Betta Fish Forum banner
Cancel
Create thread New Forums

Why did my beta die? :(

Tags
betta death betta death mystery betta died sick betta
Jump to Latest
836 views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  RussellTheShihTzu  
L
#1 ·
My daughter got a betta for her 8th birthday a few months ago and she has been doing a GREAT job taking care of it she always remembered to feed it and if she wasn't home she called to ask someone else to feed it she was careful to avoid overfeeding! After doing a little research I decided to switch from his 1/2 gallon tank (that was given to her with him) to a 2.5 gallon tank. I also had used bottled water in the original tank and saw a lot of people say don't use bottled water so I bought water conditioner and used tap water and "betta water" in the new tank. Also I added some aquarium salts. I followed all the directions and then let the new tank sit for over an hour before adding him to it with maybe 25% of his old water. He seemed happy to be in there at first and he was very active! But a couple days later I noticed he wasn't eating and seemed to move around less! Yesterday spent most of the day at the bottom of the tank then today I started looking up what could be wrong with him then I noticed he was vertical like he was eating something in the rocks and also laying sideways in the rocks and looking as if he was struggling to breathe and also seemed like he couldn't make it to the top of the tank! I found SBD which seemed to match all of his symptoms. I felt better thinking he would be ok in a couple days. I put a small heater in the tank in case it was too cold and added some enzymes that were supposed to help heal sick or hurt bettas then put some of the water in his small cup he came in and moved him into that hoping it would be easier for him to get air. I floated the cup in the new tank. But in spite of all the efforts to save him he died and I feel HORRIBLE!!! I haven't told her he died yet I told her I took him to the vet and want to buy her another one that looks like him but I'm scared since I don't know what killed him! Please help me! :cry:
 
#2 ·
Well... did you cycle the tank? How often do you do water changes? How long did he stay in the half-gal? Even with a one-gal one water change every 2 days is already a maximum. I imagine it must be daily for a half-gal. My 2.5 gets 25% every two days. Some people do 50% twice a week.

And when you say "I put a small heater in case it was too cold", I fear that you should have put that heater in there since the very first day. Unless your room temperature is constantly between 78-82, a Betta *needs* a heater. They're tropical fish.

Don't be afraid to try again. I find that most people - if not all - starts out wrong with this hobby. Just read up a little more this time.
 
Save
Reply Quote Like Like
L
#3 ·
Seren27 said:
Well... did you cycle the tank? How often do you do water changes?

And when you say "I put a small heater in case it was too cold", I fear that you should have put that heater in there since the very first day. Unless your room temperature is constantly between 78-82, a Betta *needs* a heater. They're tropical fish.

Don't be afraid to try again. I find that most people - if not all - starts out wrong with this hobby. Just read up a little more this time.
Click to expand...
We did water changes in the small tank once or twice a week. I didn't know about the temperature needs until I did more research after the initial change :-( I do keep it warm in my home but my thermostat is only set to 76. And I'm not sure what you mean by cycling the tank.
 
#4 ·
Am sorry your daughter's Betta died. Don't beat yourself up. Unfortunately in aquatics most of our learning is from mistakes.

It could also be a fluke/coincidental that he got SBD. Here's what I'd do:

Buy a bottle of Seachem Prime
Buy a bottle of Seachem Stability (to help hurry the cycle along)
Buy either a bottle of API Ammonia test or an API Master Test Kit
Get your daughter her new Betta and
Follow these directions (tutorial also explains cycling):

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=555434

I've used Stability to what they call "fish-in" cycle several tanks; including a 2.5. Once it is cycled all that is needed is one 25% water change per week.

The API Master Test Kit seems a high initial purchase but it is cheaper in the long-run than test strips. If you can't budget the kit then get just the Ammonia liquid test.

Good luck and, as I said, don't beat yourself up.
 
#5 ·
Aha. I can bet your fish died of ammonia poisoning then. I don't see the fish myself but I doubt SBD. Though it's also possible with this living condition ammo poisoning is more likely.

Anyway. Cycling. I can't link through my phone (can't open a new tab grrrr) but we have a handy cycling guide pinned here somewhere. Please have a read. Cycling is essentially raising a culture of bacteria that will convert ammonia to nitrite and finally nitrate. Without cycling, ammonia would just build up in the water and poison the inhabitants
 
Save
Reply Quote Like Like
Betta Fish Forum
posts
1.8M
members
120K
Since
2006
A forum community dedicated to Betta fish owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about breeds, health, behavior, tanks, care, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Betta Fish Diseases and Emergencies Betta Fish Care Betta Fish Bowls, Habitats, and Accessories Betta Pictures Betta Chat