What do I do If I have a sick betta fish?

Sick Betta Fish- Help my betta fish is sick!

A Very Sick Betta FishDealing with a sick betta does not have to be a heartbreaking experience. Although very beautiful, betta fish are unfortunately very fragile creatures and everyone will at one point or another have to deal with a disease or other problem. 

The first step if your suspect that your betta is sick, is to properly diagnose what is wrong and than determine a proper course of treatment.

 

Get The Betta Fish Care Guide

The betta fish secrets care guide featured on our main page, is a thorough and complete manual that reveals everything you need to know about raising healthy, happy beautiful betta's.

It was written by an avid betta lover and experienced breeder who put experience in keeping and caring for betta fish into an easy to follow manual that no betta owner should be without.

If you get only one guide on caring for sick betta betta fish, you must get your hands on a copy of this simply amazing step by step guide.

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Here are some common symptoms that a sick betta may exhibit.

  • Erratic swimming mostly on his side.
  • A bloated or enlarged belly .
  • Lack of appetite or your betta fish won't eat.
  • Large bulged or swollen eyes
  • Dull lifeless color -or color is fading.
  • White fungus around on face around lips and mouth.
  • Difficulty breathing.
  • Dark red sores under the scales 
  • Ragged or torn fins with pin size holes in them.

If your betta exhibits any of the above symptoms than you are likely dealing with one or more betta fish diseases or some environmental condition that is causing your betta to be sick and you need help. In many cases you can reverse the problem and bring your betta back to health by making sure that the water conditions in your tank are at pristine conditions.

Make sure that ammonia and Ph levels are at zero and that your water temperature is at a suitable degree. Betta's are native to tropical climates and a temperature of between 74 -78 degrees Fahrenheit is considered ideal. If your water temperature is to cold your fish’s immune system will be weakened and diseases or other problems will begin to occur.

On the other hand if your water temperature is too hot, bacteria will grow and with polluted water you are inviting disease. Another thing to remember is that betta fish have an organ that allows them to breathe air directly from the atmosphere, so it is important to make sure that there is sufficient well ventilated space above the water for them to breathe.

More signs Of A Sick Betta Fish

My betta fish is bloated

There are two usual causes of a betta fish developing a bloated stomach. The first is over feeding and the second is feeding your betta dry food. Dry pellets when they are eaten by your betta will swell as moisture in the stomach expands them. For this reason you should soak your pellets before giving them to your betta to avoid any future bloating. While on occasion it can be a symptom of dropsy typically incorrect feeding is the culprit.

While not pleasant to look at the good news is that this condition can be easily treated. If your betta fish is bloated try feeding it little pieces of cooked peas (with the shell off) for a day or so to clean out the digestive system and than resume a proper feeding regiment.

my betta fish has fin rot

Fin Rot develops from a bacterial infection and often appears with one or more other betta fish diseases. sadly this is one of the most preventable conditions if proper betta fish care is maintained.. If your betta fish has fin rot it was likely caused by stress due to poor water conditions. If you don't change your tanks water regularly, any excess food or feces will begin to decompose and contaminate the water. This creates a perfect environment for bacteria so it is important to set up your beta fish tank properly and maintain good overall aquarium conditions.

If your betta fish has fin rot you will need to completely change the water and make sure that the entire tank is completely cleaned. Be sure to wash all decorations and pebbles thoroughly with hot water. There is medications you can buy at the pet store to treat this condition and have proven successful in curing sick betta fish.

Fin Rot is also very contagious so any fish that  are uncontaminated should be separated from the others in your tank until cured to prevent the disease from spreading to other healthy Betta fish.

my betta fish wont eat

Unless your betta fish is sick they will usually eat as much food as you give them, even to the point of eating themselves to death. So if your betta fish won't eat than likely he is either stressed due to a change in water conditions such as a different temperature or after a water change as it takes them some time to adjust to the new water. Or he may be suffering from a bacterial infection or other illness such as ick or dropsy.

If you have determined that a betta disease is not the culprit than make sure that first he is in a properly sized tank (fish bowls are not suitable) and that the water is clean, and your aquarium temperature is kept at 78-82F. If he doesn't respond in a few days try feeding him tiny pieces of cooked pea's to clean his digestive system out and your betta should go back to normal activity.

my betta fish is laying on it's side

If you find your betta fish is laying on it's side than likely he is suffering from swim bladder disease which can cause your fish to swim erratically. This is can be caused by constipation due to over feeding or other illness. You may notice him swimming to the bottom of the tank and floating back to the surface, going in circles or laying on his side at the bottom of your tank.

Swim bladder disease is easily treatable first stop feeding the sick fish for a few days. Than feed him a cooked pea cut into very tiny pieces with the shell removed to relieve any constipation. Make sure that the water conditions in your tank are clean and that any gravel or decorations are cleaned using just hot water (no soap)

If after trying this treatment and find yourself still saying "help my betta fish is sick!" or your betta's condition doesn't change than he may be suffering from a bacterial infection or other parasite.

Download The Complete Sick Betta Fish Care Guide

Remember prevention and proper care is always the best strategy to avoid having a sick betta fish. But with quick treatment most problems can be easily reversed and your friend can go on to live a long happy life. 

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Some Amazing Betta Fish Facts

betta-fish-facts-01.jpgHere are some top betta fish facts that will help you understand one of the most popular exotic pets. This information is not only very interesting but should help you keep your betta healthy and happy for many years to come. 

Origin And Other Names:

The betta fish is also commonly referred to as siamese fighting fish or the Beta Fighting Fish. It finds it's origins in thailand and is a part of the "osphronemidae" family of fish. While most betta's you see today are bred locally due to the high cost of acquiring a wild specimen they can still grow quite large with the average size being 2.5 to 3 inches in length.

What Do Betta's Eat

Betta's are known to be picky eaters In the wild they typically will eat insect larvae and other small organisms, for domestic pets the usual food is betta either betta flakes or pellets that you can get in most pet stores. Proper betta fish feeding should be two to three pellets/flakes twice a day, with a one day weekly fasting  to help maintain proper health and  clean out their digestive systems.

They are also known to enjoy brine shrimp, mosquito larvae and blood worms.  As with all good betta fish care habitsbe sure to remove any uneaten food as this is beneficial to keeping the tank environment clean.

5 More Betta Fish Facts

  1. There are currently 65 different species of betta fish.
  2. Betta Splendens are the most common betta sold in the united states. they are also known as Siamese Fighting Fish.
  3. Betta came originally from thailand and can be found in south east asia Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and certain parts of China
  4. Male Betta’s are very aggressive and territorial and will attack another male if put in a close proximity, because of this it is best to keep them separate.
  5. Betta fish were first bred to fight in the 1800′s in China

betta-fish-facts-02.jpg

Proper Tank Environment

The optimum tank temperature should be between 75-85 Degrees Fahrenheit, with special care taken to monitor ammonia  levels on new tanks that commonly build up killing or making your betta sick. Be sure to wash your tank properly and change the water on a regular basis to maximize the life span of your betta.

The average lifespan of a typical domestic betta fish on average is between two and four years with those kept in a well maintained aquarium reaching more than a six year life span.

Here's a little known fact that might amaze you. betta's have a unique organ (respiratory) that will allow them to breath air right from the surface.  They must have access to the surface of the water so that they can breath directly from the air.. It is important to overall good betta health to allow good ventilation from the outside.

 

Where did betta fish come from

Todays betta fish, the ones that you see for sale in most pet stores a result of careful breeding. It was first bred in 1997 by a breeder in Indonesia to enhance certain characteristics such as more vibrant and beautiful coloring and longer fins and tails. their aggressive nature was increased making them known as they are today as "siamese fighting fish" 

A fact that is not well known is that In the wild betta fish live in shallow water and love to jump as this ability allowed them to go from one shallow pool to the next.  This characteristic remains in the modern bred version of betta's and for this reason keeping a lid on your tank is highly recommended.

They first originated from thailand and live in rice paddies and small pools of shallow water where jumping from puddle to puddle was necessary to their continued survival. It is a fact that betta fish are very closely related to gouramis which also breath directly from the surface.  

 

How Do I Setup Betta Fish Aquariums Properly?

Tips on Setting Up Betta Fish Tanks

setting-up-a-betta-fish-tank-01.jpgSo you have a betta and now need some advice on setting up betta fish tanks. Having a properly set up aquarium is a very important step in overall betta fish care practices. We will explain how you can set up your aquarium so that your betta will be happy, healthy and hopefully live a long life. 

While many people use a bowl or vase to put there bettas in this is a very bad idea and will drastically affect the health and lifespan of your fish. 

The smallest tank size you should consider is about  2.5 gallons Ideally, but ideally you should aim for a 5 to 10 gallon aquarium.  

Some Items You Will Need

A filter to keep the water clean, a poor dirty environment can lead to various betta fish diseases and drastically shorten your betta's life.. The tank filter should have a an adjustable flow.

 A tank heater, and to monitor the temperature of your water also a thermometer. The ideal temperature for your betta is between 75 and 80 degrees F.  If the water is too hot it can breed bacteria that may lead to a sick betta fish and if too cold your betta may become "stressed" Smooth sand or gravel for your tank bottom in a neutral color to enhance your bettas color. be careful of using any rough substances as that can harm or tear your betta's fins. 

Tank decorations to enhance your betta's environment and add visual appeal to your new betta tank. Becareful to use only smooth decorations and be sure to add a cave or two as betta's love to swim through them. Silk or live plants are also a good idea and avoid using any plastic as they may also harm your betta.

Putting Together Your Betta Fish Tank

Ideally you want to place your tank away from any direct sunlight, after finding the ideal spot start placing your sand or gravel on the bottom of the tank and add your tank decorations. After fill the aquarium preferably with water that has been treated with a water conditioner which you can get at any pet store, after which you may add your plants

Setup and install your water heater and filtering system making sure they are working properly and than finally assemble the hood your betta is now ready for his (or hers) new home!

If you would like more information about setting up betta fish tanks and maximizing your bettas health sign up for our free 12 lesson course that will show you everything you need to know to have the happiest most gorgeous betta around!