Betta Fish Facts

Like it or not, your betta will likely get sick, just like any other pet. However, there are some preventative measures you can take to ensure that you beta fish stays healthy its entire life. Below is a list of some of the more common Betta fish diseases....

1. Beta fish Fungal Infections- Spotting this is easy. Basically, you look for white patches on the head or the body. It looks a lot like "cotton". Other symptons include a reduced appetite, paler color or clumped fins.
   
2. Fin Rot- If your beta's fin is getting shorter or the tail is starting to disinigrate and fall apart, then it is likely that your fish is suffering from fin rot. The easy and quick fix is to clean the water your betta swims in.
3. Betta Fish Ick- Ick is a tiny parasite that is highly contagious. In other words, if one of your betta's have it, it is likely that the entire aquarium has it. To know that your beta fish has ick, all you have to do is recognize the symptons: white dots all over his body. He may or may be hungry and may be scratching his fins against the rocks on the bottom of the aquarium.
4. Velvet in Betta Fish- Velvet is hard to spot in betta fish but can be detected by using a flashlight..if it looks like the scales are "golden" in color, then it is likely that your betta fish has velvet. Your fish will show all the signs of sickness such as loss of appetite, clumped fins and a pale color or loss of color.
5. Popeye in Betta Fish- Popeye symptons are just like the name implies: Your betta will look as though its eyes are literally bulging out of his head.
6. Betta fish Dropsy- If you are feeding your beta live food, then it could contract this fatal disease. Little is really known about this disease other than it makes the betta look bloated. This can be prevented by NOT feeding your siamese fighting fish like black worms.
7. Swim Bladder Disorder in Betas- If you are noticing that your beta is having issues swimming or is sliding on the bottom (otherwise known as belly sliders), then your fish is suffering from swim bladder disorder. This is primarily caused by overfeeding your betta. The solution is simple- stop feeding your betta fish as much.
8. Bacterial Infections in Betta Fish- Believe it or not, your betta can get a bacterial infection. The cause is primarily dirty water and uneaten food so the fix is a rather simple one. The bad news is that if you have more than one betta fish or any fish for that matter, then it is likely that the entire aquarium is infected. The good news is that bacterial infections are easy to spot-your beta won't eat, will sit on the bottom of the tank, not only lose color but start to turn grey. The advanced cases of bacterial infections in fish can get really ugly.
9. Tuberculosis in Bettas- This is a fatal beta fish disease 100% of the time. And what makes this even more problematic is that because the symptons mimic other diseases, the only way to know for certain that your fish has this disease (also known as mycobacteriosis) is to autopsy it after it is dead. Also, this is contagious not only to other fish but to humans as well, so some care should be taking when handling an affected fish.
10. Internal Parasites in Betta fish- If you are feeding your siamese fighting fish live food such as blood worms, then there is always a potential for your fish to contract parasites. The symptons are that the fish is eating well but getting thinner.

Sometime in the future, I will go over the solutions to these betta fish diseases. Most are quick fixes and can be taken care of by simple betta fish aquarium maintenance.