I LOVE betta fish and have had several over the years with no problems. I have done more research and upped the living arrangements and care for my recent bettas and I keep having problems and cannot figure out why. Please help!
My very first betta lived in a tiny little glass jar, no heater, no filter and not a lot of room and lived for 3 years.
I got my 2nd betta some years later. Elmo was her name (red female). She was in a 2.5 gallon tank with a light, heater set at 78-80 degrees and a nano filter. She lived for about a year and a half before she started swimming sideways and sinking to the bottom. I had always fed her blood worms (that is what the pet store guy told me would be the best-don't believe everything they tell you). I read that it was probably swim bladder disease and treated with epsom salt to no avail. She did not eat for a month and at the end would sink to the bottom gasping for air. RIP Elmo.
Figuring it was probably the swim bladder disease, I did more research, got a bigger and better tank (3.0 gallon and a better lid that my cat could not get into) as well as a water testing kit and better food (high protein pellets). I got a beautiful red and black male betta, Soni. He was very active the first week and a half and then the past couple of days he would just sit near the top. He wasn't bloated, his fins were all spread out-not clamped. I did 25-50% water changes every 3 days, used water conditioner and he had a heater. I woke up this morning and he was upside down and dead on the bottom of the tank. I have increased the amount of research and been more conscientious about water conditions, etc and yet he still died within 2 weeks.
I would like to get another betta but do not want to kill yet another beautiful fish. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
My very first betta lived in a tiny little glass jar, no heater, no filter and not a lot of room and lived for 3 years.
I got my 2nd betta some years later. Elmo was her name (red female). She was in a 2.5 gallon tank with a light, heater set at 78-80 degrees and a nano filter. She lived for about a year and a half before she started swimming sideways and sinking to the bottom. I had always fed her blood worms (that is what the pet store guy told me would be the best-don't believe everything they tell you). I read that it was probably swim bladder disease and treated with epsom salt to no avail. She did not eat for a month and at the end would sink to the bottom gasping for air. RIP Elmo.
Figuring it was probably the swim bladder disease, I did more research, got a bigger and better tank (3.0 gallon and a better lid that my cat could not get into) as well as a water testing kit and better food (high protein pellets). I got a beautiful red and black male betta, Soni. He was very active the first week and a half and then the past couple of days he would just sit near the top. He wasn't bloated, his fins were all spread out-not clamped. I did 25-50% water changes every 3 days, used water conditioner and he had a heater. I woke up this morning and he was upside down and dead on the bottom of the tank. I have increased the amount of research and been more conscientious about water conditions, etc and yet he still died within 2 weeks.
I would like to get another betta but do not want to kill yet another beautiful fish. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
