[w0rstn4m33v3r]

I have a 2.5g divided tank with 2 male bettas that don't really seem to care about each other, the tank has been set up for a few days expecting the fish and last night they were finally put in.

all night they were swimming around and seemed to like it, but this morning one of them was laying on the bottom of his side of the tank and started leaning to one side.

I read that this might be swim bladder related and could be caused by overfeeding, we fed them once last night before bed, and again this morning around 8am. about 2-4 pellets each.

the water was treated and left standing for about 2 days before adding the fish, and the tank has a small filter (all came in a aqueon betta starter kit) that doesn't seem to bother the healthy fish on the filter side of the divider.

I don't have a heater but I plan on going out to get one today, even if it isn't necessary for a tank this small, I still need one to start my 10g this summer when I'm home from school.

 

[wystearya]

2.5 gallons for 2 Bettas is actually too small. They really should have a minimum of 2 gallons each. I mean, some people say 1 gallon per fish is OK, but just picture a gallon jug of milk. This is the fish's entire world!

You didn't mention any dechlorinator for the water. Do you have any? This is a MUST HAVE item. The chlorine in tap water can and will kill your fish. Letting the water sit out is not enough to remove it all. Prime is a great brand of dechlorinator.

You say you fed them between 2 and 4 pellets each. I'm not sure if you just grabbed some pellets and dropped them in, or counted them. I personally put in a single pellet at a time when feeding, and no more than 3 per feeding, twice a day.

It might be the swim bladder, but a little more information would help. Can you get a clear picture? Is your fish swimming at all?

Please fill out as much of this form as possible, it will help members here to help you: >> I know you answered some of these already, I'm just trying to help you get the help you need!

Housing
What size is your tank?
What temperature is your tank?
Does your tank have a filter?
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?
Is your tank heated?
What tank mates does your betta fish live with?

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish?
How often do you feed your betta fish?

Maintenance
How often do you perform a water change?
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change?
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change?

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?

Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity:

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed?
How has your betta fish's behavior changed?
When did you start noticing the symptoms?
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how?
Does your fish have any history of being ill?
How old is your fish (approximately)?

 

[w0rstn4m33v3r]

he died within the hour I was at class, I'm still curious to what might have caused this. He was acting 'interesting' last night before bed, he was taking small air bubbles from the bottom of the gravel and spitting them out up top. I assumed this was him trying to make a bubble nest.

this is the tank that I bought:

http://www.aqueonproducts.com/products/betta-bow-25.htm

the water was at room temperature and might have warmed a slight amount from the lamp on the tank until I turned it off around midnight.

I used the water treatment that came with it and allowed it to sit for about 2 days before buying the fish, they seemed healthy at the time of purchase yesterday and were very active last night until I went to sleep.

 

[wystearya]

Well, if you just got him yesterday it is very likely he was ill when you got him. Sadly it happens fairly often. They can seem OK, but quickly decline. This happened to me not long ago. :/

If you kept the store receipt, you should be able to get a refund. You will probably have to bring the dead fish to the store in a baggie as proof.

I do suggest just getting a refund and NOT getting another fish. The 2.5 gallons is OK for one Betta, but small for two. This is my opinion anyway.

I wish you the best for your other fish!! <3

 

[Leeniex]

Please invest in a heater before you buy another fish. They are tropical fish and need water warmer than room temp.

 

[w0rstn4m33v3r]

got a thermometer and heater, it was at 74 degrees before I even started up the heater and now I have it holding at 76. I got an ADF, a large decoration and a few live plants to give them both some hiding places.

I also got multi-test strips and all of them seem to be in the safe levels except the nitrate 2 showed a hardly noticeable pink.

I'm not sure what a normal hardiness is for bettas but it showed at 75/soft

 

[xjenuhfur]

If you've got an ADF please read this thread. and please get a larger tank. An ADF needs at least 3 gallons per frog, and the fish at an absolute minimum needs a gallon or two. Your tank is far too small for both.

Edit: I don't mean to sound mean but I'm trying to help you make your new friends thrive instead of just live.

 

[BETTACHKALOVE]

Hey how is your other betta doing? Make sure that he don't get sick from the other one. I really like the idea ,that i read someone wrote to quarantine betta before you put them together. Always make sure you have extra 1 gall if you have new betta. A lot of time betta is already sick from the store and you don’t want to contaminate the tank.

The same is about live plants. Always quarantine them before you put them in the tank. Live plants can carry disease.

Also i like Wystearya point about feeding. 3 pellets per feeding is maximum, i feed my bettas 2pellet x 2 daily. Well i give them snacks sometimes. And always put single one make sure he eats and it don't sink to the bottom of the tank because it will contaminate the water or remove it if he refusing.

Also for 2.5 gall you need to do 1-50% and 1-100% water changes if you have one fish in it without ADF. Also I would make 50% water change since you have sick fish in it.

 

[meandmyangels]

triple sulfa & bettafix for sick betta

Hi: I'm really new here, but still I thought I would share what I've had happen to my betta. I have 2 females, a red and a pink, who lived in harmony for about 10 months or so in a shared, not devided 5 gal. tank. About 2 or 3 weeks ago I noticed that my red one had fog on one of her eyes so I began treating the entire tank with triple sulfa. Seemed to have worked almost perfectly. This past week I saw a lot of white patches on the red one and the pink one kept attacking it. I think the spots are lost scales from being attacked. So I bought a 2 gal. for the pink one and left the injured red one in the larger tank. Yesterday I began treating with 'Bettafix'. The white spots are slowly lifting from her skin. I'm not sure if I should continue with the triple sulfa at the same time as the bettafix though. Until I know this I will now continue with the bettafix. So far the bettafix looks promising. It is mostly melaleuca. She is coming out a bit today, but is still not eating. She was eating when the pink one was in the same tank. I am soaking some anti-bacteria medicated fish food pellets in garlic guard in the hopes that she will eat later. Hope something here is helpful for your betta. ;-)

 

[Tikibirds]

Mendmyangels - be careful with bettafix. Many people say its a miracle drug but alot of people say it killed their betta. If its working, I would continue using it but follow the dosing instructions. Its main ingredient is a tree oil that can damage the breathing organ. As long as you don't overdose on it, you should be ok. Plus 2 females can't really live together. you need 5 or more to establish a pecking order and you should have at least a 10 gallon tank. Even then, there is no guarantee they will not fight to the death.
~~~~

It's possibly the fish was sick when you got him. It happens alot, especially if he came from a petstore or walmart.

I would clean out the tank just to be sure the sick fish didn't leave any nasties in the tank. I would also remove the divider and keep just one betta in it. His tank is his entire world.

 

[BETTACHKALOVE]

Good look with red one and i hope your pink one didn't get infected.
You asking if you should continue with Sulfa medications. Did you finish all course of it. If you finish i would not continue if not you need to finish it. I would not use medications and bettafix together. You are overmedicating her.

Also if you still treating with medications i would finish it without bettafix and when you do water changes as directed on medications and if you fish still sick i would recommend aquarium salt.

Aquarium salt has antibacterial/fungal affect. And it less stressful for betta than medications.Do you know instructions?

Good luck.

 

[meandmyangels]

Good look with red one and i hope your pink one didn't get infected.
You asking if you should continue with Sulfa medications. Did you finish all course of it. If you finish i would not continue if not you need to finish it. I would not use medications and bettafix together. You are overmedicating her.

Also if you still treating with medications i would finish it without bettafix and when you do water changes as directed on medications and if you fish still sick i would recommend aquarium salt.

Aquarium salt has antibacterial/fungal affect. And it less stressful for betta than medications.Do you know instructions?

Good luck.

Hi: Thanks for your reply, I think the recipe for using aquarium salt is 1 tbs. per 10 gals. So I will be doing a water change in her tank today and will add 1 tsp of salt. Regards

 

[xjenuhfur]

It's 1 tsp per gallon and don't exceed salt treatments for more than 10 days.

 

[BETTACHKALOVE]

1 tsp per gall with daily 100% water changes for 10 days And you better to pre mix salt in 1 gall jug for the right dosage and make sure it dissolve.
But if you have her in 10 gall i don't know how you can do 100% water changes. Put her in the hospital tank if you have. Or in something clean see through smaller bowl so you can do 100% water changes. Or at least if you don't have hospital tank you can reduce water...Also if you have live plants i don't remember if live plants tolerant to salt treatment.
If you have live plant you can take them out and quarantine them. Put them in the water without conditioner and let then sit for 2-3 weeks. They might die though...not sure which one more hardy and survive...
Also i would disinfect the tank if you ever want to put there another fish.
Let us know we will give you instruction on disinfection.

 

[meandmyangels]

My sick betta

Hi: Thanks for your reply, I'm going to print out your instructions and follow this course of treatment. Regards

 

[BETTACHKALOVE]

i If you going to treat her in 10 gall than you don't need to disinfect the tank for her . If you will take her out then you will need to disinfect before you put her back if she will recover.

And of course if you will use 10 gall for another fish always always disinfect it since you had sick fish in there. Sorry if i am repeating myself. When you disinfect the tank remember just hot water not going to get rid of the fungus or bacteria. Give us update and we will help you with disinfection
Good luck.

 

[meandmyangels]

Hi Bettachkalove: I have emptied her 5 gal and am cycling a fresh clean new 10gal that she is moving into once she gets well. Right now I'm doing the salt treatment in a 1 1/2 gal jar, with 100% water changes every day. She looks like she may recover. Thanks, Meandmyangels

 

[gbose]

worst4N,

Just to reinforce what you've already heard:
1) 2.5G is just big enough for one betta -- take out your divider.
2) Your tank should be cycled before adding fish; this is probably too late, as you already have one. So use Amquel or something similar to keep your ammonia levels down.
3) Change 50% of your water at least every second day; every day is better until your tank cycles. This will take a few weeks. You do NOT need to remove the fish while changing the water.
4) Keep your filter running. Clean the filter only in used tank water (NOT under the tap) every week.
5) Keep that heater, about 78F

Good luck

GBose

 

[meandmyangels]

Hi: Thanks for your info. My pink healthy betta is presently in a 2 gal. and my red sick one is in a 1.5 gal. I am cycling a 10 gal. for them both when my red one is well enough to go into it. I will be putting the red one in first for awhile then adding the pink one later. I will also add a few items for playing and hiding in. At this time my red one looks like she will recover. I am changing 100% of the water each day and adding 1 1/2 tsp of aquarium salt each day. Looks good so far. Regards;-)

 

[BETTACHKALOVE]

Don't use aq salt more than 10 days. If it helps you can increase it to 2 tsp/gall. The maximum is 3tsp/gall. Good luck