Betta Fish Sore...

Question

Fish Sore   QUESTION: I have had a male Betta fish for less than a year. I went camping last weekend and when I came home and cleaned his bowl, I noticed a small red sore near his left eye. It had been a little while since I cleaned the bowl. The decor in the bowl is a little shoe. There are also rocks in the bottom of the bowl. I was wondering if the sore is from him bumping into the shoe or rocks and cutting his face or if it's something more serious. I don't know what to do about it. Is there medicine if it's an infection or something? He seems as active as normal but lately he is quite loud at night and he swims around with his throat puffed out and makes sounds similar to burping or growling. Please help!

ANSWER: Hi Amanda,
He's a pretty betta.  Red sores are mostly always caused by poor water conditions.  Try to cure him with "Fungus Elimator"  this medication should get rid of the sore.  Keep his water very clean at all times.  His water should be changed twice a week with a good water conditioner.  Bettas shouldn't be kept in small bowls.  In their habitat their water may be shallow, but they have lots of room to swim.  A betta needs a heated 5 gallon tank to be healthy, and happy.  He also needs variation in his food.   Vendors who sell Bettas, and say to the customer that Bettas are happy in small bowls, are lieing.   They  are out to make a buck, and sooner rather than later, the betta gets sick.   Bettas in bowls, vases, mirrored tanks, and 1 gallon tanks will get sick, and live miserable lives.  The vendors don't care, but the customer who bought this little fish get very attached to them, and get hurt when the betta dies.   A betta needs 78-80 degree water at all times.  Under this temperature he is cold.  They are intelligent little fish, and should be treated with kindness.  A well kept betta may live up to 8 years when bought young.  Most die 3-4 years after we have had them because we do not know their age when we buy them.
I thought that maybe you would like to know this.
If you have any questions concerning the betta, feel free to ask me.  I have bred them, love them, and know what is best for them.
Lynda

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QUESTION: Oh thanks so much! I was really worried. You are definitely right. The owners DO fall in love with them! He has such a personality! My next question is involving the food variation. Right now I am feeding him Nutrafin Max Betta Foor with Natural Color Enhancers. What else should I be giving him? I want to make sure he lives as long as possible! I most certainly have gotten very attached to my little Percy. :) Also, I will make sure I get him a bigger tank that's heated. Thanks for that tip as well.

ANSWER: Hi Amanda,
An important thing to remember is when you will heat his water, make sure that you do this very very slowly.  Put him in a tank with the same water temperature he is in now.  Bring the temperature up one degree every two days.  Bringing up the temperature too fast could be deadly.  He would also need a silk plant in his tank so that he can rest on the leaves.  Bettas love this.  You already have a little shoe that he can go through, and that's great.  Bettas are better in tanks that have no filter, which means that you would have to change all the water once a week in his new 5 gallon tank.
A betta should have Betta Pellet, Betta Flakes, daphnia, bloodworms, mealworms, and glassworms.  One day you feed him Betta Pellets, the next day betta flakes, etc.  He should have 2 or 3 small meals a day.  His tummy is the size of his eye, we must always remember this when feeding him.  Example: 2 pellets for one meal, or 2 flakes for one meal.  He should also have one cooked frozen pea a week with the outer layer removed.  Cut the pea into small pieces, and feed the pieces one at a time to your Betta, making sure that none fall to the bottom of the tank.  This is to prevent Swim Bladder Disease, which is caused by constipation.  The pea helps him clean out his system.  On the day you feed him the pea, he should have nothing else to eat.
Yes, I know how attached we are to our Bettas.  So small, and so intelligent!  I'm sure little Percy will love his new home, and I hope he gets well soon.
Lynda

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QUESTION: Just one more thing I think... Does a Betta do better in a glass or a plastic tank? Does it matter?

Answer
Hi!
A betta does better in a glass tank.
Here is some information on Bettas, that you may find interesting:

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 78-80 or 82 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 kill 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.  
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 7- 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 friends 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
I'm sorry, I sent you the same information twice.  I'm a little overloaded tonight...lol  sorry about that!