Help with Betas and Fish Dying for No Reason?

[violetthunder]

I'll start with the betas.

I have never had luck with betas but wanted to try to have one again as they are such beautiful fish. I have a ten gallon tank with a Top Fin 10 filter and a heater. Water stays at 78 degrees. Ammonia is at 0, pH at 7, nitrates at 80. Since I've had the tank, I've never had any problems with water quality.

The last time I had a beta, he only lasted eight days in the tank as he got stuck to the filter several times which caused him to stress out and die. What can I do to prevent this from happening again? Are there other types of filters I should look into?

I've also read that betas should live in a five gallon tank. Is ten too much? There's four plants in the tank, two of them silk, the other two are plastic. I'll have to take the plastic ones out though, as they might tear the betas fins. There's also two small ornaments in the tank as well.

When I had a beta, I alternated his food between beta pellets and dried blood worms. Is this okay?

Any advice on how I can improve the tank to better suit a beta? Is there anything I'm doing wrong?

Now to the fish dying for no reason.

As I said before, I just tested my water yesterday and everything was fine.

However, in less than 24 hours I've lost a silver tipped tetra and my Cory catfish. They both seemed fine yesterday but when I came home today, they were dead. One of my sunburst platies hasn't looked well for a long time but seems to be hanging on. I've noticed red poop has been appearing in the bottom of the tank which hasn't happened before. That being said, I did switch their food so that could explain that. The dead fish didn't have anything externally wrong with them from what I can tell except for slightly red gills.

Currently in the tank I have one silver tipped tetra (I had more but they didn't last very long), two sunburst platies, and a dwarf gourami (I will be rehoming the gourami to my dad's 29 gallon tank before getting a beta). The tanks been up and running for over six months now and everything seems to be fine, yet the silver tip and the Cory cat still died. I've had the silver tip for going on four months now and the Cory cat for just under three months.

Any suggestions?


Thanks so much,

Megan

 

[violetthunder]

Correction: nitrates are at 40 ppm

 

[nirbhao]

I can't speak to the tetra or cory, but about the filter-

You can get prefilter sponges that fit over the siphon intake. At this point, I wouldn't be comfortable with a bare intake at all anymore.

Trade out those plastic plants for silk- or, if you're up for it, live- and make sure the betta could fit through any passageways in the decor. 10 gallons isn't too much.

You can have a very happy betta set-up!

 

[violetthunder]

I can't speak to the tetra or cory, but about the filter-

You can get prefilter sponges that fit over the siphon intake. At this point, I wouldn't be comfortable with a bare intake at all anymore.

Trade out those plastic plants for silk- or, if you're up for it, live- and make sure the betta could fit through any passageways in the decor. 10 gallons isn't too much.

You can have a very happy betta set-up!

Thanks so much for the reply! I'll check my local fish store for the sponges and look into love plants. Any suggestions on a type of plant for a beginner?

 

[justinmo]

Any low light plants will do, anubias (extremely hardy) amazon sword, java ferns, anacharis, bacopa. Make sure you have good enough lighting to grow them though and if possible try getting fertilizers like root tabs (for root feeders) and liquid fertilizers like seachem flourish for plants that take in their nutrients from the water column

 

[Mebbid]

A betta isnt going to get stuck tl a filter unless its very strong. I would assume other things are the problem with the betta.

The other fish is generally a little easier problem to solve though and it comes down to proper acclimation. How exactly do you acclimate your fish to the water of their new tank?

 

[violetthunder]

A betta isnt going to get stuck tl a filter unless its very strong. I would assume other things are the problem with the betta.

The other fish is generally a little easier problem to solve though and it comes down to proper acclimation. How exactly do you acclimate your fish to the water of their new tank?

I always let the bag with the fish in it float in the tank for a solid ten to fifteen minutes and then transfer the fish for the tank. I don't let any of the water from the bag get into the tank.

I've had the silver tipped tetra for almost six months now so I don't think acclimation was the issue. I've also had the Cory for almost three months.

 

[Coursair]

I'll start with the betas.

I have never had luck with betas but wanted to try to have one again as they are such beautiful fish. I have a ten gallon tank with a Top Fin 10 filter and a heater. Water stays at 78 degrees. Ammonia is at 0, pH at 7, nitrates at 80. Since I've had the tank, I've never had any problems with water quality.

The last time I had a beta, he only lasted eight days in the tank as he got stuck to the filter several times which caused him to stress out and die. What can I do to prevent this from happening again? Are there other types of filters I should look into?

I've also read that betas should live in a five gallon tank. Is ten too much? There's four plants in the tank, two of them silk, the other two are plastic. I'll have to take the plastic ones out though, as they might tear the betas fins. There's also two small ornaments in the tank as well.

When I had a beta, I alternated his food between beta pellets and dried blood worms. Is this okay?

Any advice on how I can improve the tank to better suit a beta? Is there anything I'm doing wrong?

Now to the fish dying for no reason.

As I said before, I just tested my water yesterday and everything was fine.

However, in less than 24 hours I've lost a silver tipped tetra and my Cory catfish. They both seemed fine yesterday but when I came home today, they were dead. One of my sunburst platies hasn't looked well for a long time but seems to be hanging on. I've noticed red poop has been appearing in the bottom of the tank which hasn't happened before. That being said, I did switch their food so that could explain that. The dead fish didn't have anything externally wrong with them from what I can tell except for slightly red gills.

Currently in the tank I have one silver tipped tetra (I had more but they didn't last very long), two sunburst platies, and a dwarf gourami (I will be rehoming the gourami to my dad's 29 gallon tank before getting a beta). The tanks been up and running for over six months now and everything seems to be fine, yet the silver tip and the Cory cat still died. I've had the silver tip for going on four months now and the Cory cat for just under three months.

Any suggestions?


Thanks so much,

Megan

For Bettas , you can baffle the filter outflow if he's getting thrown around. I do use sponge over my intake. I avoid freeze dried foods as Bettas seem to get constipated from it. I feed frozen or quality pellets. 1/2 frozen/thawed/shelled cooked green pea crushed up weekly.

Real or silk plants. No sharp edged decor. Mine like to have a small bridge ornament. They sleep under it.

40 Nitrates is getting high ?

--------------

What size tank are the other fish in ?
What was the total stock ?

Silver Tips need at least a 20 Long IMHO as they get 2" and do best in a group of 6 or more. Plus they can be a nippy Tetra...not sure that I'd add a Betta in with them.

Cories should be in groups and except for Pygmy species again 20 Long is a better size for giving a group swimming room.

Any mystery deaths, I do a good size water change and throw in some extra Prime.

Red stringy poop could be a very bad sign. Perhaps internal parasites ? Or an infection. Color isn't a bad thing. But stringy texture can be an indicator. Other people on here know more about sick fish.

I would not add any new fish till you make sure remaining fish are well.

I'd keep up on weekly PWCs. Clean water is one of the best things you can do. Test your tap water as well.

I would not move the Gourami in with new fish till you see if he's healthy. QT him if possible.

 

[violetthunder]

For Bettas , you can baffle the filter outflow if he's getting thrown around. I do use sponge over my intake. I avoid freeze dried foods as Bettas seem to get constipated from it. I feed frozen or quality pellets. 1/2 frozen/thawed/shelled cooked green pea crushed up weekly.

Real or silk plants. No sharp edged decor. Mine like to have a small bridge ornament. They sleep under it.

40 Nitrates is getting high ?

--------------

What size tank are the other fish in ?
What was the total stock ?

Silver Tips need at least a 20 Long IMHO as they get 2" and do best in a group of 6 or more. Plus they can be a nippy Tetra...not sure that I'd add a Betta in with them.

Cories should be in groups and except for Pygmy species again 20 Long is a better size for giving a group swimming room.

Any mystery deaths, I do a good size water change and throw in some extra Prime.

Red stringy poop could be a very bad sign. Perhaps internal parasites ? Or an infection. Color isn't a bad thing. But stringy texture can be an indicator. Other people on here know more about sick fish.

I would not add any new fish till you make sure remaining fish are well.

I'd keep up on weekly PWCs. Clean water is one of the best things you can do. Test your tap water as well.

I would not move the Gourami in with new fish till you see if he's healthy. QT him if possible.

Thanks for the reply! My tank has always been at 40 nitrates. I think it has something to do with the tap water even though I use prime. The other fish are in a ten gallon tank. The full stock is now one dwarf Gourami, two sunburt platies, and one silver tipped tetra. I checked my water and it seems fine but I'm going to do a PWC this weekend and give the gravel a good cleaning as well. The only fish that seems to have anything wrong with it is the smaller of the two platies and he's been like this for awhile. He still eats and poops and his poop is not stringy, just red in color. However he tends to stay at the bottom a lot and has clamped find but no other visible external injuries.

 

[Coursair]

Is this a 10g ?

He may be bullied ?
Can you do a water change with 1/2 tap and 1/2 distilled or RO to bring down Nitrates ?

I'd isolate him to a QT tank or container if you can add a heater and filter.

 

[violetthunder]

Is this a 10g ?

He may be bullied ?
Can you do a water change with 1/2 tap and 1/2 distilled or RO to bring down Nitrates ?

I'd isolate him to a QT tank or container if you can add a heater and filter.

Yes, it's a ten gallon. He does get picked on by my dwarf Gourami a little but not often. I'll try the water change and see if the nitrates come down. Thank so much!