The pineconing and bloating you see is believed to be caused by internal organ failure and the accumulation of fluids in the body. Once it becomes noticeable it’s usually too late.

Mini-cycles generally occur during the fragile period when the tank is new and happen because of something we do to either remove nitrifying bacterial colonies (like removing the filter media) or by rapidly adding food for the bacteria (like adding additional fish).

Emmy and her plant, originally uploaded by CerLynn. Q: YC wrote, Hi Christie! I love your site and your blog! They are very detailed and I admire how much time and effort you dedicate to this hobby. Bettas are beautiful, lovable fish and it’s nice to visit a site whose owner is not only knowledgeable, [...]

the smile, originally uploaded by glenn.. Q: MM wrote, You’ve helped me in the past with one of my Bettas (he had swim bladder trouble). I have a quick question about one of my goldfish. I have 2 large goldfish (almost about a foot long, each), also one large algae eater and a small bottom [...]

First 10g, originally uploaded by John_Zhang. Hey Nippyfish Readers! It’s late and I’m sort of tired so rather than posting the usual Q&A, I’m just going to reprint this really nice email I got today from a reader. It was so thoughtful, it made my day. The emails I get from readers are really what [...]

beauty in the bottle, originally uploaded by anzyAprico. Q: LM & SM wrote, What is your tank size?Dudley’s normal home is a 20 Gal Have you tested for ammonia- what were the results? Yes, I’m a bit of a fanatic here – I use the Mardel master kit strips at least twice a week. All [...]

Yoshiko!, originally uploaded by Fabiz Rabbit©. Q: EW wrote, I am in quite a stand still with what is wrong with my betta and I do not want to lose him! A few days ago I noticed a “film” if you will on my fish. I did a complete water change, and the symptoms went [...]

When the fish goes from cold dirty water at the store and is placed in a clean warm environment their true colors begin to intensify in their vibrancy and often the change can be quite drastic.

Oscar fish., originally uploaded by Nekominn. In the grand scheme of things many fish have a relatively short lifespan and as sad as it is eventually we will be faced with the loss of our dear little pet. For todays article I’m going to discuss appropriate means to dispose of the body. For many hobbyists, [...]

Tito, originally uploaded by guerogrande. Q: AS wrote, Hey. I have been in a dilemma over this problem for a whole week. My Betta fish lives in a rather big fish bowl with plastic plant. Recently, the tips of his fins have begun turning white and has two strands of whitish substance stuck to the [...]