# BETTAS SICK! Help!!



## ratsaremylife (Nov 5, 2013)

OK. So my cousin just called and said her betta has white spots like salt all over. I did some research and people said it was ich. I told her to raise the temperature to 85-88 and air it out. She just got a heater but she doesn't have anything to air it out. The next time I will see her to let her borrow mine is christmas and I'm worried. She bought medicine at PetSmart and put it oin last night. She said he improved and is gonna put some more in tommorow. I read that medicine is not the best though. I don't think she has canning and pickling salt either so I really don't know what to tell her... If anyone has any experience with this please let me and my cousin know.


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## artgecko (Nov 26, 2013)

Bettas can breath from the surface, so he should be ok without extra surface agitation until you can get her the pump / air stoen. I have used non-iodized table salt before and had no issues. Don't however used iodized salt. 

I have also used over-the-counter meds for ich (from the petstore) and they worked ok as well. The raised temp speeds up ich's lifecycle so that the treatment will work faster.


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## ratsaremylife (Nov 5, 2013)

OK! Thanks! I'll tell her to just raise the temp and put some salt in. Then I'll give her my air pump when I see her. Should she use the meds again if she used it already one or twice?


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

I had a very similar problem with my fish tank last year. I had many fish die from it, and very few survived. I put some salt into the tank (the kosher kind without any additives), and I also raised the tempurature.


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## ratsaremylife (Nov 5, 2013)

Thanks Phantom.


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

What was the medication she got?

Heat (86ish), air stone, and salt (1tb per 5 gallons), for a less harsh treatment. I've had success with Kordon Ich Attack too. I wouldn't use anything with malachite green, formaldehyde, copper, etc. Be very careful with Pimafix/Melafix and bettas.

Ich could be a sign of worse underlying problems, ie. high stress or a dirty tank so make sure she is keeping on top of that.


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## artgecko (Nov 26, 2013)

I'd check the directions... The kind I used before said to dose every few days and change part of the water each time. When she does the salt... whatever kind she uses, what I did was to heat (boil) water and dissolve the dosage of salt in it... When fully dissolved, let cool to tank water temp, then *slowly* add... like 1tsp at a time over a period of an hour or so. This works better than dumping salt in the tank. 

FYI: Never use salt with catfish, especially armored catfish (corydoras) they can't stand the stuff... Of course her betta might be alone, but I thought I'd mention it just in case. 

Also btw, what temp is she normally keeping the betta at? Generally you keep them around 84-86. If they are kept at lower temps they will become susceptible to diseases / parasites like ich. Also, continue treatment for I *think* 2 weeks or more. I can't remember cause it's been a while since I kept fish, but the visible ich spots are only one stage of the life cycle and it's the invisible stage that is killed by the meds... If you stop treatment too soon the fish can be reinfected.


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

> FYI: Never use salt with catfish, especially armored catfish (corydoras) they can't stand the stuff... Of course her betta might be alone, but I thought I'd mention it just in case.


Not just cories, but anything without scales can be sensitive to salt... catfish, loaches, etc. some tetras are apparently more sensitive too.


It definitely complicates things if there's multiple fish, plants, etc. in the tank.


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## ratsaremylife (Nov 5, 2013)

Her fish is alone. And she keeps it at room temperature (no heater). She has I think one fake plant in a half to a gallon container. I will ask her how often she changes it. I think 1 or 2 times a month. Nice idea with the boiling salt water. I will call her to ask her about the meds tomorrow. Thanks so much! I hope he survives. She has had no luck with bettas. This is her 3rd this year I think. I noticed that they seem to die fast. They have had luck with them living 5 years though. My boy has a 10 gallon heated tank with some false and one real plant. All alone eating 2 pellets twice a day. Basically living the life.


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## Mitsy (Apr 8, 2013)

Tropical fish are fresh water fish including bettas. I can't see any salt being safe for a beta I would just tell her to fallow the instructions for the medication because she already started it.



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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

ratsaremylife said:


> She has had no luck with bettas.





> And she keeps it at room temperature (no heater). She has I think one fake plant in a half to a gallon container. I will ask her how often she changes it. I think 1 or 2 times a month.


That's why. Bettas are tropical fish and need warm water. Their immune system is seriously slowed down when they're cold, making them susceptible to disease. They also need filtrated tanks at least 2 gallons - the more the merrier, though they prefer horizontal space to vertical. Ammonia and nitrites build up fast in bowls/standing water - she should be changing the water 1 or 2 times a week, not month! I know it sounds like a lot for a $3 fish, but it really is the basics of fish care and responsibility.

I've had a few bettas live many years in the past. My current betta was imported from Thailand and he's a little past 2 now. He lives in a heated 5.5 gallon planted tank (Fluval Spec V) and he eats a mix of a few different brands of pellets, frozen brine shrimp, and occasionally live bloodworms  Hopefully he's got a few more years in him yet!


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## ratsaremylife (Nov 5, 2013)

Thanks! I'll tell her. I don't know about a filter but I have a tank she can borrow for him. She probably won't do it though.


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## artgecko (Nov 26, 2013)

I used to have a 2gl (mini bow front) tank that came with a small in-tank filter and a hood with an incandescent light bulb.. The light bulb kept the small tank around 86f and the filter worked well for one fish. With a few live plants and some dark sand this was the best betta setup I ever had... It housed the steel blue half moon male I got from a breeder.


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## ratsaremylife (Nov 5, 2013)

artgecko, sounds like my setup but mine is a 10gl


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