Betta Death: Circumstances Sad, Ironic and Blackly Humorous

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Lol this was a good little story you should start a blog " The tank chronicles". My betta is named Dracula eeep :p
 
Here is my ironic fish death story.....

I'm currently on my third attempt at fish keeping, working off karma from the other failures. About 9ish years ago I had 3 awesome freshwater tanks, they were established and successful the newest of the 3 running was 6 months old the other 2 were well over a year and a half. In my biggest tank, a 55G, I had a semi aggressive tank with a red tailed black shark, that **** shark was my favorite fish and his death is partly the reason why I let the ex keep all the tanks when we broke up, which is why I just recently again started from scratch, but I digress.

Due to my success with the freshwater tanks, I decided to try my hand at a salt. I got a 46G and all the equipment multiple sources said I needed. I know someone that propegates corals for a living and he gave me an awesome deal on live rock. In short, the tank was amazing.

Now, remember this was my first (and only) experience with salt water. For about 7 months everything was running fine in all the tanks. I was enchanted with my salt tank and the fish in there. Then I got promoted at work and matenience started to slack a bit but everything was fine except in the 55G with my red tail shark. He started looking terrible and died shortly after, I was crushed, I'd had him for years! Everything else in the tank was fine. I went to a fish store to sadly replace him, the ones they were selling were much much smaller then I remembered mine being when I bought him, so I thought maybe he just died of old age. So I got another. Two days later, DEAD. The place had a 7 day return policy, took a sample of my water which they required for exchange, no amonia, no nitrite, ok nitrate (which I already knew from testing at home). SO I exchanged for another, two days later, DEAD. So I think that store must have gotten a bad shipment. Go to another store, buy one, two days later, DEAD. I gave up.

Turns out my 55G was a little too close to the salt water tank. Both tanks had full covers, but there is all those holes for the equipment and over time enough salt spray got into the 55G to make the water very brackish. The fish that lived in the tank long term aside from the shark must have been ok because it was a gradual build up. So thats my irony, I killed SHARKS (yeah, I know they aren't really sharks) the oceans most notorious predators with salt poisoning.

Now I'm going to go do a PWC and ask the fish gods to forgive me and allow me to be successful on this foray into fish keeping.
 
Kellie said:
Here is my ironic fish death story.....

I'm currently on my third attempt at fish keeping, working off karma from the other failures. About 9ish years ago I had 3 awesome freshwater tanks, they were established and successful the newest of the 3 running was 6 months old the other 2 were well over a year and a half. In my biggest tank, a 55G, I had a semi aggressive tank with a red tailed black shark, that **** shark was my favorite fish and his death is partly the reason why I let the ex keep all the tanks when we broke up, which is why I just recently again started from scratch, but I digress.

Due to my success with the freshwater tanks, I decided to try my hand at a salt. I got a 46G and all the equipment multiple sources said I needed. I know someone that propegates corals for a living and he gave me an awesome deal on live rock. In short, the tank was amazing.

Now, remember this was my first (and only) experience with salt water. For about 7 months everything was running fine in all the tanks. I was enchanted with my salt tank and the fish in there. Then I got promoted at work and matenience started to slack a bit but everything was fine except in the 55G with my red tail shark. He started looking terrible and died shortly after, I was crushed, I'd had him for years! Everything else in the tank was fine. I went to a fish store to sadly replace him, the ones they were selling were much much smaller then I remembered mine being when I bought him, so I thought maybe he just died of old age. So I got another. Two days later, DEAD. The place had a 7 day return policy, took a sample of my water which they required for exchange, no amonia, no nitrite, ok nitrate (which I already knew from testing at home). SO I exchanged for another, two days later, DEAD. So I think that store must have gotten a bad shipment. Go to another store, buy one, two days later, DEAD. I gave up.

Turns out my 55G was a little too close to the salt water tank. Both tanks had full covers, but there is all those holes for the equipment and over time enough salt spray got into the 55G to make the water very brackish. The fish that lived in the tank long term aside from the shark must have been ok because it was a gradual build up. So thats my irony, I killed SHARKS (yeah, I know they aren't really sharks) the oceans most notorious predators with salt poisoning.

Now I'm going to go do a PWC and ask the fish gods to forgive me and allow me to be successful on this foray into fish keeping.


Lol That is ironic. Those poor sharks. XD At least you figured out what was going on so you don't repeat the same mistake. Still... you killed a SHARK with SALT. If I were one of those sharks in fish heaven I would be embarrassed.

"So how did you die?"
"Weellll... I was doing my thing --stalking unwary swimmers-- and I choked on a human."
"Yeah? Well that's cool I guess..."
"What about you?"
"Uhhh... Uhhh... too much salt?"
"... ... ... Are you a shark or a pansy?"
"I'm a freshwater shark!"
"A freshwater--! Well ... guess anyone can call themselves a shark these days. You're not a shark: you're an embarrassment!"
 
Josie said:
Lol That is ironic. Those poor sharks. XD At least you figured out what was going on so you don't repeat the same mistake. Still... you killed a SHARK with SALT. If I were one of those sharks in fish heaven I would be embarrassed.

"So how did you die?"
"Weellll... I was doing my thing --stalking unwary swimmers-- and I choked on a human."
"Yeah? Well that's cool I guess..."
"What about you?"
"Uhhh... Uhhh... too much salt?"
"... ... ... Are you a shark or a pansy?"
"I'm a freshwater shark!"
"A freshwater--! Well ... guess anyone can call themselves a shark these days. You're not a shark: you're an embarrassment!"

Lol :p.
 
Lol, I had a one eyed iridescent shark that was blind jump into my filter, get caught and 'suffocated'(?) He was 6 inches... I still don't know how the heck he did it.
I encourage betta community tanks, I've found keeping 3 or more female betta per male betta- only one male per tank, and add fish least to most aggressive over time.
My community tank 40g
6 oto cats
4 female betta
4 raspbora
1 male betta
1 large leopard pleco

My 10g planted massacre
3 now dead giant danios (RIP)
1 full male betta
Pair of very full fiddler crabs
I woke up to pieces of danio stuck to the filter and crabs and betta feasting on the last of their kill... I didn't say it always works, go for big tanks, ample hiding places and constant monitoring.
 
Josie said:
I was one of those people who when I first learned about water changes was like, "You're saying I have to invest time in this fish beyond dropping food in there in the morning and at night? Screw that: I quit." Now I'm a Water-Nazi: it WILL be changed a minimum of 25%/week, or I will not keep fish.
Same here! LOL!!
 
Okay, I'm definitely naming my red hm betta Elmo! Guess the blue one becomes Grover...LOL!!! I have a couple funny/sick fish stories. I bought a 30 gallon tank off of Craig's List and it came with one live parrot cichlid, which went to the pet store. The tank was too small for it. Fast forward a month...I'm sorting through some of the stuff that came with the tank, (which is still not set up, reworking the stand) and I picked up a large resin bridge ornament. It rattled so I shook it some more and out fell a very dried up cichlid. I bet the seller is still wondering whatever happened to that other fish!

Story #2 - Had a 10 gallon community tank for a short time when I was a kid. Parents set it up, didn't have a clue, had one of those useless corner filters, colored gravel, plastic plants, way overstocked. Fish died, angel fish developed ich. The book said they would recover quicker in warmer hospital tank. Being just a kid, I put sick fish in fishbowl on the plate warmer...needless to say, we had fish stew...OMG!!! I still have nightmares...
 
Okay, I'm definitely naming my red hm betta Elmo! Guess the blue one becomes Grover...LOL!!! I have a couple funny/sick fish stories. I bought a 30 gallon tank off of Craig's List and it came with one live parrot cichlid, which went to the pet store. The tank was too small for it. Fast forward a month...I'm sorting through some of the stuff that came with the tank, (which is still not set up, reworking the stand) and I picked up a large resin bridge ornament. It rattled so I shook it some more and out fell a very dried up cichlid. I bet the seller is still wondering whatever happened to that other fish!

Story #2 - Had a 10 gallon community tank for a short time when I was a kid. Parents set it up, didn't have a clue, had one of those useless corner filters, colored gravel, plastic plants, way overstocked. Fish died, angel fish developed ich. The book said they would recover quicker in warmer hospital tank. Being just a kid, I put sick fish in fishbowl on the plate warmer...needless to say, we had fish stew...OMG!!! I still have nightmares...

Lol, sounds like my daughter- she's 7- I had a baby betta that was refusing to eat and showing signs bacterial infection. I was setting up a 1g bowl with a 15W heater and she asked me why, I had already taken it out of the nursery tank and put it in one of those plastic betta containers you get from petco. I told her I needed to warm up the water so the baby (still too young to identify sex but I have a feeling it's female) can heal. I got up from plugging the heater into the wall and went to reach for the container and it was gone... Luckily I got down to the kitchen in time, lol, my daughter was about to put it in the microwave for 25 seconds. Regardless, everything is fine on that front, and the baby is starting to take flake food and small pieces of blood worm (frozen, not freeze dried, don't go postal on me).

In an update on my 40g community betta tank- there are now only 3 female betta and the male (I thought I saw a couple of my otos inside my lava rock, picked up the rock and they were no longer there or anywhere I could see). This is another one that is a mystery to me.... I did my normal weekly water change (30%) and tested and monitored for a couple hours- who am I kidding, I zoned out watching my raspbora, lol- everything seemed fine, I gave them a treat of Daphnia and went to bed. Woke up and did my rounds (first water change out of the day on my holders under 10g and water tested on all tanks). Everything was fine. Noon time rolls around so it's time to do water testing (I'm a recluse and have no life, I know). My 40g is the last I check. I look in the tank and 2 of my raspbora were floating, well they were missing their fins, their bellies and their eyes, and the other 2 were in the same shape stuck to the filter along with 2 oto heads, a third lay upside down on top of my pleco- I was astonished, my pleco NEVER shows his face, I thought he was 6 inches, well he may have been 6 months ago, but he was over a foot long!! On closer inspection he was dead as well, missing his mouth, of all things. I immediately emptied 75% of the water and replaced it. I tested the old water and my readings- tiny itty bitty trace of ammonia, to be expected after that happening, but everything was normal.... My betta are fine, no signs of problems or any stress, but 1 of the females and the male are a little on the chubby side and pooping constantly. I have tested the water about 10 times since then and everything is normal... These fish have been together for almost a year!! This is absolutely baffling to me!! What the heck happened??? (Using an API freshwater master test) Does anyone have an alternative explanation other than pure carnage? I'm posting a separate thread this issue because it happened today, respond on that one please. Thanks for reading!!
 
My murder story has no irony but here it is anyway. Sometime in august or september my family went on a four day vacation to cedar point, ohio. I had left at home my 10g tank with mollies and fry (I know a ten is too small for the adults, but that was before I found this goldmine of a website), and my 20g community tank. In that tank I had 2 mollies, 2 zebra danio, 3 neon tetra, 2 dwarf frogs, 2 upside down cats, and 2 mystery snails. I bought one of those 3 day feeder blocks from petsmart and left for ohio thinking everything was peachy at home. I was sorely mistaken. I walk into my room and notice that my snail had laid a clutch of eggs. I was really excited to have had good enough conditions to enable any kind of spawn. I then had one of those tv or movie moments where you notice something wrong, and then kept snapping to other things gone wrong. I saw one neon split in two parts on the substrate and a battle beaten one floating along the current in the middle of the water column. Then I notice my favorite resident, the darker of the two frogs, half eaten and stuck on the filter intake. I was torn. They were my first deaths ever in a tank after my first 11 months in the hobby. I suspected that the upside down catfish were the guilty party. Apparently they weren't happy with the food I left them. Though I was never able to convict them. Then several months pass and I now have a 50g and 2 10g up and running. Everyone from the 20g was put into the 50. I had found this site in the month after the first unsolved murder and began my true fish education. I got the danios and tetra to a happy school size and all was good and happy. Then I decided that I wanted a centerpiece for the 50g because a bigger tank deserves a bigger fish. I went with 2 angelfish to complete my stocking. One was all white except for orange around the eye and the other was black with white and yellow stripes. Everything was again happy in the tanks, even with the new additions. One week after adding the angels I woke up to notice the black one missing. All I ever found was one small shred of skin an inch above the waterline. Which led me to believe an epic water churning battle took place. I suspect the murder was again the catfish but can't confirm it. They are always under the driftwood just chillin. I swear it's them, but don't have the evidence to convict. Now I'm scared to add to the tank and have murderers on the loose still.
 
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