Preventative Medication

Before I got my first betta I'd been researching bettas for about a month.    I read about everything that it (originally I was going to get a male) would need and compiled a list, and researched common betta problems with an eye out for pictures (so I could recognize an illness when I saw it) where applicable (if a betta has internal parasites, its not going to alter their appearance).    When making a list of meds, food, or water treatment its best to see which products the breeders recommend. I'd suggest that you get more than one opinion.   Because some dechlorinators remove aquarisol , some people prefer Novaqua and Amquel

 

Although I would like to be accredited with being experienced/knowledgeable about bettas, the fact of the matter is that my knowledge with bettas is restricted to what I've learned from others and what I've learned from my mistakes.  I've been blessed with an extremely resilient female betta, so I've been able to learn from my many mistakes.   For instance, before I got Lyren I knew that I should get some aquarium salt and aquarisol as a preventative.   But I was so excited about my new fish that I forgot.   My best guess is that the parasites are just in the water itself.   A combination of aquarium salt and aquarisol added to the water during changes will usually prevent your fish from getting parasites or fungus.   Also they will kill most external parasites. 

 

Mistake #2, Lyren got parasites, rubbing herself against the brand new tank.   . Luckily, I'd read about what the symptoms of external parasites are beforehand, so I knew what it was and how to treat it.   The next day I rushed to the store for the stuff (I put the replacement water on her heating pad overnight so that it would be the same temp.) and did the water change as soon as I got back.   You'll want to do a complete water change (to remove some of the parasites), so move your fish into another container with some of its contaminated water (another tank is nice, but I've made do with plastic cups).   After you've done the water change (a complete one!), add the dechlorinator, the salt, and the aquarisol to the clean water.   The water should be at the same temperature as the water that your fish is currently in.   Digital thermometers are great, but fingers can also be used to check the temp.   Once it's at the same temperature use a net to transfer the fish to the clean water (you don't want to bring any parasites to the clean water that you don't have to).   You should notice the results immediately.   As soon as I dropped Lyren in she stopped trying to scratch herself, though she was slightly stressed out (just make sure that there are no shadows in the tank and leave them alone for a while). Keep an eye on him for any other problems.   If the parasites persist, you might need something stronger like "Clout".   But try aquarium salt (1tsp/2.5gal) and aquarisol (1drop/gal) first.   The catch is that apparently some dechlorinators remove aquarisol, usually if they say that they remove hard minerals, they are not compatible.   But I use Aquasafe (it removes hard minerals) and it works just fine.   After I disposed of the parasites (just call me the terminator), I noticed that she had what appeared to be scratches on her face.   I assumed that it was from her throwing herself on the gravel, but when they didn't heal after a couple of days, I became suspicious. I medicated her for a bacterial infection, and they went away.   Always keep some bacterial medication handy (I use Kanacyn).   Whenever your fish are stressed, there's a chance that they'll get an infection (since they're in a weakened condition).

 

About the third mistake I made with Lyren was not alternating her diet.   She got constipated. I fed her a tiny bit of a spinach leaf (acts as a laxative) and went to buy her some freeze-dried bloodworms and brine shrimp (my fish is spoiled, but you should alternate between at least two sources of food, even if you just give one as a treat).   Oh and because bettas are carnivorous, any flake food you get should be composed of fish, preferably food made especially for bettas.   Keep your options open in case your fish is picky, their tastes vary and sometimes depend on what the breeder fed them.

 

I suggest two good sites that have great information on diseases and bettas in general,

 

www.bettatalk.com This is where I got the information on how to treat external parasites

www.bettastarz.com They have a betta forum that is free (always nice) though you will have to register.

Both have pictures of bettas with common ailments; so before your fish get diseases, make sure that you check it out.

 

Some parting advice: read up on ailments before your fish get sick, keep a spare tank/container as a hospital tank (for quarantined fish), and always check a fish for signs of ailments before buying it.  Quarantine new fish for about a week before adding them (to check for signs of illness) and as soon as you think that one of your fish might be sick, quarantine it (remember to disinfect the net if the fish does prove ill).

 

Before buying Lyren, I checked her for signs of bacterial/fungal infections, body/tail rot, and ich. I didn't have the nerve to bring a flashlight and check for velvet. She is from Petsmart and was in a little cup, so I moved her near different bettas to see if she'd flare at them (they get used to the ones that they're always around).   And she did, so I figured that since she had a strong love of life and because bettas won't always flare when they're sick, that she would be a good choice.    This has proved to be the case.   I know that many people would probably like to rescue one of the ill ones, but if you try there's no guarantee that you'll be successful, they might be beyond help. So if you want a fish that’s going to live for a good while (unless you make a really BIG mistake), you're better off to get a healthy fish and leave the ill ones to the experienced fish hobbyists.

 

Lyren has vertical stripes right now, so I'm doing something right.

 

Hope this helps, good luck with your fish!

The Results of Natural Medicinal Practices

We have been in the “Betta business” for almost a year now and have acquired a significant medicine cabinet for treating our fish.  We have everything from fungus treatments to parasite treatments and everything in between.  And actually have several different brands of some treatments.  As a matter of fact I feel pretty safe in saying that we currently own every possible ‘across-the-counter’ aquatic treatment that any pet shop in Houston stocks. 

 

I remember our first bought with diseased and dying fish.  We were on the Internet day and night searching for treatment guidance for the symptoms we were experiencing.  And who could tell if the descriptions we came across were really what we were struggling with since there are typically no pictures available.  And there were so many different suggestions for the same disease that we felt powerless when we tried every possible solution suggested and nothing worked.  It was almost as bad as having a sick child.

 

In the course of the year I have opted for the more natural treatments and actually have discovered some things that will routinely work for us in our fish room; I’d like to share some of these with you.

 

In treating the gray tufts of fungus stuff, that stuff that will kill your fish overnight from detection to finish…we use 1 ½ to 2 times the treatment directions on Aquarium Products, Crystal CLEAR; the stuff that is marketed to clear a cloudy tank.  At the first signs of light patches on the fish we treat our water with this treatment and have not lost another fish to this disease.

Another treatment that we use for whatever else ails our fish is the sequential use of Epsom salt bath followed by treating the individual fish jar with almond leaf tea.  We typically mix an Epsom salt solution of 1 TBSP per gallon of our regular fish water and use this solution to soak the sick fish.  We monitor the stress level pretty closely but typically leave the fish for an overnight or 24-hour stay in the Epsom salt bath.  After that, we add 1/3 to ½ of a thoroughly rinsed almond leaf to the fresh water to the quart-sized fish jar.  We may leave this leaf in the jar for at least one week and sometime through several water changes.  Actually until we recognize that the fish is doing well.  I have repeated this sequence but rarely need to.

 

We have had great success in treating our fish using these methods and I just wanted to share these tips with you in hopes that you too will experience less stress in treating your sick fish.