Bettas keep dieing in my bowl

[yvez9]

I ahve 5 female bettas in my community and they are all fine. I have a guppy fry tank and they are all fine.

I have two bettas at work and they are fine.

I'm unable to keep bettas in bowls at home however. They all die

I got one two weeks ago who died after 3 days. His pectoral fins were all crippled and looked very thin. They werefine at the store though. He developped a swim bladder problem and died the next day. He wouldn't eat either

I got one on friday afternoon. Friday evening he ate 3 pelletts. Yesterday, he wouldn't eat but looked good besides that. This morning, he still won't eat and his pectoral fins look all crippled again, like the last one.

I had a heater in there that kept temps at 77-78 degrees (25 watts for a 1 gallon bowl). I figured this might be the issue so I took it out this morning. Now I'm at work so I can't check him out but does anyone have a clue what might be hapenning?

The gravel in the bowl was in a tank for 14 years with the same fish in it. There is a silk plant however, it might be that also... I just don't understand how it could affect the fish though.

I have a feeling he'll be dead when I get home tonight

I did a 50% water change this morning. If he's still alive tongiht, I'll change 100% of the water and remove the plant.

 

[D Chia]

After losing a fish to disease, it's always good to sanitize the tank and equipment with Chlorox. This would properly eradicate the germs and eliminate the problem of them returning. However, not everything can be soaked in Chlorox (e.g. rocks, pebbles, gravel, etc.). So items like rocks, pebbles and gravel should be baked.

Faith Granger's article on "How to sanitize a jar or tank that hosted a sick betta" has some useful advice on disinfection.

To reduce the risk of fish being infected by rocks, pebbles, gravel, etc. and make life easier for my lazy self, my tanks only contain water and fish.

 

[D Chia]

I got one on friday afternoon. Friday evening he ate 3 pelletts. Yesterday, he wouldn't eat but looked good besides that. This morning, he still won't eat and his pectoral fins look all crippled again, like the last one.

Could it be the pellets? Check if they've turned mouldy.

 

[yvez9]

I took out the pellets after about 5 minutes, they were still floating. I know he saw them because he looked at them when he came up for air...

I'll try to put him in a bare bowl I have. I'll take out the plant and bake the gravel. Should I boil it or put it on a cooking tray in the oven?


Now that I think about it, that plant was in a bowl with crappy gravel. The paint from the gravel dissolved in the water and eventually killed the fish that was in after a few days. That was a few months ago!!!

Maybe the plant has absorbed that paint and is leaching it back in the water.

 

[turbotiber]

How big is the bowl? 1g? You had a 25w heater in there?? Maybe you boiled your fishies..?

 

[yvez9]

It's a bit more than a gallon. It never got really hot though. I figured it might be the problem so I took it out this morning. I juts hope it will be warm enough for the fish to live in it...

 

[OohFeeshy]

Its unlikely to boil the fish, since I would assume it had a thermostat....Although you can get a 10 watt heater from Aquatics Online.