Very Ill Bettas--Kato, Groucho, Angelo and Curious George  7/10/06
Hello all,
<Hi there - you've got Jorie this evening.>
I am very sad to say that my 3 out of 4 Bettas are very ill.
<Uh-oh.>
  I had to  go out of town for two weeks and the person who cared for the Bettas overfed them and neglected to take care of their water (same story).  
<I have found that preparing individual sandwich baggies containing the exact amount of food for each fishtank is the best way to go when you are dealing with inexperienced, albeit good-intentioned fish sitters.  It looks a bit silly to have a baggie with 3-4 tiny pellets for one Betta for one day, but it saves a lot of headaches and heartaches in the end.  Just something to consider for next time.>
Of course,  when I returned I immediately changed their water.  
<Excellent.>
The next morning, however, one of them was lying on the bottom of the tank and refused to eat.  He has not eaten since then--which was 5 days ago.
<Bettas can go even a week or more without food and be OK.  But to try and stimulate his appetite, try using a bit of garlic oil (I use Kent's Garlic Xtreme)...one or two drops either on his dry or frozen-then-thawed food, or a drop directly in the tank.  This is potent stuff...a very little bit goes a long way.  What do you usually feed your Bettas?  If he's not used to it, he might get super-excited about a Mysid shrimp and go for that...>
  He did  have pop eye which I managed to treat successfully with salt.  
<Excellent!>
I read all the fish disease charts and came to the conclusion that he may have a fungus, as  he had a little white film near his gills, so I started him on Maracyn and  Maracyn 2.  He is now hardly breathing and lying on the bottom.  Is  there anything more I can do for him?
<I would have made the same diagnosis.  How long has he been on this treatment and how many more doses does he have?  I'd suggest finishing the current course of medication, then changing the water completely, and re-assessing.  I'd suggest Malachite Green as a last resort, as it is very harsh, but it is effective at treating fungus.  One of those situations where the cure may actually kill, though; hopefully with good husbandry and his current treatment he'll make a full recovery.>
Another, Curious George, was also  starting to lay on his side on the bottom of the tank but would manage to prop himself up on the suction cup that holds his heater.  I also put him on Maracyn and Maracyn 2, and he seems to be responding to that treatment.  He is swimming more often and still eating. Should this treatment correct his ailment--he has white around his gills, but I can't tell if it is a fungus since he has always had white in that area.
<It's always best to finish a course of medication whenever possible.  Unless things take a drastic turn for the worse, keep doing what you are doing.  The resting instead of swimming behavior could be constipation, especially since his temporary caretaker seems to have grossly overfed him.  I'd suggest fasting him for a day or two, then gradually reintroducing food.  You could also try thawing a frozen pea, shelling it and cutting it into tiny bits...this could help clear out his system.  Many Bettas won't touch the pea, though, so that's not always a feasible solution.>
  The third, Kato, has an extreme case of fin rot, and I just noticed that he has a small white spot above one eye and his color is graying and not shiny and healthy-looking.  Is this ich, although I haven't noticed him scratching  against gravel.  Does this call for Maracide with tetracycline added?   I did start him out on Maracyn and Maracyn 2 thinking that this small white spot may be the start of a fungus.  How do you tell the difference between  fungus or ich?
<Fungus is more of a blanket-like covering, whereas ich typically looks a sprinkling of salt.  It's very rare to have just one ich spot - based on everything else going on and what's going on with Kato's friends, I'd bet it is the start of fungus.  Again, continue treating as you are, keep the water clean, and all should be well.  Of course keep a close eye on his condition and re-assess as necessary.  You could even bump up his heat to 81 or 82 degrees F (same for his friends); this will generally help recovery, but in the event it is ich (I don't think so), that's always a good treatment option.>
  I have been searching out your FAQ's, but I am so confused  as to what medications are best.  Of course, I cannot find Kanacyn  which I have read about, but if I have to I will order online.  
<I'm lucky - I live in a large suburb of Chicago, and we have many LFSs with a good selection of fish meds.  I believe you can order many medications from www.drsfostersmith.com, but if not, do a Google search and you'll find what you need.  Do keep in mind that there really isn't always a perfect medication, especially when you are dealing with antibiotics.  I have personally had success in treating sick Bettas with the "Maracyn" family of medications.>
For reference, I have each of them in a 2.5 gallon tank with a filter and a heater.
<Yay! This is like Betta-heaven! Why can't there be more Betta owners like you!!! Your fish are very lucky to have you, my dear.>
I am also confused as to how much salt is  needed for this size tank.  The directions on the box say 1 T. for a 5 gallon tank, which would be 1.5 tsp. for a 2.5 tank.  But I just read in  your
FAQs that 1.5 of a T. is good for a 1 gallon tank.  What is the  correct amount?
<When in doubt, go with the more conservative approach toward any treatment or medication.  Remember, you can always add more, but it's much more difficult to do the opposite.  Try the smaller amount, give it some time to work, and gradually increase up to the max. limit if need be.>
I am so sad about my little one curled up on the bottom,  and I just don't know what else to do.
<You are doing all that you can - rest assured! Bettas are remarkably resilient little creatures...don't give up hope!>
Is there a super duper medication I can give him?
<I wish there were a "miracle cure", but sadly, if there is, I haven't found it yet (sorry, Marc Weiss, No Sick Fish, etc. - marketing isn't everything!)
  The fourth, Angelo, seems to be okay, but I am keeping a close watch on him.  
<Very wise.>
No, (slaps face) I have not been testing the water,  as they have been so happy for a year now, but I will now start the regimen,  although it may be moot for Groucho.
<Shhhh, don't tell anyone, but I'm in the same boat in this regard.  In all honesty, once you've established the tank and provided that you religiously do your water changes, don't overfeed, etc., the test kits aren't going to tell you what you don't already know.  In this situation, though, I would recommend double-checking, just to be safe...it can't hurt.  Do be sure the kit hasn't expired prior to using it, though.>
I also do a 70% change of water  every 4 days.
<Excellent - keep it up, of course minding the medications directions regarding when to (and not to) change the water.>
  Any info would be most appreciated.
<Valerie, you are a wonderful fish mom, and any Betta is lucky to have you! Keep doing what you are doing, watching everyone closely, and re-assess as needed. Hopefully with your careful attention they will all pull through and be just fine. I'm crossing my fingers for you!>
   Valerie--confused moi!
<You aren't so confused, my friend...you're doing a great job! Jorie>

Re: Treating A Betta With Metronidazole  - 5/7/2006
Dear Chuck, I just e mailed you back to ask you how much  Metronidazole to give to Sammy. He is in a tank with 2 liters of water not 1 to 2 gallons as I told you before.  Thank you again. Audrey
< When you buy the medication it has directions of usually one tablet per 10 gallons. You could cut it in half and treat a 5 gallon bucket of aged water and use that water to put your Betta in.-Chuck>

Re: Treating Fish with Metronidazole  - 5/7/2006
Thank you so much for your fast response Chuck.
How much of the Metronidazole should I give him?  We have some 250 mg   tablets that we used on our dog.  Is it the same thing?
If you help me save him it will be a miracle.  
Thank you so much    AUDREY
< It should be the same stuff. Do a 50% water change, clean the filter and vacuum the gravel. Use one tablet per 10 gallons of water. Treat every other day and do a 50% water change in between treatments. When the fish starts to eat he is getting better.-Chuck>

Sick Betta Finally Getting Better   1/11/06
Hooray! He ate today for the first time in nearly a week and he's showing signs of his old spunk. The grey blobs of fungus or bacterial rot or whatever it was are all gone (although so are large portions of his formerly gorgeous Crowntail). There are no more ich spots and the few cloudy areas on his body are clearing. It's so good to know one CAN save a fish. Usually it's so difficult. Basically, here's the treatment I used that was successful:
I put him in a 2.5 gallon hospital tank with water that was treated as directed on the packages of Maracide and Maracyn. The room I keep my fish tanks in (there are several) is heated to a constant 78 but while this
Crowntail was ill I pumped it up to 80. I moved him to a new 2.5 gallon hospital tank daily to help control the Ick faster. The water in each tank contained the same amount of meds and had been seasoned and left to come to ambient room temperature for 24 hours before the transfer. (BTW- I don't net my Bettas. I herd them into a specimen container to avoid damaging fins and tails. They are used to it and don't seem to mind after a while.)
And I learned a huge lesson. I'll never never do a water change, clean the tank and clean the filter on the same day ever again. I really thought that the untouched bio-wheel alone could manage and was trying to save myself time. Instead I lost my beautiful Betta's tail and nearly his life. Oh yes, and I ended up spending a fortune on meds not to mention hours on care.
< Congrats on a successful treatment. Welcome to the club.-Chuck>

Pouring chemicals on Bettas won't cure them if the root problem is environmental  - 2/4/2006
Hello... our Betta has been sick for 3 weeks.  At first it looked like he had possible internal parasites, so we gave him "Parasite Clear".  That didn't seem to improve his condition.  Then he seemed to have velvet.  So we gave him "Fungus Clear".  He seemed to improve somewhat, but then started not eating and just laying on the bottom.  Sometimes he comes to the top for air and dives headfirst to the bottom and either lays on the bottom on his side or "sits" on his tail with his head up, the eventually lays on his side on the bottom.  I just cleaned his tank AGAIN and added "BettaFix".  Now he really isn't doing well at all.  His breathing is getting worse, and he lays on the bottom most of the time.  He doesn't respond when I gently move his tank to get him to move.  We got him about 2 years ago.  Do you think this is just old age taking over?
Thanks,
Donna
<... is this fish in a heated, filtered system? Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bettasysart.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

What's wrong with my Betta? 8/9/05
Hi, I have a Betta fish who recently developed Ich.  I saw tiny white spots on his fins and noticed that he had like a thick white line under his body below his bottom fin.  I treated with Quick Cure
<Toxic... Formalin and Copper>
and a salt tonic from the fish store.  When I came back from the weekend my fish looked worse.  He
doesn't have the spots on his fins anymore; but still has the thick white line and now his fins look like they are coming apart at the ends.  He is laying at the bottom a lot today.  Any ideas?
Thank you!
Allison
<Yes. You need to study... start here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm
then the linked files above, then re Bettas... Bob Fenner>

Sick Betta, cut the copper
Hello all,
<Hi there>
I'd like to pick your brains if possible, because I'm out of ideas at the moment.  I purchased a Betta in January from a private breeder.
This Betta had eaten his tail (I know that he ate it rather than infection because I watched him chase it while I was standing in the store, and the owner had kept his water clean -- there was no tail rot when I got him, he just had a rough trip from Thailand)  Anyway, he was about 5 months old upon purchase, and made leaps and bounds in recovery since I've had him in his own private 1 gallon tank.  His water is completely changed weekly, along with my other Bettas who sit on a table right next to him.  The water temp is kept pretty constant at about 76, the pH hovers between 7.4 and 7.6.  I do use a dechlorinator as directed, and a pinch of aquarium salt on all of them, and none of the others are showing ill effects as if there was something wrong with the water.
<Okay>
Up till now the sick one had been very active.  I'd noticed in the last week or so that he'd become progressively more sluggish, however, that's pretty much the only symptom. He is pale, fins are a little
clamped but healthy, and he is clearly not wanting to move and not eating as of Friday, (normally he's a voracious eater of FD bloodworms and Betta Bio-Gold).  I have done complete water changes on him the
last two days, and I put a big chunk of almond leaf, and a drop of Aquarisol in with him in addition.  He shows no signs of fungus, parasites, strange spots, gill inflammation, raised scales, swelling, bloating, actual problems swimming. . . he's just extremely weak and I've lowered the water level in his tank so he can get to the surface easier to breathe.
<Mmm, may well be "just" the Aquarisol... I would discontinue the use of this copper product period, maybe add a bit of salt as a cathartic>
  He is laying on the plant leaves just below the surface and taking breaths from the air occasionally, but his gills are not moving hard and he doesn't seem to be struggling to breathe.  
If anything, I'd say his gills are flapping a little on the slow side.  He has not freely swum since Thursday; when he does move, it is to try to wiggle further onto a leaf to stabilize himself, and he's been this way for coming on 24 hours.  I have on hand Tri-sulfa, but I don't have reason to suspect this is bacterial, and don't want to be harder on him than necessary.
I bought him out of pity because he was absolutely in tatters and I wanted to give him another chance when he'd been surrounded by walls full of gorgeous healthy fish, and now I'm heartbroken at the idea of losing him without even being able to identify why.  I've read and reread just about every page Google can find on Betta illnesses, and even fish illnesses in general and nothing matches.
If you guys have any ideas what might be going on, or suggestions of other things I could try, that would be absolutely appreciated.
Thank you,
Brianna
<Am not a big fan of copper... many places around the world also avoid its use, using Malachite Green solution instead if there are discernible parasite problems with their Bettas. Bob Fenner>

Bad reaction to Melafix?
Hi,
I just recently bought a male Betta fish, Odysseus, from a local store; I've only had him for a little more than a week. He lives in a very clean, one-gallon bowl (with a constant temperature of around 70 degrees, due to a stuck college dorm radiator that turns our room tropical).
<Actually... would be better if it were stuck a bit higher... the upper seventies are better for your Betta>
I know that it's better for a Betta to have a bigger tank, (and he will once I save up for one) but I figured that anything would be better than the dirty little cup he was living in at the store. When I first brought him home, he was blowing bubble nests and exploring his bowl, but then I notice that his fins were getting raggy and that he was clamping and spending more time just floating around. I realized that Odysseus had fin rot,
<But, from what cause?>
...so I did some research and bought MelaFix and Maracyn II. The Maracyn II seems to have worked. The rot has disappeared and my fish is looking a lot better. Then I added the Melafix to the bowl so that the fins and tail would mend faster. But Odysseus seems to clamp up when I add the Melafix. Is it possible that he's having a bad reaction to it?
<Yes... know that I am NOT a fan of this and other "herbal" "remedies">
I've discontinued its use, but I hate to see him looking so ragged and unhealthy. Is there anything else that I can give my little fishy to help fix him up? Is there anything I should feed him to encourage fin re-growth? Thank you for your time.
<You might add a bit of salt... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/betdisfaqs.htm 
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Betta with fin rot
Hi. You’ve already answered a few questions about my new Betta. To refresh your memory, he’s in a 2 ½ gallon tank with box filter and heater. I’ve been struggling with high ammonia and then high nitrites since Christmas time. I’ve been doing 50 % water changes for several weeks now, but ammonia is still at .25 and nitrites are anywhere from 2.0 to 1.0 after a water change. Nitrates were at 10 a few days ago. I actually just bought a 5 gallon tank that I want to switch him to. 
<Ah, a very good move>
I thought I might be able to give him more space as well as cycle that tank faster without him in it using “CYCLE’.
<You are correct here>
I just set that one up 3 days ago with sponge filter and have been putting food in it like I’m feeding a fish, along with the Cycle. Question: Not surprisingly my Betta has developed fin rot. His tail is separating has some tiny pin holes and looks frayed at edges. Pet store guy sold me BettaFix which I’ve used for the last three days but I’m worried my box filter will eliminate the meds if the carbon is still active. 
<Yes, also so>
Also, how will this affect the cycling process?
<Will forestall it>
I also just read that such products are not a cure for fin rot but might stop the deterioration of the fins. Please help! What should I do until new tank is fully cycled?
<Mmm, keep changing water if ammonia, nitrite approach 1.0 ppm., add salt to the water... this last will likely effect a cure>
Any meds for the fin rot? Keep doing daily water changes of 40-50%? When new tank is ready, do I just float him in it to acclimate?
<Along with adding, mixing new and old water in with the fish and the new tank>
Thanks for any advice you can offer. Kim
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/betdisfaqs.htm  and the linked files above. Bob Fenner> 

Betta laying on it's side
In August I purchased a beautiful blue Betta named Krispie. Krispie had the opportunity to be a guest at the head table on my wedding day!
<Quite an honor for Krispie.>
Unfortunately Krispie has not been doing to well this past week in January...I went to the Pet Shop today and the man was not too helpful with me.
<Sadly that seems to happen far too often in today's pet shops for my taste.>
I told him that Krispie has been lying on his side and constantly stays at the bottom of the 1.84 Litre or 1/2 U.S. Gal. Aquarium. He gave me BettaFix Remedy and I added 1.2 ml of it today. My water is also treated with Betta Plus Bowl Conditioner...Water temperature is at 79 F. Is there anything I could do?
<I have friends that have used the BettaFix and said that it had worked on curing their Betta with illness, though I haven't used it personally on any of my Bettas.  The Water Conditioner is fine, and is needed if you water has high medals or chlorine additives.  If there isn't any physical signs of sickness, (i.e., white cottony fungus, swelling, eyes cloudy) then it's hard to diagnose what could be the problem.  One of the best things you can do is to make sure the fish has clean water, and perhaps use an additive that is designed to help with the fishes slime coating (which prevents bacterial infections).>
I heard about Epsom Salt...Is it the same thing that you would find in a Pharmacy....Should I use this in the bowl....Please Help...Krispie's Family
<I wouldn't add salt to his tank, keep using the BettaFix per the package's instructions.  If the fishes health doesn't improve I suggest you do a large water change, and then try treating the fish with something a little more potent.  I would try Maracide, which has worked many times on my Bettas.  Also the other medicines offered by the Mardel company work, though you have to cut them up to use in such a small container.  Good luck with Krispie, hope he gets better. -Magnus>

Betta Fungus
Thanks for the info - yes, we change the water weekly.  I took a really good look at him last night - I'm thinking it may be a fungus - it looks like white "fluff" on his fins and there's even some floating in the water (which I changed).  We do tend to keep our house cooler at night so the temperature changes may be affecting him - still the other one seems fine.
>>Fungus can be difficult to cure. Usually a broad-spectrum antibiotic is required, but you must realize that it is expensive to use, and there are no guarantees. Do your water changes twice a week, and make sure not to contaminate your other Betta. You can try your Local Fish Store and see what meds they carry to combat fungus. Also, try to keep your Bettas a bit warmer, say, between 74-78F, and stable. A small tank with a heater might be best for him, in wintertime.
Good luck.
-Gwen