I have a 10 gallon tank and my betta recently died suddenly and everything else in the tank is fine. The water had turned a little brown and I think it was from not vacuming the gravel well when doing water changes but I tested the water and everything looked good. The betta had been in the tank for about 8 months so it wasn't new to the tank and it was eating and swiming around normally the night before then in the morning I found it dead on the bottom of the tank being eaten by snails. Before I buy another betta I would like to figure out why this one died and prevent it from happening again.
Betta suddenly died
- Thread starter mataichi
- Start date
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Mumma.of.two
Aquarium Advice Obsessed
Hi! Sorry about your Betta. 
What where the exact readings of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH?
How often do you change water and how much?
Have you changed anything in the tank recently? new filter pads, new fish, plants, substrate, rocks?
Was anything sprayed near the tank like perfume or fly killer?
Is the tank heated?
Was he showing any signs of distress? Clamped fins, fuzz, growths, fast breathing, listlessness?
What where the exact readings of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH?
How often do you change water and how much?
Have you changed anything in the tank recently? new filter pads, new fish, plants, substrate, rocks?
Was anything sprayed near the tank like perfume or fly killer?
Is the tank heated?
Was he showing any signs of distress? Clamped fins, fuzz, growths, fast breathing, listlessness?
Nitrates and Nitrites were both 0 and I'm not completly sure about amonia because my test strips have expired and are reading high but the read the same when testing plain tap water so I think the strips just went bad. I was doing 40% water changes about every two weeks but in the month before the betta died I was doing water changes more often due to the bad readings on the amonia test strips. I did several water changes before I got suspicous about the strips. The tank is heated and stays between 80 and 82 degrees. The tank is planted and also has two cory catfish three kuhli loaches. There are several ghost shrimp and lots of snails in the tank also. The tank is planted with java furn anubis nana hornwort and one other leafy plant I can't remember the name of. Everything else in the tank plant and animal is healthy. The betta showed no signs of sickness or injury the day before it was found dead.
I haven't changed anything else in the tank recently. I change the filter pads about once every two weeks too but I don't think I had changed them around the time the betta died. I don't think anything was sprayed around the tank but I would have to ask my wife to be sure. She uses her perfume in the bathroom so it wouldn't be that but she may have been cleaing around it or if she saw a large bug of any kind she prefers to spray them instead of smashing them.
I haven't changed anything else in the tank recently. I change the filter pads about once every two weeks too but I don't think I had changed them around the time the betta died. I don't think anything was sprayed around the tank but I would have to ask my wife to be sure. She uses her perfume in the bathroom so it wouldn't be that but she may have been cleaing around it or if she saw a large bug of any kind she prefers to spray them instead of smashing them.
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Mumma.of.two
Aquarium Advice Obsessed
It's hard to say without test results but I'd say your ammonia could have been high. Changing the filter pads every 2 weeks would be throwing your tank into a cycle every time. The best thing to do when they get clogged/dirty is swish them on a bucket of tank water. By doing this you are preserving the nitrifying bacteria. When they do eventually fall apart don't replace them straight away. Put the new pads in next to the old ones for 2 weeks or more to help seed them with bacteria and preserve the cycle.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/artic...-to-Starting-a-Freshwater-Aquarium/Page1.html
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/artic...-to-Starting-a-Freshwater-Aquarium/Page1.html
Thanks for the advice. I just followed the instructions on the filter. It is an underpowered filter for the tank size. It's for a 3 gallon tank but when I had a larger filter it moved to much water and the betta didn't like it. There is not enough room in the filter for two pads though so the closest I could get them would be to hang them on the side of the tank near the filter.
Mumma.of.two
Aquarium Advice Obsessed
mataichi said:
Manufacturers like you to replace the pads often so they can sell more product. They make you believe replacing them is good for your fish/tank when in reality it's the exact opposite. Hanging old pads next to the filter intake will work fine. You won't need to replace them very often. Maybe every 6 months or so depending what they are made of and how clogged they get.
Mumma.of.two
Aquarium Advice Obsessed
There are ways to makes baffles to keep them from knocking bettas around.
Heres one example.
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=30139
Oh and you will need to follow this guide while your tank cycles.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/artic...g-but-I-already-have-fish-What-now/Page2.html
I recommend getting the API liquid master test kit. Strips are rubbish.
Heres one example.
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=30139
Oh and you will need to follow this guide while your tank cycles.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/artic...g-but-I-already-have-fish-What-now/Page2.html
I recommend getting the API liquid master test kit. Strips are rubbish.
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