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If you have a sick betta fish, you’re probably feeling a little scared, confused, and anxious about how this happened. While relatively hardy fish, betta fish can suffer from parasitic, bacterial, and fungal diseases just like any other freshwater fish.
Quick identification and treatment will minimize potential damage and get your colorful friend swimming happily again. The best way to keep your betta fish from getting sick is to keep them happy and healthy by following proper betta fish care.
It’s always better to be proactive than reactive. Just like you wouldn’t want to be freezing or living in a dirty and cramped home, your betta fish doesn’t either! That would eventually get you sick too.
Sick Betta Fish Behavior
- Lethargic: Inactive, lazy, lacks aggression, hiding
- Refusal to eat for extended periods of time (e.g. days)
- Faded colors, mainly in male bettas
- Labored breathing
- Damaged fins
- Clamped fins
Certain behaviors are linked to a stressed or sick betta fish and not necessarily a full-blown disease yet. Identifying these behaviors (listed above) is the easiest way to tell if your betta fish is sick. Noticing these behaviors and correcting the problems early is very important. Failure to do so could exacerbate the problem and lead to more severe complications.
Betta Fish Diseases
The most prevalent betta diseases are listed below…
| Disease | Symptom(s) | Cause(s) | Treatment(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columnaris | Cottony white growths along the body and/or gills. | Stress, poor water quality. | Clean water, reduced bioloads, reduced tank temps and Kanaplex. |
| Dropsy | Extreme body swelling and pineconing of scales. | Virus, bacterial infection, or parasites. | Kanamycin Sulfate or Maracyn II |
| Hole in Head | Visible holes above the eyes. | Poor nutrition and water quality. | Clean water and proper betta fish food. |
| Ich/Ick | Small white dots on body and fins, rubbing on decor. | Poor water quality, stress, or contagious companions. | Clean water and Rid Ich Plus or Mardel Copper Safe |
| Fin & Tail Rot | Black/Red tattered and receding fin edges. | Poor water quality. | Clean water and aquarium salt administration. Severe cases require Maracyn II antibiotics, or Kanaplex |
| Popeye | Bulging eye. | Prolonged exposure to bad water quality, or Tuberculosis. | Clean water and Maracyn II antibiotic or Kanaplex |
| Swim Bladder Disease & Disorder | Floating on side, difficulty swimming or regulating depth. | Genetics, overfeeding, or bacterial infection. | Fasting 2-3 days. Maracyn II antibiotic. |
| Tumor | Lump or bump. | Varies | Outlook is usually fatal. |
| Velvet | Goldish-yellow rust-like dusting. Rubbing on decor. | Stress, cold and poor water quality. | Clean water, 76-81 degrees Fahrenheit. Mardel Copper Safe. |
After diagnosis, you’ll need to follow the treatment options right away and always strictly adhere to medication directions. Never stop treatment early as this could increase a parasites immunity.
If your betta fish lives in solitude you may opt to treat them in their existing tank. If they live in a community tank, have carbon filters, or sensitive plants, you should quarantine them for disease treatment in a separate hospital tank.
Betta Disease Pictures and Synopsis
Some betta diseases can be treated easily, while others may have gloomier prognoses. Check your betta daily for anything abnormal. During feedings and tank cleanings is a great time to look for common symptoms of an ill betta.
Learn your fish’s personality too! Doing so allows you to quickly identify when they’re acting strangely.
Columnaris (Cotton Wool or Mouth Fungus)
Both beneficial and harmful (Columnaris) bacteria is present in your betta’s water. Under stressful habitat conditions (e.g. overcrowded) and unmaintained water, bacteria may enter through lacerations, the mouth or gills. Visible, sometimes stringy cottony patches on the mouth, gills, or fins along the body will be present in Columnaris. Accelerated symptoms may also include visible lesions and gill damage.
Dropsy (Pineconing)
Dropsy can be caused by numerous issues including viral disease, parasites, poor nutrition, and bacteria. It’s also common amongst keepers who feed their betta’s live food.
Dropsy is actually not a disease, but rather the symptom of what’s going on inside the betta fish’s body from other ailments. These ailments include fluid build up and the swelling of failing organs (liver and kidney). Dropsy is severe and visible from above. You’ll notice extreme swelling in the abdominal area and outward flaring scales that resemble a pine cone. This is shown in the photo above and in the full video here.
The bacteria that triggered internal issues is contagious and can harm other community tank members. Another symptom of dropsy is the tendency for betta fish to stay close to the surface to easily get oxygen. Their appetite will also be virtually non-existent.
Fin Rot and Tail Rot
Fin rot or tail rot (melt) is probably the most common betta fish disease. It’s often confused with tail biting, resulting from boredom, and tears on sharp tank decor.
Upon inspection, the tail (caudal) or other fins will show visible signs of the disease. These signs include red or black tattered, sometimes bloody, edges along the affected areas and can lead to body rot if not treated.
Typical behavior and personality does not usually change unless the betta is suffering from other ailments too. And to answer your next question, yes their fins can grow back!
Hole in the Head
Usually caused by improper nutrition or habitat cleanliness, early signs of hole in the head disease include small sores, dents, or pin-holes on the surface of the betta’s head and above its eyes. Over time these holes become increasingly larger lesions.
These cavities are easily visible and tend to travel along the lateral line of the betta. If diagnosed early, it can be cured like most betta fish diseases, but in later stages, it becomes increasingly deadly.
Ich or Ick
Another one of the most common betta fish diseases is Ich, and it’s caused by parasites. Ich is characterized by small white dots that are similar in size to a granule of sugar. These spots are visible to the naked eye and appear along the body and fins of a betta fish.
It’s a very preventable and treatable disease that is, however, uncomfortable for your betta. You may notice them rubbing against objects in the tank in an attempt to get the parasites off their body.
Popeye
This disease affects a betta fish’s eye and will cause one or both to bulge outwards. It can be very startling seeing these symptoms, but it is treatable. The most common cause of popeye is prolonged exposure to poor water quality.
If you monitor the quality of your betta’s water and don’t feed him or her live food, you should never experience it. Popeye on its own can be cured without long-term damage or loss of sight, but sometimes it’s a sign of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is a more serious and always fatal betta disease.
Septicemia (Red Streaks)
This rare disease affects betta fish who are stressed (e.g. continual and quick changes in water temperature) or have been wounded. Septicemia is a bacterial infection that can be caused by adding new community fish without quarantining them, or feeding infected food.
It’s not contagious and can be diagnosed by visible red streaks or bloody marks along the body. High levels of nitrites, causing nitrite poisoning, can also lead to red stripes. Rule this out first by conducting a water test.
Septicemia may also develop alongside popeye. If left untreated, this disease could lead to organ failure and dropsy. Also note that septicemia is virtually impossible to detect on red-colored betta fish.
Swim Bladder Disease (SBD)
The swim bladder is located between the stomach and the fish’s tail. Overfeeding can lead to bloating, constipation, and swim bladder disorder from the digestive tract pressing towards the swim bladder.
This is very common among betta’s in captivity because of misinformation or lack of knowledge around how much to feed a betta fish. The instructions on the back of food containers can be misleading and usually represent an over-estimation.
SBD is not contagious and usually clears up on its own – unless it’s a birth defect. This disorder is more prevalent in young fry and select breeds like the double tail betta. Symptoms include difficulty swimming, constantly being in an “S” shape, changing depths, the inability to leave the surface of the water, laying on the bottom, and the inability to swim horizontally.
Velvet
Velvet is a parasitic betta fish disease that causes a goldish-yellow or rust-like sprinkling of color on the betta’s body, gills, fins – or all three. It’s hard to diagnose and is best identified using a light source, like a flashlight, and shining it on the betta.
Some betta fish exhibit marbling and unique coloring, so make sure you rule that out first. Betta fish are known to change colors over time as well. Bettas with velvet will dart around the tank looking for spots to rub themselves on (just like Ich) in an attempt to get the parasites off. If left untreated, Velvet can lead to death.
Velvet is highly contagious to other community fish too, especially in sororities. Treat community tanks even if the other fish appear to be healthy and without signs of the disease (better safe than sorry). Velvet is caused by ongoing stressors, poor water conditions, and prolonged exposure to colder than tropical water temperatures.
Other Betta Ailments
It’s dangerous to administer medication to an otherwise healthy betta fish. If your betta fish is exhibiting any of the symptoms below, it’s not necessarily because they are sick or have a disease.
| Symptom(s) | Cause(s) | Treatment(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Constipation | Overfeeding, lack of fiber in diet. | Fasting 2-3 days, feeding a pea, high-quality betta food. |
| Lethargic | Cold water, high pH, nitrate, nitrite levels, stress, sickness. | Tropical water temperature of 76-81 Fahrenheit, water changes, hiding spaces. |
| No Appetite | Not hungry, cold water, old age, stress or sickness. | Proper feeding quantity and schedule. Identify potential sickness or disease. |
| Tail Biting | Boredom | Encourage flaring, add more plants or decor, and consider betta fish toys. |
Prevent Betta Diseases Before They Start
This page outlines the most common betta fish diseases and sicknesses you may encounter as a hobbyist. It is not an exhaustive list of all potential diseases. The best way to deal with diseases and illnesses is to not get them in the first place. Be proactive instead of reactive.
Quick identification and treatment will ensure you’re providing the best care and chances for overcoming the problem. Healthy bettas are active, aggressive, and have big appetites. Sick betta fish are the exact opposite.
It’s your responsibility to learn how to care for and provide a suitable habitat for your betta fish. With that said, diseases amongst betta fish can and do happen somewhat frequently. As betta’s get older their immune systems weaken, making them even more susceptible to sickness and disease.
If you still have a question, please post it in the comments section below.
My Crowntails fins just vanished by over half their size. It happened quick. A very slight regrowth started but a lot of the fins have clear streaks and the fins were bright orange. What can I do to remedy this?
Hi Robert, the first thing to do is make sure the water parameters are in check: 6.5 – 7.5 pH, and around 75-80 degrees fahrenheit for temperature. Ammonia builds up in the water quickly from excess food and feces, so it’s important to keep the water clean. Try that and monitor for a couple days. Betta fish have also been known to nip at their own fins from boredom too which is possible.
Hi Ya, for any anyone still following up, I have a tail biting betta. you can check out pics on my website to see what tail biting looks like vs fin rot. I recommend the following steps for tail biting: 1) size up the tank if it is less than five gallons. Check that heating and filtration are stable. Also make sure he can’t see his reflection or any other bettas you may have. 2) densely plant the tank. Lots of plants. tall plants, short plants, in between plants, give your man places to hide. 3)tape cardboard or an another neutral background to 2 sides of the tank. this should help him relax 4) teach him to play a simple game. I use one called ‘follow the stick’. attach his food pellet to the bottom of a chop stick before you feed it to him. after a few feedings he will associate food with the stick and chase it as you move it through the water. You can hold in an inch above of the water and make him jump (make sure your tank is well covered at all time if you teach him to jump) 5) None of this working? try R2 fish school. I have gotten my little man’s tail biting under control but this by no means has ‘cured’ it. He bites less frequently to a less severe extent. But it’s a long term and occasionally expensive investment. If you can’t make it, trying re-homing him with some willing to take the time to work with him. At some point he’ll also probably get fin rot and you’ll need to do on and off salt treatments till he’s not biting. i do ten days on 15 days off. Furan2 for fin rot is since it’s not systemic. try marcyn 2 for bad fin rot. good luck.
My Betts seems to be sick. He has almost lost all his scales and seems to be always hiding what can I do to help him.
My fish has been hiding in his little house for 3 days now. I removed him from his hiding place and he seemed to be active but went right back in. This behavior is different for him he is usually very active please advise.
I’m really worried about my betta. I’ve had him since march, I chose him because he seemed shy but now that i think about he is just really sick. He has swam side ways since I got him which I knew that is the swim bladder disease, but lately he has not been moving he almost looks like he is dead he has his stomach up and head and tail touch the bottom of the tank.
If someone could please help me with him that would be amazing !
EMERGENCY HELP!!!!?
So new fish got sucked up by the siphon because he got curious and I wasn’t paying attention and now he’s lethargic , is he gonna die ? He was in there for like 10-15 second . I was able to unplug the tubing and had my dad blow him back out into the water ???????
I have him in a qt tank doing a 30 min salt bath. Also added an IAl leave a few drops of stress cost and some black water extract .:( he’s in a heating 1 Gal(my qt tank) ????????so heart broken I just got him as a gift:(((((
Yikes! I would recommend a larger tank, 1 gallon is too small for betta fish. He’s probably lethargic because of the stress that he went through, but as long as he looks okay (no visible injuries) and is still eating normal I’m sure he’s fine. You should get a filter that’s not as strong or cover the opening with something that will slow the flow down to prevent this from happening. Betta fish are not very strong swimmers and fast flowing water can also stress them out if the filter is too powerful. A salt bath wasn’t really necessary, but I hope he’s doing okay!
The black water extract is a waste , get a almond leaf instead. They work very well.
I would stop the 1 gal salt baths.
You didn’t state what size his home tank is.
If he isn’t showing any signs of being hurt , treating him right now is stressing him out.
Nooo not a 30 min salt bath. Anytjing higher than 15 min can cause damage to your fish!
Hi
Recently, as in the past few days, I’ve noticed that my betta is floating almost directly on his side when he’s not swimming. Then he’ll swim around and float again. Is he dying? Or does he have SBD? I’ve noticed before that he sometimes swims in an ‘s’ shape.
That does sound like SBD. Have you been overfeeding him or her? Signs are bloated belly, stringy large poop. Try fasting your betta (no food) for a couple days to see if this improves the situation.
Hey bro, i found out that my betta fish had the SBD, so i’ve controlled his eating for one day, and today i fed him back normally. so the problem is after i fed my betta fish, it will become so hyper-active and swam so fast, it will also rub itself on the side of the aquarium. then it will be so slo and went to the bottom of the aquarium and do nothing. is it normal?
Hi! I just cleaned my fish tank and noticed that my fish is not swimming right and is laying on the bottom of the tank. I put less water in his tank so I it will be easier for him to get air. What do I need to do?
First thing is to always make sure the water temperature is in the appropriate range (roughly 76-79 degrees fahrenheit). If you added water after cleaning that was very cold and it dropped the temperature in the tank quickly, that can cause a lot of stress and potential sickness. Always re-acclimate your betta to the tank if they were removed from the tank during cleaning too. For now keep an eye on your betta in the next couple days and make sure that he or she is still eating normal as that is a good sign.
Hi my betta is very sick. I’m not sure what to do. He acts like he has swim bladder but he also looks like he has fin rot. He has little white circles of discoloration(their not white fuzzys). He’s a twin tail halfmoon betta , please help!
Caitlin, he could be suffering from more than one ailment. Swim bladder should resolve by fasting 2-3 days if it’s constipation or from overfeeding. The other sounds more serious and should be treated by keeping the water clean, proper temp, and depending on severity, medication.
When performing water changes, it is important to always use a digital thermometer to ensure that the new water is the same degree as what is in the tank. Even a single degree difference can shock a betta, which may result in lethargy and an almost confused state. Also, make sure to condition the new water before adding it to the tank, to be certain that he isn’t exposed to harmful chlorine or other chemicals.
My half moon betta fish has been growing a tumor on his face for about 6 weeks now. at first i thought it was fungal and did a fungal treatment and then tried bacterial treatment. neither worked. up until recently the fish has been active despite the tumor and always had a very good appetite. but increasingly he seems more tired and less energetic. i’ve searched on line for what it might be but haven’t seen anything that looks like it.
the fish is in a 3.5 gallon tank with a carbon filter and aerator. the water is conditioned and heated. i replace 1/3 of the water on a weekly basis.
help would be much appreciated…
Hi Tim, I’m so sorry to hear that. It sounds like you’re taking proper care of your betta despite his illness or disease. We never fully know the history of care before we get them which presents some challenges if you’re not a breeder. If it’s indeed a tumor then there is not much a caretaker can usually do without spending a lot of money. Continue keeping the water clean and monitoring the growth for the time being. If you’d like to send detailed pictures, I can take a look too at my email bryan@bettafish.org
Hi,
I am a new Betta owner,and just had a few questions. My Betta won’t eat and I know this could be due to stress, I have aquarium salt in the water as well as dechlorinate (Prime). He gets excited and swims up to the food then spits it out and won’t eat it. I tried making it smaller and it still didn’t work. They are pellets. Also he is purple on his body but his fins are white is this normal? He has what looks like white fuzz on his head but other than that he swims constantly and is in 78f water.
It’s typical for some betta fish not to eat for a while when first bringing them home. Some are also very, very picky when it comes to food and will eventually eat it without spitting it out. If the problem continues, you may want to try another brand of pellets. Other than that, it sounds like you’re doing a great job with the rest.
My betta I’ve had him for a month or more I don’t have a heater right now and I don’t have the money to get one till next month but I switched him from a tiny tank to a 5 gallon and he seemed to love it and he was swimming around and everything but I noticed that morning that he floats to the top every time he tries to swim down like he’s been trying to swim and doesn’t have the hardest time getting down just he floats right back up and I figured it’s was SBD but I wasnt sure and I have a light on top of his tank that turns blue or it can turn to a very bright light that lights up the tank but I wasn’t sure if they liked bright lights or if it can hurt them
I see the white fuzz was not commented on. I would replace 20% of his water every other day and add a pinch of aquarium salt for awhile to see if it goes away. Also, i have a Betta that refuses to eat pellets but loves the flakes; and only the tiniest ones. These guys can be picky! Also be sure he is in a 5 gal aquarium with decorations. I only give mine the soft plants, not plastic. Tall enough to reach the top; they love to lay on them.
Hi, My betta just got ich and I treated it now Im starting to see couple back and Im still treating it with the Herbtana, it made it go away before. Now it hasnt eaten in to two days and I just fed it and luckily it ate one pellet but not much. I tried feeding it blood worms and that didnt work either. My bettas head used to be all black but now its a lightish grey with some colorfull spots on it?! its stomach has also turned whitish. I am also noticing that it seems to be shedding its skin on its back?!. I have my fish in a one and a half gallon tank and i have a heater and I put aquarium salt it it! My fish is crazy, what should I do!!!
Anna, when betta fish get sick or stressed they can lose their coloring. Just like when you or I get sick, we may eat more infrequently, less, or not at all for a while too. If your betta did eat one pellet that’s a great sign. Medication can also cause harm in some cases too. For now, I would recommend that you continue keeping the temperature high, even consider raising to 85 degrees slowly to kill off any remaining Ich parasites and then lower back down. Also keep the water very clean. Best wishes on his or her recovery.
Bryan, the ich is now fully gone and he is back to eating regularily, however there is still the (almost like dead skin) hanging off parts of him its very sheer, could be fungus? Also My betta has some bronzish coloring on his head and the beggining of its tail and its stomach. SOmeone said it might be velvet! How would I go about treating the maybe fungus, and maybe velvet! My fish still looks sick bcs its not moving much and its still staying at the top of the bowl. Also would you recomend switching to a bigger tank, mine’s at 1 gallon.
That’s good, any progress is good! It could be fungus (columnaris?), and velvet but please make certain you think it is before medicating for it. See the photos on this page and how to identify and treat it in the chart above. As for tank size, yes a minimum of 3 gallons with recommended 5 gallons is required for a healthy and happy betta fish.
Also, I am trying to use bettafix, however that is not working, and should I stop the ich tretment now that its gone?
I would stop using the ich treatment if it’s gone because medications can be stressful. Continue trying the betta fix according to the instructions and give it a while and monitor any progress, however you may need something more aggressive if it fails to improve. Make sure the water is clean and at proper temperature too.
I am fairly certain it is these things now, How could I go abuot treating them?
For the cottony fungus, you should use an anti-fungal treatment like this one, and for Velvet I would use Mardel’s Copper Safe. Keep me updated on the progress and if you want you may also email me: bryan@bettafish.org
would pet smart or pet co have those medacations, if not would my fish be dead by the time the meds come from online.
Your local pet store should have them or something similar yes. Depending on how aggressive it is, it may be better to get them immediately rather than online.
my fish is really lethargic but it does eat
Hello,
I have a male about 2yrs old. For the past month he has been hanging on the bottom, has great difficulty getting up to the top. His fins are close to his body, and it does look like his scales are somewhat prickly. He does have an appetite. When I first noticed, I didn’t feed him for a week thinking the pellets might have caused it. But it didn’t make a difference. I add salt and alive drops when I change his 1/2 gal tank. Any suggestions? Is he just old?
Thank you
J
Hi Jodi, that is getting towards the average life span for a betta in those conditions. A 1/2 gallon tank is far too small for a betta fish, recommended is 5 gallons. The clamping and prickly scales could be signs of stress and diseases (potentially) dropsy. If he still has an appetite that’s good, however as they age their ability to fight disease and infection decreases.
I agree with brian he is getting old and he also probably has dropsy. That is unfortunatlygoing to end in his death. You can do more research and look at articles and pictures to see if that is what you fish truly has. It may also help to get at least a two gallon tank
is the korton copper aid good for bettas with velvet?
Kordon has good products.
are they safe for bettas
Is Mardel copper safe good for bettas? I am ordering prime so it should come quickly. The velvet hasn’t gotten too bad its just on its belly and the fins aren’t clamped yet and its still swimming and hasn’t lost appetite. I am still gong to treat for the cotton fungus even tho I am pretty sure its gone, but MY BETTA SEEMS TO BE LOSING A SCALE WHAT!! IS THAT NORMAL AND I NEED TO KNOW IF IT ISN’T AND WHAT MEDS TO GET IT!?
Yes Mardel is safe and a good option to treat Velvet in bettas. I’m glad he’s still got his appetite. As for the scale just monitor the area as you treat as it’s likely from the bacterial/fungal infection.
do you think i need to get fungus treatment if the cotton fungus looks like it went away?
Continue to monitor, err on the side of caution and don’t overmedicate as that can cause more stress.
Hi! I’ve gotta a betta that I’m taking care of for my daughter while she is away at school. He is about a year old and has always been very calm but active/social when we are at the tank. He is in a two gallon tank and has always been excited when he gets fed. About two months ago we got a tetra and a snail to help keep the tank clean. Tank was cleaned two weeks ago and about a week ago he started becoming more lethargic, laying around and not being social. He eats a little but but not like he did. I don’t see any change other than his color may not be as vibrant. He is normally a dark reddish color and still is. What can I do?
The bioload is too high for that small of a tank with 3 inhabitants. This could cause stress and increases toxins from feces and the like raising ammonia levels which can cause bettas to get sick. I would recommend at least 5 gallons, more if you have other inhabitants, especially with tetras as they are schooling fish and do best with more than just one in a tank. As for cleaning the tank, 2 weeks is far too long with that bioload, are you at least cycling the water a couple times a week? As in removing 20-30% of volume dirty water and adding back in clean water? That would be a good starting point and getting a larger ecosystem.
My betta fish never leaves the surface. i just up graded to a larger 4 gal tank. at first me and my mom thought it was funny that he taking advantage of the new big surface area. But then i realized that he always stays at the top 3 in. i dont know what to do! I havent seen any signs of sickness, the only thing i could think of is maybe he has a little finrot. please help!!!!!
Your betta should be fine if he is still acting the same as before and still eating. Some betta fish tend to stay towards the surface, some like the bottom, I wouldn’t worry!
Hi Bryan
In last few days I’ve noticed white-ish color under my fishs’ chin along with a small white dot on the side of his face. It almost looks like mold. Then toda I noticed one part of his fin is discolored. I’m not sure what I need to do.
The small white dot could be a few different things. Sometimes bettas can get pimple like growths that come and go. I would make sure you’re following our care guidelines on the care page and if it doesn’t clear up or gets worse you can email me a photo or visit the disease page.
it could also be fungus
My fish is not moving from the top 3 in of her tank and she’s not eating. It also looks like she has Gold spots on her. What would you recommend I do for her?
This could be velvet, see photo and symptoms above to help diagnose. Make sure your water is clean and your tank is at the right temperature too as a first step.
I’m pretty stuck on what could be wrong with my betta. He’s a beautiful dark blue half-moon with a little red in his fins, I got him about four-five months ago, and not too long after I got him he started losing colour around his belly and mouth area despite feeding him with colour-enhancing pellets and usually having a prodigious appetite (nowhere else; just really pale and grey-white around much of his face/mouth and a bit of his belly. I’ve had bettas before and while they often had pale areas around their mouths, I’ve never seen it this bad), and I’ve definitely caught him seeming to be scratching himself, but only ever in ONE spot of the tank. He has two castles and a rock, and he’ll rub up against the rock right along the bottom gravel but nowhere else. I at first thought it was a territorial behaviour or something, since the rock is right in the front of the tank and he’d be wiggling around between the tank and rock several times when he did it, and I tried moving things around and eliminating anything dangling in view of the tank, but that hasn’t helped at all. The colour loss doesn’t LOOK like it has any fuzz or raised patches to it, and I haven’t found any ich spots, but it seems to be getting worse and he’s definitely been acting more like a sick fish in the last month or so (the colour issue, the scratching, hides and lays on the bottom a lot more, doesn’t want to eat, and he used to be angrily reminding us for breakfast every morning when we’d check his tank after waking up and darting to the top as soon as the lid was opened, but now, he tends to “sleep in” most of the time). He does tend to lose his appetite when the tank needs cleaning (he lives in a five gallon tank that has an air stone and heat/light, but no filter), but it’s definitely getting abnormal. I’m not sure at this point if he could have a fungal infection or possibly ich or is just insanely sensitive to his water quality, but I’d LOVE some ideas. I already tried a thorough tank cleaning, and bettafix onfor a few weeks and it didn’t seem to do anything.
Fish are a lot like people in the sense that they need to be around – not directly in- sunlight to maintain their beautiful color. As far as the scratching, continue to use the Bettafix and make sure your washing the tank and decorations thoroughly with hot water but not any soap or other chemicals. I also highly recommend you get him a filter and check the PH and ammonia levels of the tank after. If none of this works then he may have a fungal sickness and you might need to do further research.
Hello,
I really need help, reply ASAP please. I bought Comet in august and got him a 5 gallon tank with a light and filter but no heater. 2-3 weeks ago, I noticed he seemed to be smaller and his fins look raggedy at the ends. I don’t remember his dorsal fin to be that small. He also seemed to be losing color. I quarantined him with 3 tsp (for a 2 gallon tank) of aquarium salt for 10 days. I was able to get a heater in the middle of his treatment and I keep it on 78. On the 10th day and I was going to put him back in his 5 gallon tank and stop using the aquarium salt (I’m still using a stress coat) but he does not seem to look any better. He swims around just fine and gets excited to eat and eats everything. He’ll sleep in the corner of the tank near the top at night but I figured its because he doesn’t have any hiding places in his quarantine tank. I have always noticed one side of his head seemed to be slightly bigger. Since I was doing research I decided to shine a light to look for velvet and noticed his “lopsided head” is a swollen, red, gill. He does seem to have gold dust on his lower half and fins. This past Thursday (4 days ago) I started treating him with Coppersafe for the velvet and Maracyn 2 for the gill. I did a 100% water change on the second and fourth day (which is today), cleaned his tank with boiling water, kept the water temp at 83 and turned on his light during the day to advance the life cycle of the parasites so the medicine will kill them. Yesterday I noticed the water was cloudy even though I just changed the water the day before. I checked the ammonia with a test kit and the water seemed to be fine. this morning I went to turn on his light and when he moved he had a stringy slime coat around him that fell off. He has a hard time swimming and he stays with his head to the corner of the tank at the top but he still eats. Im beginning to question if I am treating him or poisoning him with the coppersafe. So confused on what his sickness is and how to treat him properly. Help!
Hi Arianna, yes I would stop medication for a few days, return him to his regular tank if he’s swimming and breathing fine, add the heater to that tank, and monitor his progress. The best sign is if he or she is eating normal and personality traits return. Sometimes overmedication can cause more harm than good. They are very hardy fish for the most part and medication should be a last resort with firm understanding on whether or not he or she actually has contracted something. As caretakers sometimes we are too cautious and all of a sudden notice things that may or may not have been there all along just now we’re paying closer attention. I wish you all the best and hope this passes.
Hi there!
I have a dragon scale male betta in a 3 gallon heated and filtered tank. I do water changes 2-3 times a week (25%) and he is always happy and eating. However, I noticed a few days ago that he is losing some of his scales on his gills, and when he flares, you can really see it. Does he have a disease? If so, is it treatable? I HAVEN’T seen him rubbing back and forth across his tank, as if he was scratching, so I don’t know what to do, of if I am just overreacting. Thanks!
Could you email pictures? Without seeing it sometimes it’s very hard to tell. It could be disease related.
Please Help!
I bought my newest red betta near Christmas, and named him the same. He was swimming around the heated 3.5 gal tank I have him in with a few guppy fry, as they were almost grown up enough to escape adults, and he seemed to be interested in chasing them, so I figured even if he got one, it would be natural food for him. He has always been scared of my finger at the top of the tank, even when I try to feed him. So for the past week that I’ve had him, I have dropped one pellet in and a few tiny fragments of flake food for the guppy fry and Christmas, and left it at that. I do water changes once a week, and I take about a gallon out. The tank has a heater, it’s one of those preset ones. The last few days, he’s been acting weird, and clamping his fins, staying near the surface and also barely swimming. When he does swim, he isn’t straight, he is slightly diagonal if he’s swimming directly towards you. I actually saw him sitting on the bottom of the tank and he had tried to shove himself in between the java fern and the pottery cave I have in there with him. I think it may be swimming bladder disease, as I had this with a past betta, but I’m not sure. Please help! I don’t know what to do.
Here’s some pics
https://1drv.ms/f/s!AuJm9DFjeYtFiKx7oOURHhdA9fMJjA
You are likely not feeding him enough. Depending on the pellets, most require 2-3 pellets 1-2 times per day. They will act lethargic (lazy) if they don’t have enough food to burn energy swimming around. It doesn’t sound like swim bladder disease, more stress-related as the pictures look fine. I would remove the fry’s as they might be stressing him out too given the size of the tank.
Help please!
I have a male crowntail betta. For some days now, he is not very active. He is mostly lying on leaves of my plants (turned on the side) or just lying on the sand. He still eats his food and everything else is okay. But he is also swimming in a very weird way, having his tail sagging down. I hope you understand what I am saying please help me. I don’t know what to do.
It sounds like your crowntail is experiencing some stress, but that’s good he’s still eating. Have you made sure the water parameters are okay, and that the temperature is within the correct tropical range of 76-81 degrees Fahrenheit? I would start there, and let me know how that goes.
We bought a betta slong with some bad advice from the local pet store. They advised us to use 1/2 g tank, no heater, distilled water. After 3 wks, fish tried to die. Lethargic with a white fuzzy latch on top lip. I bought some Tetra Lifeguard & have been treating for 1 week. Spot is smaller, but not gone. Am doing daily 1/2 water changes & using a portion of the lifeguard tablet due to small water volume. Now I realize advice was bad & will get bigger tank, but think I should wait till he is better so I don’t contaminate new tank.. Am wondering how long should treatment continue? I assume the spot should completely disappear before I consider him cured.
My fish has been lethargic and I saw the beginning of a columaris infection and have been using Beta Fix. He’s still lethargic and doing a lot of hiding. Hopefully the treatment will work. My question is, after the beta fix course. Do I do a full water change or stick to the usual quarter change. I have a 3.5 gallon tank of that makes any difference.
Quick question, I just got my first Betta yesterday and noticed today that there are some brown string-like stuff floating at the bottom of the tank and wasn’t sure what they were/if it’s a sign of a problem. My first guess was it’s poop, but I’m not sure. Any tips/advice on this? Thanks!
Sounds like poop or extra uneaten food.
I hate to admit this but we put some tetras (4) in our Betta tank (5 gallon). We have a filter and we changed the water(50%) 2 times a week to keep it clean. Obviously our Betta attacked the tetras a little at a time until each one of them died. He has been the lone ranger for 10 days now and suddenly today has become lethargic and has refused to eat. He tried changing the water and cleaning the tank and noticed he has a slight bulge on his left side behind his fin and also his lips look splayed out and red and swollen. When he tried to eat he couldn’t get the food in his mouth. I am feeling terrible that we subjected him to so much stress with the tetras, even though he seemed to enjoy the company, and the snacks. Please help, is there something we can do or is it a lost cause? Salt bath? Thank you.
5 gallons is too small for a community tank with that many tetras in it and if it wasn’t heavily planted or there weren’t enough hiding spaces I’m sure it was very stressful for your betta and the tetras. If he has open wounds or infection areas that are red (that’s what it sounds like you’re describing) then you could definitely try a salt bath or bettafix to help him recover. Also as you’re already doing, make sure you keep the water clean.
I am at a loss as to how to help my Betta. I got him back in November from a friend who was moving states, and he was in perfect health. In January, I noticed he had a white patch in his side that looked like a gash or a cut, but the area around it had turned white. He seemed to be eating and moving around just fine, but in an effort to try and cure the patch, I turned off his filter and started administering an all in one medicine that was suppose to help cure several different issues. I noticed recently that the patch has grown bigger and seems to be flaking. He is still eating but he seems less energetic than normal. I have read about several diseases but none of them seem to match his condition. I have no idea what to do for him now, since the all in one medicine didn’t work and I can’t figure out what he has. Any ideas or help would be appreciated!!!
Without seeing a photo, it sounds like that was a physical wound. Does he have sharp tank decorations or plants? All in one medicines are sometimes too broad, especially if it was a physical wound and not a disease. You should look into performing an epsom salt bath or dip to reduce stress and promote healthy tissue repair. If the white patch is cottony, it could also be columnaris.
I just recently got a new Bumble Bee male betta fish and I noticed today that one of his gills is not opening as he breaths/puffs the other open. His gill does not look inflamed or red, and there’s nothing that I can see holding it shut. He seems to be doing fine, but I just wanted to know if this was a serious thing and how to treat it if it is.
And he seems to be ‘attacking’ his little plastic bowl. (I’m moving him to the proper tank later today, I forgot to clean it beforehand) He can see his reflection, so I think that that’s it, but I’m not sure. Help?
Flaring and attacking the bowl is definitely a result of seeing his reflection, he’s a fighter fish and they’re territorial so that’s normal and healthy. As for the gill I’m not sure, keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn’t seem to get worse or inflamed.
Alright, thanks!
Hey. My female Bettas fins seem clamped and there’s a bump under her mouth under the scales. One of her gills doesn’t close properly. Her appetite is normal but I think it’s painful for her to eat because she develops stress lines and looses colour when eating. In general, after the bump has appeared (i think a teeny tiny one was always there but it increased in size in the last three four days) she develops stress bars to almost any change in the tank. She swims around the tank, not particularly enthusiastically but is pretty alert and curious. I don’t know what to do.
Clamping is a sign of stress and potential disease. It could be due to the swelling in that area that the gill is not closing properly. I would start with an aquarium salt bath/dip and then monitor.
Hey. I’ve been putting aquarium salt. It’s a 2 gallon tank. So about a tablespoon. I do a partial water change every 10days. The lump under her mouth which touches the gills is bothering me… It’s about 1.5mm in height n 3mm across
Any idea for treating a Betta Male Turquoise & White Dragon Scale for “fungus”; (esp. around mouth) eating okay; I put a carbon filter in 3 gal. water tank; she got worse; I took carbon out; keep filter; seems to be better; question: what treatment for “fungus/brownish scale”; (I note the fungus did not go to the Fish’s Blue color); 🙂
(been using Natural Sea Salt; Betta Fix; I added an Oak Leaf); Anne
Hi, Anne. If aquarium salt isn’t helping you may have to use something stronger, like Maracyn II to treat the fungus.
Hi, my betta has been healthy all the time. One day morning he is lethargic and stay in the bottom. When I come back in the evening, he is having rotten fins, and cannot swim properly already. His upper and front part of the body appears whiter with some black dots. He died early next day. This is so sudden that I have no idea what’s caused it. There are amano shrimps and nirite snails in the same tank and they are all healthy.
I do not like Snails with the Betta Fish; Snails can “carry germs’
So of my past two betta girls one of them passed but the last one is now developing the same problem with her scales they are tainted yellow and seem to be missing I put her in an epsom bath and her water has been treated for ick and velvet it has a heater that keeps it around 78° and there is a filter which she has never minded I really don’t want her to die because she is my favorite but I’ve noticed that whatever it is rapidly kills them. Do you have any idea what this is and how to help her?
Can you send me a picture to bryan@bettafish.org? It sounds like one of them may have had a disease and passed it onto the others. You are doing the right thing with the Epsom salt baths for now to reduce stress and promote health though.
I sent you an email.
Is this free or do I have to pay you to answer my question? I’ve had a male betta for almost a year. His name is Bernie Kosar. He hasn’t pooped since I got him. PetSmart says to give him a shredded pea but that didn’t work. Am I supposed to see his long string of poop? And why is his puzzle house stinky and scuzzy three days after I clean it? He’s not in an aquarium and no heater. I can’t afford an aquarium. Any help out there?
Hi Eileen, you do not have to pay for my help or anyone else that wants to reply and help out. If your betta fish had not pooped for almost a year he’d be dead. Poop in a fish tank often falls down between gravel if you have any or it looks like uneaten food. The only time you will see stringy poop hanging from a betta fish is when they are constipated or overfed, which the pea usually helps. As for your tank, what size is it? If it’s under 2.5 gallons I don’t recommend keeping him in there, the water quality declines way too fast (that’s the smell) and it is not healthy for a betta fish to live in. They will likely get sick or contract a disease, and not live past a year or two. You will need to do constant 50-100% water changes almost every day or every other. In the future, please try to do more research on a betta before buying them if you cannot afford the proper habitat and ecosystem for them to live in – they also need a heater if your home is below 78 degrees too.
Hey,
I have had this betta only for a few days. The tank he was in shared water with other betta’s, and had a water current running through it, making it impossible for him to rest. He was always being pushed and pulled by the current. His fins looked ragged (especially his ventral fin) his stomach appeared to be slightly bloated. I figured he was probably constipated and had fin rot from bad water conditions. So my plan was to ensure his tank was kept very clean, to feed him pea and he would be happy and healthy once again. However…
He has not eaten or pooped since I got him. I have not yet seen him flare out his gills or fins (though his fins are not clamped). Here are a few things I have noticed.
His eyes have a mild cloudy glaze, a spot over each eye. It doesn’t entirely cover the eyes though. He also has a slight gold dusting the top of his eyeballs. I inspected him very carefully with a flashlight, and he does not have any gold specks on his body or fins. Nor do the specks on his eyes really show up under the beam of a flashlight.
Also, he has a pale, whitish patch from the top of his right eye to the top of his head. He has a smaller patch by his gill on the same side. Nothing seems out of place about these patches except the colouring. He has a small white spot at the top of his left gill. He has two quite noticeable pin holes on his left cheek and head. His belly is still slightly bulging. He had two small white fuzzy clumps on his fins, but they seem to be gone this morning (I put aquarium salt in last night).
This morning he quite frequently thrashed about, staying at the top of the water. This is the first sign of distress besides not eating or pooping. My thoughts are currently considering hole in the head disease, fungal infection, and bacteria infection as potential issues. I have not treated any of those before, so any input you have would be helpful. I have pictures, but I can’t figure out how to put them in this comment.
Hi, Karis, it sounds like the poor guy had a rough start to life. Strong currents can definitely lead to fin damage and stress. Everything you have done so far is excellent, especially the aquarium salt addition and monitoring his behavior. You can also send me an email to bryan@bettafish.org if you’d like to send pictures that way. For fungal or bacteria, I’d suggest Maracyn II, but you should continue with the aquarium salt and keeping the water pristine if that’s helping before going the medication route.
My daughters beta fish has a white spot on it’s body that is growing. Is there a way to post a picture of it?
You can send one via email to me: bryan@bettafish.org
Hi , my mom brought home a fish on a vase one day because one of her students gave it to her as a gift . We didn’t know what to do so we got it a tank, filter and etc. we have only have him for a few months and his top fin is almost gone from this white clot and seems like it is now coming out of his body. We clean his tank and have treated him for ick but nothing is working and I want to do all I can to help him
Do you have a heater too? They need a water temperature of 76-81 degrees Fahrenheit. What you are describing does not sound like Ich which is parasitic, but more of that of a fungus or even fin rot. I would continue to keep his tank water very clean, consider adding aquarium salt and/or doing salt baths for up to 7 days, and using an anti-fungal medicine if things aren’t improving after that.
Hi, I’ve had my betta for a few weeks now and he was perfectly healthy. He is a bi-color twin tail betta, blue body, blackish head and red fins. Recently I’ve begun to notice what I thought was a cut on top of his head – I figured he had bumped into something while exploring my 10 gallon tank. I used Melafix so that it wouldn’t become infected. For awhile it looked to be healing but when I looked closer his head seemed to have grayish blotches on it – kinda crusty looking. I continued to use melafix for awhile but now his head is turning a pinkish grey color and looks kinda crusty. His behavior is completely normal – eats well, not rubbing up on things, isn’t lethargic by any means. He seems completely normal despite the weird Coloration on top of his head. Any Idea what’s wrong with him?
Feel free to send me an email with photos if possible for a better analysis, but for now, I would stop the melafix and instead add aquarium salt to reduce any stress and help scale healing.
Hi, I’m actually reaching out for a friend’s betta. Unfortunately, I do not know what kind he is and neither does she. Anyway, she moved him from a small fish bowl into an aquarium that is about 1.5 gallons. After a couple months he started to act lethargic and now stays at the bottom of the aquarium in one corner. He doesn’t have as big of an apetite anymore and usually ends up lying on his side. He’s about 7-8 months old now. He doesn’t have anything growing on him or anything so I’m not sure what is wrong. I’ve done a lot of research to see if I could figure it out because I love animals and don’t want to see her fish die but I can’t figure it out. Thanks in advance!
Apologies for the delay in a response. Is the tank heated? Lethargic bettas are often cold bettas, the temperature should be within 76-81 degrees Fahrenheit.
Hello, I’m sorry to report I just lost my 2 year old blue Crown Tail. He kept in a 5gallon ( Fluval Chi ) which I cycled for about 2 months before adding him. I wouldn’t recommend that tank to anyone. The center filter-light is hard to work around and the light can’t be turned off without turning off the filter also. So I installed a second sponge filter. I also had a heater. I did weekly 50 % water changes and vacuumed. There were live plants in a clay- like substrate ( I can’t recall the brand ). But no matter what I did I could not maintain good water parameters. I used the API test kit. They were never horrible, but they were never perfect either. Indigo always had a good appetite, but stopped swimming freely and stayed at the bottom of the tank. I thought he was probably annoyed by the strong currant of the two filters. Within the last to weeks his eyes became ” dull ” looking. Not really cloudy or popeye. Fins became clamped. I found him dead yesterday. He had I distinct curve down the middle of his spine. Could this had been TB?
I’m sorry about losing your betta Becka. The light not being able to be turned off without the filter being turned off is definitely a problem for many reasons, including proper day/night cycles. With two filters running it’s very probable that he was stressed and that weakened his immune system leading to disease – could have been TB. Also, 50% weekly changes are more than the recommended at 15-25% in a 5 gallon but it’s hard to get perfect water parameters too.
Hi, I am a bit concerned because my little betta boy (Toby) has a slight discoloration on his left side of the half side of his body… I had noticed it a few days ago as I had been curing him with ‘bettafix’ for his tail biting.. I wish I could post a picture for a better understanding… I am concerned about Toby.. He swims around, has an appetite… Just very concerned.. Please help!
Feel free to send an email in from the contact page with photos, without that it’s hard to know. Tail biting is usually due to boredom, and if you’re trying to encourage new fin growth after biting, I would use aquarium salt and stay away from using Bettafix for that. Medication should be only when absolutely necessary as it can induce additional stress.
Hi, I have had a Female Betta for a few months now, and just recently has been liking to get stuck to the intake stream on my filter. Its a 6.6 gallon tank that includes the filter, and she has stopped eating, and she is blowing bubbles from her mouth.
She is in a tank with 3 neons and a ghost shrimp.
Is the bubble blowing a concern? i have not been able to find anything regarding it.
Is the intake near the surface of the tank? One of my female bettas loves to stay at the intake of my Fluval tank because it keeps her there without any effort and she can rest (usually during the night). Some females will blow bubbles, although males are the one’s who build bubble nests for breeding. The area of concern is the lack of appetite, however, so first I would check your water parameters and temperature. It sounds like it could be stress related if she’s also staying stuck to the intake and being lethargic.
Yes it is. I took some pics and i see what looks like dark patches on top of her head similiar to hole in head i had some fungus eliminator tabs and added salt but not sure if thats too much i also tried the pea and she would put in her mouth then spit it out she has a betta pellet
My mom has a betta (a gift, had it for maybe a month) and we’re still learning to care for it properly. Your page will help. I think we have a problem though and your info isn’t too clear to me on what to do. The fish will sometimes hang at the bottom for a while and not move for a bit and we noticed the scales under the mouth (chin region) have changed color to a whitish gray along with a couple of white patches of color on the fins. Not exactly little spots like your page states and I don’t think it’s “cottony” but definitely patches of white. What can we do? I don’t know what to buy to treat. Fungal? Bacterial? Thank you.
Hi Francisco – without a photo, I wouldn’t want to recommend any type of medicine if it’s just a change in coloration – normal after proper care or aging. Feel free to email me if you’d like.
My Betta has small white spots on the surface of his eyes which do not look like Cloudy Eye or Popeye to me. The eyes do not bulge and I faithfully cycle 1/2 the water in his 2.6 gallon tank every week. The only recent change is I started using tap water which I treat instead of the water my nephew was providing. (He had a 100 gallon saltwater tank and his own water processing equipment.) Could this be cataracts? I have photos but see no way to attach them here.
Stephanie
How old is he? Also you can email me if you’d like for photos, bryan@bettafish.org
I have a 2 year old male Betta that lives alone in a 3.5 gallon tank. He has become lethargic and has stopped eating for almost a week, now. Last night when I put 1 pellet into the tank, he floated to it but it appeared that he cannot open his mouth. Recently, it appears that 1 of his gills is swollen and not closing all of the way. He does not have any spots or fuzzy fins. Just before this he was active, responsive to my voice and making bubble nests.
Yesterday evening, I took him to our local Petsmart and the Aquatic person there tested his water. It was off so I changed it, saving just a quart of his old water for re-use. I typically used a “Natural Spring Water” but was told that that is not not processed so this time I mixed some of our treated/filtered well water and some water that had been sitting out for 48+ hrs. Plus I treated it. I also bought an air stone & pump, but that seemed so strong and so I ran it and then removed it before placing my very weak Betta back into the tank. The thermometer says that the water temp is about 74* but I have started the heater, as our weather has turned cool.
This is making me very sad. He is so very weak. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
It could be gill hyperplasia and/or a symptom of the water being cold and not in the right parameters. I would continue to do daily water cycling/changes and add aquarium salt (1 tbsp per 5 gallons) and continue to monitor his condition.
Thank you for your reply.
Update. My Betta did better & is still with us but has recently relapsed. He now, cannot swim well / gets caught under things on the bottom or in the corners, doesn’t even try to eat. I have placed him in a smaller shallower bowl and try to keep him warmer, but he is so weak. He’s also been being treated with “Betta fix” for 4 days. Losing hope.
I got a betta fish a few days ago and the poor guy died. I rescued him, he had fin rot and I’m pretty sure he might have been blind. I noticed the tank was very slimy but only since I have put another fish in there. My fish is lying on the bottom of the tank brethinf heavily and his fins and tail are clamped did he catch this from the other fish? Is it a fungal infection? I have done a 100% water change on the tank. What should I do? He’s been like this for a couple of days now.
Did you clean the tank after the last one died? Rinse for several minutes in very, very hot tap water.
My beta has white spots which I thought at first were ich, but they don’t seem to be responding to a heat treatment (6 days so far at 86F, salt, micron filter, extra air). I have been testing the water daily with a quick 5-in-1 test strip and and all the levels look good. The beta has been living in a 30 gallon tank with some guppies- I’m not sure how long we have owned him, at least a year, maybe two? He is acting perfectly happy and eating well. I did turn up the heat to 89F today as I read that is the temperature at which the parasite will die and all fish still seem unstressed. I thought I would give it three days as recommended and then turn back to 86F for the remaining two weeks. However, could it be something else? I thought all the spots would be gone by now (after 6 days at 86F). The guppies don’t seem to have any spots. I can email photos tomorrow.
I have a betta that has lost his appetite. He also has some weird gray patches on the sides of his head. His belly seems distended so I think he may be constipated. After reading your blog I ordered some higher quality pellets and I will reduce how much we feed him. I have a heater but no filtration in his tank which I am sure you would tell me is way too small. It is a one gallon. He is alone with just a snail buddy, a moss ball and a live plant. But I am planning on getting a larger tank. I am sending a pic to see if you can help me diagnose the patches. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Hellppp!
I’ve had my betta for months now and he’s been fine. I’ve kept up with water changes and he’s always seemed like a happy fish until now. He recently quit eating. We’re going on day 4 now. He still swims and he doesn’t show any physical signs of any diseases. The only difference I can see are black spots showing up on his fins. His fins aren’t rotting or getting any shorter though. He just simply isn’t eating. I’ve also tried switching the food up and still nothing. I’m afraid he’s going to starve. 🙁
Check your water temperature, and ammonia/nitrate/nitrite levels first to make sure they are ok. If you need to get those back on track, do a water change. Betta fish can go without food for up to 14 days, so if he’s hungry and feeling better, he will eat. Keep monitoring daily for any signs of further illness.
My new betta of 2 weeks has developed an issue with his fins, they are closing up almost like the are glued. Is this fin rot?
That is clamping. A sign of bad stress and could be the first sign of sickness too.
Hi! I’ve had my betta fish Azrael for about 4-5 months now, he has never had any problems except for the past 3 weeks. A few weeks ago I forgot to clean his water for a little too long by accident and he became ill very quickly after I had changed it. He is in a 1 1/2 gallon bowl (yes I know I’m going to upgrade him soon) and I feed him flakes with little freeze dried worms in it and he almost couldn’t get enough of them, but after he got sick he only started to eat the shrimps out of it, then stopped eating altogether. He sits at the bottom of the bowl and does nothing, will only come up for air once in awhile, and it’s so depressing. His colour is faded and his fins seem to be clumped. I bought water conditioner for bettas and have been using it accordingly ever since i noticed he was sick. I thought he had ick because i noticed a small whiteish spot on the side of his face, but i haven’t seen him scratching up against things whatsoever. Help. Please.
It sounds like some stress and shock set in from the dirty water and then abrupt change to clean water. The best thing you can do for right now is make sure he has tropical temperature and clean conditioned water changes daily. Since its a small habitat do 30% or so daily and consider adding a little aquarium salt dissolved in a separate container first and per it’s instructions to help fight stress (clamping) and any early onset illness.
HI! I just got a betta fish last wednesday (it is now monday) Today i noticed little white spots on his body and some are on his fin, He is very active and swimming around, and eating when i give him food. I went to the pet store and they said it is ich and could be stress related from the new enviornment. How should I treat this if it is stress related, I also got the water tested and they said it’s fine.
My betta is not eating, and lethargic, cause my dog ate his food and didn’t have time to buy more yet, and my dog also tried to get at my fish… he is just sitting at the bottom of the tank, and is only coming up for a couple seconds, then he goes back down, HELP….
Try checking his water temperatures and getting him some more food asap
Move the tank where the dog can’t get to him and cause unnecessary stress. He’s coming up for air at the surface and then retreating to safety. Get some more food and ensure the tank is heated to the proper temperature of around 78 degrees Fahrenheit.
Thanks
Hi. My male crowntail betta looks like he has a lump right underneath his mouth. I’ve looked all over the Internet and I can’t find anything like it the only thing that comes close is some kind of a pimple looking thing. His pimple does not have a white mark on it though and he has had it for about 2 days. His gills look a little swollen and his front fins are starting to lose skin. He isn’t swimming very good. Kinda just floats or sits at the bottom. I have him in a 3 and a half gallon tank with 3 neon tux guppies and a snail 2 plants and a cave thing and a leaf hammock. I change the water every two weeks completely. I use a beta water conditioner. I have separated the other fish from the beta. Please help this is my son’s first pet.
It’s good that you’ve separated the betta from the rest of the fish and snail, as that is too many inhabitants for that small of an ecosystem. That’s a decent size for just the betta. Overcrowding can lead to poor water quality very fast (ammonia buildup) and it can induce a lot of stress too from territorial aggression. Guppies are not recommended as tank mates either for betta fish. These things combined are likely causing stress and sickness.
Hi,
My creamy colored beta had a pretty pale aqua sheen, but now he has a bit of rusty color on his head and black patches all over his body. I wondered whether it might be bruising – I added an algae eater to the tank and they seem to poke at each other sometimes. I took him out of the main tank and made a hospital area, but there hasn’t been any change in the past week. I did wonder whether I’ve been feeding him a bit too much, so I’m trying to cut back on his pellets. I put Bettafix in his water this week. Fingers crossed, he’ll go back to normal soon. I might try to find a new home for the algae eater.
I have pics, but couldn’t put them in the comment box
Hi,
my beta keeps leaving these large amounts of tiny bubbles in the corner of the tank.. what does that mean??
That’s a bubble nest. You can read about them here.
G’Morning. I have a half moon that is having problems. I got him a few months ago, and he was very active with the other fish, swimming around, flaring at them but not fighting. He disappeared for about 2 weeks, and now he is not swimming, laying on the bottom on his side,not eating. His breathing seems to be labored, and his color id drab greyish instead of the bright turquoise. He looks like he has lost a lot of his scales. His fins are still the same color white as they were when I got him, but seem a little smaller. He wasn’t scraping on any thing in the tank. He is in a 38 gal. with several other fish, heated to about 78, an airstone, a filter for a 50 60 gal tank. It is a community tank, and the only aggressive fish is a Danio, and he only chases the Bloodfin tetras. I recently lost 2 other fish( a large angel, and a long finned gold something that I have had for a long time, probably old age. Please help.
Hey Bob, he could be under stress in the community tank. I would try placing him in a hospital tank and see if he recovers that way and only reintroduce him when he is fully healthy again.
I just got two new tetras, two snails, and a beta. One tetra just died and I think it was because it had ich and I think the other caught it so I put it in another tank. Do i need to do something about the big tank? Can the beta be harmed/ is the tank infected? Or will it be ok to have the one quarantined and leave the beta and snails in the big tank?
The big tank can definitely be infected if the others had ich when they were in there. It’s best to do a 100% water change and rinse everything under hot, hot water for several minutes.
Just got a betta with very fancy fins, (friends didn’t want him), put him in a 3.5 gal tank 3 wks ago. Haven’t done a water change yet. Last night he ate with gusto but this morning he’s very lethargic just lying around. His body color was very tan – he looked bald but now his body seems darker. He has an auto small heater, temp is about 79-81, filter and light in his tank. I feed him beta pellets. Don’t know what to do.
It sounds like the sickness is being caused by the water quality. 3 weeks is much too long to wait to do a water change. I would do a 50-75% water change immediately and then do a 20-25% change weekly from now on.
Hi, my male Betta has recently fallen ill, I think. Two days ago I added a pleco to his tank and he was fine but then over night he became very dull in color, lethargic, no interest in his food, hanging out at the bottom of the tank (I literally thought he was dead this morning because of how still he was sitting) and now he’s at the top of the tank almost like he is gasping for air. His scales are not protruding and he does not look like a pine cone. He is roughly two years old and this happened so quickly. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
How large is the tank? Are the plenty of hiding spaces like caves and plants? Your betta fish could be stressed out by the new inhabitant or the pleco could have introduced bad bacteria into the tank. Did you quarantine the pleco first for several days or weeks before adding him into the tank?
Hi there, I’ve had my male crowntail betta for almost two years now. I was just wondering if they naturally change to a lighter colour? When we got GG he was bright/deep blue radiating to black at his head and fin tips. It’s been very gradual but he’s slowly been getting lighter starting at the base of his tail, outwards. For the most part the colour is still very bright (a bright pale aqua colour), but some spots seem very dull (and a little fuzzy under a flaslight). Is that normal?
He’s in a 2.5 gallon tank, and I have always done 100% water changes (when we did our research, nothing I found said anything about stressing them out, this will change). He has a heater that stays between (75-80°f), but no filter (hence the 100% changes), and I always top up the tank every couple of days. (I don’t know if this helps).
Also I’m (now) seeing a lot of debate about how much bettas are supposed to eat. GG has always eaten 3-5 pellets 4 times a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner and midnight snack). He’s never been bloated or seemed to have a problem with it, but am I feeding him to much?
Sorry for all the questions.
Yes, betta fish are known to lose some vividness in their coloration as they get older. 100% water changes are fine as long as you acclimate them properly and depending on the tank’s size. More frequent water changes are my preference over constant 100% changes though due to the potential for stress. Topping up the tank is great too, adds new water replacing what evaporates. As for feeding, you can read more about food and feeding on this page, but yes that is abnormally high even if they are tiny pellets (especially if he’s eating them all).
I found out that pinging a pen on a coffee cup and wind chimes distract the fish and break up fights. Prevents disease…
Have had a betta for about 2 weeks now, but don’t think I’m treating him right. I do change the water in his small bowl, but don’t know what “acclimate” is or how to do it. Also, his poop is curly like a pig’s tail; is that normal? Are there additives I should routinely use in his water? I use bottled water as pet shop told me not to use water from the faucet. I’ll continue reading here, but would like these questions answered please.
Hi Susan. I would recommend a larger tank, bettas should be in a minimum sized ecosystem of 2.5 gallons. You can read my acclimation guide here. Curly poop isn’t much to worry about unless it gets really stringy which can be a sign of constipation or overfeeding. Slime coat and water conditioner are good additives to consider. When you use tap water, a water conditioner with slime coat removes chlorine from the water and provides some other goodies to help reduce stressors and keep a betta healthy.
Think I’m making progress; Elvis now has a larger tank and a bridge to hide under. He has tentatively come to the surface a couple of times when being fed. Thanks so much for your help. I think this site saved his life!
That’s great to hear!
Hello – Question — we brought Stripey home a few days ago and noticed he had a brownish patch outlined in white on his bottom fin. His water seemed to be a little cloudy. We thought it might be a fungus. He also seemed to be laying around a lot. He’s in a 1 gal tank w a heater. He would flair or get interested in items placed outside his tank. The patch fell off. We changed his water and he seems more enthusiastic. What do you think we should do next to make sure Stripey is ok? Thanks for the advice!
Stripey needs a bigger home. 1 gallons are too small for betta fish, they need a minimum size of 2.5 gallons. Also, heating a 1 gallon is dangerous because the water can quickly get too hot, and they are hard to maintain and keep clean. Believe it or not, but a larger tank is actually less work.
Hi – we’ve had a gorgeous little betta for about a week now and today I have noticed an indent above his right eye with brown and whitish patches. He also has a white spot on the bottom of his mouth, one on the tip of his bottom fin and his right gill looks a little swollen. It doesn’t look like ich but I’m not sure. He is still active and curious but I’m worried about him and not sure what to do or who to talk to about it. At first I wondered whether he has burnt himself on the heater? He swims behind it a lot. Thanks!
Hi Zoe, without seeing a picture, I would do a 50% water change immediately and see if things get any better over the next day. If not, I would then do a 100% water change and clean everything in the tank with hot, hot water before acclimating your betta fish back in. From your description though, it does sound like a fungal infection. The heater is not the culprit in my opinion unless it’s overheating or malfunctioning.
Hi, so I have a betta fish and he seems fine at least that’s what I think. I had him for 4 months now. This isn’t my first betta fish. I don’t know how to explain it but, he has this black rash ( I think) on his head. The fin has these black spots on it. The fin also has these gold colors. At the bottom of his mouth, it has this rusted copper color. He also rubs himself somewhere hard.The bottom fin is also jammed. I don’t know what to do. Please help me.
Alex have you reviewed the symptoms chart on this page? From what you’re describing, it sounds like your betta could have fin rot and velvet.
I have a (roughly) 2 year old koi plakat betta named Rwby (pronounced Ruby). His stomach on only his right side, has started to bloat. He is in a 2.5 with a heater and sponge filter that I do at least 50% weekly water changes. He has no problem swimming and has a very healthy appetite. I have fasted him for 2 days, then fed him for 2 days, the fasted him again, and it hasn’t gotten any better. As far as I can tell, he seems the same happy and healthy betta that I have had for almost 2 years, except for the slightly swollen stomach on his right side. I’m not sure what else to do, I love my betta and don’t want him to die… any advice please? I have treated his aquarium with aquarium salt as well…
That’s strange David, have you seen him poop recently? It may help to remove the substrate for the time being in order to see if he is pooping regularly or not – to tell if he’s constipated. If it’s only one side, it could potentially be something more severe (e.g. tumor, swim bladder disorder) developing, but it’s hard for me to say without seeing it and I don’t want to scare you if it’s not that.
I haven’t actually seen him poop recently, but then again I actually can’t recall any time that I have… every time I do a water change, I vacuum the gravel and it always picks up detritus, and I don’t think it is just un-eaten food because I usually see him eat everything I give him. The next time I do a water change (Sundays) I will try taking the substrate out and checking. I would upload a photo, but there is no way for me to do so…
Catching them in the act of pooping is very few and far between. My email is located on the contact page if you’d like to send a photo that way.
Hello Bryan,
Thank you very much for keeping up such a wonderful site. It is very helpful. Please let us know if you have any recommendation to our situation. We got a baby Betta fish (labeled as a boy) in early February. He was in a small environment (2Litres) where you grow a peace lily plant on top. He was doing okay and since the container was very small we did regular water changes and then in a month we did a 100% water change. After this, our fish became very lethargic, about 3-4 weeks ago. He doesn’t seem to eat very much and he lays at the bottom of his tank. We tested the water and it’s between 0 and 0.25 ppm of Ammonia. Other reading were ok. We added API quick start and stresszyme. We’re doing regular 10-15% water changes but not full ones anymore. His water temperature at 78 degrees F. We placed hisbowl inside of the 20 gallon tank with 6 Platies and this is how we keep his container warm. We were told not to put him on the community tank as he is too small. But we hoped that once he is a bit bigger, we can transfer his with Platies. We will send pictures via email. Any help is very much appreciated. We really want to help our baby betta. He is about 1 inch.Thank you!
Thank you for the feedback! The symptoms are that of stress/shock in my opinion. It’s likely from the 100% water change and abrupt change in either water temperature or good bacteria, etc. Did you acclimate him back into his tank or just drop him back in? Acclimation is very important.
Hey Bryan!
I rescued a plakat betta fish 17 days ago. He has fin rot, and what I believe is body rot. I have treated him with Seachmen’s Paraguard, and API’s Body & Fin rot and have not seen a lot of improvement. He’s in a 5 gallon tank, and I do 10% water changes (or more depending on what’s required with the API medication) once a week and haven’t seen any improvement. Do you have any suggestions? I can email you pictures if you’d like! 🙂
You can also read the Fin and Body Rot page here for more detailed information. Fin rot is usually caused by stress and poor water quality/temperature consistency. If the medicines aren’t working (fin rot is the same/not getting any worse) and you’ve been doing them for several weeks, I would stop them for a few days to a week as they can be very stressful too. Make sure your water temperature and quality is excellent. Dose in some aquarium salt dissolved in tank water in a separate container before adding it to the tank, or “salt baths” and then consider trying a different antibiotic (Maracyn 2) if that doesn’t help after a week or so.
Hi, not sure what’s going on with my betta, because I’ve never seen anything like this before. He’s been periodically (over two weeks, no longer), getting random white spots on his face, but no spot is in the same place for more than half a day. I thought he ripped off a fin first day, second there was a white spot near the scale. On the third day there were five spots, until I looked a couple hours later, and they were gone again. This is about what’s been happening for two weeks now, except never the same number of spots, or exact locations. Today’s spots seem to have a little bit of height to them, i.e. not flat against his face. Behavior, eating and energy are all normal. Any ideas? I’ve done a weekly gravel vacuum and water change, he lives in a 5.5 gallon.
I’m not sure, Mirzy, without pictures or more context.
I can’t find anything anywhere. The white spots come and go so quickly, it’s hard to tell. Definitely doesn’t look like fungus or ick. I’ll just keep an eye on him for now and keep the tank clean.
Hello!
I recently purchased a larger tank for my betta, Ichabod. I’ve had him for about a year and I’ve upgraded from a 1.75 gal to a 3 gal tank. In prepping the new tank, I went about the usual treatment (conditioner, heater) and let the water sit for 3 days before placing him in the new tank. At the recommendation of a sales clerk, I also added a bio-enhancer to improve conditions and minimize stress.
He’s been in the new tank for about 3 days and has been rather listless. He would normally approach the top of his old tank when I would come around and bob around the top as his feeding time approached; however, he’s taken to staying near the bottom of the tank or hiding in the silk plants. This new tank does come with a filter and I’m wondering if he just needs some more time to acclimate.
Thank you!
Did you originally acclimate him into the new water? Float his bag or cup in the tank and slowly add in some of the new tank water into the bag or cup before adding him into the new tank? Also, are there enough hiding places? Is the filter current too strong? These are some situations to consider. Sometimes a betta fish will feel out of territory in a new tank and it will take some time if everything else checks out.
Hi, I noticed a few days after adopting my betta that his tail had some dark spots (they don’t seem to be raised), I didn’t think anything of it until yesterday (about a week) when I noticed that his dorsal fin had a small fray. I did a 50% water change and everything tested within normal today, but now his tail fin has a small hole and seems frayed at the end. Could it be tail rot? He does have a couple tank mates and everyone seems to get along well. The tank is 10gal heated and filtered with live plants.
Are there any sharp objects or sharp decor in the tank Alana? A betta’s fins are very delicate and tear easily on such objects. If not, it could be the start of some fin rot. Keep up with the water parameter testing and monitor your betta to make sure it doesn’t get worse.
I’ve had my Betta Mister Blue for about 2.5 to 3 years. He was doing great. My husband and I decided after researching tank mates, to get two African Dwarf Frogs and a Plecostamus. They all got along great. Sometimes the Betta would sit on the frog or the frog would come and kiss the Betta. Then it came to feeding. I thought they would be fine. But Mister Blue ate the Frog food and got bloated. I fasted him and gave him a cooked shaved pea to get him to poop. It took him a while to poop. He rubs his butt on the bottom of the hospital tank, his color is way faded. He hides under the heater I placed inside the hospital tank and he won’t eat. I gave him an Epsom salt bath, put Melafix in his tank, try to partially change the water every other day. The whole underside of his mouth is white. What else can I do? It seems like he has both Dropsy and SBD. He’s fins are tight around him, swims to the top for a gulp of air and stays at the bottom of the hospital tank.
Poor guy, usually bettas won’t bother with food on the substrate. They do make small breeder boxes that can be placed and secured in a fish tank and then place the betta in there during his/tank mate feedings. You appear to be doing everything correctly, it’s just very tough seeing them ill. Make sure his water is clean and the temperature is correct, and I would be dosing in some aquarium salt (dissolved in a separate container of tank water first), to help reduce stress and any swelling to aid in recovery.
My Betta fish broke his top fin and scrape his back where his top fin is. Is there anything I can do for it to help it get better?
If there is anything sharp in your tank, including decor you should remove it, or sand any sharp edges down so it is smooth to the touch. Aquarium salt can help with healing and regrowth and clean, proper temperature water.
My beta now has a white patch on it once completely blue snout what is it and if it is a problem how do you cure it?
I have had a beta about four months now and he’s been very healthy he eats only pallets I was gone a week and my neighbor was taking care of him she was given him 3 to 4 pallets in the morning and again at night she contacted me after five days and said that he didn’t seem to be doing very well he lays on his side I came home and I looked at him and he seem to be upright and he ate one pallet for me and that was it, it’s been two days now he will not eat a Pea or the frozen shrimp or the blood worms he swims around a little bit and then he stops and he turns over on his side and floats to the top sometimes he’ll sit just sitting up straight but then he flips over I’m very concerned I took his water in and his water is perfect I put some aquarium salt in there and then someone told me to do a Epson salt bath but I’m scared to do that because I’ve heard some pros and cons and I’m not quite sure how to go about it can you please help me. I I think he may be constipated because he hasn’t pooped
Hi Jan, I replied to your email just now 🙂
Hey there! So my Beta will just float at the top of the tank all day, doesn’t eat very well but reacts to taps on the tank or sudden movements of the tank (I only know this because I accidentally banged my elbow on the bookshelf he is sitting on). He shares a split tank with his brother. But he is fine. My beta will be very active at night. The very tips of his tail are pure white. But what bothers me is that when he is in such a zombified state only reacting to taps on the tank or sudden movement of the tank is that my boyfriend poked him a few time and he didn’t even flinch. I know he is still alive but I can’t understand what’s going on with him. He shares water with another tank. So I’m not sure what’s going on with my beta! Please help!!! 🙁
If by float, you mean he can’t regulate his depth in the water, then it sounds like he could have swim bladder issues. This is often caused by overfeeding, and I would try fasting him for 2-3 days and see if things improve.
Hi there. My male butterfly Betta is floating on top and he is usually a bright vibrant blue, but his body is now turning dark blue and he looks like he has trouble swimming and eating now. In the center of the dark blue patch his scales are turning white. Changed his water but unsure what else to do. Water heater broke and has been at 71 degrees. He is less than a year old. Would love to keep him longer. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Anna, I would get a new heater as soon as possible, as colder water can reduce immune strength and increase or exacerbate sickness and stress. Without a picture, I don’t want to diagnose anything – you’re welcome to email me one, but continue doing a 25-45% water change daily as well, for now, to ensure the water quality is pristine.
Hi for how long is recommended to medicate for velvet and how to know if it’s gone? Also, I have a new betta that I have in a quarantine tank and he’s active and eats well but he has gold color under I’m guessing its either his chin or belly – a few very tiny spots on sides of his face not much doesn’t really look like the picture shown but could it be velvet? I’m afraid to medicate if he isn’t sick and maybe he just has that color. He’s a black orchid his color is a deep black blue and light light colored tail. I’m trying to get pictures but gold color will not show with flash on. Also, I did turn the lights off and flash him with a light and I can’t seem to get how it’s supposed to look sorry first time having a fish. Help, please!
Based on your description and lack of it showing under a flashlight, I’m not convinced it’s Velvet and may just be his coloring. You’re welcome to email me a photo too if you’d like.
Thank you SO, SO much for this website! We’re a new owner of a beautiful Betta. He has dark red fins with a white body. We don’t know exactly what kind he is. We’ve only had him a couple weeks. We thought there was something wrong with him a couple days ago because he was acting different. But thanks to your website, I think he was overfed. Today he is back to normal. I also love the names page. My daughter decided on Finley.
You’re welcome! One of my past betta’s name was Finley too and I’m glad he’s doing better.
Hi, I think my Betta has a tumor. He eats and swims, has good coloring and seems otherwise healthy? He has been with me a year. I have changed the water several times now, even though the parameters are fine. I withheld food for a few days. Nothing is changing and it just keeps getting bigger.
No other fish are sick and they happily coexist. He is in a 12 gallon heated and filtered tank with lots of real plants and logs. He even has a lava rock. I have done a salt bath.
I have read there is not much I can do. I have really good photos but don’t see how to get them to you?
Thanks!
Claire
You can email me using the contact page or this email: bryan@bettafish.org
Thank you, sent you photos. He is still alive, eating, full of color. But it’s getting bigger so he is in my hospital tank now.
I’m really worried about my Betts named Chronos. I know he is sick and at first I thought it was velvet but now I’m not sure. His main body is dark blue but ever since I brought him home he seemed sick. He started with white spots developing on his head but they didnt look like any of the descriptions I found for possible diseases so I waited. Around his gills and under his chin his color has slowly but surely paled. When I shone a light on him it looks almost gold and shiny but its hard to tell. Since I thought it was velvet started treating him with copper power green about 2 days ago. When I got home today his chin looks whiter than it did. Ive had a hard time regulating his temperature and ive been trying to chamge his water frequently but I’m afraid I identified it wrong and am treating him for the wrong disease. Please help!
Help…Please! My 8-month-old betta has either fin rot or fin blow..I don’t see red or black on his tail but he’s also suddenly not eating..like 4 days now. I had him on a happy regimen after initially having this same issue except he was eating. I was changing water weekly and adding aquarium salt. The water testing was perfect except the pH would go up just prior to water change day. He made fabulous bubble nests! Suddenly he started having really cloudy water even right after water changes. I stepped up the water changes to 70% kept the salt going and changed the water every 4 days. Cured the cloudy problem but now his tails a wreck and he doesn’t eat. The sliminess of the plants changed ..not slimy at all so I added some stable hoping to restore the biofilm balance. I feel like time is running out..HELP PLease. this is my second note about him..didn’t hear back when I wrote last week.
There are a few things you can do here, Sheri. Try to do more frequent water changes, at a lower volume to keep more consistent water parameters. Check the salt levels in your tank to make sure it’s not too brackish. Adding aquarium salt each time can cause it to get trapped under gravel and increase the levels higher than you think or betta fish can tolerate. For now, do a smaller (~20%) conditioned water change daily to keep the water really clean and monitor if that improves his behavior.
My little crowntail (male) Betta is sick with what I think is a fungal disease but am not positive. The guy at the pet store gave me Betta revive drops and aquarium salt for him but the white spot on him has just gotten worse. I don’t know how to help him. My other Betta too (veiltail) is looking unwell, he is developing a blue coloured coating on his eyes but he’s still acting like his regular self. I cannot find any information anywhere about this. Can anyone please help??? I’m worried about them! 🙁
For the crowntail make sure your water is pristine clean and the proper temperature. The aquarium salt should also help reduce swelling and ease stress during sickness and medication. For your veiltail, I can’t really provide any advice as I haven’t seen it myself, but sometimes we as owners will look at something with a closer vigilance when we think something is wrong, and it’s just normal or changed coloring and not harmful.
Seven-eight months ago, I bought a Crown Tail Betta from a big box retail store and didn’t notice until I got him home that he’s a bit “crooked” in his body, side to side, like he has scoliosis. He seemed to be fine in every other way until recently. It started with lethargy, just kind of hanging around more than usual, not active except to eat, then he started laying on the bottom. The morning after the big water change (described below), he moved back to the top of the tank and onto his leaf, where he has typically liked to sleep/rest. He has stayed there, not active, unless he goes to the bottom again. He does still eat although not with the gusto typical of him. His main diet is mini Betta Flake Medley with an occasional live worm, his absolute FAVORITE. (I have maintained a worm farm for about two years now, the only source of food for my Axolotl salamander. Finnley [the Betta] gets a tiny newborn worm [perfect Betta-size] about once a week or so, although he’d like to eat that exclusively if he could choose.) Everything about his behavior says he’s very sick. He’s a very dark red making it difficult to see details on his body and he immediately shuns away from any light I shine on him when trying to examine him. The only thing I’ve been able to see physically are a few tattered ends on his tail, which is always limp now, but, again, I’ve not gotten a completely good look at both sides or his head not wanting to stress him even more by shining a light that long. He has grown some since I’ve had him so I’m thinking he was a juvenile at that time, making him maybe a year old now? I know I should not have gotten a fish from a big box store, but I did, so that ship has sailed. He’s here now, I can see that he’s ill, and I have to help him if I can. He’s in a 5 gallon tank with three mini sponge filters (low water agitation), a large mass of java moss that has been in his tank since the beginning and has grown right along with him, now inhabits about 1/3 of the tank, top to bottom. No other tank decor except one of those plastic floating “rocks”, which I bought him several months ago thinking he’d rest on it, he never has, and one artificial leaf bed affixed barely below water level, where he likes it best and uses it mostly at night/bed time (until now, that is). It’s Monday forenoon now, I did a 90% water change on Saturday, late afternoon into evening, which included a complete vacuum of the shallow sand substrate (kept just deep enough to cover the glass bottom with the intention that it cannot harbor toxic bacteria at that depth). The drastic water change didn’t seem to help other than moving him from the bottom, where he’d been staying, to his leaf by the next morning. It’s more “normal” for him to be there than on the bottom, but he’s still obviously sick. I’m worried that the big water change may have been too stressful so am hesitant to do more changes at this time since the parameters are within normal for this tank except for the low level of NH3, for which I have treated the tank. (My typical routine is 25 to 30% water change every 7-10days, with a top off of RO water in between, as necessary.) Tested one hour ago, the API Mater Test Kit reads as follows: PH: 8.2, NH3: .25, NO2: 0, NO3: 0, TDS: 519, Temp: 74 1/2F to 76F. (Temp taken with all 4 of my tank thermometers, and readings ranged from 74.5 to 76 degrees, “normal” readings for this tank in the summer months, when the AC runs. Typically a couple degrees higher in winter months with the furnace running.) All of the parameters are normal for this tank and my water except for the .25 Ammonia reading, which I am guessing may be due to riling up the substrate during the 90% water change and washing the glass, front and both sides (left the back glass alone). The tank was dosed with Prime (10 drops total for the 5 gallon tank) when the water change was done, will be dosed again at that level early this evening, which will be 48 hrs after Saturday’s dosing. (Dosing of Prime will continue every 48 hrs until Ammonia level reads zero again.) We live a rural area, no actual fish/pet store within 2 1/2 hrs and the nearest Walmart/big box is an hour away, so I will have to order any meds I need online (as I do all aquatic supplies and equipment). It will take 2 days for an order to get here if I buy from Amazon. I want to save this fish and have done everything I can think of with what I have available and am hoping someone can tell me what else I should do and what I should buy to help him get through whatever is wrong. Thank you very much……….
Hi Kate, I’m sorry to hear that he’s not doing too well. A curved or s-shaped body can mean he’s constipated (maybe too much flake food which tends to lack adequate moisture content), or it’s something more serious, and can even be present from previous poor care before you acquired him. Where your water parameters are at right now though, even after a large change, suggests to me it’s not constipation. Your pH is outside the recommended range (6.5-7.5), and your ammonia should ideally be at 0ppm. It sounds like you are doing a lot of stuff right though, and maybe you should do smaller water changes more frequently, say 25% 1-2x a week to keep things more consistent which betta fish prefer. You can also dose in some aquarium salt, for now, to ease stress and swelling and help promote a healthy immune system. I would do 20-25% water changes daily until your water parameters are back in the correct zone. See how things are going after several days and if things get worse, you may need to administer medication.
Hi All,
Hoping for some help. We have had our Betta for around 4 years. Everyone always compliments us on how big he is and how huge and ruffled his fins are. He is really beautiful and we love him dearly. In the past month or two he has become less and less active. Now he eats less, spends most of his time on the bottom hiding under his plant. I feel very helpless and I am not sure what to do to help him. Looking at the various helpful pictures that you have, the only thing that looks possible to me is the fin/tail rot problem. But I notice that you say that would not cause the lethargy we are seeing.
Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
SJ in NJ
Advanced cases can cause additional problems and lead to lethargy, however, I believe what you are experiencing is just old age. A betta fish lifespan is between 2-4 years in captivity, or longer depending on care and genetics.
Hi Bryan,
I have a 2-yr old Betta that I recently treated for fin rot and, just to be on the safe side, a fungicide treatment. He has been moping around the bottom for a week and isn’t eating, but he’s still breathing and changes location daily. But hardly his perky self. I figured that he may be at the end of his life span, but wondered if there is anything else to do but wait? He is in a 5-gal tank with a heater and filter. Thanks!
It sounds like he may have more going on than the fin rot. Do you suspect anything else, or is it just stress? Keep the water pristine, heated, and monitor for additional signs of another ailment.
I am so glad i found this website! We got our youngest a betta, and until i stumbled upon this site, turned out we were doing almost everything wrong. By some stroke of luck, the poor fish, Lucas, managed to survive for a few months in a filtered one gallon tank with no heater. He was near a window the first couple of months until I moved the tank because of all the algae that kept coming back on the sides of the tank and the ornaments. Since I stumbled upon this community, he is now in a heated and filtered 2.5 gallon aquarium with silk plants instead of plastic ones and a betta cave he can hide in! Still a bit faded from the stress of the last tank and fins still a bit damaged from that plastic plant, but he is becoming more active and his appetite has been gaining! Let’s hear it for the power of knowledge!
That’s awesome Brian!
My betta fish is eating normal and acting normal no signs of sluggishness although it’s gills have been appearing black and he has these weird white raised bumps yet they don’t appear to look like a fungus. My first though was ich so I treated him for that because it can’t hurt. I’ve had this beta for a while now and I don’t know if he’s sick or not please help.
If it’s a male, they have what is called a beard that extends out of the operculum near the gills and it’s usually black in color. Without knowing more information, or seeing a picture, it’s hard for me to give you any further advice. You may email me if you’d like.
Hi. Our beta hasn’t eaten in about 2 weeks. Floating on its side most of the time.
Is there at least one shot in the dark technique/medication (perhaps maracyn) I can try? The fish has no obvious symptoms of the various diseases outlined here and elsewhere. I have been changing the water about 60% for days.
Thanks!
My Betta has little dents in his body and I can’t seem to figure out what it is
My Betta Fish is not moving and is being lethargic.What’s Wrong?
It might be dying or is sick
HELP! We just got a black orchid betta a little over a month and a half ago, after 2 weeks we changed out about half of his 3 gallon tank cuz it was looking pretty gross. Then we did a full tank change just a few days ago and he now won’t come up from the bottom. We’ve been giving him some betta fix but it doesn’t appear to be helping. What am I doing wrong?!? How can I help him?
Hi Carrie – it sounds like shock. Betta fish do not like abrupt changes. It stresses them out and can lead to sickness, especially from drastic water parameter changes and temperature changes which is common with large volume water changes. Do more frequent partial water changes (20-35%), and always acclimate your betta back into the tank after a 100% water change.
I had a couple of female bettas and 3 cory catfish in a 10 gallon tank for over a year. One of the females died with no visible signs of illness. The other female had a growth in one of her eyes and had always been there. One day before the first betta died i noticed the betta 2 was missing half her tail fin. I figured it was damaged from something in the tank or the other betta. I treated with an antifungal one week and antibacterial the next week. It’s been a while so I don’t remember exactly what treatments I used when. Anyway betta 2 heals a bit but didn’t regrow the fin. Instead this lump formed where the fin had been. One night I noticed she was jumping out of the water making enough noise for me to hear the splash. So I watched them for a few minutes. Betta 2 is literally bleeding, blood is wisping around in the tank. So I went and got new treatments. Weeks go by and nothing changed for the better and I would find blood in the water now and then. I finally gave up on trying to save her and euthanized betta 2. But I still have no idea what kind of disease she had. I did a full tank cleaning 100% water change, boiled the rocks & plastic plants ect. Now a month after doing all of that I find that my oldest cory cat has an opaque whitesh spot on the edge of one of his fins.
I took pictures of Betta 2 in case I found someone who might know what it was that she had. The people at the local fish /per stores just say it was ich. It was NOT ich. This isn’t my first fish tank, I have had my share of dealing with ich in the past. Would you be open to looking at the pictures and giving me your opinion?
Thank you
Sonya
Sure Sonya, send them to bryan@bettafish.org and we can discuss all of this further. It would also be helpful if you copy and pasted all of this comment to me in your email too. Thanks!
I have lost both a male and a female betta to tumors in the past 3 years and my last female betta now has a large one on her side. So far she is still eating and swimming around, but the growth is getting quite big. I know it says these are fatal, but I wondered if they are more prone to them than other types of fish.
I’ve had my betta for about 1 month and I have just noticed very small white bits of fuzz on a few of his back fins. He is in a 4 gallon tank with filter and heater and I do a 40% water change weekly. He is very active and has a huge appetite so doesn’t seem to be unwell at all. Could this be columnaris? I don’t want to treat him unnecessarily.
I am having a very annoying and angry inducing fungus issue with my Betta. For weeks I was trying to battle this white cotton like substance in my tank. It is attached ti his fins, attached to the live plants which I’ve since thrown away, attached to the dried capatta leaves which I’ve also thrown away, attached to some of the plastic plants, and even just floating around in the water itself. Weeks of treatment trying Tetra Fungus Guard, Seacham Kanaplex, edible kanamycin sulfate flakes, and API Melafix, API Pimafix yeilded no results, aside from turning all of the decor blue. The only thing which I THOUGHT had worked was isolating my fish inside a small 1.5 gallon hospital tank (his normal tank is 5 gallon) for ten days, each day dosing the water with 3 teaspoons of API Aquarium Salt and doing a 100% water change each day. I kept zero decor in the hospital tank, aside from a heater and one small leaf hammock. I would use a baster to suck up the cotton substance when I would see it in the water itself, or if a large enough piece was dangling off of his tail. About 9 days in, I finally was seeing zero ‘fuzz’ in the water. I excitedly cleaned out his normal tank, washing down all the decor, changing the filters, changing the substrate, etc. I filled it back up and happily put Chrono (my fish) back in. He was swimming around again and exploring and seemed back to his old self. Now, about a week later, I noticed another damn little cotton tuft between his anal and caudal fins, as well as some hanging off of his ventral fins and suborbital region. His fins look so poor compared to how he looked before he got sick and I am at my wits end with this horrible white nonsense. I was thinking of just trying the 10 day hospital salt tank method again but the stress of moving him in and out every day is a lot on the poor guy. His constitution is so strong but a little fish can only take so much. Can you offer me any advice or perhaps lead me to a product that actually works? Websites all seem to contradict themselves or swear by products which I’ve already tried and got zero results with. I would really like to know before I start medication and stressing out a fish who’s already had more of both than any fish deserves.
Hi Keith, I am very sorry to hear about how much trouble your poor little betta has been going through. Since your hospital tank method did work well, I would try that again but for a longer period of time if necessary. If you want to limit stress, just do a 50% water change daily instead of the 100% so you don’t need to remove him from the tank. Make sure you are cleaning your baster and other items as well in hot, hot water so you are not reintroducing anything after too. If things start getting worse, API Fungus Cure would be what I would try. I wish him a speedy recover, and happy holidays.
First, thank you!! I love your website. But now onto our little betta…Mr. Bubbles.
My daughter bought him about three months ago from a ‘big box’ store where the help unfortunately gave some less than helpful advise. So we tried to remedy the situation with a bigger tank (from 1.5 to 3.5 gallons), a better filter system that is designed for Bettas ( from one hanging on the side that he would get stuck to, to Top Fin Bettaflo filtration) and less feeding (from one pellet a day to one pellet every other day). But things got worse.
Now he randomly starts displaying swim bladder disorder but he is not being overfed. If anything he may be underfed (we now know that). We thought it may be the filter which has a very gently flow but he likes to attack the water bubbles. We turn it off, and he slowly swims normal and appears better; we turn it back on he attacks bubbles/water flow and eventually starts having problems swimming. Is he swallowing air? Basically, the betta equivalent of the hiccups? Or is this more serious?
Now, after reading your website, I’m beginning to think, are his eyes bigger? Is he breathing okay? Is that a bump? Basically, questioning everything about his health. Kinda like a first year doctor 😉
Also, I now know the plastic plants are probably causing some fin damage and the very end of the back large fin does have a darker shading to it (fin rot?).
But the big question is why all of a sudden Mr. Bubbles can’t swim properly. This one concerns me. Thank you in advance for you help. I can send pictures if you think it is necessary.
If Mr. Bubbles starts doing better without the filter on, it may be still causing too much turbulence in the water and stressing him out. Consider using a pre sponge filter or place a decoration near the outlet to slow the water flow of the filter even further. I would increase the feeding to 2-3 pellets daily. Make sure your water is within tropical range as well – 76-82 degrees Fahrenheit. Fin rot would be showing some tattered edges as well if that was developing. It doesn’t seem like SBD to me, unless he’s injured the swim bladder.
Just a quick question: if a betta has fin rot long enough or severe enough, can it affect future growth of fins and tail after it is cured?
It can definitely cause a lot of problems and even death. If left untreated or severe enough it can turn into body rot. The fins themselves will grow back, but they may not look entirely the same and may have a folded appearance in certain areas.
So I just got a dragon scale Male betta. I was feeding him when I noticed a large clear bump between his eye and his mouth. It’s about the size of his eye maybe a bit larger. I’ve been looking through everything seeing if I can treat it but is it possibly a birth defect?
I can’t accurately say what it is without seeing a picture of it and it could be more serious depending how he was cared for before you got him. You can use the contact page if you’d like to email me.
Where do I do that?
I have been trying to treat my betta, who has what looks like clear round and/or flat jelly like globules on his top fin. The rest of him is fine but these keep growing. They are only attached to his fin. I treated him for a week in Fungus Cure and not much luck. Then on to Paraguard, same results. I have searched all over to find a picture of what he has and nothing come ups. Is it possible that his tiger nerite had a parasite and it has affected the betta? I have pic’s but no place to send them to. Gettting ready to use Marineland All-In-One Remedy. HELP!
Hi Pam, you can send them to bryan@bettafish.org and I will take a look!
About a year and a half ago, I purchased a male crowntail betta fish. He had been happy and healthy ever since, until about four days ago. When I went to feed him, he was resting vertically at the bottom of his tank with a bloated stomach. After some research, I thought that he had Swim Bladder Disease and started the ‘pea treatment’. After the 72 hour fasting period, I attempted to feed him a small pellet-sized portion of a pea, but he wouldn’t eat it. He was transferred from his 5-gallon tank to a mason jar, as he could not swim very well and was having trouble reaching the surface to breathe. Is there any other treatment that I could try? I really love this fish and would be very upset if he didn’t make it.
Eileen, you’re on the right track in treating him if it’s bloating or constipation, but instead of the Mason Jar, I would have just lowered the tanks water so he can get to the surface easier and turn off any filters during this time. Keeping the water very clean with daily partial water changes will also help, and aquarium salt dips or additions to the tank can help reduce stress and swelling as well. Have you seen him poop at all? If it’s another ailment, like dropsy, then it could be life-threatening. Is the bloating contained in the stomach area (constipation)? OR is that bloating visible on each side of the body when looking down on the betta from above (dropsy)?
Hello, I have my beautiful pink/light blue boy, but he seems to have SBD. He is just floating at the top and he is jumping very often. I change 25% 3 times a week and use Sera Aquatan. Now that he looked unhappy (he was always happy fish swimming and exploring), I cleaned the whole tank because I thought the water is bad and that’s why he is jumping, but his condition haven’t changed. He is eating normally, reacts to my presence and voice. Should I fast him for a few days? Or what else should I do? I love him so much it hurts me when I see him being sad 🙁
The floating issues do sound like bloating or SBD issues, but the jumping is odd to me. Maybe he’s trying to right himself in the water and is having trouble with the buoyancy. I would start by trying a fast yes.
Update: He is not jumping anymore, I think complete water change helped. He is stil floating but he tries to swim. I stopped feeding so I hope he will be OK soon. Thank you for respond.
Hello, I had problem with my betta boy. I thought he had SBD so i stopped feeding. I already wrote a post about it. Now he is 3rd day without food and i gave him bite of pea now. Anyway, he is swimming weird, he still can’t swim to bottom and sometimes he swims very fast like crazy and he looks crooked. I checked if there is some poop in tank, but i cant see anything. Tank is all clean. He ate the pea immediately because he is hungry. Should i wait until he poop? Or what should i do? Im too scared now 🙁
I have a juvenile betta. A couple weeks ago he began acting unlike himself and had stringy poop. I treated with API G.C. to be safe. I have also noticed. One gill does not open as the other does when flaring etc. Also, when at top of the tank, he sort of jumps or swims fast, against the waterline for that breath.(flashing?) He is able to be at any level of the tank, it only happens along the very top of the water. I also think this is affecting his ability to eat food that is floating on top of the water. Where can I send photos?
Recently my betta fish seems to have gotten many illnesses at once. Aside from a filter change, water change and some new decor nothing else is different. I make sure the decor is clean too. He still swims a lot and has always been a bit hyper, but in only 3 days, his fins have holes in them now, he is rubbing himself against decor and he has a lump on his side. There isn’t anything sharp in the tank and i made sure the wood is smooth with no sharp pieces or anything he can get stuck on and theres live plants that have nothing he can get stuck on, and I haven’t seen any fin biting. Ive had him for 4 months with no problem so I don’t understand why he is getting sick out of nowhere.
Was the water change a 100% change or only partial? Any abrupt changes in water parameters and beneficial bacteria can have a large effect on a bettas health. For example, if you did a 100% change and new filter media, then you have disrupted the nitrogen cycle. If he was rubbing on decor that could be Ick. I hope he’s doing better now. Make sure you keep the water heated to the ideal range and keep the water clean by doing partial water changes of around 20% at a time. If you believe it’s Ick then you can read about that on this page.
Hello! I have a male king betta fish who is just over a year old, and for many months when he poops, the poop comes out with white tubes. The white tubes eventually retract back into him. I don’t think they’re worms because they don’t seem to move at all, but I could be wrong. I contacted my local pet store about it and they said it was most likely a result of constipation. Two days ago they came out again, but have not gone back. Usually they retract back in around 20 minutes so I’m concerned. One of the tubes as well looks slightly damaged, a little shriveled and slightly torn/ripped. I haven’t fed him since I noticed them, and I’m wondering if maybe giving him a pea would provide some relief. I’m wondering if anyone has experienced this themselves or perhaps knows what’s happening?
I’m not sure I fully understand the ‘tubes’ part. White stringy poop is normally a sign of internal parasites though. A pea can help by adding fiber to his diet which aids in constipation relief. You can also try fasting for 2-3 days at a time and see if things improve if it’s that.
I have a male betta fish. I have had him for a couple months now. I moved him from a 2.5 gallon tank to a 5 gallon tank yesterday. Today I noticed that the tank was really cloudy and my fish was barely moving. He is a white fish and from today to yesterday his tail has red in it. He is at the bottom of the tank a lot in the corners and barely moveing. This is so unlike him and K don’t know what to do. I put API Furan-2 in to see if that helps. Please someone help me out!!!
Did you make sure to slowly acclimate the betta into the new tank? Floating him in a cup or bag for 20-40 minutes? Also slowly adding in some of the new tank water can help acclimate to the new water parameters too. If this was not done, it sounds like you caused shock and stress. Betta fish do not do well with abrupt changes. If it was 100% new water, good bacteria may also be missing from the new tank and caused stress. If that wasn’t the case, check your water parameters and make sure the new tank is at the correct tropical temperature. The cloudy water is odd, did you make sure to rinse all substrate and decor before adding it to the tank?
My Betta has grown increasingly lethargic over the past three weeks. His lack of appetite has worsened and he hasn’t eaten for the last three days. His water parameters are perfect. Today I noticed a white thing sticking out of his anus. It isn’t long and stringy, it’s egg shaped. Is this an intestinal parasite?
It wouldn’t be right of me to speculate on it without seeing a photo, but yes as you said internal parasites is normally characterized by long, white stringy feces. I hope he is doing better.
I have a female Betta fish who I added to my 20 gallon tank into a mollie community after keeping her in a separate tank for 24 hours to check for illness or diseases and she seemed fine but after adding her to the twenty gallon tank she’s had orangish red appear on the side of her head/gills and it looks abnormal any advice on what might be the problem???
It’s common for a bettas colors to change after getting into a new habitat with the right water parameters and temperature and not under stress. Without seeing a picture it’s hard for me to say, but it doesn’t sound abnormal, especially if the betta is active and eating normally.
I have noticed my Betta being lethargic the past few days. I tried feeding him today and he is usually very engaged and active when eating, however as I gave him food, he would try to eat it and then after a minute or so would spit the pellets out. I’ve had him for over a year and haven’t ever had the issue with him. I’m mostly worried that he may be constipated, or could even have pellets stuck in his throat.
If he were constipated he would have an enlarged stomach or stringy feces. Are your pellets expired? If not, you may need to try a new pellet if his pickiness has changed or try introducing some treats like freeze-dried blood worms or daphnia once in a while for diversity.
He actually ended up passing whatever was wrong with him. He’s eating normally now, I think he might have ate too much beforehand and couldn’t eat the food because his stomach was full. But thank you for the help!
Hi I have 2 Male Betta Fish. The red one has a beautiful tail which is full, he unfortunately has sores that looks like bubble around his mouth, he doesn’t really swim around much, he just chills at the top of the water and doesn’t really eat, while he was just chilling by the surface of the water his body started turning to the side like a 90 degree angle.
My second betta is a Blue male and his tail isn’t whole its like someone cut strips into his tail but that could be how he was born, but his side fins look torn and ripped.
Please help I don’t know what to do.
I change their water every 2 weeks and I put Anti Chlorine in their tank, their tank is one of those square ones that holds about 2 litres of water, and they each have 2 plastic plants in their tank
Both are suffering from dirty water and likely ammonia poisoning that sounds like has led to stress, fin rot and other ailments. For blue, if he’s not a crowntail betta then he’s also suffering fin rot. A 2 liter (0.5-gallon) tank is much too small for a betta and the water should be partially changed multiple times per week if not daily in that size tank. Please read the care page, but betta fish need a minimum of 2.5-gallons and heated tanks for starters.
I have a betta fish, it’s now about two and a half months that we’ve had him. We started at brand new tank 20 gallon hex with live plants and there’s an air pump attached I used Water Conditioner from API and also the beneficial bacteria from API when I set the tank up my nitrates and nitrites have all tested at 0 the entire time I’ve had the tank everything looks good – we have hard water here so the pH is high I believe it was 8.6. We had him first and then about once a week we added more fish we had a total of 6 rummy nose tetras and 6 neon tetras along with 6 cherry shrimp. Stupidly I did not quarantine any of the new fish before we added them. When we brought the last batch of three neon tetras we noticed that two of them were not coloring back up after they had been floated in the tank and then released for a couple hours, we questioned it but thought okay maybe they just needed more time. Wake up the next day and one of them is dead a few hours later the other one died over the course of the next 2 days every other fish but the betta died. After the first two I noticed the betta had a spot on his side, a white spot which I wasn’t sure but I thought it might be ich so my husband went to the store and bought ich X and general cure from API. We did two treatments on the tank and of course this was while all the other fish were expiring and after the first day his spot started getting smaller and he developed one on the top of his head or neck area which was only visible for one day and then they healed fine. Now he only stays in the back of the tank hidden in the plants and he is not eating. Unless he is eating food off the ground which I don’t think that betta fish really do that he hasn’t eaten in almost a month now and he is steadily getting Slimmer and slimmer. He isn’t gasping his mouth or clamping his fins. There does not appear to be anything physically wrong with him that we can see from the outside but his behavior is a 180 degree turn from usual. Before the illness he was at the front of the tank he would follow your finger he wasn’t a super great eater but he ate and he grew and his colors developed and he’s beautiful. I don’t know what to do for him I’ve tried going online in some forums and posting the information and nobody seems to be able to answer. Or maybe they don’t have time or maybe they just have no clue like I do. Does anyone have any idea’s or suggestions on anything I can do for him? I love him, and am going to be heart broken if I loose him.
I would remove him and place him in a heated quarantine tank for closer treatment as the 20-gallon may still have disease in it from the other deaths and should get a full drain and cleaning. Your tap water pH is too high as well and could be causing problems. It shouldn’t exceed 7.5 for a betta for ideal range. They can adjust to variations but that is on the very high side.
Hi, my betta boy has a sac attached to a tail fin with what looks like fluid (milky and reddish). It’s been about 3 weeks and I started treating it with Aquarium salt and Bettafix – now there is a 2nd one growing. I tried a vet but they couldn’t help me and it doesn’t appear to be any of the more common diseases. I would be grateful if someone could email me so I can send a photo.
hi! i just got a new betta fish because my past betta that lived 7 years passed away a year ago. so i kinda know what i’m doing so i’m confused why my new fish is so sick. i got him 2 days ago and he appeared healthy except he has some brownish coloring but i assumed that was just his natural color. i added him into a new tank 3.5 gallon that i let sit for 2 weeks and tested the water to make sure it was ready for him. he was fine the first day and then he started getting this large brown spot on his back that is spreading and he appears to have severe fin rot. i am extremely confused on what i am doing wrong. i have him in a good sized tank with real plants and gravel with some decorations that won’t rip his tail. i also have a heater and filter and the water is 80 degrees. i just started treating him with bettafix today but what would you recommend i do or what i am doing wrong? of you email me i can send you pictures so it makes a little more sense. thanks !!!
Wow, 7 years is a long time for a betta – congrats. The brown spot may be coloration changes? For fin rot, if it’s that, I would recommend doing daily partial water changes and consider dosing in some aquarium salt. You’re also welcome to email me using the contact page too.
My daughter’s Betta (about 1-yearish) has lost his appetite (2 days now) and is very lethargic. His tank is in bad shape and the bubbler broke and now algae is rampant in the tank. We are going to do a thorough cleaning but we can’t afford to replace anything or get any kind of treatments. I got the light out on him this evening and noticed he has gone from blue to a faded dark color, but the face is a much lighter gray color. He has always been a heavy sleeper, but now i almost have to touch him to get any response out of him before he sinks down to the bottom. Would a thorough cleaning be enough? Or has the damage been done?
A thorough cleaning will help clean out the algae and any bad bacteria and disease. The best thing to do is to clean the tank, slowly acclimate him back in, and keep up with more regimented partial water changes to keep the water clean. Also the water should be heated – 76-82 degrees F. A betta doesn’t require a bubbler, so you’ll be okay on that front. It’s definitely not too late if you start taking proper care of him by ensuring clean conditioned water.
HELLO, MY BETTA (WHICH I’VE HAD FOR ABOUT 3/4 MONTHS ALREADY) SEEMS LETHARGIC, INSTEAD OF RED IT NOW LOOKS LIKE A LIGHT PURPLE. IT HAS LOST ITS COLOR BUT THE FINS LOOK GOOD NO HOLES, OR ANYTHING ON THEM. IT TENDS TO STAY IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FISH TANK AND GOES TO THE TOP OF THE TANK TO GET AIR. I DID NOTICE SOME BLOATING AND NOT SURE IF IT IS SBD. NOT SURE WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM, IT IS A DOUBLE TAIL BETTA. MY BETTA IS USUALLY REALLY ACTIVE. I FEED HIM TWICE A DAY ONLY 5/6 PEBBLES OF FOOD NOT SURE IF IT MIGHT BE SICK OR DYING???
Sounds like stress, most commonly caused by dirty water or water that is too cold in temperature. 5-6 pellets per day is likely too much as well. I’d recommend 3 pellets, 1-2 times per day depending on activity levels.
We have two betta fish in a divided 5 gallon tank. One is doing super. One not so much, he is laying on his side on the bottom of the tank. Does not seem to want to eat. Has difficulty swimming around in tank and get tired easily. I have moved him to a smaller container to see if less water he would do better but he is not moving but still breathing. Thoughts?
The symptoms you are describing could be several different things, but I would first look into swim bladder issues (overfeeding or constipation?) and stress. In the divided tank can they see each other at all? That will stress them if they can.
I had a betta who died recently, after his fins shortened. The guy at the shop said it probably a germ. Now I have another betta who’s showing the same symptoms: shortening of his beautiful tail, and spasmatic/frantic swimming and also head-down positioning without moving… What can this be and how can I treat it???
Fin regression is usually what is called Fin Rot. Spasmatic or frantic swimming can be from unconditioned water with chlorine in it, and the awkward positioning in the water could be swim bladder related. Please review proper care for a betta and consider treatment.