Sending Fish on an Airplane (With & Without You)

fishes, originally uploaded by phogel.

Q: R wrote,

HI THERE!
First of all, I'd like to say I love your blog! Thanks for keeping up
such a great site! Second, here's a q for you!

Is it legal to travel with your betta on a plane, in a container, on your lap? Sometimes people travel with their dog or cat in their lap, so i am hoping a Tupperware and a couple of hours at high altitude might be fine for my crimson veil tale, Bloody Baron.

Thanks so much for your help!

A: This is a great question and one I happen to know a lot about because I am in the process of a move myself and have researched it quite a bit.

First, you didn't say which country you were writing from. I live in the United States and are familiar with US regulations but am not so much for other countries. If you live outside the US I suggest doing a little online research by visiting the websites of the popular air carriers in your location. Also, if you are flying from one country to another, be sure to research regulations for both countries.

Ok, with that said, here's the low-down with flying fish domestically in the U.S. Each airline has its own rules for flying with pets. Additional rules apply by state so be sure the state you're flying to allows these fish. American Airlines, United, Continental and Jet Blue (among others) all have pet policies but not all mention fish in their policy. Southwest does not allow any pets. The rules for each airline are extremely stringent and vary by carrier. US Airways has a reputation for being one of the most pet-friendly airlines and they DO mention fish on their website. However, they do not mention how the new stringent requirements on liquids and gels are considered in this matter. I would assume your fish needs to be in a water tight container under 4 oz with the volume clearly marked by the manufacturer, however all pets need to be coordinated by telephone at the time you book your ticket. This means Expedia and Travelocity are out when booking your flight. Make sure you are aware of any and all rules at the time of booking. There is a maximum number of pets allowed per flight so book early to make sure you don't get rejected.

Fees are another important thing to consider. US Airways does not differentiate cats from dogs from fish in terms of fees. You will still be required to pay the $85 pet fee associated with the carry-on of your fish.

I know what you're thinking... "$85! There is no way in heck I am paying $85 to fly with my fish!" Well I'm with you on that so here is the info you need to ship your fish.

First, thousands (probably tens-of-thousands) of aquarium fish get shipped every day from all over the world. The U.S. Postal Service, UPS and FedEx all ship fish, though some are more pleasant about it then others. What you need is a small insulated shipping box., newspaper, bubble wrap, heat pak (during cool weather) and aquarium bags. Stickers that say "Live Tropical Fish" aren't bad either. I pick up all my aquarium fish shipping supplies from the International Betta Congress (IBC). They arrive quickly and are pretty affordable.

This is what you do. Fast your betta for two days before shipping so he has the chance to expel waste before being bagged. Then bag the fish in a 1/2 cup of conditioned water and fill the bag with as much air as possible. Tie off the bag and stick it (tie town) into another fish bag and tie that one off two.

Next, put the fish in the box and pack it tight with newspaper so it can't move at all. Then, activate the heat pack by crushing it (follow directions) and wrap it up good in newspaper. Put a layer of bubble wrap on top of the fish and then the heat pak (wrapped in newspaper) on top of the bubble wrap. These layers are important so you don't overheat the fish during transport. Check that he's secure and close up the package. Plop on the "Live Tropical Fish" sticker and hurry off to ship.

The USPS has a good reputation for shipping tropical fish safely but also can be a bit snippy about it depending on who you get in line. If you ask them, "can I ship this live fish" they will likely tell you "no." So go with confidence. "I AM shipping this tropical fish!"

UPS has their policy all laid out on their website. This is nice because you can print it out and bring it with you.

FedEx ships well too and are favored by some breeders for shipping success. They prefer to ship business to business. Someone told me once that they use their work address to avoid complaints from FedEx shippers.

Anyway, make sure you ship overnight so fishy spends as little time as possible in transit and always check the weather before shipping. Don't chance it if it's very cold, very hot or if a storm's a brewin' that may cause delays. There are risks when shipping fish and not all make it. Make sure your fish is in good health and don't ship fish that are sick or stressed from disease or poor water quality.

Good luck!

Calculating True Aquarium Volume & Additives

Measuring Tape, originally uploaded by JamesJordan.

Q: AB wrote,

Your site is WONDERFUL, soooo much info. My question is how do you calculate the different water conditions? I changed a 10 gal community [tank] this past Sunday & have lost two female bettas & 2 little orange school fish. I'm not good with figuring the math part like chlorine drops, StressCoat and salt for different size tanks. Who could I put with one male swordtail & one very black adorable molly?

A:Hi. Thanks for writing in. The question of calculating water additives like dechlorinator is a good one. This confuses a lot of people. Measuring accurately is important but more-so for medications and salt then it is for water conditioners. Dechlorinators are pretty safe and as long as you get the amount relatively close to what is suggested on the bottle youll be fine. For water conditions like StressCoat, AmQuel & NovAqua or Prime, for example, just follow the directions on the bottle.

Lets take StressCoat as our example. The directions say: To remove chlorine and neutralize chloramine--add one teaspoon for each ten gallons of tap water.

Since there isnt a serious risk of overdose associated with StressCoat we dont have to worry about calculating displaced water lost by adding sand and tank decorations. We can just assume there is about 10 gallons in your 10 gal aquarium. (Even though in reality, there is probably only about 8 gallons or so).

So if you are changing all the water in your 10 gal then you need the full one-teaspoon as directed. If you are changing half the water then you need half of one teaspoon (1/2 tsp.) If you are only doing a 25% water change (or 1/4 of the water) then you only need 1/4 tsp of StressCoat. I suggest treating the tap water in a clean bucket and letting it sit for a few minutes outside the aquarium so the dechlorinator has a chance to work. Some aquarists like to wait a lot longer but I never have any problems with an immediate change. I use one of those 5 gal painters buckets from The Home Depot. Since I know it holds 5 gallons, I fill it up and treat it with 1/2 tsp of dechlorinator. If you use another brand like Prime, which is more concentrated, the dosing may be different.

When treating with salt, you will also want to treat only the new water in a separate bucket. Salt doesnt evaporate so if you just keep
adding doses for 10 gallons directly to your tank, very soon it will become so concentrated that it can seriously hurt or kill your fish. So if you are siphoning out 5 gallons of water, only add enough salt to treat the replacement 5 gallons. Dont add enough salt to treat the entire 10 gallons or it will mix with the remaining salt (5 gallons) which will leave you with enough salt to treat 15 gallons worth of water in only a 10 gallon tank. Otherwise you have 50% too much salt. Also, remember some species dont handle added salt well at all. While Mollies thrive with a little salt, your orange fish may not. Bettas also dont handle salt very well, though small amounts to treat certain illnesses can be beneficial.

_____________________________________

More Helpful Info:

Equation to determine actual U.S. gallons of your aquarium.
Measure in inches, the Length x Width x Height and divide by 231.
We'll call the cubic inches of the aquarium "a".

L x W x H = a

a ÷ 231 = X

X = the amount of water your tank really holds before adding substrate, fish and a filter.

example:
AQUARIUM VOLUME
L=20" x W=10" x H=12.5"
20x10x12.5 = 2500

2500 ÷ 231 = 10.82 US gal. (So my 10 gal tank really holds 10.82 gal when filled up)


Then do the exact same thing again but this time only measure the Length x Width x Height of your aquarium substrate. This method isn't completely accurate as substrate particals differ in size (gravel, sand, stones, etc) and open space between granuals differ, but it's close enough for medicinal purposes. We'll call the cubic inches of the substate "s".

L x W x H = s

s ÷ 231 = Y

Then subtract Y from X to get a good estimate of the amount of water your aquarium is actually holding.
X - Y = true water volume

example:
SUBSTRATE VOLUME
L=20" x W=10" x H=2.75"
20x10x2.75 = 550

550 ÷ 231 = 2.38 US gal. (my aquarium is holding 2.38 gal of sand)

10.82 gal - 2.38 gal = 8.4 US gal

My aquarium holds about 8.4 gal of water after adding substrate.

Velvet Disease [Piscinoödinium] in Bettas

Photo of Titan provided by CBN

Q: CBN wrote,

Hi again. This time im really concerned and sad. I think my betta is sick and I need URGENT advice. I think he might be infected with what I have read is called: velvet. He seems to have tiny "dust" spots, kinda brownish or yellowish in some of his body. I've also noticed that his fins are not opened like the first time I brought him home, and seems a bit darker now, I thought he was getting darker cause he is growing, but now, I think he's just sick and I'm afraid he dies. He still eats well, but today, I've noticed he is more inactive than before, swims with his fins closed or clamped and stays in the bottom, comes out of rocks really fast for air and slips back into his "cave" (under some rocks). I'm attaching some pictures to see if you agree with me ( I hope you can see what Im talking about) and for your urgent advice, please let me know as soon as you can so i can treat him. Also, he still flares at his reflection, is this good? Thx in advance for your advice.

A: I looked at your photos and I agree with your diagnosis. It sure does look like Velvet Disease. The poor little guy is probably not very comfortable right now. The good news is Velvet, when treated quickly, is usually overcome with fish medications. The fact that he's still eating and flaring at himself is a good sign that he isn't feeling too bad but the number of parasites viewable in the photo says to me the infestation is quite severe. I recommend treating him ASAP. Here's the information on how to treat Velvet disease clipped from my website.


Velvet Disease
Velvet or Piscinoödinium or Oödinium pilularis is a parasitic infestation that is very common among both salt and freshwater fish. This parasite is opportunistic and is present in most commercial aquariums. When a fish is stressed due to temperature fluctuations, poor water quality or other stressors they become susceptible to the parasites.

Velvet is classified as a dinoflagellate. It is both a protozoan like the Ich parasites but contains Chlorophyll so it is also considered a type of algae. It survives by finding a stressed host and attaching itself mostly to the gill or fin tissue where it kills the cells and consumes the nutrients directly from the fish. If left untreated it often leads to death. Physically, Velvet looks like a gold, rust or yellow dust, finely sprinkled over the fish. In fact, it can be so difficult to see that often a flashlight is needed to reveal it. This shiny powder appearance has lead to many other names besides Velvet including Rust and Gold Dust Disease.

Besides seeing the parasites directly on your fish you may notice other symptoms including the telltale rubbing against rocks, gravel or other décor. This is common with external parasites and is an attempt by your fish to dislodge the pests from its body. As the disease develops, symptoms may worsen and include lethargy, loss of appetite, labored breathing and clamped fins.

Over a short time, the protozoa detach from their host and enter their free-swimming stage where they divide and multiply many times. This is when they are most vulnerable to medications but may not be obviously present in the tank. It is very important when medicating that you finish the entire course of treatment regardless of weather or not you still see the parasites present. Follow the directions on the medication package closely. Once the parasites multiply they must find a new host (or the same old one) within 24 hours to survive. Because of this life cycle it may appear that your fish has gotten better but really once the Piscinoödinium completes reproduction the worst is yet to come. Now many more protozoa are present in the water and waiting to attack your fish.

If diagnosed early, Velvet is fairly easy to treat. First, you should remove your betta and place him into a hospital tank away from any other fish. Oödinium is highly contagious and keeping the infected fish in a community tank can put others at risk. Make note, the medications for Velvet may be toxic to other species like some fish, snails, invertebrates and aquarium plants as well. Also, any filter media should be removed so as not to eliminate the medication from the water. Next, slowly raise the water temperature to 80˚F – 82˚F [26.6˚C – 27.7˚C]. Because you don’t want to further stress you fish, be sure to only increase the temperature by no more then 2˚F or 1˚C in a 24 hour period. A more rapid temperature fluctuation could cause additional harm. It’s recommended you use a commercial Velvet medication like Mardel’s CopperSafe® or Jungle’s Velvet Guard®. Reducing the amount of light getting into the tanks by keeping the hood lamp off and covering the tank may help to combat the parasites as well.

To prevent the Piscinoödinium parasites from infesting your tank there are some simple precautions all aquarists can tank. First, always quarantine new fish for 3 – 4 weeks before adding them to a community tank. Be sure to always test your water parameters regularly and keep tank water clean by performing frequent and regular water changes. Avoid stressors like temperature and pH fluctuations and provide a nutritionally balanced diet by offering a variety of live and frozen foods.


Photo of Titan provided by CBN

Large Aquariums: Housing Male Bettas with Females

Male and Female Bettas, originally uploaded by sweet_nurse72.

Q: Anon wrote,

I have a 20 gal long with some peaceful community fish and I'm currently keeping a male and female in separate tanks. I'd like to add them both to this one tank but don't know how they will react in the same tank. Is it safe to house them together?

A: Generally speaking it isn't a good idea to house male and females Betta splendens in the same aquarium. Both sexes are capable of serious aggression. Most commonly, males will harass females if perceived to be in their territory but I have also bared witness to a female killing a male brutally after crossing a tank divider. This is not to say it is impossible in a 20 gallon tank. In a tank that is this size or larger you may be able to have a pair of bettas set up separate territories provided the following:

1. Their individual personalities are relaxed or submissive. Individual Bettas, both males and females, have unique personalities. Some are highly territorial while others are more complacent. If you have had your bettas for some time and have come to understand they are gentler (well, as gentle as Fighting Fish can be) then you may consider housing them together.

2. The tank set-up should be conducive to housing both fish. A more horizontal tank, like your 20 gallon/long, is appropriate. There should be calmer, current-free water on either side making each far end inviting for the bettas. Try placing the HOB filter in the middle as an invisible barrier between the sides. Lots of hiding spots and heavy plant material will help to block sightlines from one Betta to the other. Less contact is better.

3. Provide ample time for observation. If you are a Monday-Friday worker, try acclimating them to their new tank on a Saturday morning and continue to monitor them carefully all weekend. Dropping them in and going to work could leave you with one or two dead bettas when you return. Also, have a Plan B. Plan B would include keeping their old tanks up and running in case you need to separate them again and having some antiseptic fish medication like BettaFix or Melafix on hand to apply to injured bettas.

Housing a male and female together could prove to be very interesting and you may even get to observe their courting behavior, however, their is significant risk for injury or even death. I would recommend exercising extreme caution and remember that an aquarium is not a truly natural environment. You are responsible for their wellbeing.

Nippyfish Gets 100,000 Hits!

Dance, originally uploaded by Siggav.

Yay! We Did It.

Nippyfish.net and Nippyfish: A Betta Blog has reached it's 100,000 hit mark just this morning. I offer my most sincere thanks to everyone who has visited the site, written in with their questions and comments, subscribed to the blog and to those who have voted at

and

I look forward to growing my own knowledge base in the aquarium hobby and sharing what I learn with you and from you. 100,000, wow, I just can't believe it. You guys rock.

~Christie


Nippyfish: A History

In late 2004 Nippyfish.net, a site for the modern betta enthusiast was launched to the world. It was more then just an informational Betta splendens website, it was my brainchild and the result of almost two years of research and six months of design. It actually came about out of frustration. Researching aquaria and speaking with other Betta enthusiasts left my head whirling in a sea of contradiction and ambiguity. Betta people are about as feisty as their favorite fish and by no means lack confidence nor desire to share their opinions when asked about their Fighters. Some of the advice I was hearing just wasn’t, excuse the pun, holding water. I decided to put together my own site where facts are emphasized as facts, opinions are noted as opinions and the great majority of advice is based in science and first hand experiences.

What does it mean to be “a modern Betta enthusiast?” A modern betta enthusiast is someone who approaches the hobby dynamically, understanding that what was 20 years ago may not be today. The aquarium hobby is always changing and will continue to do so on an almost daily basis with the discovery of new science and the availability of new equipment and products. Even the fish themselves change as breeders discover new genes and emphasize different characteristics of the species. Modern Betta enthusiasts are eager to learn and willing to change their minds as the hobby evolves.

Currently Nippyfish.net is home to over 100 pages of Betta splendens care and general information, controversial articles, Q&A from readers, product and aquaria website reviews and interviews with others in the hobby, not to mention tons of photos and links to other related sites.

In the not-to-distant future I’d like to see Nippyfish.net expand to include betta breeding and show information. In the years to come it may even break off to include a commercial branch... but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Right now, the focus is on sharing information and spreading an interest in our favorite finned friend, the Siamese Fighting Fish.

Enjoy!

A Betta in Sheep's Clothing: Cotton Wool Disease

Sexta poser..., originally uploaded by Fabiz Rabbit©.

Q: KG wrote,

I was wondering if you could help me again. I wrote a few months back. I had a betta who appeared to have Columnaris. You suggested that I use a combination of Maracyn and Maracyn II which worked really well on the first try. Unfortunately, my betta seems to have come down with the same disease. I have had him for a bit over a year. He lives in a 2.5 heated gallon container which stays at a steady 82 degrees. I do a full water change every 7 days and treat with Novaaqua and Amquel and add salt (1 teaspoon). I really don't know what I am doing wrong. He was fine for some months and then something strange happened to the water. Much of the water had cotton like filaments. It seemed to have happened overnight. I quickly changed the water and changed the conditioner (thinking it was ammonia) but it was too late. He got fin rot and now that I seemed to have cured that the columnaris is spreading. I am worried that the bacteria is now immune to Maracyn/II or should I continue to use it? I bough Jungle Fungus Clear (not Jungle Fungus Eliminator?). I was told at the pet store that it might be effective if the Maracyn is no longer working but I was wondering if you could give me some advice whether I should continue to use the Maracyn combination. I have used it for 5 days. Should I do a 10 day treatment?If so do I change the water before doing the second treatment? I don't want to torment the poor fish with chemicals. Thank you! I would really appreciate your help.

A: Flavobacterium Columnare or Cotton Wool Disease is a pretty common betta disease. One thing to make note of is we often call those fuzzy cotton patches Columnare or Columnaris (same thing) but truthfully, unless you have a microscope, we don't REALLY know for certain which strain of bacteria it is. It could be something different from what your fish had last time. Since most hobbyists don't have a microscope, we have to guess. So that said, I would recommend doing a second course of medication if it hasn't gotten any worse. It's not uncommon to have to do two courses. This is true for fish and human bacterial infections that require antibiotics. If the fuzzy patches were worsening as you treated with Maracyn-Two then you may want to consider a change to Jungle Fungus Clear or Eliminator. (same active ingredients though Eliminator has sodium chloride) The best step to avoid antibiotic resistant bacteria is to completely finish the full course of medication before switching to a new medication and always be careful to dose properly. If you're halfway through a course of Maracyn-Two, finish that course before making a change. A full water change between switching medications is a good idea.

Also, Flavobacterium Columnare loves warm water and is very common in the spring and summer as our tanks heat up. Your fish may benefit by a slow decrease in water temperature. Try bringing it from 82F to about 76F slowly over the next few days.

As usual, keep testing your water regularly for stressors like ammonia, nitrite and nitrate that may leave your fish susceptible to these opportunistic diseases. Hope your Betta is back in action soon. Take care.

Thermal Shock & Chlorine Poisoning

humpingtheheater150, originally uploaded by rkbentley.

Q: KM wrote,

When doing a total water change for our male betta, "Patches", my 6 year old daughter thought she was helping, and decided to fill the aquarium with tap water and to ahead a put the fish in when I stepped away to take care of another matter. He seemed fine last night, but this morning he is listless, and staying at the top while slowing taking in air. Is there anything that can be done to save him??

A: There are a couple of things that could be troubling to your betta in this case. First is thermal shock. Fish, as you know, are sensitive to rapid fluctuations in water parameters with temperature being one of the most significant. To avoid shock we try to keep the temperature variable down to about 2 degrees Fahrenheit or 1 degree Celsius per 24 hours with an ideal temperature of about 78F [25.5C]. I have no idea what the temperature difference was between the old water and the new aquarium water but it would be a small miracle if your 6 year old was able to keep it even remotely close to same temperature as the old water. The best thing you can do is to bring the water into a survivable range (if it is at some extreme) and then slowly over hours or even days bring it back to the ideal.

The second problem is chlorine/chloramine poisoning. Most of us have tap water that is treated with chlorine and/or chloramines to prevent pathogens from infecting us. While it's safe for us to drink it can be deadly to our fish. It sounds like you are already treating the water in your regular routine so in this case the best thing you can do is add your regular water conditioner to the tank as soon as possible to avoid further toxicity. If your Betta appears to be struggling to breathe, which can sometimes happen when exposed to poisons like chlorine, ammonia, etc; you may find adding an air stone to tank can ease the burden somewhat. He will continue to use his labyrinth organ to get atmospheric oxygen but may be able to retrieve more dissolved oxygen from the water if there is an air stone to supplement.


Unfortunately, this is just a tragic accident and there isn't any quick fix to save your betta. All you can do is get the betta into livable water as soon as possible and then work to slowly bring it back to it's ideal range. If your betta survives then the next step would be to prevent future incidents, which I bet you're already on top of. Also, continue to monitor him daily for signs of disease. Sometimes bettas are able to survive traumatic events but will later come down with diseases as a result of a weakened immune system.

All the best to you, your daughter and Patches.

When Fish Attack: Treating Betta Wounds

Angry Titan, originally uploaded by Calin.

Q: M wrote,

I put a betta in with my angelfish and he got trashed. I was gonna put him down because he looked terrible, but then i used the "will to live" rule... and I figured I should at least try to bring him back, so i moved him (temporarily) to a smaller tank with some bamboo to hide in. I'm going to clean out an old tank tonight and get that set up for him.

My question, is if his fins do get infected, how will I be able to tell, and how should I treat that, or how should I make sure they don't get infected?

A: Ouch, I'm sorry to hear about your Betta. If you went just by the names you wouldn't think an angel-fish could inflict so much damage on fighting-fish but Bettas are, in fact, pretty sensitive to nippy species due to their delicate fin structure. Fortunately, they are tough little guys and with good care may be able to recover. In cases of physical damage and open wounds you want to start treatment with good clean water. Increase your water changes by a fair amount. I'd recommend every other day or so until you see the wounds closing and the fins well on their way to being regrown. A water conditioner that enhances slime coat may help with healing too like Stress Coat or NovAqua (used in conjunction with AmQuel). There is a product called BettaFix that claims to fix all sorts of ailments and while I don't believe it to be the cure-all the company claims, the one thing it is quite good at is keeping wounds clean and speeding up the healing process. The active ingredient is 0.2% Melaleuca (Tea Tree oil) and it's a natural antiseptic. Melafix is another popular treatment and is essentially the exact same thing in a stronger concentration (1.0%). In rare cases anabantoids (like Bettas) will have a negative reaction to the Melaleuca so it's recommended to dilute Melafix by at least half.

Clean water and one of the above mentioned antiseptics is really all you can do while your Betta's own immune system works to heal him. Continue to monitor him daily for infection keeping a close eye out for signs including:

blackened or bloody fin tips
pieces of fin falling off
ragged and torn fin tips
unnatural redness in the body or red streaks.
fuzzy patches or fibrous strings on the body, mouth or fins
open sores that grow or spread or turn color (yellow, gray, red, black)
secondary infections like Popeye, Velvet or Ich

If you notice signs of infection you may need to consider treating with an antibiotic if clean water doesn't do the trick. Most of the symptoms above are signs of a bacterial disease. Velvet and Ich are parasites and tend to infect stressed fish with a weakened immune system. If you see signs of these infections then an antiparasitic medication will be necessary. In the mean time though, just keep the water clean, warm and stable.

The Many Faces of Dropsy

Walter, originally uploaded by Mean and Pinchy.

Q: Anon wrote,

Hello. I enjoy this site and am wondering about a strange condition. I have a male betta that has bloating on only one side. He has not pine-coned and has been this way for weeks, so I don’t believe it is dropsy. I have him in a bare 2.5 gallon tank at 82F. Over the past almost two months I have done courses of maracyn/ maracyn2, then maracyn plus, then clout, and now Furan-2 at the dose recommended for 10 gallons (with complete water changes between). I increased the dose amounts slowly when he showed no improvement but also no negative reactions. I also have added increasing amounts of Epsom salts to combat the fluid retention. His side is translucent and has some new red streaking from the stretching. He did “pop” once when he crashed into the heater during a water change but seemed unfazed and then “filled up” again on just that side over the next two days. I have been told this could be bacterial, internal parasites, or Malawi bloat. But none of these meds seems to fix it. He hasn’t gotten worse, but he hasn’t been ‘cured’ either. He is still hungry and otherwise normal acting, but will spit out the mediated food pellets and bloodworms I have soaked in ampicillin gel and eat only unmedicated food! Just wondering if you have heard of this or ever treated same?

A:Hi there. I'm sorry to hear that your Betta isn't well. What you describe actually does sound a lot like Dropsy. If it were a solid mass I would have leaned toward a tumor but the build of fluid you describe is exactly what Dropsy is. When it happens to humans, we call it Edema. One thing to note is that while pineconing is a sure sign of Dropsy; Dropsy doesn't necessarily show itself exclusively through pine coning. Actually a slow building mass of fluid is very common and I suspect based on the emails I receive that it is just as common as the tell-tale pine coning effect. Malawi Bloat, I believe, is just another term for Dropsy only it is used to describe the same symptom in Cichlids. Dropsy itself is not a disease and the cause can be bacterial, viral or parasitic. Usually by the time the organs begin to fail and the body fills with fluids, medication no longer benefits. In some cases, medication can worsen the symptoms as the already failing liver and kidneys work to metabolize it. It's possible that your fish is no longer able to respond to the medications you have used or that the original disease was a virus or internal parasites. (Maracyn & Maracyn-Two and Furan treat bacterial infections, Clout treats external parasites.

Surviving the puncture caused by the heater likely prolonged his life. He's lucky a secondary infection didn't take over. Perhaps the antibiotics you were treating him with helped him here. When Dropsy effects larger and often expensive fish, veterinarians may drain the excess fluid but this really isn't done with Bettas. Unfortunately, there isn't a treatment for Dropsy in small tropical fish and it's generally just a matter of time before they succumb. Fortunately, your Betta is still acting normally and eating well. He may continue to live for weeks or even months before the symptoms take over.

Here's a link to a recent Dropsy article on Nippyfish: A Betta Blog that shows photos similar to what you have described. Betta with Severely Swollen Abdomen

Unfortunately there isn't much advice I can give except to keep him comfortable and to keep his water clean. If you think the Epsom baths are helping, continue to perform them. Their effectiveness varies so you'll have to use your judgment.

Best of luck to you and thanks for writing in.

When Stress Overcomes your Betta

Cat Fish, originally uploaded by phlora.

Q: LL wrote,

I am struggling with the death of my betta. I lost him on Friday, after having him for a year and 4 months.

He was doing just great until 2 months ago when he started hanging around at the bottom of the tank more. I did tons of research and thought the problem was two-fold: water was too cold and I was not leaving some of the water in the tank when I cleaned it. So, I ran to the store and bought a good heater (I have a 5 gal. tank with air filtration and a light) and for the last two cleanings, I vacuumed the gravel and emptied some of the water, but not all of it.

This was the first time EVER that I didn't do a 100% water change. Now, I am afraid that by not cleaning the tank properly (I still don't know how to clean it since you aren't supposed to change it 100% and yet when I stopped doing that, coincidentally, he died), the PH level plummeted (I had it tested and it was very, very low) and that is why he died.

I put him in an iso tank for the last few days he lived, but it wasn't enough to save him. Since a lot of folks say they live for 2 or more years on average, I wondered if age was a factor or not. I am agonizing over this and afraid to get another betta if I did something to kill my beautiful Nemoby.

Did the gradual lowering of PH kill him? If you are supposed to leave some of the water at the bottom when you clean, how much? How much of the residue should be vacuumed out? How do you know if you have enough of it out so the PH doesn't drop?

I appreciate any suggestions toward what killed him and and help in getting through this sad experience.

A:I'm sorry to hear about the loss of Nemoby. I have lost many over the years, some natural causes and some to errors I have made and like you I have been saddened by each loss.

Sometimes the death of a Betta occurs quickly and without warning and it can be difficult to determine the cause. From your description of the events there are a few possibilities. I will start with the pH crash. A pH crash occurs quickly and may be the result of very low carbonate hardness (kh), which is also called buffering capacity. Buffering capacity regulates the pH in the water and when it is very low you are more likely to experience rapid changes in pH. When I lived in Boston, the water's buffering capacity was very low and I experienced pH crashes from time to time that caused sudden death to several fish at a time. These crashes usually cause death in a matter of minutes to hours if severe enough. In your case Nemoby was showing signs of stress 2 months before the pH drop so something was probably stressing him early on. The pH situation may have caused added stress but not necessarily death unless it happened very quickly. You didn't mention the exact pH levels or the rate they dropped so it's hard to say how serious a problem the pH was. Bettas can live in a variety of pH levels but stability is the key. So even if it was 6.0, he probably would be fine.

The type of water change you do (partial or full) depends on your aquarium set up. If your tank is established and has completely gone through the nitrogen cycle then you want to perform partial water changes of around 20% to keep nitrates at bay. If you prefer not to cycle your tank then 100% water changes are best to avoid the build up of ammonia and nitrite. In order to know if your cleaning regimen caused stress to your Betta I would have to know what the ammonia and nitrite levels were when he died. It seems unlikely, however, that they would get way out of hand after only one partial water change.

I can only guess that a variety of stressors lead to a weakened immune system over time and he eventually passed away. The life span of Betta vary and most live around 3 years but breeding, care and good genes all play a part. Store bought bettas are usually around 6 months to a year old at purchase and often don't live as long because of stress they endure before purchase. (I.e. cold water, ammonia poisoning, poor nutrition, etc)

One thing I can say with certainty is your little Nemoby was much better off living in your care in a warm, clean home where he was well fed and loved then on any store shelf. The fact that you cared for him for well over a year is a testament to your abilities. All bettas die eventually and while it is sad we can take solace knowing that we provided as best we could and that our pets were loved and cared for.

I hope that when you're ready you will give another Betta a good home and a chance at live away from the pet store.

Here are some links to articles that will help you with some of your specific needs. This first one talks about the nitrogen cycle and whether to do partial or full water changes. - Preparing a New Home for your Betta
The second link goes into detail about water changes and frequency. - Water Changes: Frequency

Stand-up Against Betta Fighting on April 10!

April 10 is ASPCA Day.
Go orange for animals!


Here's a message from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals:

"On April 10th 2007, the ASPCA will be celebrating ‘ASPCA Day’ and encouraging animal lovers nationwide to ‘Go Orange for Animals’. In our hometown of New York City, many Big Apple buildings will be lighting up in orange—the official ASPCA color—on our birthday, April 10th. Other big cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles, Austin and Philadelphia, will be going orange, too.

But we can’t forget the most important participants of all. Without the support of animal lovers like you, we wouldn’t still be the oldest humane organization in the Western Hemisphere. Please join us in celebrating the work that we do and the animals that we serve by ‘Going Orange for Animals’ on April 10th.

To get you started, we’ve provided the following ideas on how you can ‘Go Orange’ in your city, town, classroom or community for animals on April 10. Whether you organize a pet parade in your community, petition to get your town hall to light up orange, or decorate your office door with an orange bow, we thank you."

ASPCA Day


A message from Nippyfish:

Just like dogs and cats, Bettas are commonly victims of animal cruelty. Betta fighting is becoming increasingly more popular in Europe, North America and Australia, where they are more commonly protected under animal fighting and cruelty statutes. An activity that was relatively unknown just a decade ago is being perpetuated by video and imagery posted on online websites like YouTube.com, which are being flooded with these videos faster then their staff can remove them.

Pet store bettas are most commonly bred for their ornamental qualities with an emphasis on beautiful finnage and bright coloration. These fish, having not been bred for fighting, suffer immensely when paired against each other. The fights are brutal and the death of one or both fish is commonplace. Many die after the fight from wounds or secondary infections brought on after days of suffering. It's not uncommon for fish to be purchased, fought and discarded after the fight. Most commonly documenting their fights are high school and college-age boys but Betta fights are gaining in popularity even among middle school age children. Most betta fighters will never be caught but those that are could face severe consequences. In many U.S. states, for example, fish are protected under the same fighting laws as pit bulls where fight organizers may be charged with a felony and fines over $25,000. Spectators, advertisers or those providing equipment or venues (parents of these kids) can be faced with misdemeanor charges and fines in many locations as well.

One question remains. Has anyone ever been charged or convicted of fish fighting? Truthfully, I doubt it but I have written the Director of Humane Law Enforcement at the Washington Humane Society in Washington, DC and am awaiting a reply. As soon as I hear back, I will post an update.

In the mean time... Let your voice be heard and stand up against animal cruelty and Betta fighting by wearing orange or displaying an orange light at your home or office on April 10.

For more information on how to go orange, visit the ASPCA Day link.

Hot Hot Hot! Betta Bowl Temperature Spikes

betta femmina, originally uploaded by altiebassi.

Q: AC wrote,

I just got a betta fish a few days ago and have been keeping him on a heating pad to make sure he doesn't get too cold. However, I think someone may have bumped the control accidentally, heating my poor fish to about 10 degrees higher than the bowl have been before. I immediately took the bowl off the pad to let it cool to the previous temperature. Since then, the temperature has been constant, but my fish hasn't recovered. I feel so terribly about this. He's gotten very lethargic, and now he stays at the top of the bowl, blowing bubble after bubble. Is there anything I can do?
Thanks for your site; hope your fish are all doing well! :)

A: I hope your Betta is doing better today. You didn't mention in your email what the temperature was or what it raised to but hopefully it wasn't so severe that it caused major harm. There really isn't a whole lot you can do at this time accept slowly return the water temperature to normal and then keep it stable. I don't know if staying at the top of the bowl blowing bubbles is a signal of the stress he endured or if he is building a bubble nest prompted by the warm up of the water. In order to determine the level of danger I would have to know what the temperature was and what it went up to.

I have had water temperatures reach the low 90s for short periods of time without major incident. Heat spikes can certainly cause stress and even shock but it's not always a guarantee of the worst. Just do your best to keep things stable from now on and keep an eye on your betta for signs of stress related illness.

I also recommend using an aquarium grade heater rather than a heating pad. Heating pads aren't designed for warming water and are unable to regulate themselves. Aquarium heaters are designed to turn off when the desired temperature is met. The use of a heating pad for warming water may also put you and your family at great risk of shock or fire so please use caution and purchase the proper equipment.

Thanks for writing in and I hope your fish is back to his old self soon.

Preparing a New Home for your Betta

oops..had an accident on his chair, originally uploaded by missyum.

Q: SO wrote,

I am so glad to have come across your extremely helpful website! Finally, somewhere to find answers that make sense. About 1 1/2 year ago, we adopted a betta that my daughter's class could no longer care for. At that time, he was in a very small container, swimming in plain old tap water. Now, I never thought of myself as a "fish person", but very quickly, I came to love that little guy. We moved Senior Rojo into a 2 gallon bowl, and added water conditioner, and some decorations to his tank. For quite a while, I had wanted to give him even more room and just basically upgrade his home. It seems that everything I read about bettas just confused me more and made me more apprehensive about moving him out of his bowl. But, when I came across your Blog, you recommended the Mini Bow 2.5 as a good betta home. So today I bought one, but now I do have some questions and would be most grateful for your advice.

1) Should I use the filter? And if yes, do people just leave them going all the time?
2) I also bought the small heater that you recommend. Having never used one, I am not sure how you regulate the temp... do you just unplug it when it gets to the right temp? Would that stress Sr. Rojo? Is it possible that the light on the tank will be enough to warm the water?
3) My fish will not eat anything but pellets. I have tried at least 4 different things, and it just isn't happening. Should I worry?
4) Lately, his color seems a little off, but it doesn't seem to be anything specific like the illnesses talked about on your blog. Hopefully, the new house will make him happier. I know the water is a bit cold right now, but he does visit with me and show off his beautiful red fins. No bubbles, though.
5) I am confused about cleaning and water changes. Basically, I change about 25% of his water every 3 days and a full change once a week or so. Does this differ with the new Minibow, and whether or not the filter is used?

Those are a lot of questions, so thank you for your time! I also purchased the water treatments you recommended, and the siphon for cleaning, and a live plant.

A:What a great name, Senior Rojo. That's adorable. I'm happy to hear you upgraded your betta aquarium to a MiniBow. This is a great beginner tank and you will quickly learn the basics of aquarium maintenance through this set-up.

There are two ways to keep a Betta tank that we refer to as cycled or uncycled. A cycled aquarium is sometimes referred to as established. This means that you have allowed the beneficial nitrifying bacteria to grow and live in the tank or establish itself. These bacteria are beneficial because they consume toxins like ammonia and nitrite. The process of establishing bacteria is a natural process and will happen over time even if you aren't aware of it as long as you don't do anything to upset the bacterial growth. Because ammonia and nitrite need to be present for the bacteria to grow, it can be a stressful process for the fish so as aquarists we prefer to monitor the process rather than just allowing it to happen unmonitored. Most aquarium fish need the stability provided by a cycled tank and a tank that is fully cycled is a safer and more stable environment. It truly becomes a complete eco-system.

The reason I mention this is because whether or not you decide to use your filter depends on if you want a cycled or uncycled aquarium. The filter media is the place that the majority of helpful bacteria will grow but in order for them to grow you will need to run the filter full time. This is the most common aquarium set-up. Bettas, however, can be kept in uncycled tanks or bowls like Senior Rojo has in the past. In an uncycled tank you do not want to run a filter because doing so will encourage the bacterial growth and cycling process to begin. As I mentioned before the process of cycling is stressful. It only becomes truly beneficial once the process is complete and the bacteria are fully established. To run a filter part time may leave the tank in a constant attempt to cycled and you won't be seeing the benefits of the finished product. I'm going to skip to your last question about water changes because this too is effected by the decision to cycle or keep the tank uncycled.

In a cycled tank where the bacteria are well established, only partial water changes are needed to remove nitrates, the byproduct of the nitrifying bacteria. Small 20% - 25% water changes are usually sufficient because the bacteria are consuming the ammonia and nitrite (toxins) before they can become dangerous to the fish. In an uncycled tank the bacteria isn't present to consume these dangerous toxins so the only way to remove them is to perform complete 100% water changes regularly before they can harm your fish.

Here's a quick recap.

In a cycled tank:
1. Filters are needed to house beneficial nitrifying bacteria
2. Only partial water changes are required.
To learn more about the Nitrogen Cycle and how it works in detail visit The Nitrogen Cycle & the Fishless Cycling Method from Nippyfish: A Betta Blog.
There is also a Podcast attached to help guide you.

In an uncycled tank:
2. Filters shouldn't be used
3. Complete 100% water changes are necessary.
Determining how often to change your Betta's water depends on a variety of circumstances. Visit Water Changes: Frequency on Nippyfish: A Betta Blog for more info.

Aquarium heaters vary by brand and the features vary as well. The most user friendly are the ones with adjustable temperature control and an indicator light. Some have numbers to help you estimate where you want the temperature to be but they are generally just a gross estimate and an aquarium thermometer should always be used to gauge actual temperature and should be checked daily. Set up the heater according to the directions a couple of days before you are ready to add the fish so you can avoid any temperature spikes. I usually set it lower and slowly raise the temp until it is stable and right around 78 degrees. Finding the perfect temp and keeping it stable may take a day or so. You shouldn't ever have to unplug the heater unless you are removing it or performing a water change. It should have an internal thermometer allowing it to shut itself off when it has gotten to the desired temperature. I would avoid models that don't have temperature control on them as they may run hot or cold. If you've already purchased one, give it a good three days of running before you add the fish to make sure it is at a safe temperature. Tank lighting isn't recommended to warm water as it often leads to rapid rising and falling of the water temperature which is more dangerous then water that is slightly too warm or too cold yet stable.

If your Betta is only eating pellets I wouldn't worry. These are probably just what he is used to. Most pellets provide a complete and balanced diet are a fine source of nutrition. If you'd like to provide more live or frozen foods to your fish or wish to change the diet, start by picking one variety and offering it a couple times a day. Be consistent with the food type as trying many different flavors at once may prolong pickiness. Once he begins to recognize the new offerings as food then you can explore other options as well.

Color loss can be a sign of stress or the onset of any variety of illnesses. See how he reacts to his new tank and warm, stable water. If he still doesn't regain color or if his color loss worsens, monitor him closely for other signs of illness. Also, testing your tank's water parameters (pH, ammonia, nitrite and temperature) can help give you insight into possible water quality problems that could be affecting his color.

Feel free to send a photo of Senior Rojo in his new MiniBow when he's all set up and I will post it to the Blog for all to see.

All the best to you.