Female Betta Not Doing So Well

[love cichlids]

I bought 2 females in the summer, one died about 2 weeks after I got her. Ruby has not been doing so well, she was a picky eater and I fed her bloodworms and pellets to the other female before she died. It has been at least 2 weeks and she won't even eat bloodworms now. I treated her with maracyn 2 for 5 days. She had and still has white stringy poop, I know it is an infection but the treatment did not do nothing. I changed the water before and right after the treatment. On the second day of treatment she ate one pellet, she might be eating very little from the bottom, but not noticeable so not sure if she has eaten anything. She is swimming around very little and lost alot of her color, she used to be bright red not she is very pale in color. I fed her everyday one pellet but I still am finding uneaten food when changing the water. I was changing it every 7-8 days but now I am changing it every 4-5 days. I am surprised she is still living, I think I have done everything I can, can't think of anything else. I love females, I will be upset if she doesn't make it, I will buy another but not the same. She was so nice in color when I bought her. Here is the cutest picture I got of her when she was doing well. She is so cute in her little bed of flowers.

Here is another of her.

 

[Durbkat]

That looks alot like a male betta also a 3 gallon tank is to small for more than 1 female betta in it they need a minimum of 10 gallons of water with at least 4 female bettas. Have you tried aquarium salt and bettafix yet?

 

[love cichlids]

No she is a female, and I always add a little aquarium salt with every water change, I will check to see if I can get Bettafix. I am sure we have it here in Canada, but never had to look for it. There is one female in the 3 gallon, the other died.

 

[Durbkat]

I imagine it died because the other female either attacked it and it died or it got stressed out from being chased. Could you get a clearer picture becuase I am 85% sure thats a male betta? Also I see in that second picture that there are alot of bubbles around the edges of the water thats a bubble nest and only males blow them.

 

[Silvani]

Was her tank close to the other ones? Do you think she is perhaps depressed since she no longer has the other female to “be friends with”?

Maybe try the antibacterial treatment again? It’s possible that it wasn’t done long enough and what ever was killed just came back at this point?

And Durbkat – Female bettas do blow bubble nests. That much I know for a fact because I have two little girls and both have done so. They blow bubble nests more than my males do. Hehe But that’s most likely because they have the lowest setting on their filter so it doesn’t break up the nests.

 

[Durbkat]

I knew they blew them but I didn't think they stuck together very good )

 

[jollysue]

Also believe it or not there are some Betta that are bred to be more peaceful. They will live together without killing one another if accidentally put together--especially spawn sisters. But it is a risky business and best left to the experts who know their stock and breeding. It is hard to miss a Betta that has been bullied to death in my limited experience. It will be bloodied with bite marks.

If there is uneaten food on the bottom for 4-5 days, that is too long. Try netting it out daily.

Depression is a possibility. Try putting her close to another tank, perhaps a spunky male if you have one. That might brighten her day. A positive, "Can Do" attitude is good medicine. I have lost Betta to depression. People have spawn sisters who are tanked together and die within days of each other. Of course I didn't ask if these are spawnsisters, but if they were successfully tanked together the chance of depression is great. The poor attitude will then lower the immune system.

 

[love cichlids]

My son was saying that she seemed not herself since Saphire died. Sorry to say, but I found her dead this morning when I was putting on the fish lights . She was on the bottom of the tank and I had to put my hand in and touch her because I was not too sure. She was on the bottom from time to time.

 

[jollysue]

I'm sorry for your loss.

Betta are very odd and interesting. They will starve themselve in a depressed state. Some will leap out of tiny crevices to only God knows where. They are among some other types of fish that become attached to their caretakers.

Perhaps next time try holding the fish upright gently while doing whatever treatment has been suggested to help them. I had a Cory revive the other day when he keeled over from a too long and very strong salt bath. I held him and kept uprighting him when he fell over and talked to him. He revived and is swimming happily and apparantly cured of a nasty case of cottony fungal bacteria on a dorsal fin. He lost the fin, but his name is now Rocky Balboa. He was stiff when I came to check on him. After a moment or two he moved a little, little, tiny bit.

With a betta try bringing it near the surface where it can gulp air as Betta can and must be able to breath from the surface. Perhaps she became too weak to get to the surface.

I'm sorry, we weren't a good help to you in time to help her.

 

[love cichlids]

Don't feel bad for not helping me sooner, I knew she was not feeling well for awhile. I think I will disinfect everything and put the tank away for awhile. Untill I can find a male that I love. Sometimes it takes time to find one that strikes you to take home.

 

[jollysue]

Check out some of the spawn and growouts here. We have some great and personality plus winner mama and papas--as well as breeders. Check out Wuv's--if you can pry some lose from her. HA!

She just shipped some to Auratus who has posted some pics. Most I guess are related to Wuv's stock.