Vet Q&A-Fish

I recently got a betta fish. He has a weird goldish coloration around his face that I'm not sure if its natral. Is this normal for a fish to have? Also, I live in texas so the house is always pretty warm and Im not sure if he needs a heater in his tank. Ive felt his water and it doesnt seem cold. Should I get one for him?

That may be normal coloring. Velvet is an infection caused by a parasite that can give a golden or shimmery appearance, but it is an uncomfortable infection. Your fish would be flashing about and rubbing against anything in the tank. If Kenny is behaving normally, it could be that he is an extremely handsome specimen. :-) Bettas do best in water that is between 78 and 80 F. A heater is not necessary if the water is in that range. Use a heater to prevent drops below 74 F which can lead to stress and illness.

I just bought a marble molly and a silver molly, both are swimming weird. They're swimming with their bodies up towards the top of the water. I have had my water check and its perfect and there are no other fish in the tank. Are they ok? My tank is also a 10 gallon.

Erratic swimming behavior is often a symptom of one or more water parameters being outside the normal range of what a particular fish can tolerate. Molly fish (Poecilia latipinna) prefer to be kept at a slightly elevated pH of 7.4-7.8 and can tolerate a pH as low 7.0. Mollies prefer to have aquarium salt in their water, ranging from a teaspoon per gallon all the way to a full marine environment. Another reason that your mollies may be hanging out towards the top is they upturned mouths and can draw from the upper layer of oxygen rich water.

Hello! I'm looking to add some additional fish to my 36 gallon reef tank. So far, I have an orange firefish, 2 ocellaris clowns, a fire shrimp, a peppermint shrimp, and 4 blue legged hermit crabs. Do you have any recommendations other than damsels?

I would suggest either a Neon Goby, Yellowline Goby or Sharknose Goby (Elactinus spp.), Court Jester Goby (Koumansetta rainfordi) also make wonderful additions, A Small Basslet of the genus Liopropoma spp. or a Royal Gramma also should work well with your existing tankmates, and lastly another great group of fishes include Shrimp Goby of the genus Stonogobiops or Amblyeleotris. For shrimp goby, one bonded pair with their commensal snapping shrimp of the genus Alpheus makes a fascinating addition to smaller marine reef aquaria.

We asked about our Beta fish yesterday, he is lying on the bottom of the bowl, moves very little. Picture of him when he was healthy.. Is there anything that we can do to help, tank you.

I would be concerned about a possible swim bladder disease. I would recommend trying to get him to a vet that sees fish to help you. The causes of swim bladder disease is not know. It is thought that it is linked to an infectious disease. So oscar might need antibiotics to help him feel better.

I have an 8 year old Great Pyrenees Mix. She has some arthritis during the cold months and limps sometimes. She's on dasuquin with msm and 1200mg fish oil per day. The vet told me to start giving her standard process musculoskeletal support. I don't really like her vet so im going to go you a different one. Do you think the musculoskeletal support is needed or do you think the vet just wants to make money?

I have never used standard musculoskeletal support but if the Dasuquin and fish oil seem to be working of than I don't see a reason you need to add another medication. If she is still having issues than you could try the musculoskeletal support. I usually put the arthritic dogs that I treat on a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, like Deramaxx or Previcox, and it helps tremendously. Most vets don't prescribe medications without a good reason so I doubt he is just trying to make money. However, if you have any concerns, it is always good to get a second opinion.

My dog refuses to eat her dry food. It's earthborn fish and natural bal. chicken&meal duck. I stopped w/wet food howdo I know if sick or stubborn?

It would be a good idea to have her checked by the vet, just in case. Most likely, though, she is being stubborn. Your dog has decided what her diet will be, but that's not her job . . . it's yours. Stop feeding her the wet food Put her dry food in a bowl on the floor without fuss and leave it for 15 minutes. After that time, pick it up whether she has eaten or not. Do not give her anything--no treats, snacks or human food--until her next scheduled mealtime. Then repeat the process. It may take several times for her to realize that there will be no more wet food, and that she must eat her dry food. Remember that you are not starving her–she is choosing not to eat. When she is hungry enough, she will. Do not give in or "feel sorry" for her. It will only make it harder to correct.

I have a beta fish named Thomas and I recently switched him to a bigger tank and I put him next to our other fish tank that has oscar fish in it so Thomas could see them and ever since I've put him next to them he has stayed around in the same area where he can see the other fish, is it possible that my beta fish is lonely and I should get him a friend? He doesn't seem aggressive but I'm not sure. What should I do? I don't want my Thomas to be lonely.

Male Bettas should be housed alone as they can be quite aggressiv, especially to other male Bettas. He's not lonely. He is likely seeing the fish and displaying at them in the hopes that they will swim away. Watch Thomas closet and you will see him flaring his gills and fins out as he stares them down. It looks quite comical, but to him, it's serious business "guarding" his territory.

I NEED HELP!!! I fell in love with my goldfish and he's dying!!! He's had white snow on his body! He's breathing but he's on his side!! Not eating or swimming HELP!!!

Check the water temperature and chemistry. Goldfish do best in water between 65 F and 72 F. They make more waste than other fish, so require much better filtration. Without a filter in a properly cycled tank (bowl is not appropriate), ammonia and nitrites can become dangerously elevated. The stress can lead to infection. White fuzz can be fungal infection. White dots, like grains of salt, may be ich. He needs clean water at the appropriate temperature and medication. You can purchase medication to treat fungus or ich in your local Petco. Look in the aquarium section. Follow label directions carefully. Plain aquarium salt (NOT table salt) can be used to aid healing. Dissolve 1 teaspoon per gallon of water into some tank water and treat for 7-10 days. Partial water changes will be necessary afterwards to decrease salinity.

Hello, I have a goldfish who looks bloated. Before, it would float upside down at the top, now it sinks upside down. He looks like he has a light pink, bleeding bubble near the tail and is swimming curved and sideways. We have fasted him for three days and will give cooked peas without the skin. He is in a 2 gallon bowl with an airpump for two days now. He had been bloated for a couple of months, but now has what I just described. What can I do to ease the pain? Any help would be appreciated.

The bowl should have frequent partial water changes to maintain water quality it there isn't a filter in place. Use only aged or conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent further stress or shock. Goldfish do best in water temperatures between 65 F and 72 F. The swelling and redness could be a mass, infection or, more serious, dropsy. An Epsom salt bath (NOT table salt or aquarium salt) may help with any swelling or fluid retention. Dissolve one tablespoon of epsom salt into one gallon of tank water. Allow a 15-30 minute swim before returning him to the main tank. Consider also a broad spectrum antibiotic to treat any infection, primary or secondary. You can find one in the aquarium section of your local Petco or fish store. Read and follow package directions carefully.