Bata Fish

Question

fish~Bata   QUESTION: I have had my Bata fish for 3 weeks now.  Very colorful blue body with red fins ~ looks happy eats well.  Just went to change the water and he turned all pale and grayish.   At the moment is still in the water he was in before I went to change it its not that cloudy, I think it may have been a little stressed getting into the other bowl while I cleaned the original. However, the ends of the fins look possibly sticky ?? is this normal or is it getting sick.  It lives on its own, a few colored glass balls at bottom of bowl.  Any ideas on what is wrong ?? Many thanks in advance.


ANSWER: Hello,
He has fin, and tail rot which is caused by poor water conditions.
Bettas kept in bowls should have their water changed twice a week.  When changing the betta's water, always put him back in water of the same temperature, and always use a good water conditioner such as stress coat.
Treat him with Tetracycline, or Jungle Fungus Eliminator.  Add 1/4 teaspoon of diluted aquarium salt to his water.Do not wait as this disease spreads quickly.

Here is some information on Bettas Fish that may interest you.

Bettas need 5 gallons of water or more to be healthy, and happy.
In their habitat the betta may live in shallow waters, but they have lots of room to swim.  
Keeping Bettas in small bowls, containers, vases, mirror tanks etc, is cruel.  The Betta is one of the most mistreated fish on the market, through no fault of the buyer, but the vendor who is there to sell, and who will say anything just to make a buck!
They need a heated tank.  Temperature should be 80 degrees.  They are tropical fish, and are cold under this temperature.  Cold bettas get sick, are miserable, and live unhappy lives. ( Always remember  when heating a tank, do this very very slowly..1 (one) degree every two days, as bringing up the temperature too fast would cause death to your Betta.)  The temperature should always be stable.  Fluctuating temperature is very bad for bettas, and any other fish.  
They should have a silk plant in their tanks, so that they can rest on the leaves  They also need a little tunnel or some knick knack that they can go through.   One teaspoon to five gallons of diluted aquarium salt may be added to his water, when a Betta is well.  
Aquarium salt helps them with stress, and helps with parasites.  However if a Betta is showing signs of a swollen tummy, salt should not be used. Do not add salt if his tummy is swollen.  Their tummy is located just beneath his chin.  
They need a varied diet. This is very important.  Betta pellets one day, Betta Flakes the next, Daphnia the next, Glassworms the next, mealworms the next, plankton flakes, and bloodworms.  The more you vary, the healthier he will be.
He should be given one well cooked frozen cooked pea a week, and on the day you give him the pea, he should fast.    
A betta is prone to constipation, and constipation leads to Swim Bladder Disease.  A frozen cooked pea a week keeps them from getting constipated.  Always remove the outer layer of the pea, and cut it into small pieces, feeding it to your betta one piece at a time.
They should have 2-3 small meals a day, and not one big meal.  We must remember that their tummy is the size of their eye.
Example:  2 pellets for one meal.
Water changes are very important.  Water changes must be made every week without fail with a good water conditioner such as Aqua Safe or Stress Coat.  There is also a conditioner made especially for bettas.  If you do not have a filter, change all the water in his tank weekly.
Never put two bettas in the same tank, they will kill each other...male or female.  The Betta male is a loner.  Females can be kept together in a big enough tank, but they are also aggressive towards each other, and the tank should be at least 30 gallons with many hiding places.
When treated well, a betta can live up to 8 years, if you buy him when he is very young.  (Unfortunately we do not know their age when we buy them at the Pet Store which is why some bettas die three or four years after we have bought them.)
He's an intelligent little fish, and should be treated with kindness.
Too many vendors know nothing about the betta, and don't care...so don't give good information on how to keep them.
They are there to sell, and will say anything just to make a buck.  They send you home with your bought betta, telling you a small bowl is perfect, and bloodworms!  The poor customer thinks he has everything he/she needs, and then the fish gets sick, money is spent to cure him, and eventually the fish dies.   
This turns my stomach over.  Unfortunately there are no laws to protect fish.  
Bettas kept in small bowls, one gallon tanks, and vases, will get sick, and are very hard to cure in such little water.  They end up dying, and
that hurts the person who has grown so attached to them.  They don't deserve to be treated this way.
This is how a Betta should be treated.  If treated this way, you will have your friend for a long long time.  I have bred them, love them, and know what is good for them.

If you have anymore questions, do not hesitate to write me.
Lynda




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you so much for helping me with my Bata.  I did go online and googled it and came to the same conclusion, but reading your answer was very comforting.  I did change its water and moved the bowl away from the A/AC unit in the ceiling.  I do not have a heater,  and have the fun task of trying to get my point over to the lady in the store of what I need ~ Tetracycling or Jungle Fungus eliminator.  This will be hard as I live in Japan and communication is difficult you never know if they have really understood what you are asking for.  I will google the words into Japanese and hope for the best.  You are a very kind person to do this for free and care about such small voiceless creatures.  I will keep you posted if the medicine works.  Lastly, how much light does the fish need and would putting it in the bathroom where steam from the shower may make for a better enviroment for it.
Many thanks Meriel

ANSWER: Hi Meriel,
I can only imagine how hard it must be to explain what you need in Japan.  You could look at the medication they have.  I do not know if they display it the way we do, but look, and if they do, you should see a picture of a fish with ragged fins.  This would mean that the medication would be for fin, and tail rot.  However, if this is impossible, bring the fish to the lady, or a picture if you have a printer, and she will know right away what is wrong, and give you medication that the betta needs.  They may not have the same medication we have, but there must be something similar.
Keep him in a warm place, a place where the temperature will remain stable, but not where the sun would shine in his tank.  The reason for this is that the sun would heat his water, then at night the water temperature would go down, and this would cause fluctuating water which is very bad for fish.  Steam would not help.
A betta likes the light of day.  They enjoy daylight, so you do not have to worry about lights.  Actually, I think they do not like lights that much, unless they are very low.  
Fin and tail rot is easily cured.  Clean water will help him, but he needs medication.
Keep me posted, I love bettas, and if I can help you, then I am very happy.  
Lynda

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello again Lynda,  Well I managed to use google to type out what I needed and have it translated online then I printed it out and took it to the store.  I got something called Green F liquid, it had very limited English directions but it did mention Fin & Tail Rot.  It is made up of 15mg of Methylene blue and 5mg of Acrinol.  We figured out the amount to use in the size tank we have which is about a gallon, and it turned the water blue which I'm guessing is normal.  The fish had got its color back before I went ahead and put in this liquid.  The fish seems to be doing well,  but I am wondering about the directions.  It says on the side of the box to use for 5-7 days.  It doesn't say add the same amount for next 5-7 days ?? or to leave fish in the blue treated water for 5-7 days and then put into new fresh water.   With your experience does this mean to continue adding liquid for 5-7 days, I don't want to kill the poor thing off by doing the wrong thing.   All it says on the dosage & administration on the box is "put 5ml of green F liquid into a 6-7.5L of aquarium water gradually & mix evenly"  So this is all that I have done and am wondering what I should do now.  I did ask for Tetracycline but I just got a funny look ~ I'm guessing they don't sell it.  
Well anything you can pass on will be very helpful, and I won't do anything until I hear from you.  I did get a thermometer to keep an eye on the temp of the water, it seems fine right now,  and she is on my kitchen window seal but with no direct sunlight, we have an awning outside.
Thanks so much again for your time.  Happy the of July ~ we are 14hrs ahead !! Meriel

Answer
Hi Meriel,
I would not keep adding this medication.  Over medicating is just as bad as no medication.  What I would do is leave him in this medication for three days, then change all the water, and repeat the dose.  Hopefully this should help him, and he will pull through.  Add 1/4 teaspoon diluted aquarium salt to his water.  The fact that he is eating is a good sign.  He will pull through.
I'm from Canada, and we celebrated July 1st...Today is July 4th in the states, and they are celebrating.   14 hours ahead, that is a big difference!  I hope you had a nice little celebration of your own.
Write me in three days to see if he is doing better...he may not need the full dose of medication after three days.
Have a nice day.
Lynda