fish just died and we dont know why.

[lilchic9612]

my roommate has had this fish for about a month he was really healthy when we got him he lives in a 1gallon plastic tank with some rocks and a plastic plant but none the less he seemed fine and healthy, he would eat his coloring was great, fin was good, and he would swim around. on his water change which he has been used to by now she took him out and put him in his changing bowl with water that had been cleaned with ph cleaner and went to fill his bowl up with new water. upon his changing i glanced over at him and he was freaking out, but i thought it was normal b/c he was freaking out the day i got him for her and put him in his new tank. anyways when she came back in he was flipped on his side not moving, obviously dead. but after we put him back in his big bowl i looked in the small changing bowl and in it was something about (--) <--- this big in real life. i dont know waht it is but its small and has like a red lining around it..the roommate thinks its poop but i say its too big of an object to come out of that betta. so any ideas? we are really confused b/c the fish was normally fine with his water changes and she said he was just freaking out like normal. thanks.

What size container was the fish in? 1 gallon
What was the water temp? not too sure b/c we dont have a temp for our room but its pretty warm in here, and roommate said changing water wasnt cold but warm. but not like HOTTT.
How often did she feed the fish? How much and what foods each time? feeds the fish 2 times a day with 3 pellets each..those little circle ones.
How often did she change water and how much each time? once a week the whole bowl, i guess?
Did the fish lose color, appetite, develop fuzz on fins or body? Any symptoms you can describe would help a lot... did he lay near the bottom, did his eyes swell... anything you can offer here would be of big help. the fish was healthy, his eyes look clear..now they still do. when i glanced over at him he was just swimming around in the small bowl frantically, but i assumed this was normal. and that little thing found in the small bowl is beigey colored.

hope that was enough info. thanks :D

[bettababy]

Well, for starters, what you describe sounds like shock, which can be fatal in a fish. To say for sure what caused it... unfortunately that's something we can't do. Without knowing temps and water params from both containers, there is no way to say for sure. It could have been pH differences, high nitrates that were suddenly zero after the change, etc.

If you friend decides to get another betta, please advise her to get a small heater designed to work in that size of a tank. Keeping temps steady, being careful not to overdose water conditioner, and changing water often enough (try 50% twice/wk for a 1 gallon container or less) are all very important. When cleaning, stir up any gravel at the bottom so that solid waste is never allowed to build up. If she stirs is before removing any water, the waste will come out with the water, making for a much safer and healthier situation.

As for the stuff found at the bottom, it sounds like poo and nothing to worry about other than maybe too much of it allowed to collect.

I will say, I have taken care of sick bettas, injured bettas, healthy bettas... and the only time I've ever seen one react the way you are describing is from shock. While they are a sturdy fish overall, it really doesn't take much to cause death if their habitat changes too much at once.

[lilchic9612]

well thats what i thought it could be was shock but the thing is the small thing was not found in the main bowl but the little one she used to hold the fish while she cleaned the main bowl. it wasnt like it all clumped at once...it looks like he had such a HUGE shock from the change that he pooped out his whole stomach b/c its bigger than his eyes @-@ im just wondering about that. also my roommate decided to leave it in its dead bowl this weekend while she is gone and im stuck with the death in my room...will the fish start to smell fast? what if the fish stays in his watery death bed for more than 3 days? im freaking out

[bettababy]

The fish will likely start to rot quickly. One suggestion for you... take a plastic cup with a cover, or even a zip lock baggie, and pour about 1/2 the baggie or cup full of clean water, then cover/close it and set it into the refrigerator. The cold temp will slow down the stage of decay without actually freezing the fish. The other idea would have been to freeze it to preserve it in the ice...
If it stays in a warm room in the water like that, once dead, you can expect it to smell within a few days, and its not a pleasant smell. If it were me, with nobody to see, I'd stick it in the fridge and then put it back in the bowl just before she gets back... she'd never know the difference and it would save your nose!
One other thing I'd like to mention quick... once the body starts to rot, fungus will grow, be careful not to be inhaling this or the fumes above the tank... it can make you quite sick.