Signs that your Betta Fish is Dying (Updated: 2023)

Simple Ways to Determine Betta Sickness

Here are 3 simple ways you can determine if your Betta fish is on the pathway to heaven. 

Behavioral profiling and observing anomaly - The best way to know is to profile your Betta fish to see if it's exhibiting any anomaly compared to its purchase condition. A healthy betta fish should be actively swimming around its environment. Even if its a long inhibited habitat, which it could be bored to, you should see it swimming around occasionally.

What you can do to ascertain: if it's been laying at the spot for more than 2 days, you can be sure it's sick.

Mirror Flaring - Betta fishes have short term memory. They don't really remember their own reflections. Most betta should flare on their own reflections. If its not on a daily basis, minimally, they should be flaring on a 2 day interval. If they aren't flaring to their own reflections in the mirror. You can be certain something is wrong. 

What you can do to ascertain: let it flare on its own reflection for at least once a day. If it's not flaring, you know something is definitely off.

Eyes of Passion - Just like most pets, your betta should be excited to see you if you get close to the tank. Especially if you've been feeding them on a daily basis, your betta should be happy to see you. Dying Betta fishes will exhibit lethargy in their eyes. If they no longer swim towards your direction or show enthusiasm when you try playing with them, they are definitely sick. If they ignore you or simply remain in another direction, they are sick. 

What you can do to ascertain: if they are ignoring you or facing away when you go real close to the tank, there's definitely something wrong.

If you've followed my guide to keeping healthy betta fish, your fish should not be having any of the above issues. 

Understanding Common Betta Illness and Symtoms

Fig 1: List of Betta illness and Symptoms

Fins and Tail Rot - The most common illness of Betta fish is ammonia poisoning. The clearest obvious signs are slight reddish burns along the sides of the Betta fish, this means that your betta is suffering from ammonia burns. Change your water if you want it to live. 

Ich or Parasite Infestation - Your fish will be rubbing against gravel and sometimes you will see white spots appearing on its body. Change water immediately. if you've got API super Ick Cure and let it bathe in Aquarium Salt. 

Bloating and Bladder Disease - your betta fish will have difficulty swimming and can result in a swollen or bloated appearance. Swim bladder disease can be caused by a number of factors, including overfeeding, constipation, bacterial infections, and poor water quality.

Velvet: A parasitic infection that appears as a fine, gold or rust-colored dust on the fish's skin. Velvet can cause the fish to have difficulty breathing and may lead to secondary infections.

Dropsy: A bacterial infection that can cause the fish to appear bloated and swollen, with scales that stick out from the body. Dropsy is often fatal.

Prevention and early detection are the keys to keeping your betta fish healthy. Providing a clean and healthy environment, feeding a balanced diet, and monitoring the fish for any signs of illness can help prevent many common betta fish diseases. If you suspect that your betta fish is ill, consult with a veterinarian or a knowledgeable fish expert for advice on treatment.