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FAQs on Betta Diseases/Health 18

Betta's tail fins lost colour, no data - 3/21/08
Hi. I have had this red Betta for a year. Just today, the end part of my Betta's tail fin decolourised from a red to a translucent gray. Overall, my fish's pretty fine, all robust and active and blowing bubbles and all, but the end part of he's fins are still translucent grey!!!! Could it be due to stress that's causing this??? Pls reply asap at <Done>...THANK YOU.
<Likely simply "old age"... perhaps with a bit of environmental stress tossed in... Please read here re proper Betta Care: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bettasysart.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Re: Betta's tail fins lost colour... idiocy , 3/22/08
R u
<... no net-speak, please>
serious,,,,old age???? I wont think it is a problem since i had him for just eight months.....
<Actually... if you had read re Betta splendens... you'd know something re their lifespans>
anyway...my Betta's fins has regained colour. Also, another Betta EXPERT told me my fish had the marble gene in him,
<Like the ones loose in tu cabeza?>
that it was nothing to worry about. How can it be old age???
<Uhh, time going by... Stop feeling, start reading... B>

Sad Betta owner... no reading 3/12/08
I guess I'm not a very good Betta owner.. I had two male Bettas, and they both died two days apart from each other. I kept them in bowls, which I didn't realize was a problem (as long as they had their heat light). Kelpie, who I had for a year died on Saturday, he exhibited signs of Swim Bladder disorder.. when I got home after being out all day, I saw that he was already pale and almost swimming upside down to get to air before sitting motionlessly at the bottom for minutes. I read that he could be saved, but I needed frozen peas.. and I dropped him into a salt bath just before I left since I knew that I would be out to the store for peas for the recommended 15-20 min.s. When I got back, I saw that he hadn't moved at all since I left.. I tried the peas anyway, of course he never moved to eat them, it was already too late. But the site expressed that feeding peas to Bettas once a week can be a good way to prevent constipation - which was likely the cause of Kelpie's Swim Bladder Disorder. I fed peas to all three of my other fish, they were skeptical at first, but ended up eating the peas just fine. My other male Betta, Mini Moose's bowl was right next to Kelpie. I never realized that Kelpie's fins had some fin rot until I researched his disorder (I feel really foolish not reading on Betta diseases when I first got them).. and I noticed that Mini Moose had it too, but only a tiny bit - Kelpie's fins were torn from an "aquatic" rock fixture that I had in his bowl. I went to the store, and bought some medicines - Bettafix, aquarium salt, Algaefix, Pimafix, and Melafix, as well as some other meds for other "first aid" needs. I also bought a huge kit to test the ph, ammonia, and nitrate levels. the pH was 6.5.. a little low but within range. Ammonia was .25.. I didn't get to the Nitrate, I didn't have time last night, and now he's dead. I cleaned his bowl, and did drops of the Bettafix, Algaefix, Pimafix (even though there weren't signs of fungus, it was recommended for fish rot on another Betta FAQ site), and Melafix,
<Worthless>
as well as aquarium salt. Neither fish showed any signs of infection other than fin rot. In the evening he was lethargic, by the next morning/afternoon, he was barely moving, and starting to look pale. I thought maybe he was depressed that the other male wasn't next to him anymore. After work, I went to the store and bought another male Betta, hoping that it was cheer Mini Moose up, and I thought I would change his bowl decorations to give him something entertaining to look at. When I got home, I saw that he was dead. It's weird to me that they both died so close in time to each other. I'm not sure if maybe I overmedicated Mini Moose.. maybe the Algaefix was somewhat toxic
<... posted>
(I generally really like the API brand). I'm worried if I somehow passed some germs on from Kelpie's bowl to Mini Mooses.. I still have two female Bettas, and they are their usual perky selves. Any ideas/suggestions? Just don't ream me too much for being a bad fish mom, I feel awful enough already.
<Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bettadiseases.htm
and the linked files above. B>

Sick Betta?? 03/11/2008
I recently bought two male Crowntail Bettas after going to Wal-mart and seeing them half dead on the shelf I couldn't just leave them.
<Buying them just perpetuates the practice...>
So now I have them at home and I thought everything was going good! It wasn't until yesterday that I noticed this large bump (see pic). The other Betta doesn't have the lump that's why I'm thinking this is abnormal. I tried looking it up on the web myself but I cant find anything!! Is it a tumor? Or is he deformed? I had planned on putting them in a 10 gal divided tank. Other than the bump, he is an active Betta! He flares when I hold the mirror up, eats his food, swims around fine.
Hoping for some help
-Samantha
<Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/bettadiseases.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Re: Betta sick - follow up 4/13/08
Hello again,
<Ave,>
I had written to you in March regarding our Betta's illness (Lymphocystis). Now I am providing you with an update.
<Very good...>
Since your advise 1. our Betta has been transferred to a 5 gallon aquarium from the 2.5 gallon tank,
<Good.>
2. a new heater has been added and the water temperature is maintained at about 76 degrees F,
<Also good.>
3. we replaced the Nano filter with a Whisper Power Filter (for up to 20 gallon tanks). He is the only fish in the tank.
<Sounds great, but do take care the filter doesn't create so much water current he can't swim easily.>
For the past 2 tank cleanings, we have also started using Prime ("removes chlorine, chloramine, ammonia, detoxifies nitrite and nitrate and promotes slime coat") instead of just a chlorine remover.
<All good stuff.>
The Lymphocystis seems to have gotten wider but looks as if it does not protrude as much as it did in the previous photos I submitted to you. Also, the Lymphocystis now can be seen on both sides of the fin, before it was seen only on one side of the fish.
<It is a viral disease, and simply doesn't get easily treated. On the other hand, assuming it doesn't affect the internal organs, it doesn't cause death either. It can take many months, even years to come and go. You just have to keep plugging away, maintaining optimal water conditions and hoping for the best. Realistically, a fish as short-lived as a Betta may well be dead before the Lymphocystis runs its course. Or not, as the case may be. It's difficult to predict.>
Also, I think our fish has developed dropsy (swollen belly, reduced appetite, not cones).
<Looks more like constipation and/or too much food. Bettas are easily overfed. Stop using dried foods altogether for a period of several weeks. Use either live or (wet) frozen daphnia and brine shrimp. If your Betta will eat them, tinned/cooked peas are useful too.>
Regarding dropsy, I have searched the web for photos and found fish with pine cones. The only picture that showed just a swollen belly was at Nippyfish. Could you kindly provide me information to confirm if it is dropsy and if the Lymphocystis going away or if something new is developing?
<Dropsy is relatively uncommon and tends to follow on from systemic bacterial infections, typically a failure of the fish to maintain its internal balance of salts and water. By that time, a fish will be close to Death's door, and will have stopped eating and likely not be doing much of anything else.>
I have attached 2 pictures of our Betta.
<Indeed you have.>
Thank you again.
<Cheers, Neale.>

I have a female Betta fish. Ich & More... no reading 3/6/08
I have had her for about 3 months. She was a healthy fish when I bought her.? She has a bulging belly. I haven't changed anything in her diet and I change the water regularly. She lives in a ten-gallon aquarium with 2 other female Bettas and an algae eater. There? are live bamboo and lily plants? in the tank. It has an internal filter. None of the other fish are having any problems. There are pictures from different angles attached. The bulge is only on one side. I have moved the fish to a? bowl so that the other fish wouldn't mess with it. It has low energy and is not eating well.? Can you help me?
<... This fish has white-spot, ich... Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm
and the linked files above till you understand... I would be raising the temperature... at least... Read, understand, act... and soon. Bob Fenner>

Re: I have a female Betta fish. Ich 03/11/2008
Thank-you for the help. The ich has mostly fallen off of the fish and she is no longer bloated, but now she has a hole in her side. I have attached a picture showing the hole. Is there something I can do about this? Is it caused by anything? Please get back to me ASAP.
<... just keep reading where you were referred to. BobF>

Am I treating ich? Betta, reading? 2/27/08
I am relatively new to owning Bettas; I have four now, two Veiltails and two Crowntails.
I was housing the two Veiltails temporarily in a tiny divided tank in order to transport them from my home to my college dorm, and placed them back in half-gallon bowls. The day I transferred them back, I noticed small spots that matched the descriptions of ich that I'd read about previously. I assumed that perhaps the stress of the move (about 200 miles in a car) had lowered their immune functioning, and combined with the smaller transportation accommodations, they may have contracted the parasites.
<Mmm, had the parasites already... likely the stress, lowered temperature, brought it to the fore>
I double checked some photos online to make sure that they didn't have early signs of velvet, and I'm fairly sure that they do not. In fact, they seem perfectly healthy aside from these minimally present salt-like spots. They eat regularly and are as active as ever. Have I just caught the ich so early that they aren't physically effected yet?
<Always effects to a degree when present>
I've been treating them with Ick Guard for two days now, just to be sure. I don't want to medicate them unnecessarily, though. Am I doing the right thing?
Cindy
P.S. Each of my Bettas is in a half-gallon bowl with regular pH levels and a fairly stable temperature in the high seventies. I do water changes at least once a week, usually twice because they are not filtered. They are fed on a combo of pellets and freeze-dried bloodworms.
<I would be reading on WWM re Ich: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm
and the linked files above, using the search tool for files on Bettas and Ich, and likely just using elevated temperature (perhaps with half doses of Malachite) to effect a permanent cure here. Bob Fenner who says, get reading>

Very Old Betta Questions 2-24-08
To Whom it May Concern,
<Hello! Merritt here today!>
I've looked everywhere but have found little info on behavior changes and care for elderly Betta fish. My favorite Betta "Rainbow" just celebrated his 5th Birthday.
<Wow! That's an old Betta, you must take great care of him!>
He was so small when we bought him and he is as big as a whale now. Anyway I digress, proud mother I guess. Rainbow has been remarkably healthy his whole life. But last year he developed a cloudy eye
but since it didn't swell up right away and I thought maybe it was a cataract associated with old age.
<Very possible>
A few months later his eye did swell and so I treated him for Popeye with Maracyn 2 and he seemed to respond.
<Smart move!>
Then the swelling re-occurred a few months after the first treatments so I treated him again. His eye returned to normal size but he seemed to developed a translucent disc under the cornea and if I look down into the eye I think I see blood pooling.
<When he hit his eye (hence the Popeye) he probably caused permanent damage>
As he has gotten older it has become difficult to feed him. He has a hard time seeing his food since I think he is now mostly blind in that one eye.
<Yea, I would bet he is blind, but that will not decrease his lifespan any>
He still moves the eye like he can see but he only responds to food I place on his good side. In his forth year he simply couldn't eat live worms anymore because he couldn't catch them and forget shrimp they were just way to fast, so I was forced to feed him only pellets. Now he can't seem to open his mouth wide enough to fit the pellets in at all, or he just can't open it fast enough to create the pressure change that forces food into a fishes mouth I'm not sure.
<I had the same problem with my three year old Betta. The Hikari pellets were too big and he could not eat them anymore. I found a excellent Betta pellet brand named Tetra Betta Floating Mini-pellets. They are the perfect size for him to grab and eat>
The pellets just get pushed around on the surface of the water. Consequently, he can no longer eat his pellets at all! Now I'm hand feeding him worms with chop sticks.
<Keep it up though, he will benefit from your hard work by living longer>
Not an easy task. I don't feed him everyday anymore because he doesn't move around much. So he gets one, two or three worms every few days. It takes a lot of patience on my part, we have to try over and over before he finally gets one. When he does our whole family celebrates for him. Bless his little fish heart but it seems like a lot of work for him and he keeps on trying and trying.
Is there anything you could recommend as far as food for such an old fish?
This winter I bought him a heater for his 2.5 gallon bowl. He seemed to be suffering in the cold.
<Temperature affect Betta fish greatly, he is thanking you for the heater>
I'm having a difficult time because the heater seems inconsistent. I know I probably should have gotten a real fish tank but I have four male Bettas and no room or money for four real aquariums.
<The heaters sold for small aquariums only increase the water temperature a few degrees. If you want his water temperature to stay the same move him in the house where the temperature doesn't change as much. Keep him away from windows and doors>
Rainbow's color has changed a lot over the last couple years. I haven't thought much of it other than old age but the last few days Rainbow has been especially lethargic. He has been sitting on the bottom of his tank. Today I changed his water and even that left him nonplussed. I thought to myself, he seems much more gold flecked than I ever remember. So I poked around online and found out about velvet. I haven't seen any itchy like behavior from him but he is, as I said, lethargic and the info I found said temperature changes could trigger velvet. So I started thinking about that heater. How can I tell if the metallic gold flecks on his body and fins are really velvet?
<It doesn't look like velvet. To be sure shine a flash light at him with the lights off and if you see a small layer of fuzz on him then it is velvet. But from your picture it doesn't look like he has it>
He doesn't seem to be stressed but we had a really hard time feeding him today I think he only got about a worm and a half and he wasn't as motivated to eat as he normally is. He seemed tired. He didn't
even come to the surface:( I hate to treat him with medicine at his age unless I'm sure he is really sick and not just really really old!
<I wouldn't want to treat him either!>
I added extra salt to his water today (1.5 tsp salt instead of 1 tsp to 2+ gallons water) and I covered him with towels to keep out the light.
<His behavior is mainly to due him not being able to eat the pellets. The pellets are more nutritionally complete than the worms and once he starts eating the ones I recommended his behavior will return to normal>
I've attached photos from today. I hope they help. The first photo shows the gold more than the others. The others look more like his normal color. Can you see why I named him Rainbow?
<He is a very pretty Betta! When he starts eating more, his color should return>
Please write back I want to make his last days good ones. He has certainly made my days good and I really love him lots
<Hope I helped! Thanks!>
Kind Regards,
<You are welcome!>
Andy
<Merritt A.>

Sudden death of male Betta, age, env., genetics? 2/19/08
Good morning Crew,
<Nicole>
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I am hoping to get some input following the sudden death of my male Betta. Here's what happened to lead up to this point:
First off, some tank specs. He was kept in a 15 gallon tank with 3 harlequin Rasboras, 4 (used to be 6) Rummynose tetras, and one bloodfin tetra which I received by accident a couple of years ago when I was purchasing entirely different fish. He seems fine alone, since he schools with any other schooling fish he encounters - mostly he is just wildly interested in eating!
<Always a good sign>
The water chemistry in this tank is nitrate 10, nitrite 0, total hardness and alkalinity both 300 ppm (off the charts), and pH somewhere between 7.6 and 8.0 - sorry, the strip test kit I use is difficult to read, I keep meaning to get a liquid pH test kit.
Whatever the pH value is, it is rock steady!
I know this is an unusual tank to have soft water fish in, but these are old fish from before I moved into a house with "liquid rock" Florida well water. The Rasboras have spawned once (I actually saw them embrace and scatter their eggs!) so they seem to have adapted well to the harder water. All in all, this has been (until just recently) a healthy, death and disease-free tank before I moved, and has continued to be so for as long as I've lived in this new place - about 6 months now.
The male Betta has always been an eager, if slow, eater. I had to sort of hand feed him to be certain he got enough to eat. Yesterday morning, I noticed he wasn't coming up to eat and was slumping on the bottom. He had always adopted a resting position on the bottom, intermittently, but as soon as he saw me he would shoot to the top and wait hopefully. This time he didn't eat anything from the top, but did take a chomp at the sand which I found unusual. Incidentally, I feed all my tanks a varied diet of quality flakes and pellets, frozen bloodworms, and occasionally treats such as pea and shrimp mash, mussels, earthworms, and other bits of meaty or vegetable foods.
<Wow!>
Yesterday night, the Betta was between a rock and a plastic Cabomba.
He seemed to be draped over the plant, resting on both objects. I gave him a little nudge with a drinking straw. He shot to the top, but then he kind of spiraled back down, as though he had lost control of his body.
I had already done a 50% water change on the tank the night before, because I noticed that one of the Rummynose had gone missing, and I later found it recently dead in the corner. Let me explain about that.
I have had two Rummynose for ages (about 4 years) which were the two survivors of their kind, following an ich outbreak back when I was a less experienced fishkeeper. I've been looking for companions for these two, but had never encountered Rummynose again until two weeks ago. In the display tank as well as my tank, they all exhibited bright colors and lively behavior. Unfortunately, I found that one, and then one more, died following the same symptoms - going off to be by themselves, trembling but still colorful, then dead the next day, still looking perfectly fine. Following their deaths, I changed 50% of the water, just in case. The remaining two from the new batch seem to be doing fine so far - active, schooling, with healthy appetites.
Now, back to the Betta. Since he was acting so unusual, I decided to put him in a 12 gallon tank with about a dozen adult Heterandria formosa and numerous fry. This is a breeding tank of least killifish, with lots of Aponogeton crispus growing in some utilitarian terracotta pots, and clumps of floating plants, I believe a Salvinia of some sort. The lighting is subdued and the substrate is a loamy, reddish pond soil. Of all my tanks, it strikes me as the mellowest.
After acclimating him slowly, I put him in the tank. He sunk right to the bottom and stayed curled, just as he had been before. His color did return (he had previously been very pale) and intensified after resting on the bottom for a while. Once in a while, he would shoot to the top for a gulp of air, and then come back down. This seemed to exhaust him and he would turn white again, around his "chin" especially. Once when he was headed for the top, I noticed he seemed to have become almost translucent, his fins were reminiscent of onion skin paper. Also, when he took on this disturbing translucence, I could see that his abdomen appeared hard and distended.
By now, I was awfully depressed. I turned off the light and hoped for the best, but I knew that when I woke up the next morning and looked in the tank, that he would be dead. Sure enough, he was. He must have been freshly dead at nine this morning, because he still looked and felt alive and supple, if motionless...in the back of my mind, I thought he would spring to life at any moment.
I took a post mortem picture just in case it helps. I had this Betta for about a year and a half, so I am assuming that old age played a part in his debilitation. I just wonder - what went wrong?
<I do think this may "just" have been senescence... "old age"... accumulation of genetic defects... with perhaps the hard, alkaline water having some role in shortening the life span>
Could it be that living in this new, harder water shortened his natural lifespan?
<Ah, yes>
I don't believe the Rummynose brought anything in with them, but their deaths make me wonder if there is something off in my tank. No painting, spraying, or other suspicious activities have occurred in the house. Should I run some carbon in the tank just in case?
<Likely a good idea>
Other than water changes, I don't know what else to do.
Medicating the tank seems wrong, since as far as I can tell, everyone is healthy and thriving...but the Betta's sudden, peculiar death makes me question this.
I do apologize for this novella! Any comments or suggestions would be much appreciated.
Thanks ever so much,
Nicole
<For your livestock that prefer somewhat softer, more acidic water quality, I'd get/use an RO device, and mix/blend this water with some source for their use... and use the RO for your cooking and drinking uses. Bob Fenner>

Sick Betta 2-18-08
Hello.
<Merritt here today!>
Thank you for your amazing site. I've spent hours reading some of the material.
<Thanks!>
I have a Betta who lives alone in a 2.5 gallon aquarium which is filtered and heated to a constant 80 degrees. The water conditions are ammonia-0, nitrite-0 and nitrate-20 and I change 1/4 of the water weekly.
<Sounds like a nice Betta set-up>
My Betta and I lived peacefully for 4 months and then a month ago I started noticing some strange behavior. I feed my Betta twice a day alternating between freeze dried bloodworms and Hikari pellets. He gets only 2 at each feeding so I'm fairly certain I'm not overfeeding him
<Good variety of food!>
A month ago I noticed that Poseidon's belly just kept getting bigger and bigger. Knowing that Bettas do sometimes get constipated I tried not feeding him for a day and giving him a pea instead of his other food. I did not notice any improvement and then one day I saw him throw up a big undigested clump of food (about a centimeter in diameter). And yes, I actually witnessed this.
<Does sound like constipation>
Things were better for a few weeks and then this past week the same thing happened.
Poseidon is now acting very lethargic which did not happen the last time this happened.
He spends great amounts of time laying on his side at the bottom of his tank which he never used
to do. He even seems to have lost interest in food (not that I blame him, I don't think I'd want to eat if that was happening to me either).
<His change in behavior is due to his constipation, once that is cleared up he will be back to normal>
Sorry this is so long, I just wanted to try to provide as much detail as possible.
<Detail is always appreciated!>
But on to my question. There hasn't been any change in his food but is it possible that he just can't digest it for some reason?
<Some fish food is just difficult for fish to digest and their intestine and stomach get overloaded, hence the vomiting. Due to the recent advances in fish care, fish food is becoming easier for fish to digest>
Is there other foods I should try?
<My Bettas just love live blackworms and frozen mysids>
Is it possible that he has an internal parasite that is preventing him from digesting the food?
<Your Betta is suffering from constipation or an internal parasite, but I am betting on the constipation. To help your Betta just add 1/4 teaspoon of Epsom salt per gallon to his tank. The Epsom salt will promote osmoregulation and relieve constipation. You will see a nice improvement in his behavior once the constipation is relieved. I would start only feeding him once a day to prevent another episode, and it is always good to skip one feeding a week to let his digestive system relax>
<You are welcome!>
Thanks so much,
Shelby (and Poseidon too)
<Merritt A.>

Betta fish with black spots on fin 2-15-08
Dear Crew,
<Hello, Merritt here! Yay! It is Friday!>
I have a Betta that I've had for about 4 months, and he's recently developed fine black spots on his top (dorsal?) fin.
<Interesting>
This fin has always been kind of weird shaped (the top is sort of "wrinkled" and the end is split into two
"points" where it healed incorrectly from fin rot after I first got him) but over the past week or so it's grown these sort of "bone-like" things that look like ridges sticking out (not coming through the skin) of the fin.
<Sounds like rays, bone-like structures in the fins of fish that allow them to literally spread their fins, could be regrowing due to the tail rot>
Also, the entire tip of the fin is sort of "crumpled" and doesn't look as rigid as the rest of the fin. I had assumed this was genetic and not worried that much about it. Then last night I noticed that a large amount of that fin (and *only* that fin) was covered in small, pinpoint sized black spots, fairly evenly distributed along the entire fin.
<Not good>
Also, Kappa (my Betta) has been fairly susceptible to fin rot, but I'd finally gotten it under control (better water quality mainly) and it had not been a problem for about 3-4 weeks.
<Fin rot is due to poor water quality, you should change you water more frequently>
Right before this fin started looking really mangled, though, his tail had a significant relapse so I put him on Maracyn TC (tetracycline) to clear it up (it healed in a couple of days). This morning Kappa had significant rot on his tail again. Would this be related to the black spots, or not?
<The black spots are due to the recurrences of the tail fin rot or could be a external parasite, does your Betta rub on items in the tank, gravel and plants, like it's trying to scratch itself?>
The ammonia level is somewhere between a trace and .125 or so (the tetracycline tends to mess up the reading but before I medicated him it was at .125 and today it was reading just a trace) and the nitrites and nitrates are 0.
<Any amount of detectable ammonia is stressful to fish - this should always be zero>
Since I've been trying to get the tank to cycle (accidentally killed off the bacteria when I took him home over winter break and didn't realize that my parents' water has chloramines in it instead of chlorine, so he was in chloramine-filled water for about 3 weeks-- now I use a water conditioner)
<Were you not using a conditioner with the chlorinated water before?>
I've been changing 50% of the water every 2-3 days. Kappa's normal food is a frozen bloodworm and a Hikari Betta pellet each meal, twice a day. He still seems to be eating/behaving normally, although yesterday he was a little more lethargic than normal until I changed his water, then he seemed more normal.
<Good variety>
(sorry there's no picture, since the dorsal fin is hard to describe, but Kappa is horribly camera-shy)
<Sounds like your Kappa is suffering from an external parasite with the black dots appearing on the dorsal fin. The addition of my favorite cure, Epsom salt, to your Betta tank will get rid of the black spots. If they don't go away, then you know it isn't a external parasite. I would try the Epsom salt and try and change the water more frequently to stop the tail rot from reoccurring. Use 1/4 teaspoon of Epsom salt per gallon, and if possible try an snap a picture of your Betta. It would be greatly appreciated!>
Thanks for your time,
<You are welcome!>
--Kyra
<Merritt A.>

Re: Betta fish with black spots on fin Part II 2-18-08
Dear Merritt,
<You are welcome!>
Thanks for your help. I changed my Betta's water and added the Epsom salt yesterday (so it's been in the tank for about 24 hours). The black spots are still there although maybe there are a few fewer...how long does it take for them to go away?
<I should take two weeks with one additional week to be sure the parasites are gone>
They also do not appear to have spread to other fins, etc. since I first noticed them. How long after the spots disappear should I keep
adding the Epsom salt?
<Add the Epsom salt another week after the spots are gone>
Also, I forgot to mention in my last email that I have been adding aquarium salt (1/4 tablespoon per gallon, as per the directions on
the carton) to help with Kappa's fin rot. I didn't add any more but some residual is still in the tank- will that cause any problems with the Epsom salts being present as well?
<Is will not cause any problems with the Epsom salt, just don't add anymore now that you are using the Epsom salt>
Kappa doesn't appear to be rubbing/scratching at the fin (or any other body parts for that matter).
<That's good news!>
He is still active and eating well, behaving normally. I have been changing 50% of the water every other day (it's a 2 gallon tank)-- how much more often would you recommend changing the water (since I'd seen other places saying that even changing that much that often is not entirely desirable)?
<I wouldn't change the water anymore frequently then you are now. You could even decrease that to a 50% change every 2 days, but if your Kappa appears to be doing better with the frequent water changes I wouldn't change>
Thanks again for your time,
<Anytime!>
--Kyra
<Merritt A.>

Several Sick Betta's 2-14-08
Hi Guys
<Hello, Merritt here and not studying!>
(2nd try, forgot some info and spelling was bad in first)
I am somewhat of a Betta fan, 12 at home and 6 at the office.
<They are like potato chips, you can't have just one>
I have 2x4 gallon tanks at work, each have 3 Betta's (I had these tanks made specifically for my Betta's, false wall at back for the heater and filter)
<Nice setup!>
Last weekend, one of the air hoses from my pump, came loose from a joiner and majority of the water siphoned out of the tank.
<Oh no!>
This tank normally has 0 nitrate and ammonia, stable pH, nitrate between 20-40ppm. I also add a little aquarium salt once a week. Temp at 80-81 I change 25-35% of water (depending on nitrate levels) 3 times a week.
I feed a variety of freeze dried blood and black worms, pellets, flakes and frozen foods also (I find they like the variety)
<Great!>
Issue is, as 70% of water was lost in one tank, the ammonia levels spiked.
<Yikes!!>
I worked on Saturday and all was fine when I left at approx 12.30pm, so this all happened between then and when I returned to the office at 8am on Monday morning.
As a result of the ammonia spike and loss of heat, due to heater automatically switching off when water level got low, my guys picked up velvet, that I have been treating with aqua master multi cure (active ingredients malachite Green, Methylene green and Acriflavine) and darkness
<Well, you are on the right track>
They did seem to be getting better, however, this morning, they seem to be producing an excess amount of slime and have tendrils of slimy stuff floating off their bodies. Also, one has fin rot, that I have managed with water changes.
<Um, not good. First cure the velvet, it will be much harder then the fin rot>
All 3 are eating and getting around the tank well still.
<That's really good to hear>
Can you suggest anything else that may assist getting rid of this without losing my boys??
<I would increase the amount of salt in the tank or switch to Epsom salt and change the water more frequently. Velvet is caused by a parasite and is very contagious. I know of one product that works amazing on velvet (has saved several of my fish!) called Maracide. It is a concentrated medicine that cures external parasites. I buy it from here: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4723>
Regards
<You are welcome!>
Theresa Zonneveld
<Merritt A.>

Re: Several Sick Betta's 2-16-08
Hi Merritt and thanks for your response,
<Glad to help!>
I looked for Maracide, but live in Australia and unfortunately it is not available here.
Any other suggestions, as I attempted to order from the link provided, but no options were available for shipment to Australia.
<Sorry, didn't know you were in Australia. If the Epsom salt doesn't work, then retry the medicine you were previously using. But, I am sure the Epsom salt will work>
In addition, they seem a little better this evening, for which I am extremely happy. I have actually been changing 30-40% of the water every day this week, as they have not been well.
<That’s good, keep up with the water changes>
Thanks for being patient, one last question, how much Epsom salt should I add and how often, and does the salt break down, or continue to accumulate in the tank?
<You should use 1/4 teaspoon of Epsom salt per gallon. Epsom salt should be replaced only if you change the water. And do not completely re-dose, just add 1/4 teaspoon or two to the new water you are adding to the tank when you perform a 30-40% water change. The salt will not accumulate unless you don't change the water and just keep adding salt, don't do that. The salt will break down but it will take much longer than it will for you Betta to recover>
Thanks again
<You are welcome again!>
Theresa
<Merritt A.>

Severe Betta Neglect 2-14-08
Hello Crew,
<Hello, Merritt here!>
I'm ashamed to be writing because I've completely neglected the well-being of my Betta while keeping two healthy reef aquariums.
<At least you are trying to fix the Betta now>
My Betta appeared to have cataracts... now, after a long look, my Betta is also bloated and obviously suffering from constipation.
Epsom salt doses will begin immediately.
<The Epsom salt will help with the Betta being bloated and the constipation>
The Betta will be taken off of "Betta pellets" (temporarily) and fed every-other-day sparingly) with adult brine shrimp.
<Adult brine shrimp are not very nutritious unless you are feeding the adult shrimp a vitamin rich diet. I would only feed the brine shrimp for a short while and then continue with the pellets. You could also mix up the Betta's diet with some Mysid shrimp, mine love them!>
The Betta is in a 3 gallon planted tank, kept at 78+ degrees and gets water changes every couple weeks with RO/DI.
<Sounds great! But change the water more frequently, at least until the Betta gets better>
The Betta can see the pellets at this point but it seems the "cataracts" may hinder that in the future.
<Those "cataracts" will clear up when the other ailments are taken care of>
I've included a few pictures that will hopefully help the WWM crew with diagnosis.
<Please resend the pictures, they were not attached to the email. I would like to see your Betta>
Thank you!
<You're welcome! Please don't forget sending the pictures! Merritt A.>

Sick Betta, possibly pop eyes? 2-11-08
Hi!
<Hello! Merritt here taking a break from studying>
Sorry to be a bother but I think one of my Bettas has pop eye in both her eyes. My set up is a 2.5 gallon tank with live plants, Betta divider (I have 2 girl Bettas in the tank), a new red sea nano filter (bought last week) and two Chinese algae eaters.
<Wow, that’s a large amount of bio-load for a 2.5 gallon tank. You should think about purchasing a larger tank (10 gallons) for the Chinese algae eaters>
I started using the nano filter last week since the week before I noticed an oily film that the currently sick girl was swimming in.
<Possibly due to low water movement (nice move with the purchase of the filter) and ammonia in the water>
I noticed last week that both girls' "arms" had a little tiny white maybe fin rot starting.
<White spots?>
But I wasn't sure. I left the girls over the weekend and came back with one of the girls with both her eyes swollen, I searched your website and I think she has pop eye. Now what do I do?
<Becalm, its okay>
I tried feeding her tonight and she just swims past the food and sometime launches herself half way out of the water. I don't want to lose her.
<It is normal for Betta fish to stop eating if they are having health issues, she will regain her appetite when she is feeling better>
Can I dose all the fishes with Epsom(?) salt?
<The rule of Epsom salt is to use 1/4 teaspoon per gallon, it would be fine to use it for your Betta>
Should I go to the pet shop and buy some medication?
<You can purchase medication if you don't feel comfortable with the Epsom salt, I would recommend Kanacyn or Maracyn-Two>
Medic ate all the fishes?
<Good question, usually pop eye is caused by the environment so it would be fine to treat your girl Betta with Epsom salt. But just to be safe, I would quarantine the sick girl Betta and watch the other fish for possible pop eye>
I don't think the tank is dirty, I clean it every week. Do you think there's still time to save her? I've been gone for the last 4 days. HELP!!!
<Your Betta should be fine, usually they get over it without the use of medicine but that can result in loss of an eye. So try the Epsom salt/or medications (I prefer the Epsom salt considering you found those white spots) and watch your fish for a few days. Also, change your water more frequently due to the small aquarium you have, don't worry! Merritt A.>

Re: Sick Betta, pop eyes? Part II 2-12-08
Okay, so Epsom salt is in. The pet shop that I went to didn't have the medication that you recommended but they did have Maracyn-TC.
<That will work fine, but first try the Epsom salt; don’t try the Maracyn-TC just yet>
Hopefully that's okay since the package says it's good for Popeye, gill disease and fin and tail rot.
I also bought tap water conditioner (I don't know why, I always seem to have problems with fish and bottled water) since I'm switching back to tap and some water test strips to check levels.
<I have always used tap water with no problems occurring when I use a tap water conditioner>
Do I add Epsom salt every time I do a water change, because I usually only do 50 to 75% changes?
<When you do a complete water change I would completely re-dose the water, with the partial changes only add a small amount of Epsom salt, add about 1/4 teaspoon>
Should I do a 100% change after the medication?
<Continue to use the Epsom salt until the female Betta's eyes are normal and still use it a week afterwards just to be sure, then perform a 100% water change with out the salt>
Use the tap water conditioner along with the Epsom salts?
<Yep, it should work just fine>
The tap water is in bottles and sitting in the same room as the Bettas to age.
<Sounds like everything is going well, if she doesn't get better after a week, add a little more Epsom salt. Merritt A.>

Betta With Serious Problems - Caution, Very Graphic Images - 02/06/2007
There is a post on your website titled Fish Splitting?, written by Abby
on 9/17/2005. I am having the same problem with my Betta. I keep him in a 1-gallon bowl with a water heater (the water stays at 80), thermometer, polished marble rocks, and a plastic plant. I alternate pellet food and freeze dried blood worms and I do a 70% water change once a week.
<Wonderful!  I'd rather see it be a larger space with finer, more porous substrate (e.g., aquarium gravel), but honestly, this is fine.>
Last Wednesday I noticed that his stomach was huge and he had a white spot on the bottom of his belly.
<Yikes....>
I keep him at work and coworkers told me that I was over feeding him. I did some research on line and learned that I was, indeed, over feeding him.
<How much were you feeding him?>
I fasted him for a day and then gave him one pellet the next morning, but I noticed that the white spot had gotten larger. It also looked like it had some blood on it, like it was an open sore.
<Ouch!>
I went to Pet Smart and they gave me Melafix, which is supposed to treat all open sores,
<Mm, unfortunately, the efficacy of this "medication" is questionable.  This is just the extract of Melaleuca, or "Tea Tree".  It would not be helpful in your situation, I fear.  I tend to recommend against using this.  Not worthwhile stuff at all, in my opinion.>
but it's been getting worse every day. Up until today, he was acting like he feels fine, but today he's just been lying at the bottom of the bowl and only comes up for air. The sore looks like what Abby described, like his stomach just split open.
<Poor fellah....>
I'm thinking now that it has to be a tumor. Surely it couldn't have happened from over feeding him, which I haven't done for a week. When the sore first appeared I thought maybe he cut himself on the plant, so I took that particular one out and replaced it with a soft silk plant.  I'm including two pictures.
<These are very clear, very well-taken photos.  This animal did not just cut himself on the plant, or any other simple problem like that.  He did not have something you could have easily prevented or cured, either.  I can't be certain from the images, but he either has tumors/granulomas from an illness (possibly Mycobacteriosis - not easily preventable, not curable, and increasingly common in Bettas) or a very large-scale parasite problem (Cestodes/tapeworms or something of that nature).>
I've only had him (his name is # 9, Spicy) for two months and I just adore him. I want to know if he'll get better or if he's suffering.
<I feel terrible for you, and him.  Though it hurts me to say it, I really do not think he can recover from this.  However, I really want you to know you didn't do anything wrong.  The habitat you provided for him was just fine.  I really think you couldn't have easily prevented this.  If he seems to be suffering, if I were in your shoes, I would consider euthanizing him....  I don't say this lightly; I feel horrible for you.  If you feel you must try/do *something*, I would suggest treating with Kanamycin or Nitrofurazone, or other broad-spectrum antibiotic, in hopes of keeping his awful wound from getting infected.  I would not feed him at all during this time, and would just "wait and see".  I fear the worst, my friend.  I am so sorry.>
I can't find anything online that sounds remotely like what he's going through, with the exception of Abby's email. I am going to copy it below so that you don't have to look it up.
<I appreciate this.  And I do remember this email as well.  The images you included speak much better than words can.  I am hoping that this email, archived with the other and with these images, will help others in the future as well.  I wish all the best to you and # 9, Spicy, and I thank you for taking the time to research your pet's trouble and seeking for help.  I only wish there were more that I/we could do for him.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>