My Betta died....help me figure out what I did wrong :(

[xShainax]

I had a betta in a gallon and a half bowl, he died in 3 weeks so when I bought my second betta, I got a 2.5 aqueon mini bow tank. I suggest if you get another betta to upgrade and use a heater

[jriley]

I'm so sorry to hear that your Betta passed away. They have such wonderful personalities, and you are obviously a caring parent. I'm glad you're going to try again...

[aokashi]

I've kept my frst betta in a 1/2 gallon for a month before I upgraded him to a 1 gallon minibow. I adopted him off and he is still in the same mini bow. it's been 3 months, he's still going strong :) So I really don't think it's the container that killed him, especially with the frequent WCs the OP did. It was more likely due to temperature shock or poisoning. or the fish has some internal problems from time of purchase.

plus breeders keep their fish in small 1/2 gallon or 1/4 gallon bottles. ofcourse that isn't recommended as it really leaves little room for the fish to swim in, and these people have dedicated fish rooms kept at tropical temperatures.
That said, I agree with bigger is always better :)
If you have the resources to get a bigger tank, go for it. Otherwise the current one should be fine, as long as you figure out and correct the problem that may have killed the fish.

unfortunately, if the temperature of your tank water is too cold or is prone to fluctuations, you really don't have any other optiona but to get atleast a 2.5g which can be heated more safely.

[Tazo]

If you do end up keeping the 1.5 gal, they DO make heaters specifically for smaller aquariums like that...
Hydor makes this one specifically for "betta bowls". I normally would shy away from stuff like that, but Hydor is a very respectable company that a lot of people here recommend, and it's a decently priced product to boot. Non-adjustable heaters might actually be better for a small aquarium because they automatically turn on when the heat drops and off again when it's within an acceptable range.

[iElBeau]

Originally Posted by xjenuhfur

My minimum is 1 gallon, and with partial water changes almost daily. More ideal would be 2.5 gallons, but what you've got is fine. Its more of an opinion, but the consensus around here is that the absolute bare minimum is a gallon.
I would never suggest using a net, I (personally) don't like them and I feel they stress they fish out more than needed. Do you know the temp of the water?
For water changes always use water conditioner, like Prime. There is no need to age water if you use water conditioner. Also, since bettas are a topical fish, a heater is needed to keep the temp between 76-82 F. A combo of different things could have attributed to his death.
If your thinking about keeping another betta in the same bowl, make sure to clean it thoroughly. Any gravel should either be tossed(preferred) or boiled(be careful if you choose to do this). And a solution of vinegar and water should be used to clean the tank.

@ElBeau: My water PH is 8.0 as well. :)

EDIT:
Just saw the betta bowl comment, betta bowl KILLED my brand new gorgeous yellow VT when I was acclimating him into the tank. I do not recommend that stuff. Ever. It doesn't work.

Wow, do you have as many problems cooking veggies as I do? Man it drives me crazy how they get slimy if I boil them too long :P (high pH is why that happens, so you have to boil a minute or three less than a recipe states haha)

Baking soda is safe to use on a tank as well for cleaning - it's simply acid lol. As with vinegar, make sure you rinse A LOT! as residual acid won't HURT your fish, but will cause pH fluctuations.

[xjenuhfur]

Originally Posted by iElBeau

Wow, do you have as many problems cooking veggies as I do? Man it drives me crazy how they get slimy if I boil them too long :P (high pH is why that happens, so you have to boil a minute or three less than a recipe states haha)

Baking soda is safe to use on a tank as well for cleaning - it's simply acid lol. As with vinegar, make sure you rinse A LOT! as residual acid won't HURT your fish, but will cause pH fluctuations.

Omg yes! I have to watch or else they get gross!
Yeah anything acidic. :)

That betta bowl was the conditioner right? Because its got like tannins in it already (it was like yellow/brownish), and it didn't properly decontaminate the water. That's how my poor buddy died. I took it back to the store and they felt bad for me because I was so excited. T.T

[Tazo]

Originally Posted by iElBeau

Baking soda is safe to use on a tank as well for cleaning - it's simply acid lol.

Actually, it's a base :P. But same basic principle, I suppose!

[Twilight Storm]

I agree the tank size is fine. 1 gallon is really minimum, and that's mainly for younger fish.

A full size adult betta will grow to fill up a 1 gallon and look really BIG for the tank eventually. Generally if they start to look big for whatever you're keeping them in it's time to upgrade.

No matter what you do keep the tank you have, if for nothing else, a hospital tank.

The red gills point to poisoning probably from the conditioner. I have never used that conditioner, but I stay away from anything that says "fizzy tab" or water conditioners marketed directly to bettas. (personal choice)

Prime is a good conditioner because it also binds ammonia for a time making it less toxic to fish if I remember correctly. When getting a conditioner look for removes chlorine, chlorimine, and heavy metals. (that ammonia binding is nice too.) I am using Top Fin Tap Water dechlorinator. I plan on getting a bottle of prime once this is gone. I've never had a problem with the top fin stuff though, and it comes in a tiny inexpensive bottle that treats 600 gallons.

The water companies are switching over to chlorimine now i'm sure for the summer. If your conditioner does not remove this, it could be what shocked him. (From what I understand water is chlorinated in winter, and chlorimine is added in summer because it does not evaporate from the water.

I DO use Aqueon Betta Water Renewal which just is a bottle of mineral supliments I put in a few drops per water change, not as much as they say to put in. Offhand I don't know if this stuff works but 6 drops per gallon of water has never harmed my fish.

If you want to age water you can get couple gallon water jugs of drinking water from the grocery store. Drink them and save the water jugs to fill for your fish. Put the drops of tap water conditioner directly in the jug, shake it up and set it near your bettas tank. The water temperature should be the same as long as they aren't in a draft or on a cold floor.

Here is another heater I personally like, it's not adjustable though, but I have never had a problem with them and I own quite a few.
http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=4134008

They keep the water stable at 78 and if your water gets above 78 it shuts off until the temperature drops below the safe zone. They work in tanks as small as a half gallon safely. It's better to invest in an adjustable thermometer though in the long run. If your fish ever get sick you may need to raise the tempature above 78 to treat them, and many here swear you should keep your bettas in water temperatures below 80 which is really ideal.

I love a lot of Aqueon products. They have super customer service too if you ever need to contact them. I would stay away from that conditioner in the future though.

To everyone else talking about PH and cooking:
Gads I never knew that the ph could be what is making me mess some recipes up. I even was an avid watcher of the food network when I had cable tv... Even in cooking magizines I have gotten it was NEVER talked about...

Sorry this was long, and i'm very sorry you lost your fish. Don't let it discourage you from trying again.

[iElBeau]

Lol about food, I knew it was a base, I'm just so tired! My bad D:

I'm in school to become a dietician which is where I learned about it messing up recipes and the difference between baking soda and baking powder and what not :P Man, introductory foods was like the best class I ever took- its just so practical! haha.

Back on topic though: I age my water and use conditioner, just to be doubly sure! I figure, why take the risk right? It also helps to ensure the same temperatures, as previously stated :)

[aokashi]

I wonder where OP is >.>