HELP -- need a Bettamax replacement
 

I've just learned that Bettamax is no longer available, as Aquatronics
is out of business. Anyone know of a product with similar properties?
My bettas love this stuff when they're droopy, so I'm really upset
that I can't get any more.

dragon

To be honest, a lot of betta keepers stay clear of Bettamax now. It's
really just a really low-grade antibiotic that is essentially useless.
If your betta is sick enough to need an antibiotic, Bettamax isn't
strong enough to help, and if he's healthy, then he shouldn't be
exposed to antibiotics at all.

Dragon, don't worry too much about it, your bettas will be much better
off with good clean water. ;)

"IDzine01" wrote in message oups.com...
To be honest, a lot of betta keepers stay clear of Bettamax now. It's
really just a really low-grade antibiotic that is essentially useless.
If your betta is sick enough to need an antibiotic, Bettamax isn't
strong enough to help, and if he's healthy, then he shouldn't be
exposed to antibiotics at all.

Dragon, don't worry too much about it, your bettas will be much better
off with good clean water. ;)

What would you recommend to treat a betta that doesn't show any
outward signs of disease (no fungus, lesions, etc.) but is hanging out
on the bottom of the tank or in the corner? As I said, one of my
bettas gets "droopy" and Bettamax has always perked him right up.
Would this be a Maracyn II kind of thing, perhaps? I'm new to
betta-keeping and would love to know what would be best to use in this
kind of circumstance.

dragon

That's a great question Dragon. The best treatment for a betta, or any
fish for that matter is good clean water, vigilance and some TLC. You
really never want to medicate a healthy fish and I'll tell you why.

#1 First, medications are fairly disease specific. Some treat
gram-positive bacterial infections, some treat gram-negative, some are
for parasites, others are for fungus and the list goes on. Without
proper diagnosis you risk treating for the wrong illness.

#2 Secondly, medications add additional and unnecessary stress to your
fish. Many are quite potent and unless it's a matter of the betta's own
immune system being too weak you can actually do more damage then good.
Many medicines can also upset your tanks ecosystem by reducing
dissolved oxygen levels and even killing off the good bacteria.

#3 Thirdly, introducing unnecessary antibiotics to your tank greatly
increases your risk of antibiotic resistance or worse, antibiotic
immunity among bacteria. Many of these dangerous bacteria are always
present in our water and wait to attack fish that are stressed. Every
time nasty bacteria are exposed to antibiotics they may potentially
create new strains that are stronger and more deadly. An example is
Flexibacter columnaris. A relatively mild form of the Flex bacteria may
take a few days to actually kill your fish if left untreated, but
recently more and more instances of a particularly virulent strain of
flex has been reported that can actually kill a betta in less then 24
hours. It's speculated that these new strains may have developed a
resistance to milder antibiotics forcing fish keepers to break out the
big guns (potent antibiotics) which according to #2 above adds
additional stress to your fish leaving him open for even more
opportunistic diseases. A vicious circle.

#4 Finally, there is always a risk of medication intolerance or
allergy. Yes, even fish can have allergic reactions to ingredients of
some medications. For example, melaleuca is a common ingredient in
medications like Bettafix or Melafix and has also been said to cause
reactions in some bettas.

Now, I'm not saying that fish don't every need medication, it's just
that certain steps should be taken first.

A: You should be sure of the disease before medicating.
B: You should fix the environmental factors first. (ammonia, pH, temp,
etc.)
C: You should allow the fish's own immune system to heal himself if
the situation isn't dire.
D: Choose the least potent drug that will still do the job and make
the fish as comfortable as possible. (increase oxygenation, lower water
level, etc.)

In the case of your fish being lethargic, look at his environment. Is
he in a big enough tank? Is his pH in a safe range and stable? Is there
zero ammonia and nitrites and low nitrates at all times? Is his
temperature stable and around 78F at all times? Is he getting a varied
diet of frozen and/or live foods? He he eating too much or too little?
Is he experiencing stresses caused by medications, other fish, strong
filter flow, chemicals, extended periods of light, etc? My guess is
you'll find what is causing your betta's lethargy by examining his
environment and your tank care regimen.

Thanks for asking this question, it's a very common issue among fish
keepers. Good luck and I hope this helps clear things up.

"Dragon" wrote in message
om...
"IDzine01" wrote in message
oups.com...
To be honest, a lot of betta keepers stay clear of Bettamax now. It's
really just a really low-grade antibiotic that is essentially useless.
If your betta is sick enough to need an antibiotic, Bettamax isn't
strong enough to help, and if he's healthy, then he shouldn't be
exposed to antibiotics at all.

Dragon, don't worry too much about it, your bettas will be much better
off with good clean water. ;)

What would you recommend to treat a betta that doesn't show any
outward signs of disease (no fungus, lesions, etc.) but is hanging out
on the bottom of the tank or in the corner? As I said, one of my
bettas gets "droopy" and Bettamax has always perked him right up.
Would this be a Maracyn II kind of thing, perhaps? I'm new to
betta-keeping and would love to know what would be best to use in this
kind of circumstance.

dragon

I'm just speculating here, but maybe they've become addicted to the Bettamax
you've been giving them and are going through some kind of withdrawal? I've
never used it, but Bettamax sounds like cocaine for fishes...

Yesterday morning I noticed that one of my 17 Bettas was losing some
of his fin,... So today I went to my local pet shop and purchased a 1 &
1/4th ounce bottle of "BettaFix Remedy", and put some in the one gallon
glass jar that I'm using as an isolation tank, that my little sick
friend was in,...But then I changed both my mind, and the water in the
jar, when the fish, "Angel", started swimming oddly, with his head
downward. Then I moved him to a spare one gallon plastic 'shoe-box'
type container, and because one of you said something about oxidation, I
put my portable battery-powered air pump next to it, with the
disk-shaped head on the end of the tubing, into one end of the tank, and
turned it on.
What else can I do? He has lost most of his long tail, and he seems a
wee bit wobbley at times, and sometimes swims with his head in a
downward angle. And also, he won't eat anything offered {Hikari Betta
BioGold; Sally's San Francisco Brand Betta Food; Wardley Betta Premium
Food & Wardley Total Betta}.
Any & all advice would be very much welcomed.
Thanks. Pax Vobiscum,...~Dean.

Hey Dean,
Did you test the water he was in originally to see what was causing his
fin-rot to start? Ammonia, nitrites, high nitrates, pH swing, temp
changes etc? Getting him into good clean water was a good decision
though the fact that he began swimming funny right after the move
concerns me. You remembered to condition the new water right? And you
checked to make sure the pH of the clean water was close to that of the
old?

Swimming wobbly (head down) and not eating is a common sign of Swim
Bladder problems, but that is a separate problem from the fin rot. Swim
Bladder problems are usually caused by overfeeding or feeding dry
pellet, freeze dried or flake food. The Bio-Gold and other foods you
mentioned are only about 10% moisture and swell with water in Angel's
digestive track putting pressure on the Swim Bladder. Once there is
pressure on the bladder the fish can no longer regulate the bladder's
gasses leaving him wobbly. Once that pressure is relieved by a bowel
movement, everything should go back to normal. Give him a day or two of
fasting and see if this helps. Also you can try to give him a small
portion of blanched pea or daphnia as a laxative if it doesn't clear up
in a couple of days. In the future, consider altering their diets to
more natural foods like live or frozen foods. Swim Bladder problems
don't cause any pain to the fish, but it can make it difficult for them
to reach the surface for air. Adding the air-stone was smart and also
maybe throw in a plant or two so he can rest near the surface if you
find him having trouble getting his head up to breathe.

Now, back to the fin rot issue. If he's lost more then 1/2 - 2/3 of his
tail I personally would medicate. Jungle Fungus Eliminator or Maracyn 2
are good antibiotics or in very serious cases where it's reoccurring or
combined with other problems like septicemia you may need a strong
antibiotic like Kanamycin Sulfate. Make sure to follow the directions
on the package and whenever you begin an antibiotic be sure to finish
the entire course so as not encourage bacterial mutations.