The most common diseases of betta fish, methods of their treatment

• Disease Prevention
• Fin rot
• Ichthyophthiriasis (semolina)
• Treatment of fish with saline solution
• Exophthalmia (bulging eyes)
• Dropsy
• Oodiniosis: stuck together fins
• Columnaria
• Video - fish diseases (bettas)

Have you noticed in the pet store plastic containers with brightly colored fish with huge fins, gracefully swimming among algae and castles? This is the most beautiful species of fish called Betta splendens, also known as betta fish. Aquarists adore these fish, because they are easy to care for, but they are prone to various diseases.

Proper care, attentiveness, and compliance with a number of rules will help you avoid illnesses of your beloved pets and prolong life expectancy. Knowing what diseases a betta fish can develop and their signs, you can be calm about the health of your pet, which will delight you with its beauty and incredible grace for many years.

In this article, experts will tell you what diseases of betta fish exist and how to treat them. So, let's go.

Fin rot

A common cause of fin rot is bad water, which can happen due to poor-quality filter or siphon operation, overcrowding of the aquarium, or untimely cleaning. The disease is bacterial and is transmitted between fish. Externally, the fins look frayed, rotting, and you can see that they are stuck together. Additional symptoms include discoloration, sores on the body, and lethargic behavior.

Fin rot in betta fish is noticeable even in the early stages. Check your pet daily.

Without treatment, the cockerel will soon die. Having noticed the first symptoms of the disease, you must:

1. Remove the specimen with a separate net and place it in a container with clean water suitable for keeping fish.
2. Empty the aquarium completely, wash with hot water without soap, and clean the corners of accumulated dirt.
3. Rinse the contents and soak in hot water for 10 minutes; place live plants in warm water. Next, everything is dried in air.
4. To clean the soil, use the hottest water possible.
5. A cleaned and dry aquarium is filled with dechlorinated or conditioned water at a temperature of 26-27 degrees.
6. The water filter is washed to remove mucus in aquarium water.
7. Before releasing the fish, you need to measure the pH level; its value should be between 7-8. Ammonia, nitrites and nitrates should not exceed 40 parts per million (pmm).
8. Having settled the inhabitants of the aquarium, including the sick betta fish, an antibacterial or antifungal drug, for example AntiBak, is added to the water.

If cleansing does not bring results, the individual feels worse after a few days, lies on the bottom and practically does not swim, use antibacterial agents:

• Biomycin;
• Streptocide;
• Malachite green and others.

The drugs are used according to the instructions, the duration of therapy is 60 days. You need to choose products without organic dyes, they are harmful to many types of fish. For the purpose of prevention, you can add 1-2 drops of tea tree oil or table salt 20g/4l to the water.

It is important to provide your pets with oxygen after treatment; for this, an air compressor or air nebulizer is installed.

Diseases and treatment

Fin rot

Pseudomonosis is especially painful in cockerels, because their fluttering, lush fins become peeling and rotting. If left untreated, it completely eats away the skin of the fin, leaving only the fin rays.

Causes: The bacteria that cause fin rot are constantly present in the aquarium and do not cause harm if there is no reason for the sudden development. These include:

• Soil contamination with waste and food.
• High reservoir population density.
• Violation of the chemical characteristics of water or biobalance.
• Infections acquired by new inhabitants.
• Poor water filtration.
• Lack of aquarium cleaning.

Symptoms: fading of the bright color of the cockerel, fins stick together, the skin puffs up and peels, the cornea of ​​the eye is cloudy, ulcers form at the roots of the fins, holes appear, the skin of the fins decomposes, only rays remain.

Treatment: medications to combat bacterial and fungal diseases. Baths with table salt, malachite green, and bicillin also help. Specialized preparations have been developed to combat fin rot.

Prevention: maintaining cleanliness and timely cleaning of the soil, having a powerful filter.

Dropsy

A dangerous disease in fish that is classified as bacterial, but it is also caused by parasites. Dropsy is characterized by swelling of individual parts of the body or the entire body. But dropsy is usually considered a symptom for more serious diseases. The most common: mycobacteriosis, aeromonosis, hexamitosis.

The disease does not affect all representatives at the same time - in fish with strong immunity, dropsy may not develop at all. Young animals suffer more often. The first place that dropsy affects is the intestines, because bacteria and parasites enter the digestive organs through the mouth. The excrement takes on an unhealthy color and becomes covered with mucus. Fish are not able to fully digest food, but sometimes still continue to eat it. Gradually other internal organs are affected. When the disease reaches the kidneys and they do not perform their work, a characteristic sign of dropsy appears - the body swells with internal fluid, causing bulging eyes and raising of the scales.

Reasons: bacteria, parasites, kidney problems, long-term stress, sudden and frequent temperature changes, low-quality food, mainly from the meat of warm-blooded animals.

Symptoms: swelling of the abdominal cavity, bulging eyes, mucus in the excrement, white mucous pieces of intestine protruding from the anus.

Treatment: medications and food depending on the cause of the disease.

Prevention: keeping the aquarium clean, maintaining immunity, varied diet.

Bulging eyes (exophthalmia)

Aquarists classify exophthalmia or bulging eyes both as a separate, isolated disease, and as one of the symptoms of more serious diseases. More often caused by parasitic inhabitants of the body, infection. It usually appears together with dropsy - the accumulation of fluid in the insides of the fish.

During exophthalmia, fluid accumulates behind the eyeball and gradually penetrates into the eye itself. Either one or both eyes may be affected.

Causes: bacterial diseases, infection, fungal diseases, insufficient amount of vitamins in food due to a monotonous diet, abnormal physiological processes, viruses, eye flukes. Poor water quality, chemical additives, nitrates, and toxins contribute to the development of the disease.

Symptoms: cloudiness of the membranes of the eyes, one or both eyes bulge, possibly even falling out of the orbits. Appetite worsens, fish activity decreases, cowardice and photophobia appear.

Treatment: establish the causes of the disease: infection, parasites, viruses, bacteria and get rid of the cause of the disease with the help of medications. If the cornea becomes cloudy (which indicates poor-quality water composition), replace part of the water every 2 days.

Prevention: Timely cleaning of the aquarium.

Costiosis

Ichthyobodosis or costiosis (an outdated name) is caused by a single-celled ichthyobodo, a flagellated parasite. It especially often affects young fish that are prepared for sale - after all, they live in cramped conditions. It is quickly transmitted to all fish of any species. Adult fish get sick less often, but they carry ichthyobodo and infect others upon contact. These parasites are hardy, it is quite difficult to recognize and destroy them, because they tolerate low and high temperatures and are indifferent to the acidity of water.

It is difficult to save fish affected by ichthyobodosis.

Causes: caused by parasites when introducing sick fish that have not passed quarantine, feeding with contaminated and untreated live food, undisinfected soil.

Symptoms: the betta experiences severe itching of the skin, so it begins to rub and itch against the walls of the aquarium, plant stems, and stones. Motor functions are impaired, the fish does not swim smoothly, but makes sharp, angular movements. Often swims not head first, but sideways. Small blue-gray spots appear on the skin. The fish feels suffocated and lack of oxygen due to mucus accumulating on the surface of the body, gills, and fins. No appetite.

Treatment: immediately after detecting ichthyobosis, prepare a container for a salt bath. Place sick fish there 3 times a day for 10 minutes. Salt concentration: 1 teaspoon of table salt per liter of clean water. Strengthen the effect of salt with the help of a crystal of potassium permanganate.

Prevention: quarantine for purchased fish.

Columnaria

A common disease of aquarium fish. Columnaria is also called oral fungus, because the external manifestations of the disease are similar to a fungal infection.

Causes: the causative agent of the disease is bacteria that live in freshwater reservoirs. They are often found in tropical fish species, because for successful reproduction, bacteria require high temperature, which is present in tropical representatives. They are especially active in cramped conditions, where bacteria are quickly transmitted through fish contact. Therefore, a small aquarium or overcrowding, uncleanliness of the aquarist and contamination of the aquarium with waste and food lead to the creation of a favorable environment for the development of Columnaria. Another reason is the lack of oxygen in the water, which often happens if the filter is not working well.

Symptoms: detachment, detachment from the surrounding world, the fish does not perceive the surrounding world. The cockerel spends a long time in one place (usually huddled in a shelter or vegetation) and does not swim. Gray-white spots similar to cotton wool and fluff form on the head, lips, mouth area, gills, and fins. If left untreated, bacteria at the site of the white spots eat away the skin and muscles, and the gills decompose.

Treatment: reducing water hardness and acidity helps. Salt baths and antibiotics help.

Prevention: Avoid overpopulation of fish.

Oodiniosis (velvet disease)

Velveteen disease or oodiniosis, or velvet disease is a disease caused by the parasite odonum. The external manifestations of oodiniosis are similar to ichthyophthyriosis, but the difference lies in the color of the growths on the skin. With ichthyophthyriasis they are white, and with oodiniosis they are yellowish.

Infection and development of the disease occurs quickly. If you look at the moment of the first manifestations of corduroy disease, the fish will be difficult to cure, sometimes even impossible.

Reasons: overcrowding, high water temperature, failure to keep the aquarium clean.

Symptoms: small nodules that resemble golden dust or flour form on the body and fins. The behavior of fish varies: some swim nervously, rub against walls and plants due to itchy skin, others are inactive, staying in one place in the shade for a long time. In cockerels, the long fins stick together due to mucus and hang in a lump. Later, the skin of the fins between the rays rots. Parasites increase the secretion of mucus, which causes lack of air and suffocation.

Treatment: sick fish are transplanted into a separate tank with a temperature of 26 degrees. They are treated with a solution of malachite green or trypaflavin, and then fed with small amounts of live food. Then the next day treat with copper sulfate and raise the temperature to 30 degrees. Process all equipment and aquarium.

Prevention: keeping the aquarium clean.

Ichthyophthiriasis (semolina)

Ichthyophthyriosis is a fish disease caused by the ciliated ciliates Ichthyophthirius. In large bodies of water, where there is a constant change of water, the disease develops weakly, but in closed systems, especially in aquariums, ciliates quickly infect all inhabitants.

Aquarists often believe that these ciliates live in any water and the fish organism can easily cope with them. But this is not so - ichthyophthirius find themselves in a new environment through the introduction of new fish, decorations that have not undergone sterilization. More often, representatives with light colors become carriers of ichthyophthirius, since the symptoms of parasites are not visible on them.

Reasons: lack of quarantine for newly purchased fish, lack of disinfection, untimely cleaning of the aquarium, pollution, overfeeding, high density of fish in the aquarium, low temperature.

Symptoms: white spots of ichthyophthyriasis appear on the body of the betta fish, which look like semolina granules. Lethargy, lack of appetite, difficulty breathing, itchy skin.

Treatment: to destroy the parasites that are on the surface of the skin of the fish, living in the water column, medications that have a strong effect, but do not affect the fish, help. Ichthyophthirius also do not like high temperatures, so 35 degrees will shorten the life cycle of the parasites and kill them.

Prevention: all new fish are quarantined and the aquarium is kept clean.

Gill flukes

A fish infected with gill flukes or monogeneas, which were not detected in time, dies from insufficient air or asphyxia.

Reasons: the introduction of new fish of exotic breeds into the aquarium, which were recently caught from the wild and were not quarantined. Infection rarely occurs with untreated live food.

Symptoms: the skin and gills of the betta are covered with thick mucus, which interferes with breathing, the color fades, the body swells, the gills protrude to the sides. Swelling of the gills is also observed. The patient refuses food and spends all his time lying on the bottom. Rarely does an aquarist himself see gill flukes when they reach large sizes and protrude from the gills due to lack of space.

Treatment: to get rid of gill flukes, baths with formalin, potassium permanganate, very weak ammonia, chlorophos and karbofos are effective. Feed the fish rarely and in small portions. Place sick fish in a separate container to prevent further spread of the disease.

Prevention: feed frozen rather than live food, keep the aquarium clean, change some of the water every week, monitor water parameters.

Ichthyophthiriasis

The causative agent of ichthyophthirosis or “white semolina” in cockerels is a ciliated ciliate. Parasites can come from live food, equipment or a sick individual . The cause of the disease is also considered to be stress due to low temperature and hard water. Signs of the disease can be detected approximately 4-6 days after infection, the pathology manifests itself:

• white coating on the skin, gills, fins, resembling semolina in appearance;
• rapid breathing;
• loss of appetite;
• friction against plants and other objects;
• lack of response to stimuli.

Semolina is a telling name for ichthyophthyriosis. It's easy to identify.

Ichthyophthiriasis is not considered a serious disease; to treat it, the infected cockerel is placed in a separate container, where the water temperature should be 30 degrees. Therapy is carried out: Malachite green, Bicillin-5, Antipar. Salt is added to the same water.

Costiosis in cockerels

The disease is caused by a parasite of the flagellated species Ichtyobodo necatrix. It clings to the fish with its flagella. This causes damage to the gills and skin.

It can occur when introducing a new pet that has not passed quarantine, or when using untreated soil or an unwashed plant.

As a result of exposure to this parasite, the skin is damaged and mucus is produced heavily.

The damaged fish begins to itch against the glass wall of the aquarium or against hard objects, loses appetite, and the body is covered with gray-blue spots (like a veil). The gills are covered in a thick layer of mucus, the fins stick together. A fish swims turning on its side. Most often the pet dies.

If a disease is detected, you must urgently move the cockerel to a separate aquarium, dissolving 5 crystals of potassium permanganate there.

For baths, use methylene blue, trypaflavin, bicillin.

The eggs of the parasite are resistant to external influences. To prevent the recurrence of bone disease, treatment should be carried out in quarantine.

Exophthalmia

If your bettas have a bulging or swollen eye, the water should be tested for nitrite, nitrate and ammonia. Inflated values ​​require a partial change of fluid at the same temperature, so as not to cause stress and even greater protrusion.

Bug eyes in a cockerel are not a disease, but a symptom.

The cause of the disease is also considered to be an inappropriate amount of pH in the water and hardness; other factors are:

Mycobacteriosis

Therapy for “fish tuberculosis” is carried out with antibiotics, it is quite long, and after that it is necessary to take vitamins. The eyes of a cured cockerel do not return to place, it becomes unsuitable for procreation, medications only prolong life.

Aeromonosis, pseudomonosis, viral infection

All these diseases have similar symptoms: the appearance of red spots, bulging eyes, ruffled scales, ascites. Treatment is carried out with the drug Antibak-250, its effectiveness is high at the stage of bulging eyes, further therapy is practically pointless.

Protozoal or helminthic infestations

The choice of medication depends on the type of worm. Helminthiasis is eliminated by Azinox, Biltricide, Praziquantel. If necessary, medications for betta fish can be replaced with medications from a regular or veterinary pharmacy.

Systemic infections

If water changes do not help and other infected individuals begin to appear, the cause of bulging eyes will lie in systemic bacterial infections such as columnarium or vibriosis. In addition to bulging eyes, fish can be covered with a grayish coating that even affects the oral cavity. The fish finds it difficult to breathe, it sways near the surface, and its fins begin to fall apart. These symptoms are visible in the photo of a betta fish whose disease has become severe. If such diseases are suspected, treatment should be started as early as possible; they are quickly transmitted and can cause mass fish deaths.

To treat bacterial infections, antibiotics are used, which are added to the water or applied directly to the affected parts of the fish. Treatment should be carried out in a common aquarium; it is useless to remove affected fish, as the disease spreads too quickly.

To prevent bacterial infections, you can use an aquarium UV sterilizer, the radiation of which kills most harmful bacteria, as well as parasites and single-celled algae. Of course, this does not cancel regular water changes and soil care in the aquarium.

Dropsy

Ascites is caused by metabolic disorders, improper feeding, Ichthyosporidium fungus, bacterial and viral infection.

With dropsy, the body swells, the scales become ruffled, and bruises become visible underneath.

In addition to a bloated abdomen, loss of appetite and lethargy, external signs of dropsy in males include:

• ruffled scales;
• redness on the belly or fins;
• ulcerative lesions;
• bruising;
• long white feces;
• rapid breathing;
• bulging eyes and lightening of the gills;
• fluid accumulated in the organs, leading to discoloration.

Basically, dropsy leads to the death of betta fish. You can try to cure the initial stages of the disease using oral medications: Sera bakto tabs, Sera baktopur direct, Sera cyprinopur, Furan-2, Sera ectopur. The water temperature should be 26-28 degrees.

If therapy is unsuccessful, the cockerels are killed, the aquarium and its contents are disinfected.

Tags

dry food or dry food dry food. feeding time was dry food after eating food. frozen food. he was fed already with food. the best food for which bettas start for the betta is food. Cockerels are more Cockerels in raising cockerels should the failure of the cockerel to flex the cockerel. The adaptation of the cockerel to starvation of the cockerel is the death of the cockerel. Fishes Betta fishAlthough the cockerel fishif the fish is a cockerelthat the fish will die.time the fish mustBetta fish eatwhich the fish cockerel the fish completelythis the fish cockerelof the habitual aquarium in the volume of the aquarium not in the aquarium not in the aquarium is contained

malesfightingfemalescarebetta

Oodiniosis

The disease in males is provoked by poor quality care, hypothermia, and infection from other individuals. The main manifestation of oodinosis is the presence of a yellow coating on the body; other signs include:

• breaking and ruffled scales;
• paleness;
• rapid breathing;
• drooping and stuck together fins.

Oodinosis or corduroy disease. Over time, plaque covers the entire body of the fish.

Therapy for “corduroy disease” can be carried out: Antipar, Ichthyof, Formamed, Seraoodinopur water condenser. The drugs are used for all betta fish, even if one is sick, otherwise they will infect each other. The aquarium and accessories are disinfected. During the quarantine period, the water temperature is increased.

When being at the bottom is normal

Sometimes strange behavior is a manifestation of the fish’s natural instincts. Therefore, do not rush to worry if the cockerel lies on the bottom - perhaps this is his natural behavior. These fish live in ponds with stagnant water, so sometimes they are more comfortable at the bottom of the aquarium, where they will not be carried away by the current.

Although there is no water flow in the tank, the fish obeys its instincts. Bettas also like to lean on resting objects and rest. Or they may just doze off. At the bottom, the pet gets acquainted with the new environment and adapts to the new home. In addition, here he is not disturbed by other inhabitants of the aquarium. If you just stocked your betta, he will stay on the bottom for a while. Wait 2-3 days - the fish will get used to its new home and begin to behave as usual.

Columnaria

The causes of the disease are overpopulation with fish, increased organic content, and untimely supply of feed. “Mouth fungus” manifests itself as an increase in the area under the gills, without ruffling of scales and protruding eyes as with ascites, and also:

• lethargy;
• secrecy;
• dark coating on the gills;
• the appearance of plaque on the fins and in the mouth area;
• deformation of the muzzle;
• lack of response to stimuli;
• fin compression;
• unnatural way of swimming with worm-like movements;
• refusal to feed, weight loss and the appearance of a hump due to a sunken abdomen;
• blurred eyes.

Columnaria has many symptoms.

The disease is not always easy to diagnose; there may be no clear signs, but the bacteria will actively multiply in the general aquarium. In the most severe case, the inhabitants die within 2 days; if the betta fish gets a mild form of the disease, 1-2 fish will die per month.

Columnaria blight is differentiated from saprolegnia by external signs. The latter has mold, similar to cotton wool, in which threads are visible. In the first case, the coating is homogeneous and velvety. What distinguishes it from helminthic infestations is its localization; with columnarium, only the fins and mouth are affected, the fish do not itch on equipment and plants. It is also important not to confuse abdominal distension with ascites, pregnancy and obesity, or the pseudotuberculosis form with tuberculosis.

To treat cockerels, antibiotics of the tetracycline group are used, others are possible, but in practice, the effect will not be sufficient. Suitable pharmaceutical products are:

• Tetracycline;
• Metacycline;
• Doxycycline.

In epidemic situations, a combination of Doxycillin (2 capsules/100 l) and Beseptol-480 (1.5 tablets/100 l) can be used. In severe cases, the dosage of the first can be increased up to 2 times, the rate of the second remedy remains the same.

Every day you need to replace 30% of the water and add medications at the rate of 1 capsule/100 l of Doxacillin and 0.5 tablets/100 l of Biseptol-480. The gill form generally leads to death, but you can try to prolong the life of the cockerels by first bathing in a concentrated salt liquid of 5-10 g/1 l with a gradual increase in the amount of salt.

On the third day of treatment for the disease, you can use means that promote the recovery process. For this purpose, propolis extract 1 tsp/100 l is suitable, which is added every other day. Bettas may react by scratching, but this is normal and usually goes away within half an hour. After treatment, it is necessary to start biofiltration or it is necessary to ensure that ammonia and nitrates do not appear in the liquid.

During therapy for 5-7 days, the lights in the aquarium should be turned off and the windows closed from sunlight. It is turned on for 2-3 hours a day before feeding and changing water, so as not to destroy the vegetation.

The cockerel does not eat food. What to do?

Tobolich Daria

So, I decided to start a new topic so as not to lump everything into a heap. Petka seems to be getting better, he has started swimming around the aquarium, exploring his possessions, and playing with the mirror. But he doesn’t eat dry food at all (SERA Flocken-Menu) But he happily eats live bloodworms... And when I throw a bloodworm, the bloodworm falls to the bottom - zero reaction. A little bird is swimming around the water and suddenly sees that on its territory some red worm is waving its tail. ALL! Petka straightens his fins, fluffs up, looks intently at the worm with the expression: “Have you forgotten, whose territory are you on?!” " and eats the worm. If the worm didn’t wag its tail, it’s not a fact that the little bird would eat it... So what should I do?.. Should I go to the other end of the city to get a live bloodworm, how can I transfer it to dry food?..

Mycobacteriosis

The causative agent of the disease in males is the gram-positive bacillus Micobacterium piscum. It affects internal organs, and many individuals become ill at the same time. The microorganism can come from food, plants and soil from water bodies, through contaminated equipment and water from another aquarium, or through fish.

Mycobacteriosis is also known as fish tuberculosis.

Symptoms include:

• lethargy;
• drooping tail;
• refusal of food;
• the fish lying on the bottom with its head and tail raised;
• exhaustion;
• loss of scales and formation of ulcers;
• black spots on the body;
• bulging eyes;
• darkening of the eyes.

The duration of the disease ranges from several days to several months. Then the cockerel fish dies. Infected individuals are destroyed, equipment is disinfected with a solution of 3% chloramine or 5% bleach. You can try to treat individuals, but the results are rarely positive. Therapy is carried out in a separate container. Doxycycline or Monocycline 30 mg/10 l is added to the water for 10 days. You can also use Oxytetracycline 150 mg/10 l, Tetracycline 0.2 g/10 l. The course is repeated after 30 days. In an aquarium with sick cockerels, ozonation is carried out.

One feeding per day should contain Rifampicin or Kanamycin. Bloodworms are soaked in a solution of the latter for 30-60 minutes at a dosage of 1g/100ml of liquid. The same agents are poured into water. If an individual refuses food, the dosage of Kanamycin for water in this case is 3g/100l, Rifampicin 600mg/100l.

Types of aquarium fish diseases

If it seems that something is wrong with the fish, you need to pay attention to the symptoms, this will help cope with the disease. There are three types of problems that can make fish sick, and the treatment will depend on this.

• Water quality. Fish stay near the surface of the water, often breathe or even suffocate. They lose coordination and control of movements; in severe cases, the fish fall to the ground and die. Symptoms appear suddenly and can spread quickly, affecting the entire aquarium population. It is necessary to test the water for ammonia and nitrate content and replace at least a third of the volume of the aquarium.
• Infectious diseases. They are provoked by pathogens (bacteria, fungi), cause damage to the fins, coordination of movements is impaired, the fish are inactive and refuse to feed. Depending on the infection, skin symptoms appear: white spots, redness, death of scales. Symptoms begin in one fish and gradually spread to the entire population. Affected individuals should be placed in a separate quarantine aquarium and symptoms observed in an attempt to determine the disease.
• Invasive diseases. They are caused by parasites of animal origin. They can affect the skin of the fish, causing it to itch, the gills are also affected and breathing is impaired. Or parasites settle in the internal organs of the fish, causing gradual exhaustion and death of the fish.

Viremia (rubella of cyprinids)

The disease, the causative agent of which is a virus from the group of rhabdoviruses, has a seasonality; it often appears in the spring.

The causes are considered to be poisoning with nitrogenous compounds and infection from other individuals. The appearance of hemorrhages is not immediately detected on cockerels of the same color, and they will also not be visible on blue, violet, lilac, turquoise, and emerald colors. Rubella can be diagnosed externally on white fish. Localization of spots appears near the head or chest. Signs also include:

• swelling of the body;
• ruffled scales;
• lethargy and loss of appetite;
• bulging eyes of one and two eyes.

After opening the betta fish, there is a noticeable accumulation of yellow liquid, which may contain blood. The color of the liver is uneven, it may be pale and have bloody spots in places. Treatment of rubella is carried out with the drug Sera Bactopur direct; the liquid must first be tested for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.

Why does the fish change color?

• Infectious disease or stress often results in an unusually dark coloration. This indicates physiological changes in the pet’s body.
• Dark coloring also occurs when there is a burn or injury. Tumors or local bacterial infections have similar symptoms. Severe cases, on the contrary, lead to complete loss of color.
• Extremely pale coloration is often a sign of tuberculosis or shock.
• Sometimes the fish's body becomes gray, or gray color predominates in certain areas. This means that the conditions in the aquarium are poor or the fish is fighting pathogens by producing a lot of mucus.
• Oodiniumosis appears yellowish in color.
• The red color that suddenly appears on the fish’s body is a consequence of damage. They can be caused by injury or external parasites. Also, the cause of the appearance of red areas may be alkalosis or acidosis. If the water in the aquarium is not changed regularly, the fish experience ammonia or other poisoning and become covered with red spots. Viral or systemic infections lead to numerous inflammations and hemorrhages, and this, in turn, is expressed in the appearance of red areas.
• With viral infections, areas of pale pink color can be seen on the fish's abdomen.
• The fins become discolored and covered with red stripes when affected by fin rot. The edges of the fins become flabby.
• The fish becomes unusually bright in color or takes on an unusual coloration - the reason often lies in nerve injury. Nerves are injured when aquarium inhabitants are exposed to hypoxia, poisoning, alkalosis and acidosis.

Injuries

Cockerels can get injured on sharp stones, decorations, or in a fight.

A minor injury to the betta will heal on its own, provided the water quality in the aquarium is good. If your pet is seriously injured, your help is needed.

To avoid this, you need to inspect the contents and also observe how your neighbors behave. Male bettas are often aggressive towards each other and other individuals. Therefore, it is not recommended to keep male fish together. Females are more peaceful, and conflicts occur much less frequently among them. Externally, injuries are identified by torn tails, fins and scales. If the damage is not severe, the betta fish should gradually recover on its own. To ensure rapid healing of mechanical damage, use:

• Methylene blue;
• Melafix;
• Black tea;
• Peat extract;
• Table salt 3g/1l.

Severe wounds are smeared with antibiotic ointment or a weak iodine solution. The cockerel can also be kept in a weak solution of furatsilin, manganese or other antiseptic. In case of poor chemical composition and hard water, wounds can become infected, which is why they do not heal for a long time or are affected by fungi.

It is important to distinguish mechanical damage from diseases that cause ulcers to appear on the body. To treat the latter, cleanliness, rest and treatment are not enough; the use of antibiotic baths will be required, depending on the pathogen.

Common problems

Symptoms of the disease are associated with deterioration in appearance, impaired visual and olfactory functions, problems with the gastrointestinal tract, impaired motor functions and the respiratory system.

Rules:

• If symptoms appear in all inhabitants at the same time, then the problem is usually in the environment: poor quality water, lack of oxygen in the water, low temperature, nitrates.
• If the problem affects only one species and not the other, then infectious diseases develop in the aquarium.
• If one inhabitant is sick, then there are problems with physical, mental illnesses, old age, injuries.

Conduct a thorough examination of the sick, check the water parameters and move the sick representatives to a quarantine tank.

Lies at the bottom

The most common symptom of the disease is the betta fish lying on the bottom.

Causes:

• Old age.
• Cool water reduces the activity of tropical fish, which is why they fall into a lethargic state: they stop responding to food, stay in one place, and the betta lies on the bottom and breathes heavily. The low acceptable threshold for tropical inhabitants is considered to be a water temperature of 19–20 degrees.
• If a pet is breathing heavily and lying on the bottom after moving, moving to another, unusual environment, a new aquarium, to other inhabitants, then this is completely normal. The cockerel is just stressed. After acclimatization, the betta will become active again after some time.
• But the symptom, when the inhabitant is breathing heavily while lying on the bottom, has more dangerous causes. One of them is chemical poisoning of the body. Check water indicators using tests, move the inhabitants to a favorable environment.

Diseases:

• Dropsy is a bloated body.
• Fin rot is a white coating on the fins, their rotting.
• Ichthyophthiriasis - white spots on the skin.
• Oodiniosis is a red coating and spots on the skin.
• Gill fluke - gills are covered with mucus, parasites are visible.
• Exophthalmia - bulging eyes.
• Saprolegniosis is a white fluffy coating on the head, body, tail, similar to mold spores. Treatment with baths with salt and malachite green, antibiotics.

The course of treatment depends on the disease causing the symptom. For prevention, feed the betta fish 2 times a day in small portions, replace the water, disinfect the new soil, and do not overpopulate the aquarium.

Doesn't eat

Lack of appetite is not always caused by illness. Safe reasons include the cockerel not accepting one type of food (more often this happens with dry food). In this case, try replacing regular food with live food: brine shrimp, bloodworms, pieces of lean fish, squid. Another such reason is food particles that are too large in size, which he is unable to swallow.

It is also normal that the betta does not eat after changing food or feeding the wrong type of food (for example, if you do not feed predators with live food), or moving into the aquarium. Many species of fish do not feed during spawning and caring for fry.

If your betta takes food particles into her mouth but then spits it out without swallowing it, then she may have something stuck in her throat. Usually it is a large lump of food, a particle of soil, or a foreign object. Catch and examine the pet, it is advisable to call a veterinarian.

View this post on Instagram

Even the fish are hot! FishRikki#aquariumfish#cockerelsfish

A post shared by Tatyana (@kostina_tata) on Jul 28, 2021 at 1:31am PDT

A sudden loss of appetite indicates possible constipation, especially if accompanied by a lack of excrement. But adult inhabitants are able to cope with it themselves; it is enough not to feed the pets for a couple of days. But fry and pets with low immunity can suffer greatly.

But usually cockerels do not eat and move little due to illness. More often, lack of appetite indicates infectious internal disorders of the body.

Common diseases of cockerels with lack of appetite:

• Ichthyophthiriasis is a disease caused by a species of ciliates and is detected when white spots appear on the pet’s skin.
• Trichodinosis is a disease caused by parasitic ciliates. Malachite baths with high temperature and aeration help.
• Mycobacteriosis is an infectious disease that affects bettas and humans. Treatment with antibiotics.

Stomach is swollen

It is not always a symptom of betta fish disease. The most common reason is overfeeding your pet. Cockerels are voracious, so they overeat easily. They need to be fed 3 times a day. If you feed with live food, then the amount of food per feeding is no more than 3 bloodworms per inhabitant. There are instructions on the amount of feeding with flakes and granules on the packaging.

One of the reasons for bloating in a betta is during the spawning period. The sides and belly of females are rounded.

Especially often, bloating precedes dropsy, when internal fluid fills the entire body.

Another common reason is the colonization of tapeworms in the body, which causes the betta’s abdomen to swell. For treatment, special agents are used, which the inhabitants swallow.

There is a high probability of internal tumor. Most often, such inhabitants cannot be saved, especially in the late stages of the disease.

Vibriosis also causes bloating of the abdomen. It is caused by Vibrio bacteria. The disease is usually transmitted in salt aquariums, but the bacteria are also tenacious in freshwater tanks. Treated with antibiotics.

Fins or tail stuck together

Sticking of fins and tail indicates improper management of the cockerel or internal disease. Most often, the sticking of fins indicates the onset of the disease ichthyophthyriasis or fin rot. Treat them with antibiotics and baths with table salt or malachite green.

Peeling tail or fins

The causes of tail dissolution are divided into mechanical and those resulting from disease. Mechanical damage is determined by observing life in the aquarium. It is not advisable to keep some inhabitants with those with lush fins like cockerels, because they bite and pluck them. These are small species, not necessarily aggressive or territorial.

Overpopulation of the aquarium causes the inhabitants to become nervous. Some betta fish even bite their own tail, perceiving it as an enemy.

Fin biting usually ends if the betta is given a separate tank. To prevent the betta from getting bored, a mirror is installed in the aquarium, then the pet shows off in front of the virtual enemy. Also plant dense vegetation and sometimes rearrange the decor in the aquarium so that your pet explores new places.

The tail and fins peel off if the cockerel is not properly cared for. The fish is sensitive to water parameters, temperature, and chemical composition. The cockerel is able to live in unsuitable conditions and in a small space, but only for the period of transportation or movement.

A beautiful tail and fins indicate health, but with overcrowding, low temperatures, and hard water, the tail will peel off.

Another reason for peeling fins and tail is fin rot.

Swells the gills

Swelling of the gills usually does not pose a serious danger in the form of a symptom of any disease.

Causes:

• The cockerel shows off in front of his opponent, expecting the other one to chicken out and swim away. This is how a hierarchy is formed in the flock with a strict definition of places for each inhabitant. The cockerel inflates its gills before a fight to appear bigger and stronger.
• The betta fish inflates its gills during the breeding and spawning seasons to impress females with its size and bright coloring. And the females already choose the most beautiful male to continue the race.
• Bad feeling. This manifests itself not only in swollen gills, but also raised, ruffled scales, passivity, and lack of appetite. This condition usually indicates a bacterial or viral disease.

Contrary to popular belief, swelling of the betta's gills does not indicate a lack of air in the water and does not require the purchase of a compressor to enrich the water with oxygen. Cockerels belong to the labyrinth fish, which are distinguished by their ability to breathe atmospheric air. Therefore, they do not need additional aerating devices; on the contrary, they will harm the cockerel, which does not tolerate water currents.

Jumps out of the water

Causes:

• Fighting and active pets constantly want to explore new territories and places, so they tend to leave the aquarium. This is more typical for species living in the upper layers of water in the reservoir.
• Attempts to leave the aquarium are also caused by fear and stress. Fish are frightened by sudden switching on/off of lights, loud noise, hits on the glass of containers with inhabitants, the presence of large animals (cats) nearby, and they accidentally jump out of the water in an attempt to hide.
• An unsuccessfully chosen shape of the aquarium also contributes to attempts to escape from the water. Round shapes enhance external sounds and the fish experience stress and nervousness.
• Lack of space or overcrowding of the aquarium causes the fish to jump out in search of a place to move and swim.

• Dirty water worsens the condition of the fish, and they try to move to a more favorable environment.
• Malfunction of electrical equipment leads to current leakage, which is manifested by electric shocks from fish, and the person himself will not even feel them.
• Large and predatory, carnivorous fish frighten smaller inhabitants, and they tend to leave the dangerous territory.
• Incorrect water change in the aquarium. It is impossible to replace all the water at once; the fish finds itself in a completely unusual environment with a new chemical composition and experiences severe stress. Trying to return to its original water, the fish jumps out of the water.
• Parasites irritate fish, interfering with their normal life. For treatment, use medications against endo- and ectoparasites.

The cockerel turned white

If the color of a bright cockerel suddenly began to change, become discolored and some parts of the body turned white, then this is not a symptom of a disease, but a completely harmless mutation. In some selections, fish with this feature are rejected, but partial white coloring does not affect the health, behavior, or ability of fish to reproduce. The whitening of the color of the cockerel is just the result, a consequence of many crossings and selection, in which the goal was to develop new colors by suppressing certain genes. But in some representatives these suppressed genes appear. One of them is the marble gene, which is responsible for the sudden change in the color of parts of the body to white.

A whitened betta does not need treatment; sometimes the marble gene is suppressed again and the original color of the fish returns.

Cloudy or bulging eye

Cloudiness or protrusion of one or both eyes of a betta fish is a consequence of improper care of the inhabitants of the aquarium. The water in such tanks is dirty, cloudy, and contains a high content of chemicals that appear during the decomposition of food debris and fish excrement.

First, check the water quality using tests for nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia. Replace ¼ of the water with clean and settled water. Don’t forget about the temperature difference, which also lowers the fish’s immunity, which contributes to further protrusion of the eyes.

Cloudiness of the eyes is also a consequence of incorrect indicators of acidity and hardness. For males, the optimal housing conditions are considered to be acidity - 6–7.5 pH, hardness - 5-15 gH, water temperature - 27-31 degrees.

There is a high probability of the disease myrobacteriosis or, in other words, fish tuberculosis. All fish are carriers of this disease, but it affects the body only under poor living conditions and low immunity of the betta. If the fish is sick, it is treated with antibiotics.

Protruding eyes also indicate aeromonosis and pseudomonosis, which have similar manifestations. Protruding eyes are the first of the symptoms, so there is a chance that your betta fish can be cured with medications.

Stains

Large spots of different colors appear on the body of the fish: white, gray, red, black. This usually indicates a bacterial or fungal disease. But rubella disease or spring viremia is especially common with this symptom. It appears at any time of the year. The incubation period for the development of the disease is a week. The disease spreads quickly from one fish to another. Red spots are localized near the head and fins in the front of the body. On multi-colored and brightly colored fish, spots are easy to miss; they appear especially clearly on white representatives.

To treat your betta fish, consult a veterinarian who will prescribe tablets or antibiotics. But sick fish, especially if spring viremia has progressed greatly, are difficult to cure; the main task is to stop the spread of the disease. After the fish are cured, the aquarium and soil are treated and disinfected.

Spots are a sign of spring viremia, ichthyophthyriasis and oodinosis. But in this case, the spots are small in size, and their color is white or golden, depending on the disease.

Even sharp spotting of fish indicates poisoning by nitrogen compounds in the water. Do water tests and replace ¼ of the aquarium volume with fresh water.

Scales ruffled

Ruffling of scales is one of the symptoms of poor health of a representative; usually the fish cannot be helped, because this means a long-term development of diseases. Ruffled scales are closely associated with the disease dropsy. Usually, sharpening scales mean that the fish's body will soon swell from internal fluid, and this is a symptom of kidney failure. Without proper functioning of the kidneys, fish cannot live long. Therefore, ruffled scales need to be recognized and action taken. To do this, during the daily inspection of fish, you need to inspect not only the sides of the fish. Open the lid of the aquarium and look at the inhabitants from above. This increases the chance of recognizing the ruffling of scales before dropsy.

The cause of ruffled scales is considered to be bacteria and viruses that have penetrated the fish’s body and are already multiplying inside the body. For treatment, antibiotics and disinfection of the entire aquarium are used. Sick fish are separated from healthy ones. Healthy fish that are not yet showing signs of illness are given baths with malachite green salt.

A safer cause of ruffled scales is ectoparasites that have settled between the scales and feed on fish skin and skin secretions. They are destroyed by baths with table salt.

Prevention

The likelihood of all diseases can be reduced only by proper care of the aquarium and fish, which includes the following rules:

1. Wash your hands with soap before and after working with pets.
2. In different aquariums the same equipment is not used, or it is disinfected after each use.
3. The inhabitants should not be overfed, despite the fact that they seem hungry after eating the norm. Live food must be of high quality.
4. To avoid hypothermia, it is necessary to monitor the temperature of the liquid.
5. It is important to observe not only the compatibility of the fish, but also not to overpopulate it.
6. You cannot keep plants that you brought yourself from bodies of water.
7. New soil must be disinfected before laying.
8. Pets should be allowed to spawn and their health should be maintained with vitamins.
9. New individuals, especially foreign ones, are kept in a separate container for 1 - 3 months. At this time, the pet's condition is carefully monitored.

One third of the water needs regular replacement; the frequency of the procedure is determined by the capacity. Periodically clean the bottom, decorative elements, and plants. Leftover food should be removed after each meal.

A healthy fish is the pride and joy of a caring owner.

As aquarists have noted, the betta is a fairly strong and hardy fish that fights for its life in any pathology, however, breeders must comply with all care conditions to ensure it remains healthy.

Overfeeding

Some fish are capable of swallowing too large pieces of food, which creates indigestion and lingers in the stomach for up to 48 hours.
This significantly affects the appearance of the fish, so to help them, it is recommended to grind the food before serving. Bloating also occurs if the fish overeats. Due to overfeeding, they may develop abdominal dropsy or stop reproducing, because the testes and ovaries become fat. As a result, the aquarium specimen may die from such diseases.

What to do:

To avoid obesity in aquarium inhabitants, it is recommended to strictly adhere to the complementary feeding regime.