Beta Fish Disease
Every aquarist has to deal with Beta Fish Disease that can affect fish in an aquarium.
Many disease are treated with medicine found at your fish store along with water changes. If your fish aren’t acting up to snuff, you may want to take a closer look at them and try to determine if they are showing the symptoms listed below.
When you look at your fish for Beta Fish Disease, you should also look for white spots that look like little dots on the fish This indicates the parasite Ichthyophthirius, sometimes called Ich. It is a common parasite affecting all kinds of fish. It is usually caused by poor water quality or stressed out fish whose immune system have weakened. It can be treated easily if caught in time and there are many medications that you can purchase online or at the pet store to treat your tank at the first signs of this tropical fish disease.
Another problem caused by poor water is Grayish cottony patches. This fungus is caused by waste and extra food left in the tank. You can treat it by cleaning the tank, water changes and medicine that you can buy online or at your local pet store.
The Beta Fish Disease might also happen in fish with rotting fins. This is another problem that can happen because of poor water quality. It can be treated with a medicine made for this problem. You may want to consider isolating any fish that have rotted fins to keep the disease from spreading.
Fish scraping itself against bottom, cloudy skin - These are symptoms of Flukes – a parasite which attacks skin and gills. Poor water quality can cause Flukes to multiply and it is very difficult to treat the fish. You can buy medication to put in the tank for this but it must be done at the first sign of “itching”.
Fish need oxygen and if it looks like they are fish gasping for air Perhaps your tank does not have enough oxygen? Try adding a airstone that will add oxygen to the water through air bubbles. Plus it looks neat in the tank!
When medicating your tank for Beta Fish Disease, always be sure to follow the directions on the medication and use the proper medication for the problem. Good water quality through diligent aquarium maintenance can help to keep your fish healthy and ward off tropical fish disease.