Betta Fish Velvet Treatment
Betta Fish Velvet Treatment
Betta contracted Velvet?
I think my Betta has velvet…but I’m not positive. His coloration doesn’t help me at all when it comes to figuring out if he has it or not. I’ve looked up pictures, but it’s rather hard to see!
I removed my Betta out of his tank and into a clean 1 gallon fish bowl.
I’ve read that you can treat velvet with Ick treatment? Is this true?
What treatment should I buy? Would it kill my fish if I gave him the treatment and he didn’t have velvet? If I treat his current 2 gallon tank with it, will it kill my new java fern?
Tlyons is giving good info., I’ll just add a bit. (S)He’s right, do a flashlight test. Shine a flashlight on him. If you see gold flecks or he looks coated in gold dust, it’s velvet. It’s stressful to treat a fish w/any med, tho necessary when they’re ill, so if he’s not sick treating him unnecessarily would make him more prone to illness, ironically. You are correct, ich & velvet are both parasites & are treated w/the same meds. Get RidIch @ PetSmart & an eye dropper. RidIch is supposed to be ok w/plants, tho the daily water changes youd ahve to do while treating (only if the tank’s uncycled) might not be good for it. I’d find a larger tank for the betta & keep the java in the 1 gallon until treatment is done.
To treat: If your tank’s cyled, take out the carbon cuz it removes meds & do a 10-25% water change (the amt. you do weekly); if it’s not cycled, do a 100% water change. Raise the temp. to 88 degrees. Get RidIch @ PetSmart & an eye dropper; dosage: 7 drops/gal. It’s very effective on parasites, gentle on fish. Malachite Green is 2nd best. Most other meds have copper which can sicken fish. Often, when people don’t see spots they think the parasite is gone, when they’re just in the stage where humans can’t see them. Treat for 3 days beyond when you see the last flecks. I do a 7 day round as a rule, severe infestation treatments can go 14+ days. Before adding meds, follow pck. directions for water change amounts for a cycled tank; do a 100% water change each day for uncycled tanks. Wait 20 min. after water changes to add meds, sooner dilutes them. Parasitic infestations sometimes bring on secondary infections so watch for odd behaviors or physical abnormalities. If you see any, re-post because it’s different treatment.
Disease is usually caused by cold/bad water quality so make sure he has/you do the following:
1) Bettas are tropical fish & need heater & a steady water temp. of 78 degrees. Even small temperature changes can stress & sicken them. Cooler temperatures cause stress, poor digestion, color loss, clamped fins, illness, lethargy, loss of appetite &/or death. Depending on the tank size he needs: 1-gallon (7.5 or 10 watt heater @ PetSmart and PetCo), 2.5-3 gallons: 25 watt heater (@ most pet stores), 5 gallons: 50 watt heater (@ most pet stores).
2) Water changes remove ammonia, which is toxic & forms in water from uneaten food, waste, his breathing. It’s colorless & odorless so you can’t tell if the water’s ok by seeing if it “looks clean.” For uncycled 100% water change tanks: 1 gallon: change 100% of the water (& rinse off plants, gravel, take the fish out, etc.) every other day; 2.5-3 gallons 2-3 times/week; 5 gallons 1-2 x’s/week. Many people say not to change all the water but w/uncycled tanks you MUST; otherwise the ammonia levels, which are toxic, continually rise since you’re leaving some in w/every water change. Because of the this, the % of ammonia in the water also rises each time. Any Ammonia can stress, sicken or kill fish, so none is the only ok amount. If it’s a cycled tank, change 10-25% of the water (exact amount is determined by your tank’s water test kit results) & vacuum 1/3 of the gravel 1x/week.
3) Water conditioner that removes chlorine, chloramine & heavy metals needs to be added @ every water change. AquaClear (Walmart, PetSmart) or Novaquel & Prime used together (PetSmart) are good brands.
4) A 1 gallon bowl is not a suitable size for him-you’d have to change all the water every other day in order to prevent him from being poisoned 24/7 in ammonia-laden water, they’re very difficult to heat accurately, plus they need more room to really a healthy life. Nothing >2.5-3 gallons (& some say nothing >5 gallons) is ok for one betta. You can also use acrylic kritter keepers. They scratch easily, but are lighter, often cheaper & can hold filters & heaters. You can cycle a larger tank (5+ gallons) which is less work, water & $ for you & less stress for your bettas over time. You can keep an uncycled tank, but it’s more work.
Check Craigslist, freecycle,com, Ebay, backpage.com or online fish forums for the above items as people usually sell tanks &/or equipment cheaply or give them away.
