Betta fish, contrary to popular belief, are not as tough as they appear. They are particularly vulnerable to diseases and ailments, despite their lovely and vibrantly colored fins. Betta fish curved spine is definitely an uncommon occurrence.
While a curved spine is not a sickness in and of itself, it is a symptom of TB, a relatively rare disease that affects betta fish. Your betta is infected with a highly severe sickness if it is TB. Tuberculosis is a disease that targets your pet’s internal organs, eventually causing them to fail. This is because the signs of fish TB are usually not apparent for months. It is too late to save your betta fish once the symptoms appear.
Betta Fish Curved Spine: Causes
As previously stated, TB causes the curved spine of betta fish. Mycobacterium marinum is the bacteria that causes tuberculosis. In your aquarium, this bacterium is already active. On the other hand, your fish are unlikely to catch this bacterium.
The bacteria cannot be removed from the water. You can, however, avoid contracting the condition. Good tank cleaning habits can help prevent this condition. You might find betta fish curved spine due to the following:
Inadequate Water Standards
Maintaining the water standards is essential for a betta fish. If your water quality is poor, you might notice your fish-catching tuberculosis. The quality of water can depreciate if you have a lot of other fish. Hoarding your tank with many fish can lead to a bioload that the filter might not be able to take.
Hence, try keeping an inch of fish every gallon of water. For a betta fish, you need to have a minimum of a 5-gallon tank. Therefore, add more fish accordingly. Keeping the pH level constant and under the range that betta fish can handle is also significant. Constant changes in pH level make betta fish’s curved spine more probable.
Immunity
Immunity is an essential thing in the human body and fish. A weak immune system will cause tuberculosis for a betta fish, which ultimately leads to a curved spine.
Betta fish may develop a weak immunity if it is under stress. So, keeping a highly compatible fish with your betta fish is extremely necessary. Any non-compatible tank mate will stress the betta fish out, making its immunity weak. This will ultimately lead to betta fish curved spine.
Therefore, try avoiding things that will make betta’s immunity weak and nourish betta properly with the right food.
Diet
Betta fish diet is also to be kept in exceptional control. While consuming live food infected with tuberculosis, your betta might acquire the rare condition and might not survive. This is something that is out of one’s control. Nevertheless, there is always a debate about it.
If your betta fish eats some other fish in the infected tank, it can likewise result in betta fish’s curved spine. Therefore, it becomes essential to use quality food suppliers and not local ones. Providing a healthy diet is the only thing you can prevent betta fish curved spine.
How To Treat Betta Fish Curved Spine?
Like said earlier, treatment options available are of no use because by the time one gets to know about the condition, the chances of survival become minimal. Moreover, there are few treatment options even if tuberculosis or betta fish curved spine is detected beforehand.
A standard betta fish pet owner might try adding a few anti-biotics in the tank water. This might exceptionally slightly increase the chances of survival. However, anything is worth a shot in these situations.
Some people suggest increasing the temperature or adding tank salt might assist in the treatment process. However, these are all just myths. If anything, you are making things worse by any of this treatment. Mycobacterium marinum thrives on a raised temperature, which implies why things will worsen.
All one can do is take precautions from the outset to avoid any such mishaps.
Other Symptoms
Although there is nothing much one can do once the symptoms start appearing in betta fish, it’s always good to know the most common signs and the curved spine one must look out for. One of the most common is a curved spine.
Here are a few other symptoms.
Losing weight
If you feel that your betta fish is losing the want to consume food or is getting extremely thin, it might be because of TB. It might be losing its immunity. Therefore, you will notice them lose muscle mass. However, it can indicate other conditions as well.
Weird movement patterns
Since your betta fish lacks immunity, it might have no energy. Hence, you will notice that there is a lack of overall movement or almost no movement.
Skin issues
The most visible and prominent indication of tuberculosis or betta fish curved spine is blemished skin. One might notice your vibrant and beautiful betta fish losing its pigmentation and scales. It will be replaced by open wounds and spots filled with blood.
FAQs on Betta Fish Curved Spine
What can you do to prevent betta fish curved spine?
It is always said that prevention is better than cure. Likewise, to avoid betta fish curved spine, one can always follow some essential habits relating to your betta fish:
– Build a strong immunity
– Feed them properly
– Maintain proper water standards
Can human beings catch tuberculosis from their betta fish?
You can indeed catch TB from your fish. Hence, it is advisable to use gloves while cleaning your tank and fish. The only difference will be that TB you will suffer from will not cause death. It is not as dangerous for humans as it is in the case for your betta fish.
What other conditions cause betta fish curved spine?
Betta fish curved spine is only a symptom of tuberculosis in your fish. While other symptoms may be because of other diseases, the curved spine is only because of TB.
Can betta fish have scoliosis?
Yes. Betta fish may suffer from scoliosis due to nutritional deficiencies. Scoliosis is an abnormal lateral curve in the spine.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, your fish might be suffering from tuberculosis if betta fish’s curved spine is what you notice. There is no straightforward way to treat it. However, there are a lot of ways to prevent it. Just follow the preventive manners mentioned above, and you will notice your betta fish is perfectly healthy throughout its life span.
