Betta Fish Diseases - Part 2

Betta Fish Diseases

Fin Rot

The symptoms of fin rot are usually pretty obvious, thinning or
shredding fins, the edges turn brownish, small holes
begin to appear and the poor little creature just doesn't
look so hot. Well folks - that's a classic case of fin rot.

What is fin rot? Well in its simple sense, fin rot is a
bacterial infection usually brought on by poor water
conditions or from stress as a result of an illness.

How do you treat this infection? Normally you can treat
your Betta with a fungus eliminator available at most pet
stores. You should also be sure to keep your water clean
and fresh. As an aid to healing apply 1 teaspoon of aquarium
salt (not table salt) per gallon of water. Only add salt
during water changes as it will not evaporate from water
and will build up to toxic levels if added daily without
changing water. Salt helps your Betta breath better which
in turn speeds up recovery. To apply the fungal eliminator
be sure to check the dosage on the package but normaly you
would add 1/4 teaspoon per gallon of water every third day
until noticable improvement is seen in your fish.

Please note that salt can be used as a preventative measure
on a regular basis when changing water. Use only 1/4 teaspoon
per gallon when your fish are healthy to help them stay that
way.

If your Betta does not improve then you may be dealing with
Flexibacter columnaris which is often mistaken for a fungal
infection. Columnaris is also known as cotton mouth and you
should see white spots or paleness on the mouth and edges
of the fins and scales. If this is the case then you will have
to treat your fish with copper sulfate, antibiotics and chemicals.
Acriflavine, Furan, and Terramycin are the common
treatments. If you use carbon filters you will have to
discontinue filtration during treatment as the filter will
remove the medications from the tank.

Columnaris is highly contagious so fresh water changes are
a must and you should vacuum your gravel. Be sure to disinfect
all equipment (nets, vacuum etc) to avoid spreading the disease.
In chronic cases columnaris can appear slowly and take several
days before killing your fish. In acute cases it has been known
to kill entire populations of fish in a matter of hours. High
water temperatures helps the disease spread rapidly. Unfortnately
lowering the temperature will only slow it down but will not stop
it. If your Betta has columnaris be sure to get treatment quickly.

How to prevent fin rot and columnaris? You can greatly reduce all
types of illnesses by following a few simple steps. Quarantine all
new fish for two weeks. (pet stores are the biggest source of
disease) Maintain high water quality and provide fish with a well
balanced diet. Always disinfect all equipment before each use to
avoid spreading bacterium. These simple steps greatly reduce stress
on all your fish and stress is the single largest contriutor to
disease. Common sense - sure, but many fail to look after their fish
properly so it is aways worth repeating these basic tenents of fish
keeping.

If you would like more information on fin rot, columnaris or several
other common Betta diseases you can visit us at;

Betta Fish

Betta Fish Diseases