Heating Small Betta Fish Bowls

Fish Bowl-6, originally uploaded by Melissa Alicia.

NS wrote,

Hey. I just arrived at my college today and got a fish. I'm currently housed in a triple which leaves very little room for a fish. Before heading out to the store to get my new little bud I was just wondering what type of heater i should use on my 1 gallon corner tank? The tank has an undergravel filter, and live plants will be going in with it to help keep it a healthy and natural place for my new study buddy. :)

Please help me out. And unfortunately until I get a new housing assignment my lack of space is causing me to keep this small tank.

A: Congratulations on your new betta and adventures in college. I too lived in a triple as a Freshman and know how tight the space is and just like you, I got my very first betta in college too. They make for a great dorm-room pet as long as your roommates are cool about them.

One gallon tanks can be difficult to heat. The small water volume leaves it open to severe fluctuations and most aquarium heaters aren’t made for such small containers. If your room is quite cool you may be able to use the Hydor Mini-Heater. At just 7.5 watts it is one of the only water heaters made for tiny aquariums. It is important to note that these heaters do not have an automatic shut-off when they reach the desired temperature like most aquarium heaters have (for larger tanks). This means you could easily overheat your water posing a danger to your fish. If you choose to go with a mini-heater you should absolutely have a thermometer in the tank and you should check it frequently. On warmer days you may need to unplug the heater completely.

Your other option is to go without a heater at all. I typically do not recommend this, but if you keep your Betta in a warm, stable location it may be a safer alternative especially if you can’t be around enough to monitor the Mini-Heater.

Mini-heaters can be hard to track down. If you can't find one at your local fish store you definitely can find them online. Good luck.

Curing Dropsy in Betta Fish

Alla luce dell'attacco - Betta splendens (Pesce combattente) - The Royal Discus, originally uploaded by Michele Pelosi.

I received a wonderful letter from a reader describing how he successfully beat Dropsy in his Betta fish. As many of you know, Dropsy is symptom of another underlying illness which manifests as severe abdominal swelling or general body swelling leading to protruding (pineconing) scales. It is believed that these symptoms are the result of internal organ failure and the subsequent fluid buildup in the body. Dropsy is common in many species of aquarium fish and is usually fatal in Betta splendens. Thanks to Angelo for sharing his story with our Nippyfish readers.

Good day! I've been an avid reader of your blog and website and pretty much took to heart everything you noted on Betta care.
I just wanted to share an experience with Dropsy and how my fish unbelievably made a recovery from it. I hope others who have their pets affected by this can benefit as well.

I never used to have any problems with my Betta, Manny. He stays in a 2.5 Gallon Tank with a HOB filter, with no substrate or decorations since anything added to the tank other than the filter never seemed to agree with him... whether they be rocks, live plants or anything plastic. He was a happy fighting fish, swimming actively and playing with the current from the filter for days on end. One morning I saw him floating on his side one morning when I came to give him his food. His scales were raised, there was a certain redness under his gills, and his tummy had a slight swell to it... at that point I figured it had to be Dropsy plus some other infection that I couldn't tell. My first three Bettas all died of Dropsy, and I felt bad knowing I might lose him to this one too. Nonetheless, I took him from his tank and put him in his 16 oz. hospital bowl where I know the measurements of his meds would be more exact. I took out the aquarium salt (1 teaspoon in 1.5 gallon containers) from his usual water mix, and put in Epsom salt in its place. I also got some Betta Revive and put in a drop to go with the mix. I made the transfer and prayed for the best. He was still floating on his side for the first few days, but he was eating so I figured there was still a chance.

I did this routine everyday for two weeks, (despite the fact that the note on Betta revive said it should be discontinued after a week) changing his water every one or two days as I could, applying the same mix. From floating on his side, he started swimming upright and then just lay down on one side at the bottom of the bowl the next few days. I felt sorry for him since he looked like he was in a lot of pain. He would only respond to food, and he wouldn't really move for the rest of the time. I did see some physical improvements; his scales eventually returned to normal, the redness under his gills disappeared, and his belly returned to its normal size. He still seemed pretty weak, since he still wasn't moving about.

This morning I checked, and he looked completely normal. Granted, he wasn't as active as his old self was, but he looked better than he ever had since he got hit by Dropsy. He was eating (dashed off with a pellet of Hikari Bio-Gold in his mouth), and responded quite well when I waved my hand in front of his hospital tank. I have yet to move him in his old tank, but it does seem like he's made a remarkable recovery.

To everyone that has Bettas suffering from Dropsy... it's important to catch this very early on. I think I may have been lucky that I got to see this early in Manny, with his scales partially raised and his tummy swelling just slightly. I doubt I could've made much of a difference if I caught it in its later stages. There were points that he looked worse before he got better, but as long as he's breathing, eating, and moving... he has a chance. Don't give up on his water changes and inspect his condition every day.

For reference, the recovery package included:

- 1 16oz Mini Bowl or Tank
- 1 teaspoon of Epsom salt for 1.5 gallons of water
- 1 drop of Betta Revive per 16 oz.
- Water treated with the usual anti-chlorine and aged for a day or two near the tank so the temperature would be consistent.

I live in the tropics, so the temperature often ranged from 27-32 C degrees. I did 100% water changes every one to two days as my schedule allowed, since I got so swamped with work deadlines that time.

I didn't change his diet with this, feeding him smaller amounts of BettaMin Tropical Medley flakes and (1 pellet, soaked) Hikari Bio-Gold alternately. Fast him every 6th or 7th day to give his digestive tract a rest.

Prayers definitely helped too. :)

In any case, I'm moving Manny back to his old tank today. I'll have to taper off his dosage of Epsom salt so as not to make it sudden. Then I'll likely reduce the aquarium salt or remove it altogether.

I hope others would be able to use this information. Thanks again for such an informative blog, and I hope this info adds a bit more to help Betta keepers everywhere!

Best regards,
Angelo

There is a great lesson to be learned from this story. Animals are amazingly resilient and have inalienable will to survive. I admire Angelo’s dedication to the treatment of his pet. I too have seen some amazing recoveries and believe deeply that we have a responsibility to care for our fish when they are sick and to take whatever steps are necessary to provide a safe and stable environment for them.

Thanks again for the email Angelo.

A photo of Manny provided by Angelo

Woops! Betta Food Dumped into Fish Tank

my gold crowntail, originally uploaded by louie imaging.

Q: EB wrote,

I’ve had my betta fish for a couple months; it was a gift from a friend. Usually he shows the usual healthy signs but I noticed that his color has dimed and he doesn’t have that shininess to him anymore. His eyes aren’t clear and seem clouded. He also seems a little uninterested in food but he will eat. One day I was gone and my sister poured a bunch of dried food into his tank (like over 25 pieces) when I had already fed him that day. I didn’t notice all the food floating in his tank until night time, so I cleaned it out right away. My sister said she saw him eat some so I was afraid that he overate and that he would die. He is still alive showing the same unhealthy signs. He still makes bubble nests but he seems even more uninterested in things and when I go to feed him he will attempt to eat but it’s like he can’t see very well because he will miss getting the food in his mouth several times, Today he only ate one piece of food and he will look at the other pieces but it’s like he gives up on trying to get it. So I found the Nippyfish site and thought about writing you. What do you think I should do to get him healthy again?

A:You did the right thing by changing the water as soon as you noticed all the food had been dumped. (I’m guessing you have a little sister. People email about these things all the time.) While it is possible he overate that day it is not likely that he could eat himself to death. Bettas are opportunistic in that he took advantage of all that extra food by pigging out not knowing when his next meal was coming. Now he is overfed and feeling sluggish, not to mention he spent the day swimming in dirty fish-food water. I recommend keeping his water clean, like you have been doing, and giving him a break from food for one or two days. Bettas, being cold-blooded animals, won’t die from a day or two without food. After a couple of days (after he poops), offer him a small amount of food again.

The cloudy eyes could be caused by the food breaking down in the water, particularly if the tank is quite small. Keep his tank clean and increase your water changes. In a week or so his eyes should begin to clear. If his eyes get worse or he shows any signs of swelling in the eyes you may need to treat for a bacterial infection, but as for now I recommend concentrating on keeping his water clean. Also, the cloudy eyes could be the result of chlorine burns. If you are not, make sure you are treating your tap water with a dechlorinator. (I am guessing you probably already are.) If his symptoms don’t improve in a week you should see about testing your tank water with an aquarium water testing kit. I hope he feels better soon.

Treating Stubburn Fin Rot in Betta Fish

Shelbi with Fin Rot. Image provided by BS
Q: BS wrote,

My betta fish Shelbi has fin rot now. His water is and has been pristine with the parameters at their perfect spots. He had blackened tips when I bought him but I thought it was just his coloring. Now his fin tips are damaged and broken. I did water changes and checked his water repeatedly before getting medications to see if he could heal himself but he just got worse and I didn't want to waste time while his tail dissolved away. I kept him in unmedicated, clean water for a month and a half. When it just kept getting worse, I went to the pet store and bought T.C. Tetracycline and Maracyn-Two. My other fish, Ember had gotten fin rot now, too because I didn't have another tank to separate him from Shelbi. Ember cleared up almost immediately and I bought a hospital tank for Shelbi. Shelbi has gone through two Tetracycline treatments to no avail. I started Maracyn-Two yesterday and no improvement yet. What else can I do? I have attached a couple pictures of his fin rot. Will his tail grow back the same as it was? Right now it looks very tattered and short and the fin rot is progressing, fast. How long does it take to grow back and regain color?

Also, I went out of town for a week and when I came back, Shelbi had a white speck on him. (it's actually not really white, it's kind of gray). It's not protruding or clumpy or anything, just a white speck, so I don't think it's ich. I have also attached a picture of it. What do you think it is?

Poor Shelbi has had a rough time lately, I am trying to do my best to take care of him!


His hospital tank is:
-10 gallons
-heated to 79 degrees
-medium sized gravel
-unfiltered/uncycled
-silk plants and cave
-I clean it once a week
-all perimeters are right

Thank you so much for all of the help you have given me with Ember and Shelbi. It has been so great to have someone like you to go to with questions for a reliable answer.

Shelbi with Fin Rot. Image provided by BS

A: Wow, that Shelbi is one beautiful fish. I just love his color.

Fin rot, while not typically life threatening, is still a very tricky illness because it can take a long time to overcome. Torn fins or fins that have been nipped by another fish tend to regrow quickly once the problem has been addressed. Usually within a few days new tissue growth can be seen and significant regrowth can be observed within a few weeks. Fin rot, however, is different as it is characterized as fin tissue loss due to a bacterial infection. It is not uncommon for the regrowth to be much slower or for multiple relapses to occur once new tissue has begun to take hold. Some betta keepers battle fin rot for months before they get a good handle on it.

When the fins do regrow, you may notice some slight differences in color (usually minor) or you could see a curling of the rays, especially in crowntails. This curl is usually permanent and while it may not win any awards for your fish, it will not affect him in any other way.

Fortunately, based on your photos, Shelbi’s fin rot is very minor and your hospital tank set up seems like a good healing environment. You may find, once he is finished with this course of antibiotics, that you can continue to monitor him in his usual aquarium.

Things to watch out for while he is mending:
1. Any ammonia or nitrite in the water
2. Fluctuating pH
3. Organic debris collecting where the fish may drag his tail
4. Water that is too cool or fluctuates greatly
5. Tank décor or other fish that may tear his fragile fins

If you find that his fin rot continues to worsen you may need to dig a little deeper into the cause. For example, how is your tap water treated? Are you using a water conditioner that neutralizes chloramines and heavy metals as well as chlorine? Are there other stressors that could be creating a hazard? What is your pH level from the tap as well as in the aquarium? If it is fluctuating, have you tested your carbonate hardness (KH)? It might be that we just need to take a closer look at some of the other water parameters.

You can always email me the results of your water tests and I can look them over too to see if there is anything unusual or missing from your test regimen. Let us know how he is doing. Hopefully he is responding to the Maracyn-Two treatment.

The white spec is another story. It is really difficult for me to see what is going on there. It could be the early signs of a fungus-looking bacterial infection or an actual fungus. I did see a case recently where the betta was loosing pigment and his scales around his head were turning white (not raised or fuzzy). It wasn’t anything I had seen before but would be curious if you think it is the same thing. Does it look like the scales themselves are changing color or falling out?


Shelbi with White Spot. Image provided by BS

Can PH Fluctuations Lead to Illnesses in Betta Fish?

DSCN9841, originally uploaded by starlessdesigns.

Q: C wrote,

Remember me? I emailed you awhile back about my male fish named Sushi. He had the mysterious disease. He finally had gotten better with the inside/outside anti bacterial food. He was all back to normal. But that only lasted about 3 weeks or so.

I have been doing the water changes AND I got the test stripes to test the water regularly. Problem is the PH will NOT come down. Even after fresh changes. I bought the PH DOWN. It does NOT help. I did it in stages, so it would not stress him out. It says on the bottle that some tap waters are so resistant to the PH down that it may not work. I checked it again this morning, and every time it’s HIGH PH. Highest there is, so the alkalinity is also high. Everything else is OK though.

Well, he now has fin rot. He has lost at least 70% or more of his fins! He has a few white dots on him but not all over like ICH does. He is still swimming up top and he eats like a pig but now has the white spots/dots and fin rot. This is NOT the cheese grater white like last time... its actual spots, like salt. But again, only about 5-6 spots only.

What now!!?? I am going nuts? I don't know what to do about the spots/rot and can't get the PH down. Suggestions? I appreciate everything and your time!!

A: It’s nice to hear from you but I’m sorry to hear Sushi is not feeling well again. It sounds like there are a few things going on here. First, I believe it is better to deal with a high pH that is stable then mess with changing the pH. The fluctuations can be very dangerous to your fish. PH Down really doesn’t work and could even be a major contributing factor to Sushi’s fin rot and what I believe may be Ich. As you know I also live in southern California and just like you I have very alkaline pH. In fact, I have to buy a HIGH RANGE pH test kit just to get proper results because the regular one doesn’t even go high enough to give me an accurate reading. My tap water (from the faucet) is 8.2. It will often come down a bit, once the water stands for awhile, but the new water from the faucet has a very high pH indeed.

There are a few reasons why pH DOWN doesn’t work. First, the ability for the pH to fluctuate is determined by its buffering capacity or KH. (KH is also called Carbonate Hardness). The KH is what keeps the pH stable. Unless the KH is very low, the pH will just bounce right back to where it was. Making the pH bounce from high to low and back again is extremely dangerous to fish and in some cases has been known to kill off entire aquariums. When this happens, aquarists call this a “pH crash”. Another reason why you can’t keep the PH low is because you are regularly changing your water with new clean water that happens to have a very high pH. Of course you have to continue with regular water changes so may have little choice but to deal with less than perfect pH.

Regarding your white spots, it does sound to me like Ich. Seeing 5 -6 spots could be the early sign. If left untreated the spots (parasites) will fall off and reproduce only to come back as 10-20 spot and then progress from there until your fish is in serious shape. Luckily Ich is easily treatable. I suggest Rid-Ich+ which has always worked great for me personally and can be found at any pet store that carries fish supplies. Ich parasites are common but typically infect stressed fish.

Fin rot, however, is a bacterial infection and occurs most commonly as the result of poor water quality but may be the result of stress. When fin rot progresses to the point of 50% fin loss or more I generally recommend an antibiotic like tetracycline or Maracyn-Two. As always with antibiotics, be sure measure the doses carefully and administer the full course to help avoid antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria. If you decide to treat for both Ich and Fin Rot at the same time, read the packaging on both medications carefully to be sure they are safe to use together.

I hope Sushi feels better soon.