Betta fish are small, colorful fish commonly grown in fish bowls and aquarium.
Improper feeding patterns and irregular cleaning of the tank causes diseases among these fish leading to death.
To prevent these it is also essential to diagnose and treat the disease.
Here are some of the most common types of Betta fish diseases, their diagnosis and treatment options.
ICK
This is a parasitic disease that affects Betta fish, and it is highly contagious. The symptoms include white dots on the body, itchy skin, leading the fish to rub their bodies against rocks in the tank, and lethargy. To treat this condition, it is advisable to raise the tank’s temperature to 85°F. Also treat the water with a drop of acquarisol once every day. It is also a good idea to keep the affected fish in a separate tank until cured.
Dropsy
This is the commonest of all diseases affecting bettas. It is very fatal and kills the fish very quickly. The symptoms include raised scales and bloated bellies. Unfortunately dropsy has no cure and hence the only precaution is to isolate the affected fish to keep the rest of them safe. According to popular knowledge, it is advised that Betta fish should not be fed black worms. May be this trick helps. It is only a trial and error to prevent Dropsy.
Tail Rot and Fin Rot
This condition is caused by an unclean tank with dirty water in it. Symptoms include darker tails that are shorter than usual. Such fish may stop feeding and look pale. They may also show clumped fins. Use of an anti-fungal solution in the tank water is recommended to treat this disease among Betta. Keeping the tank clean is the most ideal preventive method. This is not a fatal disease and takes a couple of weeks to go away.
Velvet
The disease symptoms include the development of a velvety texture on the skin of the fish. This is gold or gray in color. A parasite called Oodinium causes this disease and is contagious. The fish are affected by this exhibit itchiness, loss of appetite, weight loss, breathlessness and impairment of fin movement. In the later stages, the skin peels off. This can be treated by increasing the temperature of the tank to 85°F, adding appropriate amounts of salt and copper sulphate and dimming the lights, for about 10 days. Also avoid carbon filtration during the treatment.
Swim Bladder Disorder
This disease results from over eating. It usually affects younger fish in the tank. The symptoms of the condition are difficulty in swimming and balancing. The fish tend to stay at the tank bed for longer than usual.
In addition to these above diseases, there are also other types of Betta fish diseases such as gill parasites, fish lice, slime disease etc. The common solution to all these problems is to keep the tank clean at all times and giving timely treatment.
