Betta fish on bottom of tank

Watch out for faded coloring. When a betta gets sick, his coloring may look faded out. He may even lose his color altogether. Keep an eye on your betta's fins. In a healthy betta, its fins will be whole. An unhealthy betta may develop holes or rips in its fins.

• Another unhealthy sign is if your betta's fins appear clamped down to the body; that is, they aren't fanned out properly.

Look for lethargy. If your betta is sick, his activity level will go down. He won't be his normal, active self. His movements will slow down some.

• Another sign of sickness is your fish hiding out at the bottom of the tank more often than normal.

Watch your betta's eating habits. With some sicknesses, your fish may stop eating altogether. If your betta appears uninterested in food, he could be sick. Check for spots. Look for small, white spots, especially around the head and mouth. This symptom can be a sign of a certain type of parasite, called Ich. Look for breathing problems. It may sound funny to check a fish for breathing problems. However, if your betta is constantly at the top of the tank trying to get more air, that is likely a sign of a problem. Watch for your betta to rub or scratch. If your betta is trying to rub against the side of the tank, that could be a sign of a problem. Similarly, if your betta is trying to scratch on plants or objects in the tank, he might also be sick. Look for other physical symptoms. Bulging eyes can be a sign of sickness. Watch for your betta's eyes protruding from its head.

• Raised scales can also be a symptom of sickness.
• Watch his gills. If he's unable to close his gills, they may be swollen, another sign of sickness.

Method 2

Dealing with Constipation

1. Look for signs of swelling. If your betta fish suddenly swells, he may be constipated. You need to treat this problem soon.
2. Stop regular food for several days. The first way to help constipation is to stop his regular diet for a few days. That will give him time to digest and move food through his system.
3. Feed him live food. After a couple of days, start feeding him again. However, you should stick to live food for a little while.
   • For live food, you can feed brine fish or blood worms. The general rule on how much food to provide is give enough food so that your betta can eat for two minutes. Do so twice a day.
4. Don't feed him as much. Constipation is generally a sign you are feeding your betta too much. Therefore, once he starts eating normally again, you need to feed him less than you were.

Method 3

Diagnosing Fin/Tail Rot and Fungal Infections

1. Look for shredded tails and fins. This disease can affect just the tail or just the fins. However, it gives them a shredded appearance.
   • Also, look for darker coloring near the end of the tail.
   • Watch for white patches with fungal infection. This disease is most often noticed by the white patches that appear on your fish. He may also have clumpy fins or be less active than normal. While a fungal infection is different from fin rot, they are treated in much the same way.
2. Change the water. The first step is to change out the water. Of course, you need to remove your fish to another container while doing so. This disease often develops from dirty water, so you need to provide a clean environment for your fish. You should clean the tank before putting water back in.
   • The best way to clean the tank is to use bleach at a 1 to 20 ratio with water. Let the mixture sit in the tank for about an hour. You can leave the fake plants and scoop in this mixture but not the rocks or gravel, as they can absorb the bleach
   • Make sure you rinse it several times after cleaning it.
   • For the rocks, bake them at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour. Let them cool before adding them back in.
3. Use a medication. You will give your betta tetracycline or ampicillin, which you add to the water. How much you add depends on the size of the tank, but you will find directions on the package.
   • You will also need to use a fungus eliminator. That will keep the growth out of the water.
   • If your betta just has a fungal infection, he won't need tetracycline or ampicillin, but he will need fungus eliminator.
4. Repeat the process. Change the water at least every 3 days. Every time you change the water, add the medication back in. Only stop when the betta fins seem to be growing back in, which can take up to a month.
   • For fungal infections, look for the white patches and other symptoms to disappear. When they do, treat the tank with Bettazing or Bettamax to help eliminate the fungus.