Fish Medications

API Bettafix

BettaAll-natural

API Bettafix is the betta-sized version of Melafix. It uses the same tea tree (melaleuca) extract in a gentler, drop-dosed formulation, so a small bowl or a 10-litre tank gets exactly the right amount. Use it when a betta shows wounds or ulcers, fin and tail rot, mouth fungus, slimy patches or cottony growths, or after netting, a move or a fight, because it speeds up the regrowth of torn fins and damaged skin. Add 9 drops per 473 ml of water daily for up to seven days, then do a water change. The 50 ml bottle is available in South Africa through Jungle Aquatics.

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Live pricing and stock on jungleaquatics.com — purchase through Jungle Aquatics, with delivery across South Africa.

Dosage calculator

Enter your aquarium volume and the calculator works out how much API Bettafix to use for each rate on the pack.

Aquarium volume

Measured in

Use the water the tank actually holds, less substrate and decor.

Measured dose2.5 ml per 3 8 litres
Enter a volumeOnce a day for up to 7 days, then a partial water change
Small volumes, by drop9 drops per 0 473 litres
Enter a volumeOnce a day for up to 7 days

Take the carbon cartridge out of a small filter before dosing.

A guide only — always follow the dosing instructions printed on the pack, and measure with the bottle's cap or a syringe rather than by eye.

Technical details

Product type	All-natural antibacterial betta remedy
Sizes	50 ml
Dose	9 drops per 473 ml · 18 drops per 946 ml · 2.5 ml per 3.8 litres in larger tanks
Treats	50 ml is roughly one 7-day course for a 10-litre tank
How often	Daily for up to 7 days; repeat the course if needed
Water change needed	After the course
Suitable for	Bettas; tropical fish only
Key ingredient	Melaleuca (tea tree) extract
Made by	Mars Fishcare, USA

Take the carbon cartridge out of a small filter before you start dosing.

How many drops of Bettafix do I use?

Count the water in the tank, then add 9 drops per 473 ml or 18 drops per 946 ml. In anything bigger than a few litres, switch to the measured dose of 2.5 ml (half a teaspoon) per 3.8 litres. Repeat once a day for up to seven days, then change some of the water; if the fins are still ragged, run the course again. A 10-litre betta tank takes about 6.5 ml a day, so the 50 ml bottle is roughly one full course for a tank that size. If the filter has a carbon cartridge, remove it for the week.

Made for bettas and their small tanks

Bettas usually live in a few litres of water, where a standard-strength remedy is easy to overdose. Bettafix is a more dilute melaleuca formula with drop-based instructions: 9 drops per 473 ml, 18 drops per 946 ml, or half a teaspoon (2.5 ml) per 3.8 litres in a bigger aquarium. Measure the water actually in the tank, not the size printed on the box.

Heals fins, skin and the damage of a fight

Torn fins from flaring at a reflection, a scrape from a sharp ornament, an ulcer or a patch of mouth fungus are all within Bettafix's range. The tea tree extract works against the bacteria in the wound and promotes rapid regrowth of fin and skin tissue, which is why it also helps a betta recover from netting, transport or a scrap with a tank mate.

A daily dose for up to a week

Repeat the dose once a day for up to seven days, then change some of the water; if the betta is still healing, the course can be run again. If the tank has a filter with a carbon cartridge, take it out for the week, because carbon removes the remedy from the water. Bettafix is for tropical fish only, not for goldfish or other coldwater fish.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use Bettafix on fish other than bettas?

Bettafix is formulated and dosed for bettas, and the label restricts it to tropical fish, so it is not for goldfish or other coldwater species. For a larger community tank of tropical fish, standard Melafix at 5 ml per 38 litres is the straightforward choice.

What is the difference between Bettafix and Melafix?

Both are built on melaleuca, the tea tree extract; Bettafix is a more dilute formulation with drop-by-drop dosing so that bowls and tanks of a few litres get an accurate dose. Melafix is the full-strength version dosed at 5 ml per 38 litres for larger aquariums.

How long before my betta's fins grow back?

Bettafix promotes regrowth rather than producing it overnight: run the full seven days, do a water change, and repeat the course if the fin edges are still ragged. Clean, stable water does as much for regrowth as the remedy, so keep up the water changes between courses.

Do I need to remove the filter carbon for Bettafix?

Yes. Most small betta filters use a cartridge with activated carbon inside, and carbon adsorbs the remedy before it can act, so take the cartridge out for the week of treatment and fit a fresh one afterwards.

Is API Bettafix available in South Africa?

Yes. The 50 ml bottle is available from Jungle Aquatics in Fourways, Johannesburg, with delivery anywhere in South Africa; live pricing and stock are on jungleaquatics.com.

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South Africa's leading pet and aquarium store since 2007 — with the API range on the floor in Fourways, advice from people who test water every day, and easy ordering from anywhere in the country.

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