I received a wonderful letter from a reader describing how he successfully beat Dropsy in his Betta fish. As many of you know, Dropsy is symptom of another underlying illness which manifests as severe abdominal swelling or general body swelling leading to protruding (pineconing) scales. It is believed that these symptoms are the result of [...]

tema röd, originally uploaded by miluhe. In the last Nippyfish Poll we asked our readers; which common betta illness has you stressed? The results are in and they are all over the board. 54% (13 Votes) Fin Rot25% (6 Votes) Swim Bladder Disorder12% (3 Votes) Parasites (Ich, Velvet, Etc.)20% (5 Votes) Fungus (Cotton Wool or [...]

Dropsy is the term we use to describe the severe bloating or pinecone appearance our betta fish take on as a result of organ failure.

Laverne’s color has also developed quite a bit., originally uploaded by Krista76. CM wrote I have a one year old red VT betta, Baron. He was such an active guy, great personality, flared nearly all night long (would only flare at night with the room lights off and his tank light on), and ate like [...]

Sick betta fish can be cured, much of the time, if you can figure out what is ailing your betta.

Bleach is one of the safest and most effective methods for sanitizing an aquarium before the initial set-up.

Dropsy itself is not a disease but a symptom that can be caused by several things including a bacterial infection, virus or even parasites. It’s very common in tropical fish, especially Betta splendens and sadly it is usually fatal.

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.

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 [...]

Photo provided by original emailer.If abdominal bloating doesn’t subside after a few days of fasting, the diagnosis may turn to Dropsy. Q: AC wrote, I think i have a problem, for the last month my betta has been getting fatter and fatter. Until recently I thought it was just a bit of overfeeding. Then I [...]