Help Me...

[David87]

Here's the deal. I recently had to get rid of all my animals because we had to move suddenly. So the only thing I can have is a fish. Well last night I took a trip to my local Wal Mart (Big Mistake I'm thinking). I sat there debating on what tank size to get. I debated between a 2.5 Gallon tank for $25 and a Betta-Tech bowl for $13. Well I decided to go cheap and I went with the Betta-Tech bowl. Well I also bought a Betta there. Yes I checked to make sure there was no sign of fin rot and good colorization all that stuff. Well we got home last night. I sat up the bowl. I had used some distilled water that we had bought earlier that was already at room temperature. Well I put him in there, and I woke up this morning to find him dead. I think I did something wrong. I don't know what I did wrong, but I must have done something wrong. After reading all of the posts here. I think I'm gonna go back and buy the 2.5 gallon tank then I'm going to the local pet shop and buying a better quality betta there. I just want to know what I did wrong, and If there's any advice you could give me for my next purchase.

 

[ECH2005]

What was the temperature in the room overnight? I'm beginning to suspect that temperature has a lot to do with all these betta deaths around here, but I can't be certain... I was told 72 was too cold, so anything less than that is probably fatal. I'm picking up a reptile heater today for my 2.5 and 2...

Also, I've heard distilled water isn't good for fish because it lacks nutrients, so you should either treat tap water or do 50/50 distilled and treated tap water mix for water...

I'm no expert, someone please correct me if I am mistaken...

 

[Teelie]

Possibly it was just stress or an old Betta. I've gotten Bettas from nearly every shop around here, local and chain and I've had no problems with them dying suddenly. The temperature here gets cold at night, but usually not below 68° so 72° is definitely not their limit. I wouldn't go below 65° for any extended amount of time though. If you can, try to get spring water or those little packets of conditioners that contain all the proper minerals and stuff for Bettas.

 

[wuvmybetta]

It was the distilled water,I would believe. No fish can go in straight RO without adding some sort of buffer,like blackwater extract or Amazon Rain,or 50-50 tap/distilled.

There was no mention of temperature in the original post

 

[Teelie]

I don't think it was that either. I used to use distilled water for my fish, including Bettas and they didn't die from it, certainly not over night.

 

[Seahorse]

Yeah, distilled water is no good for betta's, but I am having trouble imagining your boy dying that quickly from it.

Did you go through the automatic doors at Wal-mart?

 

[Teelie]

What would the automatic doors have to do with it dying?

 

[wuvmybetta]

I killed a goldfish who I had for years because I accidently used straight distilled. He went just like that. The shock of such a quick change in water may have done it.

Did you go through the automatic doors at Wal-mart?

That's really good thinking about the doors at WalMart. I'm not quite sure what it does,some sort of radar or beam that scans everything in your bag, I've never chanced it enough to find out.They tell you when you leave to hold it up. Nice to know it's suitable for humans to walk through though

 

[Grim Reaper]

Here's the deal. I recently had to get rid of all my animals because we had to move suddenly. So the only thing I can have is a fish. Well last night I took a trip to my local Wal Mart (Big Mistake I'm thinking). I sat there debating on what tank size to get. I debated between a 2.5 Gallon tank for $25 and a Betta-Tech bowl for $13. Well I decided to go cheap and I went with the Betta-Tech bowl. Well I also bought a Betta there. Yes I checked to make sure there was no sign of fin rot and good colorization all that stuff. Well we got home last night. I sat up the bowl. I had used some distilled water that we had bought earlier that was already at room temperature. Well I put him in there, and I woke up this morning to find him dead. I think I did something wrong. I don't know what I did wrong, but I must have done something wrong. After reading all of the posts here. I think I'm gonna go back and buy the 2.5 gallon tank then I'm going to the local pet shop and buying a better quality betta there. I just want to know what I did wrong, and If there's any advice you could give me for my next purchase.

dont u need to cycle that bowl or something???

 

[Seahorse]

Did you go through the automatic doors at Wal-mart?

That's really good thinking about the doors at WalMart. I'm not quite sure what it does,some sort of radar or beam that scans everything in your bag, I've never chanced it enough to find out.They tell you when you leave to hold it up. Nice to know it's suitable for humans to walk through though

Yeah, something scary like that. I was told they get a lot of returns from people just for that reason.

I do think they need a big sign that says "DO NOT EXIT THROUGH AUTOMATIC DOORS IF YOU HAVE A FISH." I have done it myself once when I was in a hurry, though the fish survived, thankfully. I swear he acted a bit loopy for a bit afterward, hmm...

 

[Teelie]

Sounds paranoid to me. I've always gone through those scanners with fish at Wal-Mart and other shops that use it and none of the fish died because of it. Even using distilled water once and killing a fish sounds like a stretch to me. I've done both in combinations to no ill effects of the fish or myself and if the radar was truly so dangerous, I'm sure it would be more commonly discussed than this as it's the first I've ever heard of it anywhere.

 

[wuvmybetta]

This is true. I searched and searched to find anybody with a similar experience or theory and nothing came up.

But,hey,sometimes it just happens. You bring them home and they die. Not trying to sound cold or disinterested but I too have purchased bettas only to find him/them dead the next morning. This has ranged from a cute little VT from PetSmart to an amazing copper CT that I had shipped in from Thailand. It's just the way it goes. I have a theory that if all goes well the first week here with me,then they're in like flint.

 

[Teelie]

I think it is more likely stress or age. The fish you get from Wal-Mart and other chain stores are usually mass produced in fish farms so it's probable their immune systems and body just aren't as healthy as quality bred ones you'd buy from a professional.

 

[wuvmybetta]

This is true as well.

David~ It's almost certainly nothing you did. Sorry for your loss and I hope you saved your receipt. Try again,maybe the next guy will be everything you could want in a betta

 

[f250fisherman]

After receiving shipped fish, and hearing the wild tales about half frozen bettas, the cold will not kill them, (at least not that quick.) Hopefully you are adjusting the temp between your fishes container and the new water, as well as putting some of your water in with the old water, to acclimate the betta to the different ph and temp. More new fish die from not acclimating the fish than any other reason. If you done all that, the fish was probably already sick, and just died. Those fish in little containers go through a terrible time, with mass shipping, various temps, small dirty quarters , and no fresh water. The ammonia alone burns up their gills.