Click here to get the full scoop: Aging Betta Fish
(Image is taken from BettaInfo.com)
Click here to get the full scoop: Aging Betta Fish
(Image is taken from BettaInfo.com)
Luckily it is a very rare virus that can be easily prevented. Get the full scoop here: Betta Lymphocystis
If left untreated, fin rot will lead to secondary infections such as columnaris and body rot! Keep your betta healthy and safe with this great article on fin rot(includes information on body rot): Betta Fin Rot
Unfortunately many of us will believe our betta fish is suffering from a fungal infection only to realize later that it truly was a parasitic infection. That is why I've hunted down the best resources to keep my beta safe and prevent any infections from occurring in the first place.
To read an in-depth guide on treating and preventing all kinds of fish parasites click here: Betta Fish Parasites
For a free pdf of the betta parasite guide click here: Betta Parasite Guide
Saprolegnia is a secondary infection. This means that your betta would have had previous injuries or diseases to become infected with the water mold. The reason this is primarily an infection that afflicts your fish after something else is because the organisms feed off of dead tissue.So if your betta fish is injured the spores will latch onto the wound to feed on the damage and dead cells.
Saprolegnia is actually always in your tank feeding off of the waste amongst the gravel. This means if you go too long without changing your betta's water there will be a higher population within your betta fish bowl or aquarium.
To learn how to treat and prevent this infection, click here: Betta Fungus Infection
To learn how to treat and prevent this parasite from hurting your betta fish, read this article: Betta Anchor Worms
It's tough to just go in to a pet store and expect to know what to get. You'll end up buying way too many medications that you don't even need. So I followed this guide that lists off the bare minimum. I was surprised to see many common household items on the list. Also the guide explains why you need each component and how to use them.
To read the guide I read to be prepared, click here: Betta First Aid Kit
First you need to worry about balanced levels of pH, alkalinity, nitrates and ammonia. Not only that but did you know your betta actually needs gravel and ornaments in the tank? It's true! The gravel absorbs waste which will aid in preventing ammonia poisoning. The decoration is to provide a hiding place which helps keep stress levels down.
Now that you know how important it is to get things right, read the best guide on setting up your betta bowl: 6 Steps to the Perfect Betta Bowl
Now typically fish fall ill primarily due to poor health or stressful conditions. Unfortunately, even the healthiest of bettas can become infected with flukes.
So what can you do to prevent your betta from becoming sick? Well look at the source. Logically this parasite isn't going to just spring up out of no where. You have to first consider what foreign objects you are using within your beta's water.
To get the best prevention tips and treament regimens for flukes, click here: Betta Fish Flukes
I tried leaving the betta in the bowl and using a turkey baster to suck out the gunk from the gravel. This just caused the fish waste and excess food to become free floating. The bowl looked so gross after that. Not to mention my betta wasn't very happy with me! So I decided to just scoop out half the water and fill it back up. This seemed to work for a while until I noticed the gravel was really dirty and started growing algae.
Well I did my research and finally figured out a great and easy routine that allowed me to clean everything while keeping my betta safe. To learn the easy 5 step bowl cleaning routine, click here: 5 steps to a clean betta bowl
Most betta owners are only used to a simple bowl setup so they are surprised at how much goes into having an aquarium. A big mistake most people make when starting a new fish tank is that they don't rinse everything. This causes cloudy water and floating residue. Another issue is not doing things in the right order. Plugging something in too soon can cause overheating or a motor to go out.
Play it safe and learn the quickest and easiest way to get your aquarium up and running with this great article: Betta Aquarium Setup