How to Save the dying Siamese fighting fish

Siamese fighting fish, also known as betta fish, is a beautiful and delicate aquatic species that can live up to 6 years. Females usually live longer than males. Despite being a highly resilient pet, Siamese Siamese can experience health problems, often due to unclean tanks, poor water conditions, and overfeeding.

Table of Contents

Disease prevention

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Prepare a first aid kit. Aquarium shops usually do not sell medicine for Siamese fighting fish, which means you will have to order online. If you do this after the fish is already sick, it may be too late.

Full first aid kits are often available online. However, you can save money by ordering only the essentials. The basic drugs include: Bettazing or Bettamax, Kanamycin, Tetracycline, Amplicillin, Jungle Fungus Eliminator, Maracin 1, and Maracyn 2. ^{[1] X Research Sources}

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Disease prevention for fish. Most of the diseases of Siamese fighting fish are caused by improper feeding and hygiene. These issues will be discussed in more detail in the following section. However, here are a few things that you need to remember:

Clean the tank regularly. To keep the tank clean, you need to avoid putting too many fish in the tank, remember to use aquarium salt (salt used for aquariums) and disinfect the aquarium.
To limit the spread of disease, you need to immediately remove the dead fish, isolate the newly purchased fish for 2 weeks before releasing the fish into the tank and wash your hands after handling the fish. ^{[2] X Research Source}
Do not overfeed the fish or leave rotting food in the tank. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Know how to spot the first signs of disease in fish. The most obvious way to tell if a Siamese is sick is to watch the fish eat it. If the fish doesn’t eat or doesn’t seem interested in seeing the food, it’s probably sick. The fish’s blood color becomes pale or unusually discolored is also a sign that the fish is sick. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Other signs of infected fish are also present: the fish rubs itself against the wall of the tank as if it wants to scratch; swollen and bulging eyes; raised up; leaden; the fins cluster together instead of spreading out. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Treatment of specific diseases

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Start with water and food treatment. Most fish diseases can be treated by washing and disinfecting the aquarium. No matter what disease the fish has, you should try this first, then switch to medication if the situation does not improve.

Watch for symptoms in case you need to consult your veterinarian for treatment.
Quickly remove the sick fish from the tank.

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Treatment of fungal diseases. Infected fish will be paler than usual, not active, and often bunched up. The most recognizable sign is the cottony white patches on the body of the fish. ^{[6] X Research Source}

Treat fish fungus by cleaning the tank and treating the new water with a fungicide. Repeat every 3 days until no more visible signs of fungal infection. Treat the water with BettaZing or Bettamax to destroy all residual fungi.
Fungal infections are often the result of an aquarium not being treated properly with salt and Aquarisp.
Fungal diseases are highly contagious, so you need to act fast. Immediately isolate the sick fish. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

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Treatment of tail and fin rot. In this case, along the edge of the fin and/or tail the Siamese will turn black or red. The fins appear to have decomposed and shortened. You may see holes or tears in the fish’s fins. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Clean the tank every 3 days. Treat the water with ampicillin or tetracycline. Repeat this process until the fish fins no longer show signs of tissue damage. Add some fungicide to the water to help the fish recover.
The tail will gradually heal on its own but may not be as vibrant as before. ^{[9] X Research Source}
If left untreated, the disease can progress to the point of eating away at the fish, and eventually the fish will die.

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Treat bubble disorder. If the fish’s belly is bulging, it’s possible that the fish has some kind of blockage and needs to be treated. You may notice that there is no fish waste in the tank. The fish may not be able to swim straight, but only on the side, even on the belly.

This is a sign of overfeeding. This disease can be easily treated by reducing the amount of food when feeding the fish.

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Treatment of white spot disease (ich). Your fish will likely have white spots all over and lose their appetite. Fish also try to rub themselves against objects in the tank. This disease is highly contagious and is the most common cause of fish death. ^{[10] X Research Source}

To treat white spot disease, increase the water temperature in the tank to 25.5 – 26.5 degrees Celsius for 4 hours. Add formalin or malachite green to the water. ^{[11] X Research Source}

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Treatment of velvet fungus. Velvet disease causes fish fins to press against the body, fish become discolored, stop eating and rub themselves against the gravel in the tank. The disease is curable but can be difficult to detect. To identify velvet infection, shine a flashlight on the fish and observe for a yellow sheen or a rust-colored film. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Treat velvet by cleaning the tank and treating the new water with BettaZing.
Velvet disease will not occur if you treat the tank properly with salt and water treatment products. If your fish is infected with velvet, you should review how to care for the aquarium.

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Treat eye disease. If one of the ankles is protruding, the fish has protrusion. Unfortunately, protrusion is not caused by just one disease. This disease is curable, in some cases not curable. ^{[13] X Research Source}

If a lot of fish have bulging eyes, then water is probably the culprit. Test the water and do a 30% water change every day for 4-5 days.
If one of the fish in the tank has a protruding eye, it probably has a bacterial infection. Remove the fish to a separate tank and treat the fish with Maracyn or Maracyn II until there are signs of improvement.
Protrusion is sometimes the result of a serious and incurable disease. If the fish doesn’t respond to the medication, there’s probably nothing you can do about it. ^{[14] X Research Source}

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Identify edema disease. When suffering from edema disease, the fish’s belly will begin to swell. When the belly of the fish swells, the fish’s scales will ruffle like a pine cone. This is not a specific disease but a sign that the fish has lost the ability to regulate body fluids and will die. ^{[15] X Research Source}

If caught early, edema can be treated with aquarium salts and medications. However, because it is difficult to determine which medication is appropriate (using the wrong medication can make the situation worse), the treatment is not easy. Your veterinarian can help you. If the fish is seriously ill, perhaps you should help the fish die peacefully.
Edema is not contagious but can be a sign that the water parameters in the aquarium are not up to standard. You should check and consider changing the water. ^{[16] X Research Source}

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Consult an aquatic veterinarian. Aquatic veterinarians specialize in the treatment of fish and are not as popular as doctors who treat dogs, cats and other domestic animals. If you are in the US, search this database to see if there are any doctors near you.

Changing the fish farming environment

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Buy a larger aquarium. A Siamese fighting fish needs an aquarium with a minimum capacity of 10 liters. If you have more than one fish, you should buy a larger aquarium so that there is enough room for all the fish in the tank. ^{[17] X Research Source}

If you have a large aquarium, you may not need frequent water changes. Toxins will build up faster and are more concentrated in small tanks.

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Test the water in the tank. A well-balanced pH will help limit levels of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, thereby helping to keep fish healthy. The ideal pH is 7. ^{[18] X Research Source}

Treat water with a dechlorinator. Use according to the manufacturer’s instructions when adding dechlorinator to water.
Check the ammonia level with the test kit. You can use test strips or take a water sample for testing. When first using a dechlorinator, the measured ammonia level in the aquarium water will be zero. You should measure the ammonia level once a day until ammonia begins to appear. This will tell you how long it takes to change the water in the tank. ^{[19] X Research Source}

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Water change and water treatment. Twice a week, you should change the water in your tank to make sure ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites don’t build up to dangerous levels. You can use distilled, bottled, or tap water, but all water must be treated before entering the tank to restore the nutrient balance in the water. ^{[20] X Research Source}

Change 25%-50% of the water in the tank twice a week, i.e. add 25% new water and keep 75% of the old water (or 50% new and 50% old).
Use an aquarium water treatment to adjust the pH in the water. Use the product according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Mix 1 tablespoon of aquarium salt and 1 drop of an antifungal like Aquarisp for every 4 liters of water. Table salt may contain additives such as iodine and calcium silicate that are toxic to fish.

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Create a nitrogen cycle in the aquarium. Nitrogen cycling is the process of establishing beneficial bacteria in the aquarium to help fish grow well. These bacteria will help keep ammonia levels low by breaking down fish waste into nitrite and then into nitrate. Start creating a nitrogen cycle with a new tank and not yet stocked with fish. ^{[21] X Research Source}

Provides a source of ammonia to initiate the production of beneficial bacteria in the nitrate. You can add fish food or ammonia solution to the tank. Use the test kit to test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate in water. The initial ammonia level measured will be zero.
Test the water daily to monitor ammonia levels. Ammonia levels will then drop as nitrites begin to appear, and nitrite levels will drop as nitrate levels rise.
Add a small amount of fish flakes to the water to maintain ammonia production, which in turn forms nitrite and nitrate.
Please be patient. Proper aquarium nitrogen cycling can take 4-6 weeks to reach the right chemical levels. Improved water quality will help fish stay healthier and live longer.

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Air conditioning water. The water temperature in the aquarium should be between 24-26 degrees Celsius. It is recommended to use a 25 W aquarium heater to keep the temperature in the tank stable. Aquarium heaters are available at aquarium stores or on gills for about 200-300 thousand VND. ^{[22] X Research Source}

Mount a thermometer in the tank and check from time to time to make sure the temperature is stable.
Place the aquarium in a warm area of the room. The aquarium needs to be maintained at a constant temperature. The fish tank placed next to the window can be exposed to cold temperatures that are harmful to the Siamese fighting fish.

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Use a water filter in the aquarium. Install a filter in the aquarium to clean the impurities in the water. You should choose a filter that does not stir the water too much, because the Siamese fighting fish does not like moving water. Water purifiers are available at aquarium stores for about 600,000 – 3 million, depending on the size of the tank. ^{[23] X Research Sources}

Try attaching an effervescent stone to the small pump if you don’t want to install a water purifier. Air bubbles are available at aquarium stores for about 100-200 thousand.
Buy the right water purifier for the tank size.

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Add aquarium salt to the water. Aquarium salt is volatile sea salt and is used to reduce nitrite levels in the water, supporting the function of the gills of fish. Salt also increases electrolytes that improve the overall health of the fish. ^{[24] X Research Source}

Mix 1 tablespoon of salt for every 20 liters of water.
Add aquarium salt to newly installed aquariums, during water changes and while you are identifying fish disease.
Do not use table salt in place of aquarium salt. Table salt may contain additives such as iodine and calcium silicate that can be toxic to fish.

Disinfect fish tank

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Drain the fish tank water. If it is necessary to isolate the fish, you will also need to disinfect the aquarium to prevent the disease from spreading to other fish. You should also disinfect the aquarium before releasing the fish back into the tank. ^{[25] X Research Source} Empty the fish tank and remove all the contents of the tank.

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Discard the aquatic plants in the tank. These plants are non-sterilizable, so it’s best to buy new plants, either real or fake ones sold at the store.

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Treatment of gravel in the aquarium. If the bottom of the aquarium has natural gravel, you need to remove all the gravel in the tank and bake it in a baking tray at 232 degrees Celsius for 1 hour, then let it cool completely. Do not bake gravel covered with any outside material, as the coating may melt. In this case, it may be better to throw away the old gravel and buy a new one. ^{[26] X Research Sources}

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Make a solution of bleach and water. Mix 1 part bleach to 9 parts clean tap water in a spray bottle. Use household bleach that does not contain other cleaning agents. Never use bleach while the fish is in the tank, as this will kill the fish.

Spray the bleach solution into the tank. Let stand for 10-15 minutes.

Change fish feeding habits

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Feed the Siamese fighting fish with suitable food. Buy pellets made from fish meal or shrimp meal. ^{[27] X Research Source} Add a few blanched peas once a week or occasionally feed fruit flies with their wings intact. ^{[28] X Research Sources}

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Do not overfeed the fish. Siamese fighting fish’s stomach is only as small as their eyes, so you should only feed an equal amount of food twice a day, i.e. about 2-3 pellets of fish food.

Soak the pellets in water for about 10 minutes before feeding the fish. This way the food will not expand in the stomach of the fish. ^{[29] X Research Sources}
If the fish’s belly is round after eating, it means you have fed the fish too much. If the fish still seems hungry, it’s probably not eating enough. ^{[30] X Research Source}

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Clean up excess food in the tank. Leftover food will become toxic in the water, allowing bacteria to grow and increasing ammonia levels. Bacteria in the tank will turn to attack the fish.

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Feed the fish once a week. If you find that your fish has digestive problems or constipation, you can feed the fish once a week. This does no harm to the fish and allows the fish to process what has been ingested. ^{[31] X Research Source}

Use medicine for fish

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Isolation of sick fish. If the fish has a contagious disease, you need to remove the fish from the tank to avoid infecting other fish. Prepare a makeshift aquarium for the fish by filling the tank with clean and treated water. Remove the fish from the old tank and put it in the new tank.

If your fish is stressed because of a new fish or a change in the environment in the tank, you will find it better after being isolated.

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Disinfect after handling fish. Many fish diseases carry a high risk of infection. Anything that touches fish or comes into contact with water like your hands, fishing nets, spoons, etc. must be disinfected before coming into contact with other fish. You should use antibacterial soap to wash your hands. ^{[32] X Research Source}

Disinfect all other objects that come into contact with the fish or aquarium with a bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water). Soak everything in the bleach solution for about 10 minutes and rinse thoroughly. Wash again to be safe. Never add bleach to the aquarium while the fish are still in the tank as this can kill the fish.

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Treat fish diseases with drugs. Once you have identified the fish disease, you can use conventional medicine to treat the fish disease. ^{[33] X Research Source} Select the correct medication and use it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Remember to use the drug for the full course of treatment as recommended by the manufacturer.
Use caution when administering medications to fish. Don’t try multiple drugs and guess which one is right for you. If you are unsure, you should consult a veterinarian who specializes in aquatic animals.

Steps