Sick Bettas

[pettygil]

I had 2 Bettas in separate tanks, water was fine, no ammonia, Nitrates was fine, temp was 80 tanks, size 6 gallons. The other betta is hiding and will not eat. The Other betta is dead. What should I do? I did a water change today.

 

[Andy Sager]

I had 2 Bettas in separate tanks, water was fine, no ammonia, Nitrates was fine, temp was 80 tanks, size 6 gallons. The other betta is hiding and will not eat. The Other betta is dead. What should I do? I did a water change today.

Was this a sudden thing or was this something that was gradually happening?

 

[pettygil]

This was something that was gradually happening

 

[Andy Sager]

This was something that was gradually happening

That points to husbandry issues not the fish being sick. List water change schedules, feeding schedules, what exactly is inside the tank, any external things that could have effected the fish. ( i.e. fumes from cooking, anything being sprayed in the house in the areas near the tanks, etc. )

 

[pettygil]

That points to husbandry issues not the fish being sick. List water change schedules, feeding schedules, what exactly is inside the tank, any external things that could have effected the fish. ( i.e. fumes from cooking, anything being sprayed in the house in the areas near the tanks, etc. )

I change water when I get some Nitrates
Feeding once a day 3 to 4 very small pellets
Nothing with sprays. I do not spray anything near tanks. Nothing in the tank that would hurt fish. My other betta fish hides a lot, he eats some food. but does not come out from hiding.

 

[Andy Sager]

I change water when I get some Nitrates
Feeding once a day 3 to 4 very small pellets
Nothing with sprays. I do not spray anything near tanks. Nothing in the tank that would hurt fish. My other betta fish hides a lot, he eats some food. but does not come out from hiding.

You change water for more reasons than just nitrates. Weekly and twice weekly water changes have shown historically to be more beneficial to fish as the minerals in the water help the fish just like vitamins help us. Since your situation with nitrates is different than most, I can see why you would want to extend the time for water changes but that may be the reason the fish are suffering long term. Bettas naturally are hiding fish so the fact that the one is hiding is not really a symptom of anything abnormal. If you can post a picture of the fish, we can see if the fish is suffering from malnutrition.

 

[pettygil]

Here is a photo of my Betta. The other betta died.

 

[Andy Sager]

Pic is really too dark so can't really see specifics however, the fins look a little ragged and that can be from a lack of water changes. Bettas need clean water to keep healthy fins. When they get raggedy, that's usually a sign of poor diet or poor water conditions. I believe we fixed the diet part a while ago and since you say this is something that happened to both Bettas in 2 different tanks ( I assume being kept the same way) so....... ( Just sayin' )

 

[pettygil]

I change water for betta, once a month, and the water is still good. Should I change water once a week? Also Betta has not been eating and I try once a day to feed mr betta. Unless Betta is eating without me knowing.

 

[Andy Sager]

I change water for betta, once a month, and the water is still good. Should I change water once a week? Also Betta has not been eating and I try once a day to feed mr betta. Unless Betta is eating without me knowing.

Once a week is better. As I previously said, you change water for more than just nitrates. In the case of Bettas, clean water is better. Clean is not defined by just nitrates. Fish absorb the minerals in water at different rates so it's best to make sure they are constantly available and you do that through water changes.
As for the feeding, you may not see him eating but if he isn't and that food is just in the tank and rotting, that is polluting the water which could be why the fins look as they do. Regarding the nitrates you were having issues with back in the beginning, to help save you some money, you can try mixing half spring water with your tap water (50% of each) and see if the nitrate level stays low. If it does, the weekly water changes will help keep it low. If it doesn't ( as pure tap water was not working before), you will have to stay with just the spring water.

 

[pettygil]

Once a week is better. As I previously said, you change water for more than just nitrates. In the case of Bettas, clean water is better. Clean is not defined by just nitrates. Fish absorb the minerals in water at different rates so it's best to make sure they are constantly available and you do that through water changes.
As for the feeding, you may not see him eating but if he isn't and that food is just in the tank and rotting, that is polluting the water which could be why the fins look as they do. Regarding the nitrates you were having issues with back in the beginning, to help save you some money, you can try mixing half spring water with your tap water (50% of each) and see if the nitrate level stays low. If it does, the weekly water changes will help keep it low. If it doesn't ( as pure tap water was not working before), you will have to stay with just the spring water.

Thanks for your reply. I will do weekly WC. and use some tap water, with Spring water. I will watch what I am feeding my Betta. I will section out the food at the bottom, with my fish hose as well. I am trying my best. I do not want my Betta to die. I am trying to keep him alive. Again, thanks for your help, and fishy thanks you to.

 

[applepear619]

I have had really good luck with this fin treatment. My betta had really bad fin rot at one point. To the point where his tail did not grow back (he’s healthy and happy now!!) This treatment doesn’t help the water necessarily but it will help keep his fins and scales clear of the fungus causing the rot. I found that I had to increase water flow and change not only the water but clean the plants/decorations inside the tank too because they hold fungus pretty well.

 

[Andy Sager]

I have had really good luck with this fin treatment. My betta had really bad fin rot at one point. To the point where his tail did not grow back (he’s healthy and happy now!!) This treatment doesn’t help the water necessarily but it will help keep his fins and scales clear of the fungus causing the rot. I found that I had to increase water flow and change not only the water but clean the plants/decorations inside the tank too because they hold fungus pretty well.

There's a lot of debate on the safety of the " Fix" meds with Anabantids ( Bettas, Gouramis, Paradisefish, etc) so yours may have been a case of just lucky or you undermedicated which is why your fish survived. There is a " Bettafix" med and that is 1/5 of the dosage of Melafix because full strength Melafix is not recommended for anabantids. That all said, no medication will help when the environment is poor and with Bettas, clean water cures more things and doesn't require any medication. The OP was changing water monthly and that is most likely the cause of the fish's distress.

 

[pettygil]

I thank you all for your advice. My other betta just died. I will not buy anymore Bettas. I called the petstore and asked what fish I could buy for my 6.5 gallon tank, they said they had small Tetras, and that I could get 2 or 3 for my tank.

 

[Andy Sager]

I thank you all for your advice. My other betta just died. I will not buy anymore Bettas. I called the petstore and asked what fish I could buy for my 6.5 gallon tank, they said they had small Tetras, and that I could get 2 or 3 for my tank.

For what it's worth, if a pet store was telling me that I could put 2 or 3 tetras in a tank, I'd be skeptical because that is a fish specie that does much better in larger numbers. Also, the micro varieties of Tetras and Rasboras are harder to feed as they need much smaller foods as well. I would suggest 2-3 male Guppies as they are colorful, much easier to feed and you don't have to worry about overpopulation by having females in the tank. You will still have to keep up with weekly water changes no matter what fish you get. Do you still have the cory cats in the tank?

 

[pettygil]

For what it's worth, if a pet store was telling me that I could put 2 or 3 tetras in a tank, I'd be skeptical because that is a fish specie that does much better in larger numbers. Also, the micro varieties of Tetras and Rasboras are harder to feed as they need much smaller foods as well. I would suggest 2-3 male Guppies as they are colorful, much easier to feed and you don't have to worry about overpopulation by having females in the tank. You will still have to keep up with weekly water changes no matter what fish you get. Do you still have the cory cats in the tank?

I called the pet store and they had guppies, but they could not tell what sex they are. I do not know how anyone would know unless they are fix experts. I have cory cats but I put them in my 40 gallon tank, some are small, others a way too big to put in a 6,5 gallon tank. I will go check the guppies at the pet store, ill prob get 3 for each tank. What temps do guppies need? it was set to 80 for my bettas that died. And what do guppies eat? I hope they do not die on me, like the last time.

 

[Andy Sager]

I called the pet store and they had guppies, but they could not tell what sex they are. I do not know how anyone would know unless they are fix experts. I have cory cats but I put them in my 40 gallon tank, some are small, others a way too big to put in a 6,5 gallon tank. I will go check the guppies at the pet store, ill prob get 3 for each tank. What temps do guppies need? it was set to 80 for my bettas that died. And what do guppies eat? I hope they do not die on me, like the last time.

Listen, if the store can't tell the difference between a male and female guppy, I would not be shopping there. It means they know very little about fish keeping. This is one of the most basic fish that physically look different between the sexes and is one of the easiest fish to tell the genders of. The anal fin is the giveaway. If it is tube shaped, it's a male. If it's a triangular shape, it's a female. The female will also have less color than a male. The female will also have a darker spot in front of the anal fin( as seen in this picture) which are eggs or fry depending on how far along in the pregnancy she is. Males will not have this spot. They can be big chested but that's not the same as holding eggs. The big chest is just a deformity that has been bred into certain lines. I'd avoid any males that look like they are pregnant. They should be slender bodied.

78-80 is fine for Guppies. You can even go down to 76 in a pinch.

 

[pettygil]

Listen, if the store can't tell the difference between a male and female guppy, I would not be shopping there. It means they know very little about fish keeping. This is one of the most basic fish that physically look different between the sexes and is one of the easiest fish to tell the genders of. View attachment 389829 The anal fin is the giveaway. If it is tube shaped, it's a male. If it's a triangular shape, it's a female. The female will also have less color than a male. The female will also have a darker spot in front of the anal fin( as seen in this picture) which are eggs or fry depending on how far along in the pregnancy she is. Males will not have this spot. They can be big chested but that's not the same as holding eggs. The big chest is just a deformity that has been bred into certain lines. I'd avoid any males that look like they are pregnant. They should be slender bodied.

78-80 is fine for Guppies. You can even go down to 76 in a pinch.

I went to ebay and order 6 Guppies. I have 2 betta tanks, with no betta, so 3 Guppies for each tank. Also it stated 6 male guppies. Well at least I know how to tell the male, from the the photo in this post. Thanks for sharing. I have order from ebay before and most of the time, I have been happy with the fish. It cost me 34 dollars for all 6 fish.

 

[Andy Sager]

I went to ebay and order 6 Guppies. I have 2 betta tanks, with no betta, so 3 Guppies for each tank. Also it stated 6 male guppies. Well at least I know how to tell the male, from the the photo in this post. Thanks for sharing. I have order from ebay before and most of the time, I have been happy with the fish. It cost me 34 dollars for all 6 fish.

My sad is because it cost you so much for the 6 fish. That's the reality of a lack of good quality local shops today.