How to Diagnose and Treat Fin Rot in Your Betta Fish

Imagine for a second that you didn’t have a toilet in your home and were forced to use the bathroom in your bedroom. Do you think that, over time, you would eventually contract some sort of bacterial infection? Well, this is what most betta fish have to deal with and the reason why fin rot is a problem in some betta fish pets. Here are some ways to diagnose and treat Fin Rot.First of all, Fin rot is a bacterial infection. It is most likely contracted if the water in your aquarium is not changed on a regular basis. When a fish bowl is not changed and there isn’t a filter, alot of times, your betta fish pet is forced to swim in water that is contaminated by its own feces which can produce a toxic level of ammonia. If you over feed your fish, then it is also likely that the fish bowl will have excess food granules at the bottom of the tank as well, which will help the bacteria grow.

How to diagnose Fin Rot

Just because your Betta’s fins are deteriorating does not necessarily mean that your fish automatically has fin rot, although it is the most likely culprit. In order to accurately diagnose the problem, you will need to test the water for ammonia. Even small amounts of ammonia in the water can stress your betta out enough to cause a bacterial infection to grow. You can purchase a pH kit at your local pet store.

Once Fin Rot is diagnosed, what to do next

If you caught the onset of Fin Rot quickly, it could be as easy a fix as simply changing out the water and gravel. A lot of times that is all that is necessary. However, if your betta is in a more advanced stage of fin rot, then there is a process that you will need to go through.

Here are the steps:

1. Replace your fish tank with fresh water
2. Clean any items that you may have in your aquarium..replace gravel if you have it.
3. Apply some form of fungus eliminator to the water.
4. Add some aquarium salt to make the environment not so “bacteria friendly”.

That is essentially all there is to treat and prevent fin rot.

For more information about Fin Rot, including recommended doses of aquarium salt and fungus eliminators, please visit my site which discusses How to Treat Fin Rot as well as other useful information on caring for your Siamese Fighting Fish

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leo_Dimilo

Power to the pets! Animals getting more legal standing

Dogs, cats and creatures of all sorts are being redefined in an emerging area of legal practice known as animal law. Once considered mere property, animals are being given legal standing and increasingly are being named as partial beneficiaries of estates, subjects of lawsuits and victims of abuse.

As animals rise in the law, so does the profile of lawyers who practice animal law.

Ninety-two of the nation’s 196 law schools approved by the American Bar Association now offer courses on animal law, up from the nine that offered classes in 2000, according to the Animal Legal Defense Fund.  Read More….

How often should pets be vaccinated?

Pet owners who fear frequent vaccinations could harm their pets should consult with their veterinarians about alternatives rather than forgoing the state’s annual rabies vaccination requirement for dogs and cats, a state officials said.

Despite the belief by some veterinarians that over-vaccinating can cause health problems in dogs and cats, Dr. Mark Russell said the risk of rabies outweighs the chance that other complications might occur.

“The reason to vaccinate is still there,” said Russell, a Huntsville veterinarian and the president of the state’s Veterinary Medical Association. Read More…

AVMA testifies against keeping primates as pets

Citing concerns about the spread of disease and injury, inhumane treatment of animals, and ecologic damage, Dr. Gail C. Golab, director of the AVMA Animal Welfare Division, recently spoke before a House subcommittee on the dangers of private ownership of nonhuman primates by unlicensed individuals.

The House Committee on Natural Resources’ Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Oceans held a hearing March 11 on the Captive Primate Safety Act (H.R. 2964). The legislation would amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981, making chimpanzees, monkeys, and other nonhuman primates prohibited wildlife species, thus strictly limiting commerce in pet primates. Read More