How to Tell if a Betta Fish is Sick

Betta fish may be beautiful creatures, but they don't take care of themselves. They fall ill just like their human caretakers and it takes care and diligence to ensure that your bettas live a long, healthy life.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Check on your fish regularly, even while it's healthy, and pay special attention to its appearance and body language. This way, you can recognize when your fish begins to exhibit odd symptoms or behaviors, which may indicate illness.

2. Keep your eyes peeled for changes in your fish's appearance. Take note if the color seems to pale, if patches of lighter color seem to appear along the body, or if you spot any other serious changes.

3. Pay attention to the betta's behavior. Your betta may be under the weather if it slows, or even stops eating (or spits out food without having been overfed), hangs out excessively on either the top or bottom of the tank, or exhibits labored breathing. Keep an eye out for reduced vitality, but remember that this may just be a result of your fish getting older.

4. Remember the symptoms of various fish diseases. White spots all over the body is likely ich; rusty color on the body fins could be velvet; frayed fins may be fin rot; bulging eyes might indicate popeye; red or open sores may be a bacterial outbreak, or body rot; a cotton-like growth on the body is perhaps fungus; an emaciated fish may have tuberculosis.

Tips & Warnings

• If your fish definitely seems sickly, but possesses no distinctive symptoms, it may be best to take preventative action by administering betta medication like Bettamax. If your fish's health or behavior doesn't improve, keep an eye out for definite symptoms and treat accordingly.
• Many medications for treating your betta aren't easily available at the local pet store, and may take several days to ship. Prepare in advance for any sickness, and have decent antibiotics at the ready, like kanamycin and ampicillin.