Four Common Diseases in Betta Fish

There are several diseases that can affect your betta. The majority of diseases and illness that you will encounter commonly are caused by poor water quality and living conditions, so basically, you can prevent many by keeping the water clean. Nevertheless, these is some of the most common illnesses include fin rot, velvet, and popeye.


Fin Rot

Fin rot is one of the most common diseases. If you keep a betta long enough, you will probably have to deal with it at least once. This condition is characterized by the tail or fins rotting away. It can quickly become a problem if you allow the water to stay unclean too long. Although the tail or fins will grow back once treatment begins, it will take some time.

Pop-eye

Pop-eye is also one of the most common betta fish diseases. Like fin rot, it's caused by unclean water which leads to a bacterial infection. This condition is quite easy to spot as your fish's eyes will literally bulge out of his head. It can be disgusting the first time you see it. Popeye needs to be treated with antibiotics and frequent water changes.

Velvet

Unlike the two aforementioned diseases, velvet is caused by a parasite. It is highly contagious and can quickly spread to other fish in the tank. Affected fish will attempt to get rid of the parasite by rubbing themselves against hard objects. Other signs of velvet include rapid gill movement, weight loss, loss of appetite, and lethargy.

This illness presents a problem because it's usually diagnosed in an advanced stage. Therefore, you would need to start treatment as quickly as possible. TO treat this condition, you will need to dim the lights, add copper sulphate to the water, and raise the temperature to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Your fish may also have a hard time breathing. Aquarium salt will help remedy this.

Dropsy

Dropsy is one of the most serious betta fish diseases. It is usually fatal. This illness results from kidney failure which causes fluid to build-up inside your fish. You can easily spot his swollen belly. If he also has raised scales, it's a pretty safe bet that he has dropsy. Unfortunately, there is no cure and most bettas die within a couple of weeks.

Having said that, if you do a proper fish tank or bowl setup, water treatments and decent temperature, keep a strict cleaning as well as proper feeding schedule, hopefully you won't encounter any disease and you betta fish will thrive and flourish.

These are some of the most common betta fish diseases. If you're new to caring for bettas, there are many more things you need to learn. So, click here to learn everything you need to know like dealing with bloated betta fish.