Treating fish louse in betta fish

 FISH LOUSE:

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Argulus sp.

COMMON NAME(S): Fish louse

SYMPTOMS: The flat, somewhat rounded parasites can be seen crawling over the skin of the infected fish.

ORGANISM: Parasitic crustacea

RECOMMENDED TREATMENT: Dylox at a dose of .75 ppm. This dose is repeated three times, three days apart.

OTHER TREATMENT ALTERNATIVE: copper sulphate @ .20 ppm until parasites have gone.

ON USING COPPER: For several diseases listed , copper is mentioned as the treatment of choice (TOC) or as an alternate treatment. When speaking of copper, I am referring to citrated copper (ex: Sea Cure). At NO time should you be using heavily bonded or chelated coppers, as they are NOT as effective against the disease, and you can not measure the amount of copper in your system. Heavily bonded coppers are also much more difficult to remove from your system once the treatment is finished. In order for copper to be effective against a given disease, it must be in the ionic form, and heavily bonded coppers do not meet this parameter. The use of copper also suppresses the immune system for a time, so be aware of any bacterial infections that may set in. Feeding Tetra medicated food for bacterial problems is a good idea during copper treatment. Be careful when dosing copper in freshwater aquaria as the low pH levels usually found in freshwater aquaria make the copper extreamly toxic. Once treatment is finished, remove the copper from th!
e system by doing water changes and adding PolyFilters to the filter system. If you are treating in a hospital tank, allow the fish to recouperate from the treatment for two days before adding it to your display tank. Also remember to remove any chemical filtrants before using ANY medication. All treatments herein assume that the fishes will be treated in a hospital tank. Certain medications (antibiotics, methylene blue) will disrupt biological filtration. If you must treat in your display tank, keep a close watch out for a rise in ammonia.

ON METHYLENE BLUE: Some of the treatments require the addition of 2 ppm methylene blue. This is done in cases where gill damage may be present, as methylene blue acts as an oxygen carrier, easing the stress on the fish.

world's smallest fish tank for betta frys

Swim Bladder in betta fish

SWIM BLADDER DISEASE
Swim bladder disease is not contagious, and can be caused by many things, usually overfeeding. The Swim Bladder is an organ located near its back. It helps the Betta to swim properly.  

Your Betta may have gotten Swim Bladder Disease if you dropped him/her or handled too roughly. If this is the cause, it can not be cured.

When a Betta has Swim Bladder, he will either float vertically at the top of the water, or lie on the tank bottom. They will have difficultly swimming, and may or may not have a kink in its back to make it 'S' shaped.

Double Tail Betta's are more prone to Swim Bladder as they have a shorter body than singled tailed Bettas.

There isn’t really a treatment, most of the time, it sorts itself out. It’s a good idea to put your Betta in a tank longer than deep, or lower the water level. This helps them to be able to reach the surface. 

Fast your betta for 24-48 hrs, and the following day, offer a pea.

Sometimes Bettas will live with SBD for their lives, but don’t worry: they aren’t in pain, just have a little difficulty maneuvering.

Dropsy Disease in betta fish

* DROPSY:

SCIENTIFIC NAME: varies with organism

COMMON NAME(S): Dropsy

SYMPTOMS: Swollen belly, usually with scales protruding at a 90 degree angle. Redding of vent area, and long, pale feces.

ORGANISM: Bacterial, viral infections or nutritional disorder.

RECOMMENDED TREATMENT: No effective treatment. Remove affected fish to quarantine tank and give the best possible food and water quality. If fish does not improve, euthanasia may be in order.

betta fish tanks with aquaponics setup

aquaponics is one of the best concepts to be used in betta fish tank

The fish poo andpee and all that waste-water gets broken down by beneficial bacteria into nutrients.

The waste-water from the fish is then pumped up & upcycled as an awesome organic fertilizer for the plants. The plants take up the nutrients and, at the same time, clean the water which then falls back down for the fish.

There is no soil – the plants are growing just on rocks and there’s no need for any artificial fertilizers – it’s all organic!

What is the minimum tank size recommended for betta fish?

The minimum betta fish tank size is at least 2.5 gallons.  Betta tanks are available through traditional pet stores that are far too small to house a betta. Betta fish should NOT be kept in jars, bowls, cups, or small aquariums, regardless of whether or not they can survive. You could keep a dog alive in a tiny crate for its whole life, but that doesn’t make it right.

Betta fish tank setup

Concept betta fish tank setup