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Betta Diseases – Acid Fast Betta Disease

2010
04.29

Tags: acid fast, acid fast disease, betta, betta diseases
Posted in Uncategorized, acid fast, acid fast disease, betta, betta diseases | No Comments »

Betta Diseases – Acid Fast
By Elizabeth Christopher

Betta diseases are generally not a hazard to humans. One rare case is the acid-fast disease, or mycobacteria, which causes tuberculosis and leprosy in fish. These bacteria can also produce these diseases in humans, although treatment for humans is much more effective. They have a waxy wall around them which makes them almost impervious to treatment. Another line of defense against chemicals is the fact that they have very slow growth, which means that it takes an extended amount of time for treatment to have any effect.

Mycobacterial infections are more common among bettas of old age, whose immune system has weakened. Fish known to be old compared to their relatives, fish who are past their prime and fish raised in high temperatures are some of the most common prey for acid-fast disease. It can be diagnosed by red, bloody lesions anywhere on the body. They do not expand, nor do they disappear. They are impervious to antibiotics, and are the most resilient of all betta diseases. Once contracted, the afflicted betta should be discarded or placed in a quarantine tank until death. There are no cost-effective treatments.

To make a definitive statement that it is indeed acid-fast disease and not a similar looking symptom, a skin smear must be taken. The smear is then treated with an acid-fast staining technique laboratories use to identify this particular mycobacterial family, thus the name. The presence of red stained rods in the smear is the indication that indeed acid-fast bacteria have infected the host fish.

Since this can be contracted by humans, proper care and handling of your betta should always be employed. Washing your hands vigorously before and after any aquarium maintenance with an anti-bacterial soap is usually enough to ensure protection against contamination, but gloves can be worn to take your safety to another level.

As is true in almost all betta diseases, poor tank maintenance can help promote mycobacterial growth. Proper water temperature, salt-to-water ratio and many other factors decide how happy and healthy your betta will be, and how long she will live. In some cases betas have been known to live up to two times longer than their relatives who went to lesser quality tanks.

“Want to know all about Acid-Fast Disease, and total betta set-up and care? I have enjoyed raising healthy, happy bettas for over 20 years, and recommend only this Betta Care Guide.”
Elizabeth Christopher

Acid-Fast Disease,acid fast disease,acid fast,betta diseases

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Betta Temperature Regulation – What is the Magic Number?

2010
04.21

Tags: betta, betta fish, betta tank, betta temperature
Posted in betta, betta fish, betta tank, betta temperature | No Comments »

Betta Temperature Regulation – What is the Magic Number ?
By Elizabeth Christopher

Betta fish are tropical fish, and in such, require about the same temperature range for their tank as other pet fish. However, betta temperature has to be regulated more closely, with few spikes or drops. Betta fish are highly susceptible to disease, more so than most other pet fish, and almost all of the diseases they catch are brought on by stress. Betta temperature fluctuation is a common cause of stress in these beautiful fish, and can easily be removed altogether by following a few simple rules.

1 – 3 to 5 watts per gallon

When purchasing a programmable heater, make sure that it is strong enough to provide the correct Betta temperature of 78 to 82 degrees. As long as you buy one that has 3 to 5 watts per gallon of Betta tank size, you will be fine. This ensures it is able to handle severe temperature drops should something go wrong. Sometimes, people forget to leave the heat on when they are going away for a couple of days, and a weak heater will freeze your fish dead.

2 – Manually check the temperature daily

Do not trust your heater! Manually check the Betta temperature every day. Just because you have a programmable heater with a thermostat does not mean it will last forever. Nothing made by man does. By manually checking the temperature at different times each day, you will find out how your Betta tank is faring. If you only checked it at night, you would not realize that sun from a window is heating the tank to a dangerous level during the day, for example.

3 – Backup thermometer

Your heater is on of thousands that are mass produced every day. Can you imagine the odds against every heater being perfect? Betta temperature should be double-checked by placing a small inexpensive floating thermometer in the tank. When you check the temperature on the heater’s display, check the thermometer’s too. I can not tell you how many times in the last twenty years I have had to replace a faulty heater, and I never would have known had I not purchased a backup thermometer.

Buying a good programmable heater is a great step towards providing the right Betta temperature for your fish. But it is only the first step. Consistently checking the temperature, and verifying it on a backup thermometer will guarantee you provide a healthy, warm home for your Betta Splendens.

Hi guys,
Elizabeth here.
I just wanted to say thank you for reading, and let you in on a special offer that a friend of mine has made available to the readers of my blog.

Adam Short has been raising Betta Fish for over 25 years, and has compiled all his extensive knowledge into the most comprehensive, no “B. S.” (baloney sandwich) betta care guide I have found. I have personally been raising bettas for 20 years, and was amazed at the amount of information in this e-Book that I would never have known, like how to get bettas to live up to 5 years!

For a limited time, if you use this special link …
http://www.GodzillaFish.info …
you will receive this amazing Betta Care Guide
at a special price, and
4 FREE bonuses.

Here’s what you get -

1 – Betta Care Guide – regular price $19.77
Already over 970 happy customers. Covers tank prep, purchasing supplies, choosing bettas, maintenance, upkeep and treating disease. Most exhaustive betta care guide I have found. (I personally value this guide at over $100, it is that good.)

2 – Medicine Checklist – regular price $4.95
A list of products to keep in your Betta medicine chest. A must have.

3 – Online Shopping Checklist – regular price $4.95
A list of the best places to shop online for Betta supplies.

4 – Aquarium Checklist – regular price $4.95
A complete list of all of the items you need to start and run your Betta aquarium the right way.

5 – Specific Recommendations and Reviews – regular price $4.95

This is a $39.57 value … and you can get it today for only $14.77.
That’s about the cost of two betta fish (or one nice one!).

Adam is allowing this special offer to go to only the
NEXT 36 betta lovers who use this special link … http://www.GodzillaFish.info

This offer will not last long, so click the link and download now.

This is the same course I refer to every day, and I know it can help enrich your life and the lives of your beautiful bettas.

Elizabeth

P.S.
When you get the course, let me know
what you think and I will post
your input here!

ElizabethChristopher@BettaFacts.info

Betta Temperature

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Betta Diseases – Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Recuperation

2010
04.19

Tags: ampicillin, aquarium salt, betta, betta diseases, betta fish, kanamycin, sea salt, Tetracychlin
Posted in Tetracychlin, ampicillin, aquarium salt, betta, betta diseases, betta fins, kanamycin, sea salt | No Comments »

Betta Diseases – Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Recuperation
By Elizabeth Christopher

It is said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. While this is definitely the case with bettas, once they become sick, their condition can deteriorate quickly. That is why you want to be ready in advance with all the tools you will need if your fish contracts any of the many betta diseases.

You might think that you can always head out to the local pet store if and when you notice your fish are unhealthy. There are two major problems with this strategy. First, by the time symptoms appear on your fish, the betta diseases causing those symptoms have already been growing, and becoming stronger, and your fish weaker. This means a longer recovery time, and a smaller window for treatment. Second, the store may be out of whatever meds or tools you need. That could spell disaster for your betta.

The first thing you will want to purchase for your betta first aid kit is sea salt, or aquarium salt. You do not need much, and it is very inexpensive. When treating bettas in a recovery tank or bucket, generally a couple tablespoons per gallon of water is needed. You will also find that placement of a tablespoon per gallon of tank water does wonders for your fish during tank water changes.

Buy a one gallon bowl or jar for holding and treating fish. When you remove sick bettas to this tank, use the water they were already in and acclimated to, as to lessen the shock of moving. Keep some antibacterial soap on hand for yourself, as you definitely do not want to spread betta diseases to your healthy fish after handling sick ones.

Buy rubber gloves and a scrub brush that you use specifically for tank cleaning and water changes and nothing else. I was at a friend’s house once, and suggested that his tank was behind time for a cleaning. He promptly went to his kitchen and returned with a scrub brush. Yikes! No matter how hard you clean, you may transfer chemicals to you betta’s tank. Only use tools that are specifically for your betta tank.

Betta diseases are all different, but a few chemicals treat many of them. Tetracychlin is a good all around treatment for many betta bacteria, and can be found at most pet stores. The more difficult betta diseases need to be treated on an individual basis, but some of the better meds for these are kanamycin and ampicillin. As always, consult manufacturer’s labels for proper application.

Hi guys,
Elizabeth here.
I just wanted to say thank you for reading, and let you in on a special offer that a friend of mine has made available to the readers of my blog.

For a limited time, if you use this special link …
http://www.GodzillaFish.info …
you will receive this amazing Betta Care Guide
at a special price, and
4 FREE bonuses.

Here’s what you get -

1 – Betta Care Guide – regular price $19.77
Already over 970 happy customers. Covers tank prep, purchasing supplies, choosing bettas, maintenance, upkeep and treating disease. Most exhaustive betta care guide I have found. (I personally value this guide at over $100, it is that good.)

2 – Medicine Checklist – regular price $4.95
A list of products to keep in your Betta medicine chest. A must have.

3 – Online Shopping Checklist – regular price $4.95
A list of the best places to shop online for Betta supplies.

4 – Aquarium Checklist – regular price $4.95
A complete list of all of the items you need to start and run your Betta aquarium the right way.

5 – Specific Recommendations and Reviews – regular price $4.95

This is a $39.57 value … and you can get it today for only $14.77.
That’s about the cost of two betta fish (or one nice one!).

Adam is allowing this special offer to go to only the
NEXT 50 36 betta lovers who use this special link … http://www.GodzillaFish.info

This offer will not last long, so click the link and download now.

This is the same course I refer to every day, and I know it can help enrich your life and the lives of your beautiful bettas.

Elizabeth

P.S.
When you get the course, let me know
what you think and I will post
your input here!

ElizabethChristopher@BettaFacts.info

aquarium salt, betta, betta fish, Tetracychlin, kanamycin, ampicillin, betta diseases, sea salt

1 Comment

Plakat Betta – The Hearty Short Finned Betta Fighter

2010
04.18

Tags: betta, betta diseases, betta fish, betta tail, bubble nest bettas, fighting fish, mouth brooding bettas, plakat betta
Posted in betta, betta diseases, betta fight, betta fish, betta tail, bubble nest betta, fighting fish, mouth brooding betta, pla kat, plakat betta | 1 Comment »

Plakat Betta – The Hearty Short Finned Betta Fighter
By Elizabeth Christopher Elizabeth Christopher

The term “pla kat” actually means “fighting fish” in Thailand. The term was shortened to plakat betta somewhere many moons ago, and is used to refer to any short-finned mouth brooding bettas. Plakat betta are closer in genetics to nature’s betta fighter, and their shorter fins and betta tail allow them much better movement in the water than their more dramatic long-finned cousins.

Any time you make a copy of a copy, you get a watered down version of the original. After literally hundreds of years of breeding for just the right fin design and betta tail style and coloration, the result is a long-finned fish that swims very little and very poorly due to its outrageously long fins. A by-product of selective breeding for certain non-critical characteristics is the fact that long-finned bettas are much more susceptible to betta diseases.

A stronger immune system, leading to less bacterial infections and disease, and greater ability to swim has caused the plakat betta to be a favorite among tropical fish owners. Everyone knows how prone to sickness the long-finned bettas are, and enjoy the relative ease of raising the hearty plakat betta.

The short-finned bettas are also much easier to breed. Since they are mouth brooders – the male keeps the fry in his mouth until they are strong enough to swim on their own – they generally have a better chance of survival than the bubble nest bettas that can be snatched up by any passing fish as they sit in their bubble nest near the surface of the water.

Since a betta tail must be powerful to help the fish maneuver in a betta fight, the shorter finned varieties are much more in demand where enthusiasts actually fight bettas and bet on the outcome. This is a huge “sport” in Thailand and Viet Nam, and is where the term Siamese Fighting Fish comes from.

The plakat betta can be found in any number of color combinations, so they are every bit as beautiful and splendid as their over-bred family members. If you are looking for a fish that is more resistant to the many betta diseases, is easier to care for, easier to breed and has a longer lifespan, consider the beautiful plakat betta with the shorter fins and betta tail as your next pet.

P.S.
Hi guys,
Elizabeth here.
I just wanted to say thank you for reading, and let you in on a special offer that a friend of mine has made available to the readers of my blog.