Beta has a bend in her

Question
Hi Chris,

I have a Female beta I have had her about 5 months set up in a small fish bowl that holds about 2 ltrs of water yesterday Morning I feed her and she was fine and then in the arvo I looked at her again and she a a bend in her and she cant straighten out I have done everything the same since I had her and I am wondering will she die on me now of can she be fixed.

Please HELP me

Leanne

Answer
Hi Leanne;

There are many causes for crooked spine in fish. Tuberculosis, vitamin deficiency, injury, dirty water, muscle spasms, etc. It doesn't usually come on so fast though. Poor thing.

Start helping her first by changing her water and do it at least twice a week from now on. Her bowl is pretty small so she needs it that often to stay healthy. Be sure the new water is the same temperature as the old water so she doesn't go into shock, and use a water conditioner too.

The only treatable disease that causes this is mycobacteriosis, also known as fish tuberculosis. Just in case, always wash your hands after you have had contact with the water. This bacteria has been known to transfer to humans if you swim in water with infected fish. Just use caution. You can treat it with a medicine called "Maracyn 2" (minocycline) or with a different one called Kanamycin. They both treat the tuberculosis bacterium and absorb inside the fish where the infection is. Here is a web page with more about it;

http://www.fishyfarmacy.com/articles/mycobacteriosis.html

If you can't find the stuff locally you could buy it from the site with the disease info. I've never purchased anything from them personally, so this isn't an endorsement of any kind. Just a source recommendation. You will need to break up the pills/capsules to treat your fish in her little bowl. Here is a page about that;

http://www.healthybetta.com/easymeds.html

If you use metric measurements where you live, here is a page with a converter to use;

http://www.onlineconversion.com/volume.htm

I hope she feels better soon.....

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins