Help! My betta fish has white flecks all over it! One day you wake up and go to feed your beautiful betta fish just like every other day and you realize there's a problem. As opposed to its normal, colorful appearance, your fish is covered in tiny, white dots! It looks like someone has shaken a saltshaker over your poor fish!
What's going on here is a bad case of Ich, or Ick. Ich is a common parasite that lives in your betta tank. When something goes wrong and your betta is weakened Ich can gain a foothold and infect your fish. Ich can be deadly to your fish, so it's important to take steps to prevent it and treat it.
For prevention it's best to make sure that your betta lives as stress-free as possible. Anything that frequently stresses a betta out can weaken its immune system. Make sure that you keep the water temperature between 76-82 degrees F. This is a normal healthy temperature for a betta. Anything too far above or below that range is dangerous to them.
Add some aquarium salt to the water when you do a water change. Be sure that you have aquarium salt. It isn't table salt! Add about 0.25 to 0.5 teaspoon of aquarium salt per gallon of water. This has a tonic effect on your fish and helps keep Ich at bay.
Now, if you've already got Ich it can be hard to get rid of. It can also be very contagious. Make sure that you don't contaminate other tanks! Treat the entire tank and be certain to scrub your hands and any common equipment before touching other tanks or fish.
Ich has three life stages, and you can only treat it in the last stage. During the first stage the parasite has burrowed beneath the fish's skin. This is where you see the white spots. Start treating now, but the medication won't hit the Ich yet.
The second life stage of the parasite sees it drop off of your betta fish and multiply rapidly at the bottom of the tank. Continue treatment, although it's not particularly vulnerable at this point.
The final life stage of the Ich parasite is where you can get it. During this stage the parasite is an adult and it is free-swimming. It swims in the water looking for another fish to live on. Here's where the medication will kill it best.
Two things can really help your treatment. First, slowly increase the water temperature to 85 degrees F. This will help the parasite speed through its life cycle and hit the vulnerable adult stage quicker. The other factor in treatment is frequently changing the water. This will help get rid of a lot of extra Ich.
To treat the parasite look for a medication based on copper or Malachite Green. Most of the Ich treatment medications you find at the pet stores will have these chemicals in them, but check anyway. Treat according to the medication dosing directions. Be sure to treat your tank for a full 14 days, even if your fish appears fine. Remember that the white spots on the fish are just the first visible stage of the parasite development. Being careful to treat after there are no white spots will help ensure that you've cleared out the infestation!
Showing posts with label Betta Care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Betta Care. Show all posts
Monday, March 10, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Betta Fish FAQ: Five Questions On Betta Fish and Their Care
Betta Fish FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQ) about keeping betta fish!
Q: How do you tell the gender of a betta?
A: Check out the fins. Male bettas have been bred to have long, flowing fins while the females have smaller fins tighter to their body.
Q: I hear that you can't keep two male bettas in the same tank. Is that true?
A: Generally that's true. Bettas are often called Siamese Fighting Fish and it's because the males are fiercely territorial. Usually they won't actually kill each other as many people seem to think, but they'll chew the heck out of each other's fins and sides which can result in a stressed out or dead betta. Once in a great while you hear about multiple males being kept in the same big tank, but I wouldn't recommend it for the casual betta owner.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Editor's Note: To really learn what you need to know about betta care
check out Marcus Song's great book The Betta Lover's Guide.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Q: How long do betta fish live?
A: A healthy betta usually will live somewhere between 2-5 years. It's important to keep the betta's home clean, the water changed, and the temperature close to optimal. If any of these factors is off it can shorten the lifespan of your betta.
Q: What kind of plants should I put in my betta's tank?
A: Bettas love plants. It gives them something to hide in and hang out around. Most any aquarium plant is fine, whether it's natural, silk, or plastic. The only thing to look out for with plastic plants is to make sure that the edges aren't hard and sharp. Sharp plastic plants can tear a betta's fragile fins.
Q: I've heard that bettas will jump out of a tank if the cover isn't on. Is this true?
A: Absolutely! You need to keep a cover on their tank because they're notorious for jumping out. My ex-girlfriend used to have a betta that would jump out at your finger if you held it over the tank. While this was a cute trick the fish would get totally out of the water and could have hit the floor if she wasn't careful.
Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQ) about keeping betta fish!
Q: How do you tell the gender of a betta?
A: Check out the fins. Male bettas have been bred to have long, flowing fins while the females have smaller fins tighter to their body.
Q: I hear that you can't keep two male bettas in the same tank. Is that true?
A: Generally that's true. Bettas are often called Siamese Fighting Fish and it's because the males are fiercely territorial. Usually they won't actually kill each other as many people seem to think, but they'll chew the heck out of each other's fins and sides which can result in a stressed out or dead betta. Once in a great while you hear about multiple males being kept in the same big tank, but I wouldn't recommend it for the casual betta owner.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Editor's Note: To really learn what you need to know about betta care
check out Marcus Song's great book The Betta Lover's Guide.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Q: How long do betta fish live?
A: A healthy betta usually will live somewhere between 2-5 years. It's important to keep the betta's home clean, the water changed, and the temperature close to optimal. If any of these factors is off it can shorten the lifespan of your betta.
Q: What kind of plants should I put in my betta's tank?
A: Bettas love plants. It gives them something to hide in and hang out around. Most any aquarium plant is fine, whether it's natural, silk, or plastic. The only thing to look out for with plastic plants is to make sure that the edges aren't hard and sharp. Sharp plastic plants can tear a betta's fragile fins.
Q: I've heard that bettas will jump out of a tank if the cover isn't on. Is this true?
A: Absolutely! You need to keep a cover on their tank because they're notorious for jumping out. My ex-girlfriend used to have a betta that would jump out at your finger if you held it over the tank. While this was a cute trick the fish would get totally out of the water and could have hit the floor if she wasn't careful.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
The First Step of Betta Care: Set Up a Great Home
Ok, so you've bought a betta, and now you need to know how to care for it! Let's start by setting up a great home for the betta.
In the wild the betta, or Siamese Fighting Fish as you'll see them called sometimes live in rice bogs in Thailand. These bogs are pretty choked by rice plants and don't have a lot of moving water. This makes the betta able to live in pretty small places, as you see by the little cups they're sold in!
It's a good idea to give your betta a bit bigger tank, though. This will help keep the tank from getting choked with waste so fast. A five-gallon tank is great for a betta and still pretty small. If you go bigger then you might want to pick up another kind of fish to share the space with your betta. We'll go over what types of fish make good tank mates later.
One of the cool things about bettas is that they can pull oxygen both from the air and the water. Since they can do that you don't need to worry about an extensive filter system or live plants in the tank. The betta can breathe off of the top. If you're putting in other kinds of fish then pay attention to what their needs are.
Put some colored gravel, fake plants, tank decorations, and a small cave structure in the tank. Bettas like to hide on occasion and they'll appreciate having something to duck under. Be careful to avoid jagged rocks on the bottom, though. Bettas' fins are sensitive and sharp rocks will cut them up. Avoid hard plastic plants for the same reason.
When you add the water make sure to treat any water you take from the tap. Get a water conditioner at your local pet store. This will take the chlorine and heavy metals out of the water, as they're not good for your betta. Even if you let the water stand for a period of time as is often recommended it's still a good idea to use a water conditioner. That will make sure that everything is cleared out.
Add some aquarium salt (different from table salt!) and/or some fish destressing conditioner to the water. This will provide a tonic effect for your betta and help the fish settle in to its new tank. Travel and transferring locations is stressful on your fish. A little preparation on your part can help your fish live much longer.
Find a cover for your tank or only fill it 75%-80% full. Bettas are famous jumpers, which is exciting but means that they could hit the floor if you don't do something to keep them in. You can even cover the top with some plastic wrap in a pinch, but make sure to punch some holes in it to allow air transfer.
As far as water temperature goes you're going to be looking for a range of 75-81 degrees Fahrenheit. If you can't maintain a temperature that high then purchase a small heater for the tank. It's important to keep the water a consistent temperature, and if you live in anywhere colder than Thailand the room temperature may be too cold for your betta.
Before putting the betta into the tank make sure to keep it in the bag you brought it home in and float that in the aquarium for 20 minutes or so. This allows the temperature to equalize so it's not so shocking to the betta. After the bag sits for the 20 minutes pour a little bit of aquarium water into it every ten minutes or so. This will help the betta adjust to the change in water.
Finally you're ready to add your betta to the tank! Just make sure that you DON'T put the water from the bag into the tank. Pet store water is notorious for being full of all kinds of nasty stuff that can contaminate your tank. Instead scoop your betta out carefully with a small net. Be careful not to damage its fins and place it in the tank. Allow it to swim out of the net with a little shake and your fish has a new home!
Bettas are great pets and with a little bit of care they can enjoy a long life!
In the wild the betta, or Siamese Fighting Fish as you'll see them called sometimes live in rice bogs in Thailand. These bogs are pretty choked by rice plants and don't have a lot of moving water. This makes the betta able to live in pretty small places, as you see by the little cups they're sold in!
It's a good idea to give your betta a bit bigger tank, though. This will help keep the tank from getting choked with waste so fast. A five-gallon tank is great for a betta and still pretty small. If you go bigger then you might want to pick up another kind of fish to share the space with your betta. We'll go over what types of fish make good tank mates later.
One of the cool things about bettas is that they can pull oxygen both from the air and the water. Since they can do that you don't need to worry about an extensive filter system or live plants in the tank. The betta can breathe off of the top. If you're putting in other kinds of fish then pay attention to what their needs are.
Put some colored gravel, fake plants, tank decorations, and a small cave structure in the tank. Bettas like to hide on occasion and they'll appreciate having something to duck under. Be careful to avoid jagged rocks on the bottom, though. Bettas' fins are sensitive and sharp rocks will cut them up. Avoid hard plastic plants for the same reason.
When you add the water make sure to treat any water you take from the tap. Get a water conditioner at your local pet store. This will take the chlorine and heavy metals out of the water, as they're not good for your betta. Even if you let the water stand for a period of time as is often recommended it's still a good idea to use a water conditioner. That will make sure that everything is cleared out.
Add some aquarium salt (different from table salt!) and/or some fish destressing conditioner to the water. This will provide a tonic effect for your betta and help the fish settle in to its new tank. Travel and transferring locations is stressful on your fish. A little preparation on your part can help your fish live much longer.
Find a cover for your tank or only fill it 75%-80% full. Bettas are famous jumpers, which is exciting but means that they could hit the floor if you don't do something to keep them in. You can even cover the top with some plastic wrap in a pinch, but make sure to punch some holes in it to allow air transfer.
As far as water temperature goes you're going to be looking for a range of 75-81 degrees Fahrenheit. If you can't maintain a temperature that high then purchase a small heater for the tank. It's important to keep the water a consistent temperature, and if you live in anywhere colder than Thailand the room temperature may be too cold for your betta.
Before putting the betta into the tank make sure to keep it in the bag you brought it home in and float that in the aquarium for 20 minutes or so. This allows the temperature to equalize so it's not so shocking to the betta. After the bag sits for the 20 minutes pour a little bit of aquarium water into it every ten minutes or so. This will help the betta adjust to the change in water.
Finally you're ready to add your betta to the tank! Just make sure that you DON'T put the water from the bag into the tank. Pet store water is notorious for being full of all kinds of nasty stuff that can contaminate your tank. Instead scoop your betta out carefully with a small net. Be careful not to damage its fins and place it in the tank. Allow it to swim out of the net with a little shake and your fish has a new home!
Bettas are great pets and with a little bit of care they can enjoy a long life!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
