Q: Your Betta may also have a paler hue than normal and white or cotton-like patches on his body. These are all signs of a fungal infection. Fungus can grow in tanks that are not treated with salt and Aquarisol once the tank water is added. The fungus can spread quickly from one infected fish to the other fish in the tank so it should be treated right away. This is a symptom of a bacterial infection called popeye. Your fish may have developed popeye due to dirty tank water, or due to a more serious illness like tuberculosis. Sadly, tuberculosis is not curable in fish and is fatal for Betta fish. Tuberculosis can cause curved spines (not to be confused with the natural "hump" that older bettas develop). These are symptoms of dropsy, which is a bacterial infection in your fish’s kidneys. It can cause renal failure and fluid accumulation, or bloating. It often occurs in fish that are weakened due to poor water conditions or from eating contaminated food. Once your fish suffers from kidney failure as a result of fluid buildup, your fish will likely die. You can prevent your fish from contracting dropsy by not feeding him live worms or contaminated food. Aquarium salt baths can draw out fluid, and medicines can help. Since it's hard to know what medicines are appropriate, and usually dropsy worsens quickly, painlessly euthanizing is acceptable. This is a sign of fish ick or ich. The spots may be slightly raised and your fish will likely scratch against objects in the tank due to irritated and itchy skin. Your fish may also have respiratory issues and appear to gasp at the surface of the tank water. Ick attacks fish that are stressed due to irregular water temperature and pH fluctuations in the water. These are all signs of a bacterial infection that causes your fish’s fins, tail and mouth to rot. Fin rot typically occurs in fish who are bullied by other fish in the tank or who are injured by a fin-nipping tank mate. A poor tank environment can also contribute to the development of fin rot. However, if your fish is a crowntail, it is natural for him/her to have a shredded looking fin.  Luckily, most Betta fish can regrow their tail and fins if fin rot is treated in time. However, your Betta fish’s tail and fins may not be as vibrant as they once were when they grow back. Some Betta fish can contract advanced body and fin rot when a case of regular fin rot goes untreated for a long period of time. Your fish may lose his fins and body tissue as the rot progresses. Once the rot eats your fish’s body tissues, it can be difficult to cure the advanced fin rot and your fish will essentially be eaten alive. This is a symptom of velvet, which is a parasite that is highly contagious. If your Betta has velvet, he may also clamp his fins close to his body, start to lose his color, have a lack of appetite, and may scratch against the sides of the tank or the gravel in the tank. As velvet is a highly contagious parasite, you should treat all the fish in your tank if one fish shows signs of velvet. These are signs of swim bladder disorder, a common illness among Betta fish. Swim bladder disorder is caused by overfeeding your Betta fish, leading to a swollen swim bladder that causes your fish to float on one side or the lie at the bottom of the tank because swimming becomes too difficult. It could also be a sign of ammonia poisoning, which is caused by ammonia in the water your betta is in. Keep in mind swim bladder is easy to treat and does not hurt your fish, so you do not need to worry about your fish dying due to swim bladder, but ammonia poisoning is dangerous. This is a symptom of anchor worms, which are small crustaceans that burrow into your fish’s skin and enter his muscles. They then release eggs in your fish before they die, leaving behind damage in your fish that can become infected. Your Betta can contract an external parasite like anchor worms due to exposure at the pet store, from his food, or from infected fish who are introduced to his tank. Your fish may also scratch against objects to try to remove the anchor worms, and the points where the anchor worms are attached to your fish may be swollen.
A: Notice if your fish’s fins look clumpy or your fish is not as active as he usually is. Inspect your Betta fish’s eyes to see if one eye or both eyes are protruding from his head. Check if your fish has any protruding scales or looks bloated. Note if your fish is covered in white specks or spots that look like salt or sand. Look to see if your fish’s tail or fins are fraying or appear faded. Shine a flashlight on your Betta to see if his body looks gold or rusty in color. Check if your fish is floating on one side or is not moving at the bottom of the tank. Note if there are any whitish-green threads on your fish’s skin.

Q: Parallax refers to the apparent difference in position of an observed object depending on your vantage point. The right parallax correction depends on which celestial body you’re observing (i.e., the sun, the moon, or a planet) and the altitude you observed. Check the parallax correction tables on page A2 of your Nautical Almanac. Add the parallax correction after adjusting for index error, dip, refraction, and semi-diameter to get the true altitude of your observed object. The parallax correction accounts for the difference between your vantage point on the surface of the Earth and what you would see from the center of the Earth. The combined correction for parallax, semi-diameter, and refraction is known as the “third correction.” For example, if your observed altitude for the sun was 38° 10.60’ and you made your observation in April, you might make your corrections as follows:  38° 10.60’ + 1.2’ (index error) = 38° 11.8' 38° 11.8' - 9.16’ (dip) = 38° 2.64’ 38° 2.64’ - 1.1’ (refraction) = 38° 1.54’ 38° 1.54’ + 15.9’ (semi-diameter) = 38° 17.44’ 38° 17.44’ + 0.1’ (parallax) = 38° 17.45’ (true altitude)
A: Make a parallax correction using your Nautical Almanac.

Q: The tide has turned against baby walkers and many people will warn you against using them due to delaying development of motor skills as well as high risk of injury to your toddler.  Just 24 hours of using a walker can result in delays in excess of 3 days for walking and standing on their own.  Walkers allow the toddler to move at a faster speed than normal, as well as giving them access to things they would not normally be able to reach. Canada considers the use of walkers so dangerous, that they banned them in 2004. This is a product created to assist in supporting your toddler from the ribs rather than pulling up on their arms, which could lead to injuries.  Strap the padded vest around the toddler’s ribs. Hold a loop in each hand above each of the toddler’s shoulders. Pulling up slightly to give the toddler support, begin moving them forward one step at a time. This will give your child something to hold onto as they explore moving around the house on their feet. They will have the support of an object which moves with them.  Find a toy which is heavy enough to support your toddler and has a wide base for balance. Start with a push toy. This will be easier for them to use and encourage them to move forward while looking straight ahead. Consider a toy which is a miniature version of something your toddler has seen you use, like a mini shopping cart full of toys. Pull toys, like wagons, are more complicated and can tempt the toddler to look behind them instead of where they are going. Make sure their path is cleared of obstacles.
A:
Avoid walkers. Strap on some walking wings. Provide push and pull toys.