Betta Fish Diseases - Part 3

Betta Fish Diseases

If your fish is well cared for then disease should not occur
very often. When your fish do become ill you should act
immediately. This topic is so broad that I can only give a
general outline here. As ominous as these diseases sound you
should be aware that most are easily treatable if you recognize
the signs and treat your fish quickly. As always Prevention is
the best cure.

It should be noted that this is for your general knowledge and
while all attempts have been made regarding accuracy of content
we can not be held responsible for any action taken on your part
as a result of this information. You should always consult a
qualified expert in the care and treatment of your fish.

In general fish diseases can be catagorized as either
Environmental, Bacterial or Parasitic.

Environmental has everything to do with the condition and set up
of your fish's home. A well maintained fish tank or bowl will
virtually eliminate these types of diseases.

Bacteria exists in all tanks and in most cases this is not a bad
thing. However when your Betta is stressed some bacteria can and
will infect your fish and cause its health to decline. This is
usually a slow process but in some cases it can spread rapidly
leading to the death of one or more of your fish in a matter of
hours.

Parasites are tiny creatures that feed off of your fish. The
most common parasite is known as Oödinium and the little buggers
can strike down every fish in your tank.

Below are listed some of the most common forms of these Diseases.

Ammonia poisioning

Environmental

Description:

Ammonia poisoning can occur for any or all of the following
reasons and is probably the number one cause of death in
cultured fish.

Occurances:

When a tank is newly set up. When you add too many new fish to a
tank at one time. When the filter fails. When bacterial colonies
die off because of medications or sudden changes in water
conditions.

Symptoms:

Fish gasp for breath at the water surface. Purple or red gills.
(Fish appears to be bleeding) Fish is lethargic Loss of appetite
Fish lays at the bottom of the tank Red streaking on the fins or
body

Ammonia poisoning can take days or appear suddenly.Usually you
will notice your fish gasping for air at the waters
surface.Since it is not uncommon for Betta fish to breath on the
surface, it is important for Betta owners to know their fish in
order to spot the changes. The gills may appear to be bleeding
by turning a reddish or lilac color. The most obvious sign you
will notice is that your Betta will become very lethargic and
stop eating. Sometimes your Betta will simply close its fins and
lay on the bottom of the tank.

If untreated the poisoning will eventually do tissue damage
which will appear as red streaks or bloody patches on the body
and fins. Internal damage occurs to the brain, organs, and
central nervous system. Unchecked your Betta will hemorrhage
internally and eventually die.

Treatment:

Lower the tanks pH below 7.0 Change 25 - 50% of the tanks water.
(use aged water) Apply neutralizing ammonia chemical like AmQuel
(available at pet supply store) Reduce feeding. (the uneaten
food will only increase problems)

Using your test kit;

Begin treatment immediately if the ammonia level rises above 1
ppm. Lower the pH of the water to provide immediate relief.
Change 50% of the tanks water.(be sure to use aged water and
make sure that it is the same temperature as the aquarium). You
may need to change water several times over a short period to
drop the ammonia to below 1 ppm. Only use the neutralizing
chemical if the fish are in severe distress. Restricted feedings
to reduce waste. If the ammonia levels are extremely high then
discontinue feedings outright. (sometimes for several days.) Do
not add new fish to the tank until ammonia and nitrite levels
have fallen to zero.

Testing ammonia and pH levels are critical. Ammonia toxicity
increases as the pH level rises above 7.0.

General rules of thumb.

Your fish are under stress as soon as a level of 1 ppm or 1 mg/l
of ammonia is detected even if they show no outward appearance
of being stressed. Even levels lower than 1ppm can cause your
fish to die if they are exposed to ammonia for a prolonged
period. Do not stop daily tests and treatment until the ammonia
drops to zero. Unfortunately you may still lose some fish even
after the ammonia levels drop off as the fish was exposed for
too long.

Prevention:

The key to avoiding fish death from ammonia poisoning is to
avoid ammonia spikes in the first place. To do this you should;

Stock new tanks slowly. Avoid overstocking. Do not overfeed and
remove uneaten food after 5 minutes. Change water regularly (The
more populated your tank the more often the change) Test water
for ammonia at least twice a month. If the filter stops, test
for ammonia twenty-four hours later to ensure that the bacterial
colonies that eliminate wastes were not affected. Anytime a fish
appears to be ill, test for ammonia to rule out ammonia
poisoning. Clean the tank weekly.

If your ammonia levels stay high then use Jungle Labs Ammonia
Chloramine Eliminator: ACE to quickly convert ammonia to its
nontoxic form.

Nitrite Poisoning

Environmental

Also know as: Brown Blood Disease, Nitrite

Description:

After ammonia, nitrite poisoning is the major killer of cultured
fish. Be warned that if you have had ammonia problems then the
nitrite levels will rise as well and your fish will be at risk
from this new threat. Anytime ammonia levels are elevated you
can be sure that elevated levels of nitrites will soon follow.

Symptoms:

Fish gasp for breath at the water surface. Fish hang near water
outlets trying to obtain more oxygen. Rapid gill movement
(oxygen) Fish become lethargic. Gills take on a brownish hue.

The same precautions apply to nitrite poisoning as ammonia
poisoning. Always test levels;

When setting up a new tank. When adding new fish to an
established tank. When the filter fails. When applying
medications to your fish.

The reason this disease is also known as 'brown blood disease'
is because the blood takes on a brown hue from an increase of
methemoglobin. Besides changing the blood's color, methemoglobin
reduces the blood's ability to carry oxygen which will
eventually cause the poor fish to suffocate.

Nitrite poisoning affects species of fish differently. Some
species will die suddenly without showing any signs of illness
while other species may only become lethargic. Those that become
lethargic run the risk of secondary problems if exposed to
nitrite for extended periods of time. Their immune system
weakens and increases the likelyhood of developing diseases such
as bacterial infection, fin rot and ich, to name just a few. If
left untreated all species will suffer gill, blood cell and
liver damage as a result of the methemoglobin levels and
eventually they will perish by suffocation or one of the
secondary diseases.

Treatment:

Large water change Add one half ounce of salt/gallon of water
(aquarium salt - NOT table salt) to prevent methemoglobin from
building up. Reduce feeding. Aeration should be increased to
saturate the water with oxygen. Do not add new fish to the tank
until ammonia and nitrite levels reach zero. Test daily until
nitrite is completely gone. (Nitrite is far more lethal at low
levels than ammonia so it is imperitive that you get it to zero
before you stop daily testing.)

Prevention:

Stock new tanks slowly Feed sparingly and remove uneaten food
Change water regularly Test water regularly to catch problems
early Always test the water for nitrite after an ammonia spike
has occured as there will be a nitrite increase later.

The same prevention proceedures apply for nitrites as you would
use for ammonia.

For Bacterial Diseases see Betta Fish Diseases - Part 4

For Parasitic Diseases see Betta Fish Diseases - Part 5

If you need further help you can find more info at;

Betta Fish Diseases