Vet Q&A-Fish

setting up my first ever freshwater fish tank, need to know how many fish should I put in my 55 gallon fish tank,

For small bodied fish (tetras, minnows, guppies, etc) the general "one inch of fish per gallon" rule will likely be fine. For larger bodied fish (goldfish, plecos, Oscars, etc), it should be closer to one inch of fish per 3 gallons of water. Always use the full grown adult size when deciding how many fish to keep. Take into account schooling fish as well which should be kept on groups of at least 5-6 fish.

I feed my dog Chicken/ fish with rice as he has IBD......He’s 8kg......how much meat should he eat and how much rice. Per day

Thanks for using Boop by Petco! I would love to help you with this. He needs to eat 450 to 500 calories per day. Basically you just have to check how many calories the meat you are feeding him has and calculate his daily intake from there. For example 1 cup of cooked white rice has approximately 200 calories while 8 ounces of a chicken breast is about 350 calories. Good luck and have a great day!

Hello. Thanks so much for taking the time to read this. I recently fed my dog some fish that had been cooked with onions, but before I served it to him, I rinsed the fish thoroughly under some water. So my question is, do I have anything to worry about in terms of my dog getting sick with anemia or onion toxicity? He didn't eat any actual onions, but again the fish was cooked with onions. I found out recently that onions could put dogs at risk for serious problems, & I'm so worried. Thank you.

Hello, and thank you for your question! If Dudley did not ingest any actual onions, then he should be just fine. The onion flavor in the fish should not be toxic to him. I would, of course, in the future avoid feeding him any actual onions! I hope this helps!

Is it okay to use supplements on a dog who has DCM? I've been reading online and come across several articles that state a number of supplements have quite a few benefits for a dog suffering from heart disease that include: - Hawthorne berry - L-arginine - Omega 3 fish oil Obviously you can't believe everything you read on the internet so is this true? And if so, what sorts of things are each good for? And are each okay to use together as well as with medication - vetmedin & frusemide

Yes, you can use supplements on a dog with DCM. However, most of the supplements have similar actions to the drugs that we use for heart disease, so you need to be sure that you are working with your vet or a vet trained in herbal medicine to make sure the dosage and effects are safe for Chico. I use Hawthorne berry to increase cardiac contraction, and I don't see that Chico is on a medication for that, so that might be a good addition. And I don't think there are any contraindications for Omega 3 fish oil which can improve blood supply to the heart muscle itself. Again, I would recommend speaking to your vet about those supplements and see if they have any other suggestions. I will often use Coenzyme Q10 in my heart patients as well. If you need to find a vet comfortable with herbal therapies, you might be able to find one here under the find a vet section. https://www.ahvma.org I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Boop by Petco.

I just got a baby betta fish the other day and I have these little fish food pellets. I wanna know how many times I need to feed him and how many pellets should I give him?

Bettas are carnivores and need food high in protein. There are many foods available for your betta that can be bought at your local fish store or cultivated at home. Here’s a quick list to get you started. Remember that like people, a variety of foods allows your fish to get a balanced diet. *Frozen or live bloodworms or bloodworms in gel *Frozen or live brine shrimp or brine shrimp in gel *Frozen or live daphnia *Frozen glass worms *Frozen beef heart (can be purchased at your supermarket or butcher) *Frozen tubifex worms (live tubifex often carry parasites or bacteria and is better avoided) *Frozen mysis shrimp *Live white worms *Live grindal worms *Live flightless or wingless fruit flies *Live black worms. Frozen foods should not be confused with freeze-dried. Freeze-dried foods may cause digestion problems leading to more serious medical issues when fed in excess. If possible, try to avoid feeding dried pellets, flake or freeze-dried food. Some foods are marketed as “For Bettas” but could cause digestion problems due to indigestible fillers and low moisture content. You will usually find these in packages near where bettas are sold. These pellet foods absorb water and expand in the fish’s stomach 2x or 3x their original size. Some bettas react badly to them, often suffering from constipation, bloating or even swim-bladder disorders. If you’re unable to feed your betta anything but dried food, you should soak the pellets in a glass of tank water for about 10 minutes before feeding them to your fish. This will give the pellet a chance to expand to its full size before your fish ingests it. One of the most common mistakes people make with their betta is either overfeeding or underfeeding their fish. A betta should be fed every day or nearly every day. It takes a betta about 2 weeks to starve to death so if your fish doesn’t eat for a few days due to illness or adjusting to a new home, don’t panic. A good rule of thumb at feeding time is this… A betta’s stomach is about as big as his eyeball and should not be fed more that amount at a time. This translates to about 3 bloodworms or brine shrimp per feeding. If you feed pellets, this equals about 2-3 soaked pellets per feeding. A betta can be fed this amount once or twice a day. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I have a 20 gallon tank. I'm thinking of buying +5 fish. Which fish could I buy and what would I need for the fish and tank?

A fish tank will need a filter, a light/hood and a heater. Make sure the filter is rated for at least twice the tank volume. The heater should be adjustable since water temperature will depend on the species of fish. Good "starter" fish include Tetras, Mollies, Danios or Tetras. A new tank should be set up and left running empty for several weeks before adding fish. A pinch of flake food can be sprinkled in daily. This "cycling" will allow a population of beneficial bacteria to colonize the tank and filter. These bacteria will break down wastes (ammonia, nitrites and nitrates) which are toxic to fish.

Hi, I used Lysol disinfectant spray to clean my cat's litter box then rinsed it off with a mild fish soap. Is this okay do me to do? I also use this spray to clean surfaces throughout house by make sure to keep my cat away when I'm cleaning.

Yes, it is absolutely fine to continue using your normal household cleaners - Lysol included - as long as Frankie does not directly inhale or ingest any of these substances. Rinsing his litter box with dish soap after spraying with Lysol is also okay. :-)

My betta has fin rot. It became lethargic a few days before I could see the fin rot. It hardly eats. Is something else wrong too? I treat for fin rot, because that is what I can see, and change 30% water twice a week. I had it for 6 months. It lives in alone in a cycled 5,2 US gallon tank with many plants. It came down with whatever is wrong with it because I used equipment used to handle a sick fish that later died for my betta tank too. Stupid me. Can I do anything more?

Hello there! I'm sorry to hear that Moses has fin rot. Fin rot can be caused by either a bacteria, a fungus, or sometimes both. You're doing well by changing the water (though 20% once weekly should be sufficient - you don't want to remove too much of the tank's natural bacteria as they are what help keep the ammonia level low and maintain a natural homeostasis). Some fish experts suggest adding freshwater aquarium salt to the tank to help treat fungus at 1 teaspoon per gallon of water. Be sure to use salt made for freshwater aquariums - not table salt or marine salt. If this does not help, it may be bacterial, at which time you should contact an aquatic veterinarian or specialist for treatment options. Good luck, and I hope Moses recovers!

hello I just have a quick question about my betta fish, I heard that you can get bettas tank mates. he's in a 2.5 gallon tank that has a removable divider, what kinds of fish would be the best to get for him?

Male Bettas an be kept with most species of community fish. The most common tankmates are Pygmy Corys, White Cloud Mountain Minnows, Harlequin Rasboras and even African Dwarf frogs. Given the size of the tank though, tankmates would not be recommended. Most community fish do best in small schools which would overcrowd a 2.5 gallon tank.