GENERAL INFO: If the betta‘s water becomes fouled with uneaten food and fish waste, if it is not well filtered or if the jars are not kept sparkling clean, then bacterial bloom will occur. Bettas with a deficient immune system (when a betta is stressed, because it was scared, or moved or shipped, etc… its immune system will become deficient) will catch whatever is lurking in the water, including the bacterias. They will have a “bacterial infection”. VERY CONTAGIOUS!!
SYMPTOMS: Betta may have clamped fins, lay at bottom or at surface, not eat, lose its color, turn gray, barely swim around. In more advanced cases, its body may start developing red patches, open sores and all kinds of nasty looking stuff. (Even holes in its head!! YIKES!!)
TREATMENT: Do a full water change for jars or a 70% water change for tanks. (To get rid of some of the bacteria present). Clean filter, change filtering system, remove any uneaten food rotting, or any dead fish!!! Salt kills bacteria, so there again, adding salt would be beneficial: Add AQUARIUM salt (1 tablespoon per 5 gallons) (and NOT table salt, duh!!) immediately. Isolate any bettas with symptoms if in a community tank.
You should also treat the whole tank. There is a wide variety of antibiotics available for fish. REMEMBER: if the carbon in your filter is less then a week old, remove it!! The carbon would otherwise absorb all the medication and you would be flushing your money down the tube. Oh, and did I mention money?? Yes, brace yourself, cause your little fishies are gonna cost you a bundle, medication can get pretty darn expensive!!
If the sick bettas are small fries, I truly recommend using Tetracyclin. It has never let me down before. If older, you might try Tetracyclin, or Marcacyn I and II combined, or whatever you find at your store. Go for “broad spectrum” antibiotics, though. Follow manufacturer’s instructions and don’t stop the treatment until your bettas are well again. If betta is jarred, then as usual, figure out how much water your jar contains and divide the quantity of medication accordingly. Capsules are easier then tablets, because one can open a capsule and just sprinkle a tiny itsy bit of powder in jar. Tables, you will have to first crush, then divide. Well, have a blast!!! Oh, and did I mention that both Methylen Blue or Maroxy are very efficient bacteria killers? They seem to prevent the blooming of bacteria and often, if the infection is mild, a simple srop of either of these two products will cure betta. Further more they are INEXPENSIVE (yep, I figured you would like that part!!
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