Vet Q&A-Fish

Is it safe to keep a male Betta fish in the same tank as an algae eater? Also what is the required temperature for a betta fish to live a healthy life?

Bettas do best in water temperature between 78 F and 80 F. An algae eater should be okay, but it depends on your individual Betta. Some don't mind bottom dwelling tank mates. Watch for signature of aggression and remove the algae eater if necessary.

My cat has dry flaky skin. It does this around winter time. Can I give her fish oil and is it safe for the other two also?

Pet formulated fish oil from your local pet store is perfectly fine and a reasoable treatment for a pet with mild flaky skin. If the skin persists however after aa few weeks, then a vet visit is recommended to look at other possible causes (i.e. skin allergies, mites, lice, etc). Also I would recommend feeding Mouse a high quality cat food such as Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Evo, or Eukanuba. Best wishes with Mouse and her dry skin, along with feeding this to your two other cats.. Take care.

My dog has a liver disease. Can I give her omega 3 fish oil? what sort of vitamins? She weights 26 kgs. She has not kidney problems. Her lab: FAS 353 U/L, GOT 81,8 U/L, GPT 322,5 U/L, GGT 16,5 U/L, Colesterol 205,8 gr/l

You can giver omega 3 fish oil, i recommend using a pet omega product (dosage will be written on the label). vitamin supplement are usually not necessary in dogs with liver failure but supplement such as Milk Thistle is recommended.

I have a 1 yr old betta fish that has stopped eating and hiding in the corner of the tank. He is in the tank on his own. He has slight red colouring on bottom fin but no other outward sign of illness. He is in a 10 litre tank with artificial plants and a small cave to hide in. He used to use his cave but now hides behind filter and heater almost motionless. His water is kept at 80 degrees F . Initially I treated for 2 weeks with promethyasul but no change. Done water quality tests all ok.

Unfortunately the signs you are describing are quite generic and may be related to a long list of different possible diseases. What you have done so far are the right steps to determine and rule out water quality problems, bacterial infections, and I guess you tried already with different type of food. A pic of your Fred could help to determine if there is any other type of disease of him (swollen abdomen? anything on his skin or fins? any protrusion of the eyes? etc etc). If Fred is completely normal, you can try to add some small quantities of aquarium salt to the tank. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

My dad pan fried fish in oul last night, 10 hours later gave my dog the pan to lick out after he cleaned out some of the oil. What will happen to my dog?

Hello, and thank you for your question. Ingesting a small amount of oil and fish from a pan should not cause any serious problems. At most I would expect to see a bit of diarrhea or softer stools for about 24 hours afterwards. You can try offering a bland diet of boiled chicken and rice during this time, to help minimize any stomach upset caused from eating the rich foods. If Daisy starts vomiting or has diarrhea that worsens over 24 hours, I would suggest taking her to a vet, as occasionally eating very rich foods can cause pancreatitis which is more serious and requires additional medications and care. I hope this helps, and that Daisy continues to do well!

Is fish bones and fish gutd dangerous for cats?

The guts are usually not bad, but can possibly contain poisons or certain parasites that can be dangerous. Usually they are fine though and very nutritious. Fish bones can be quite dangerous, because they can get stuck in the throat, stomach or intestine and cause life-threatening problems. For this reason, I recommend avoiding feeding fish bones. I hope that helps and all is well with Oliver.

I have a 10 gallon fish tank and I have about ten fish (plattys,mollys and cat fish not algae eating) and I have algae all over my rocks. How do I get it off?

Your tank may be overstocked which will contribute to excessive algae growth. Other causes include poor water quality, overfeeding, too much light and slow water current. Consider removing some fish to another tank or getting a larger tank. If you choose the latter, it will need to be properly cycled before you move fish. A general guideline is one inch of fish per gallon of water. Use the adult size of any fish you plan on keeping when estimating tank requirements. Put the lights on a timer. A photoperiod of 10-12 hours on and the remainder off should suffice. Increase filter flow if you can. Standing or slow moving water will promote algae growth. For now, you can use an algae scrubber to clean glass and tank furniture. Perform partial water changes and rinse filter media. Use only aged or conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent stress or shock. Use tank water, not tap water, to rinse filter media to preserve beneficial bacteria in the sponge.

Can I use anti ich and anti chlorine in turtle aquarium? I have 2 red eared sliders

You shouldn't need anti ich medication for your sliders. The water conditioner (anti chlorine) is always a good idea if you use water from a municipal source. My personal preference for water conditioners are AmQuel Plus, NovAqua and StressCoat. You can purchase them online or in the local pet store. Be sure the water is no deeper than twice the length of the shell. You can read more about slider care here: http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html

hi! I have gold fish in a tank and after doing a 20% water change my fish seems to be in shock just sitting at the bottom of the tank... could it be the PH level change? please help me!

It may be the pH change or other change in water chemistry. Use a home test kit to check water quality. Make adjustments as indicated. It may also be a response to a temperature change. Check water temperature and increase the heat if necessary, just don't forget to turn it down or off once the temp is within range.