I have a beautiful purple betta that has been fading color, fin rot, and trouble swimming to the top for food. After trying baths, Kanaplex, and Prazipro over a period of time, a very experienced fish friend helped me determine that he is aging. The fading started about 2 months ago and the rest has been over the last few weeks. He lays on his hammock most of the day but does manage to catch a few pellets or blood worms at each meal. One eye seems to be covering over with a cataract. I give him vitamins. I have only had him 4 months but I was obviously sold an old fish. Sorry for the long history. Question is this? How long can he hang on like this? I don’t think he is really suffering yet but I don’t want him to either. I have euthanized neons with clove oil but wasn’t attached to them. Should I let him hang in as long as he wants to fight? I love him and don’t want to euthanize him until it is really time.
Old Betta Slowly Dying
- Thread starter SeaAngel
- Start date
Discus-Tang
Fish Fanatic
Euthanise when you feel is right. Maybe some more top cover as well, or a shallower container.
Last edited:
Fin rot is the direct result of poor tank conditions.
What illness are you treating him for?
This very experienced friend should also have told you that to treat finrot all you need is lots of clean water.
Before you even think about putting him down, Can you please answer the following questions.
How big is the tank?
Has it got a heater? What is it set to?
Has it got a filter?
How strong is the current?
Is it cycled?
How often do you change water?
How much water do you change?
Do you vacuum the substrate?
What additives or chemicals do you use? Eg De Chlorinator?
Do you use tap or bottled water? If bottled water please give us the brand.
Do you have a water test kit?
Can you tell us the readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?
When you clean the tank can you tell us exactly what you do.
What do you feed him? how much? how often?
Any tank mates? What sort how many?
How long have you had the Betta?
Has he got a history of illness?
Any plants or decorations? Please give details?
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Alliesten
Fish Fanatic
Can I ask a couple of questions?
Is the tank heated filtered and cycled?
What are your water parameters?
I wouldn’t give up yet at all. Start with daily 25% water changes. Use Seachem Prime as your dechlorinator. Also feed him a varied diet. Frozen and dried foods. Bettas are primarily insectivores, so try some Fluval Bug Bites.
I would also do some Aquarium Salt baths. Once per day. See if that helps his fin health. Along with adding an Indian Almond leaf to his tank.
http://bettasplendid.weebly.com/salt-baths.html
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Is the tank heated filtered and cycled?
What are your water parameters?
I wouldn’t give up yet at all. Start with daily 25% water changes. Use Seachem Prime as your dechlorinator. Also feed him a varied diet. Frozen and dried foods. Bettas are primarily insectivores, so try some Fluval Bug Bites.
I would also do some Aquarium Salt baths. Once per day. See if that helps his fin health. Along with adding an Indian Almond leaf to his tank.
http://bettasplendid.weebly.com/salt-baths.html
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yes, the tank is heated to 80F and cycled. I have done salt baths. I feed Bug Bites, Aqueon Betta pellets, frozen blood worms, frozen brine shrimp. I soak in Garlic Guard. My parameters are 0, 0, and 20. I change every other day but I’ll try daily. I also have the Indian Almond leaves in there. The tank is a divided 10G and the other betta is perfectly fine. I will try a few more salt baths too if he can handle them. I wanted to give him some time off since he went through Kanaplex, Furan-2 and the Prazipro. Thanks for your help. He is such a little fighter!
Alliesten
Fish Fanatic
I would probably hold off on anymore salt dips, actually. He has been through a lot. You can do daily 25% or every other day 50%. Either way. Give him a little time to recover. Pristine water will do more good than anything else. Good luck. Hope he pulls through!
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My very experienced friend is actually a vet tech. I would normally agree with you that it is a direct result of the water but if you read on aging bettas they tend to develop fin rot. They then don’t have the immune system they use to in order to rebuild the tissue. Even if the fin rot was bacterial or fungal, the Kanaplex/Furan-2 would have addressed that. I do full cleaning with python every Monday. I have been changing water every 2 days and adding aquarium salt. I was doing daily at first but it seemed too much for him. I sincerely do appreciate your help but I am experienced . Decorations are panty hose tested, No history of illness, one tank mate in divided tank is a healthy Male Betta. A couple of ramshorn and a few MTS snails. When I clean the tank I suction the sand with my python. I scrub the side with an algae brush... no soap. Ocassionally clean the filter cartridge with tank water. Fill the tank using Seachem Prime. Yes, I have an API freshwater test kit. I have 7 tanks and a pond. I have been keeping fish since I was a child. I realize you are just trying to help but I assure you that I have experience and know how to feed, clean the tank, test the water, and can treat most fish diseases. I just have never dealt with a geriatric betta. Thank you so much for your concern. I truly appreciate it.
Thank you for your opinion. I wouldn’t have been treating him if he hadn’t already showed the symptoms before treatment. I didn’t do it all at once. It’s been over a period of several weeks. I was just hoping that someone with geriatric fish experience could offer advice. Thank you both for your help. It is truly appreciated. I’m just desperate at this point. Thank you so much for your time. Glad to see good people on this forum!
Well, I went and bought my betta a larger leaf hammock and a floating lotus so he can float closer to the top and not struggle so hard when I drop food in. He ate 3 pellets this afternoon. Yay! When I tested my water today my ammonia was 1.0 and nitrates were about 30. ( between 20 and 40). Nitrites were spot on. What the heck is going on? I just cleaned the entire tank Monday and did a 25% w/c last night. I cleaned his filter today and cleaned the filter cartridge in tank water. It was already pretty yucky and I just did it 2 weeks ago. I didn’t touch the filter on the other side of tank. I usually alternate to keep my cycle.
It is quite possible that your water supply is treated with chloramide - check with the supplier. Also check the label on your dechlorinator to make sure it deals with chloramide and whether you need to adjust the dosage. (most tests can't tell the difference between ammonia and chloramide).
It says it temp bed chloramine. Is that the same thing as chloramide? I use Prime. That makes since because our water has had a strong chlorine smell lately. Would that mean my ammonia is really not that high?
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