Vet Q&A-Fish

Hi! I was wondering if my female Betta fish is pregnant?

She appears to have eggs given her girth. There are also some vertical bars on her side that indicate she may be ready to spawn. If possible, check underneath for a pronounced white dot. This is further proof that she is ready to spawn.

hey I know you may not know much but my betta fish has swim bladder disease and is there a way to treat it

Hi there! Thanks for using Boop by Petco! There are many possible causes, and for that reason, there are many possible treatment options. It is very important to try identify what the cause is so that therapy can be targeted at that. Possible causes include constipation, overfeeding, trauma to the swim bladder (which may improve on its own), a genetic abnormality, and even an infection. If it is due to constipation, you may notice a bloated/enlarged stomach and perhaps you have noticed that he has not defecated recently. If this is the case, then the treatment of choice is at least initially to fast him for 1-2 days. If it is due to overfeeding, you may notice a similar appearance as with constipation though with normal defecation. The treatment is usually at the beginning at least to fast him for 1-2 days. If it is a genetic abnormality or even permanent trauma, then you can try to keep the water level low so that he can still reach the surface to eat. Good luck! Keeping my fingers crossed that he gets better!

What is the best way to clean a fish tank? Am I allowed to remove the fish so i can clean it more properly?

Hello, and thank you for using Boop by Petco. The most common (and easiest) way to clean a fish tank is with a siphon-style cleaner. Fish tanks should be cleaned in stages, generally replacing 10-15% of the water at a time. There are times where a larger cleaning might be necessary, but removing the fish and changing too much of the water at once can be quite a shock and can be dangerous to the fish, so this should be saved for only extenuating circumstances. Here's a helpful video on using a siphon cleaner: http://video.petco.com/v/18852/how-to-clean-your-aquarium-with-the-aqueon-siphon-vacuum-/ And some more reading you may find interesting on general fish tank cleaning and maintenance: http://www.firsttankguide.net/waterchange.php Hope this helps!

My fish is not swimming and when he does swim he swims upside down. He seems to swim up then let his body swim down? im pretty sure he is going to die tomorrow he doesn't want to eat, he is not bloated he looks just the way I got him, healthy, he doesn't look happy. What wrong with him?

He may be dealing with some swim bladder issues. The swim bladder is what keeps a fish upright and controls buoyancy. Infection, poor water quality or constipation can affect the swim bladder. Perform a water change. Use aged or conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent further stress or shock. My choice for conditioners are AmQuel and NovAqua. You can purchase them in most pet stores or fish stores. Bettas are warm water fish and do best between 78 F and 80 F. Anything below 75 F will be stressful. A small tank heater may be necessary to maintain proper temperature. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of plain aquarium salt (NOT table salt) per gallon of water in a cup of tank water and gently pour it in. This will act as a general tonic reducing stress, improving gill function and treating minor infection. Change the water daily to maintain quality and dissolve just enough salt to treat the water being replaced. Fast him for 3 days, then offer small bits of cooked, shelled green peas until defecation and swimming are normal. You can soak the bits in some garlic juice to stimulate his appetite and boost the immune system. Transition to a quality pelleted diet and fast for one day each week to maintain GI health.

I wish to feed my 11week ragdoll kitten boiled fish. Which fish is best for him? Sardines? Pomfrets?

Many kind of fishes would be good but sardines and white fish like codfish would be great. Please carefully removed any fish bone inside. 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 betta fish has lost his vibrant color he also hangs at the bottom of the tank and now he stays at the top of the tank... I'm sure he's sick! Is there anything I can do for him?

Check the water chemistry/quality. This can be done using a test kit at home or by submitting a water sample for testing. Most pet stores will do this for free or for a small fee. Aim for 0 ppm ammonia and nitrites. Elevated levels of either can be toxic to Opie. The nitrate level can be 40 ppm or less. Partial water changes can be done to stabilize chemistry and improve water quality. Use only aged or conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent stress or shock. Bettas do best between 78F and 80F. Use a submersible heater if necessary. Diet can also affect coloring. Hikari and other makers offer pelleted diets that may enhance colors. Look him over for sins of illness (redness, sores, swelling, black spots, etc.) or injury such as frayed fins. A bit of plain aquarium salt (NOT table or Epsom salt) can be used as a general tonic to reduce stress, improve gill function, treat minor infection and aid in recovery. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt per gallon of water in a cup of tank water and gently pour it into the tank. Treat for 10-14 days then reassess the condition.

Hi Melanie, thanks for answering my questions! I'm just slightly confused with the dosage information you've provided me with. previously you said to give 1,000 mg of fish oil contains 300 mg of EPA and DHA per 30 pounds but then you said I could give one Trader Joe's fish oil capsule per day which has 1100 mg of fish oil and 500 mg of EPA and DHA. My dog is 17 pounds. Which one these doses should I be giving? Thanks again!

You are welcome! It is preferable that you give the 1,000mg containing 300mg of EPA and DHA per 30 pounds, but you can give a dose range between 20-55mg combined EPA and DHA per pound of body weight. With the Trader Joe's supplement, that's about 29mg per pound of body weight of the combined EPA and DHA so it's within the safe dose range. I'm sorry I wasn't clearer before, and I hope this clears up any confusion :-)

Hi. My betta has ich. I have 3 mystery snails in the tank. Is it okay to put in aquarium salt for the treatment with my snails in there? I put them in separate tanks so I could do a water change on my 5 gallon.

Ich can only be killed in its free swimming stage. After it feeds off the fish, it drops into the substrate where it forms cysts and multiplies. Then the new ich parasites swim out of the gravel and find new fish hosts and start the cycle all over again. That is why it is important after all white spots have disappeared to continue treatment, you should continue treating for an additional 2 weeks after all symptoms are gone. After the spots disappear off the fish, I would vacuum the gravel to suck up any cysts. If you increase the temperature the life cycle of the ich becomes faster. Snails will be likely killed by the salt so it is best to remove them before treating. 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.

I have an African Clawed Frog who has been shedding her skin in tatters, has no appetite and can't keep down food. She is also very lethargic and I noticed this behavior on Tuesday. I know it has to do with poor water quality, since the new plants in the tank decayed very quickly and most likely bumped up the nitrates in the water. Right now I have her in quarantine with 1/2 tablespoon of aquarium salt in 1 gallon of water. The only medicine I have is tetracycline. Should I use it?

Keep her in some clean water between 68 F and 77 F. Perform daily water changes using aged or conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent further stress or shock. Clean water is the key to treating sick frogs. Aquarium salt is a great general tonic and can treat minor infection. Dissolve 1 tablespoon in 5 gallons of water and use that for water changes. You can add conditioners such as AmQuel and NovAqua as well as some StressCoat. She should begin to improve in a few days. Offer a few pellets daily, but remove them if she doesn't eat to prevent fouling the water.