish

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Prepare a first aid kit for your betta. Betta fish can get sick or infected at some point in their life, so you need to have medicine ready to treat your fish quickly and effectively. Medicines can be stressful for bettas, so you should only use them when it is certain that the fish has an infection or a specific disease that requires medical treatment. You can find fish medication at aquarium stores. Your first aid kit should contain the following medicines: ^{[16] X Research Source}

BettaZing or Bettamax: These drugs have antiparasitic, antifungal and antiprotozoal effects. These drugs help treat some problems such as fungus and parasitic velvet fungus. You can also use medication as a preventative measure during the time your betta gets used to a new environment or each time a new fish is introduced into the tank.
Kanamycin: This is an antibiotic that is available at many aquarium and pet stores. This medicine can be used to treat serious infections.
Tetracycline: This antibiotic is used to treat milder bacterial infections such as fungal infections.
Ampicillin: This is an effective antibiotic for bulging eyes and other infections. You can find this medicine at pet stores and online.
Jungle Fungus Eliminator: This is an antifungal drug that treats many fungal infections and is very useful for betta fishers.
Maracin 1 and Maracin 2: These medications, which come in tablet form, are effective in treating mild infections such as fin and tail rot. However, this medicine is not as effective as other medicines in treating more serious infections.

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Change 10-15% of the water in the aquarium weekly or every two weeks, depending on the type and extent of the aquarium filter. This will help remove accumulated waste and rotting organic matter from dead food and leaves in the aquarium. A small weekly water change also helps to remove toxins in the water and keep it clean. ^{[17] X Research Source}

Do not remove aquatic plants or decorations from the aquarium. When these are removed or washed, the beneficial bacteria that filter the water in the tank can die and reduce the quality of the water filtration system. Also, you don’t need to move your fish to another tank during a partial water change, as this will stress the fish and expose it to harmful bacteria. ^{[18] X Research Sources}
You can use a siphon to suck up dirt in gravel and decorations. Use a algae scraper to remove algae from the tank walls or decorations before draining the water. ^{[19] X Research Source}
If your aquarium doesn’t have a filter, start by cleaning the water and checking the ammonia levels daily. When the test kit shows ammonia, it’s time to change the water. ^{[20] X Research Source} You can use an aquarium cover or filter to reduce the number of water changes and protect your fish from infection or disease. ^{[21] X Research Source}
Test the water once a day to make sure it’s not cloudy, foamy, or has a strange smell. These could be signs of bacterial growth and the need for a complete water change. ^{[22] X Research Source} This helps prevent bettas from getting sick or infected.

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Use aquarium salt to eliminate bacterial infections. Fish infections such as fin and tail rot can be prevented by using salt that is specially formulated for the aquarium. Unlike table salt, aquarium salt does not contain additives such as iodine or calcium silicate. (Don’t use salt!) ^{[23] X Research Source}

Do not use aquarium salt or copper-containing medicine if there are aquatic snails or small rat fish in the aquarium, as they cannot tolerate these substances and may die. Nerite snails can tolerate salt but not copper, so you need to handle them with care. ^{[24] X Research Source}
Always follow the directions on the package for dosage. Typically, the recommended dose by manufacturers is 1 tablespoon of salt per 20 liters of aquarium water.

Steps

Identify betta fish diseases

Treatment of diseases for betta fish

Preventing diseases for betta fish

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