DARN - new CT died!!!!

[Lion Mom]

Well, DARN!!! The new CT I just got on 8/11 was dead this morning. NO idea what happened since he was swimming around yesterday & ate fine.

I don't have water numbers since I don't have a test kit anymore (had one years ago), but he was in a 5 gal. heated (82 degrees), cycled, filtered tank with live plants. Weekly water changes w/gravel vac & Prime added to the new water, of course.

One thing I did notice about him right away, though, was that he was SMALL (thought maybe he was very young) and both of his gills stayed open all the time.

Any ideas, or just one of those things????

[Ajones108]

SBDS - Sudden Betta Death Syndrome :p

No idea... The way it sounds with the gills, maybe he had a breathing problem. His smallness hints at emaciation but I think you'd be able to nurse him back to health if that was the matter. It was probably just one of those things. Was he a LFS fish?

[Lion Mom]

No, got him off AquaBid from a seller I have dealt with before. This CT was not raised here in the States, though, he was an import.

Two weeks and two days - haven't lost one THAT fast in FOREVER!! Grrrrrr...................

[Ajones108]

Both gills staying open all the time, excessive flaring? It does sound so much just like an instant thing, a one-off chance of happening.

[Lion Mom]

No, I don't think he was flaring all the time - the beard wasn't opened, just the gills.

Wonder if open gills is a sign or symptom of something?

Yup, gotta think it was some sort of sudden "thing". At least I HOPE that's all it was!!!

All my others are doing fine. :)

[Ajones108]

You're a good fish mommy, I'm sure it was no error of your own. Good luck on your next fish, maybe OFL will be able to say something about this.

[Oldfishlady]

It could have been a birth defect or really bad ammonia burns and then scar tissue developed-the scar tissue can cause the gill to stay open if it is bad enough and the fish suffocates, but since he was so young my guess would be birth defect especially since you got him that way.....

Sorry for your loss.....

did you contact the seller after you got him and tell them about the gills to see if he was always like that...they may send you another for the cost of shipping....just a thought....

[Lion Mom]

"did you contact the seller after you got him and tell them about the gills to see if he was always like that...they may send you another for the cost of shipping....just a thought...."

No, I didn't - maybe I should? Honestly, though, this particular seller only sells imports so I'm not 100% sure I want another from him even though the first one I got from him is doing fine.

Besides, I am kind of flirting with the idea of getting a trio of guppies instead (they would go in a 10 gal. I have) OR a cute veil tail I kind of have my eye on. :)

[Oldfishlady]

Sounds like a plan.......

I enjoy my guppies and so do my Bettas...lol......

I am getting some neat new colors from all the inbreeding now too...even got some solid black ones some how out of the yellow, blue, orange, pink, white colors I have and now I am getting some gold body guppies instead of the gray body I started out with nearly 10 years ago.....I guess I need to add a outside new line by now...lol......but I don't get any deformity from this old mess....

[Lion Mom]

Well, I really, really looked at guppies on AB & found some Moscow Blues (what ARE "Moscow" guppies anyway??? ) that I really liked, BUT saw this veil tail & just fell in LOVE with him.

Gonna name him "Old School" since veil tails were the first "fancy" bettas. :)