Betta Fish Ich Treatment
My betta has ich and mouth fungus?
ive noticed that my betta has ich and mouth fungus i plan to start treatment tomorrow after doing a 25% water change. i heard that i have to use half the amount of medication if you have scaleless fish, is this true because i have a loach. i also have neons and i noticed that one of them has a ich spot, so i will treat the whole tank. But will the medication affect any of the fish especially neon’s, as i know they are sensitive to water conditions, coz i dont want any dead fish
There are 2 issues: the disease & the tank issues that are causing these diseases. First, the illnesses: The meds I’m recommending are both safe for scaleless fish, according to the manufacturers & as long as they’re dosed properly, & attention is paid to the water parameters & water change requirements the meds shouldn’t negatively affect your fish beyond stressing them some, but thta’s true w/any fish med. That doesn’t mean some won’t possibly die, as being sick w/1 disesae is enough to kill them, let alone 2, but that meds won’t be the cause.
1 problem is that these meds are not compatible. That means you need to pick 1 to treat first-I’d do the ich treatment & hope the columnaris cleared up w/improved tank conditions, but it’s your call…
To treat ich: If the tank is cycled 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. 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. Raise the temp. to 88 degrees. Some people will recommend the salt & heat method; however, very high temps. stress him which leaves him prone to a secondary infection since his immune system is already weak, & salt is found to be increasingly ineffective @ even 3x’s the standard dose.
Often, when people don’t see spots they think the parasite is gone, when they’re just in their “water stage” & 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 can bring on secondary infections so watch for odd behaviors or physical abnormalities.
To treat columnaris (mouth fungus): Kanaplex/Kanamycin is effective & easiest on fish so order it online (Ebay’s less $ but ask about exp. date before ordering). For now get Jungle Fungus Eliminator or Clear @ PetSmart. If you can’t find either get Maracyn 1 and 2 (yes, both, since each only treats one type of infection) @ any pet store. Maracyns are recommended least because they’ve been so overused they often don’t treat current infections. For a cycled tank, remove the carbon since its removes meds & do a 10-25% water change (the amt. you change weekly), for uncycled tanks do 100% water changes. Treat daily for 3 days & follow package instructions for amt. of water changes if cycled, do 100% daily if uncycled. Retreat if needed for 3 days. Wait 20 min. after water changes do add meds, sooner dilutes them.
That said, getting rid of the illness doesn’t address the cause since illnesses are brought on by cold or bad quality water. There are tank issues that need to be fixed or the fish will continue getting ill.
1) Is the tank cycled? What are the Nitrite, Nitrate & Ammonia levels in the tank? They should be 0, >20, 0 ppm; anything else indicates a water quality issue which can most quickly be fixed w/small water changes.
2) How often are you doing water changes & vacuuming the tank? And how much are you doing> 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 is enough to stress, sicken or kill fish, so none is the only ok amount. In a cycled tank, change 10-25% of the water & vacuum 1/3 of the gravel 1x/wk. Overdoing it is bad, as it causes mini cycles which also cause tank levels to flux, stressing &/or sickening fish.
3) What size tank are they in & how many fish are there? If the tank is undersized for the # & type of fish & their needs or waste production that would ensure they’d be ill since they’d constantly being living in toxic water.
4) What’s the temp.? They need a steady water temp. of 78-80 degrees.
5) Are you using liquid water test kits? Strip tests are notoriously inaccurate so if you’re relying on them for tank readings they’re likely not accurate.
