I give up

[rollntider]

I havbe decided to quit killing bettas. Before I get flamed I am not killing them on purpose but I bought another one friday and she died late last night. this is the 3rd one. I want to raise these nicecreatures but I keep killing them some how. All of the parameters are fine I listed water conditions on the other betta that died. they start out fine and then by the 2nd or 3rd day they start sitting on the bottom. what am i doing wrong? I am dumbfounded I will quit buying them for a while, since it seems like I am giving them a death sentence.

 

[endparenthesis]

Find a better petstore maybe...

 

[buggyboutbettas]

sorry bout the trouble.

 

[shimanocono]

What temperature are you keeping them at? What size of atank and are you use dechlorinater?

 

[jams.alaskan]

Are you having trouble with the beta in the football tank?


ALASKA

 

[cichlidmommy]

I would try a different lfs if you haven't already. I had this experience before, and found this helped me stop from killing them

 

[rollntider]

What temperature are you keeping them at? What size of atank and are you use dechlorinater?

James , Yes I am

76-78f is the temp and I always use dechlorinator.
It is a 5.5 gallon
Ammonio and Nitrite are 0
didnt test for nitrates last night will when i get home
ph 6.8

 

[rollntider]

oh and I bout the 1st betta at Wal mart
the 2nd at Petsmart
3rd from pet supermarket....

 

[shrks1fan]

Sounds like you're just getting bad stock, which unfortunately doesn't surprise me when I see where you're getting your fish. So I doubt that it is your fault these fish keep dieing, and especially since it's happening so fast, I'm sure the fish were sick when you brought them home. Do you have a good fish shop you can try? (not a superstore of any type), see how they treat their fish and if they are healthy. Also, if you Bettas are dieing shortly after bringing them home, you should be able to get a refund from the store you got it at, and if the store doesn't offer refunds then definetly don't go there again, at least for fish, as any reputable fish seller will guarantee their fish, sometimes for as much as a week.

Linda
http/www.pet-emporium.com
http/www.cooking-fanatics.com

 

[kaz petts]

I have to agree with shrks1fan, i am not surprised they are dying either especially seeing as though you got one from Petsmart.
Where I live in Wakefield all our petsmart stores were taken over by pets at home and I have had loads of coldwater fish from this company and in one instance I brought a lionhead home and within a week I had lost the lionhead and about 5 other fish which I had already for 2-3 weeks prior to introducing the lionhead. Because Pets At Home offer a replacement service on animals bought there i was going to replace my lionhead with another one, when I went to look at them to choose which one I wanted they had all been taken off sale and were being treated. They were all acting the same way all my other fish had done before they died. I have to say though they did replace ALL the fish which had died as they admitted that it was likely to have been the lionhead which caused all the deaths in the first place.
I no longer buy fish from superstores like this if I can help it, i have 2 great lfs's near me, one called Interfish and one called Pisces. I have never had any problems with either of these suppliers and as far as I know they get their fish from different suppliers to places such as petsmart and walmart. (I know pisces definately gets his fish from a reputable supplier and his supplier quaranteens the fish for a week before the guy can go and collect them.)
I have bettas and have got them all from these 2 stores with not one casualty.
I suggest you find a new fish supplier and sooner rather than later.
Before getting any fish from any store it is best to look at the condition of the fish and see if they are acting strange at all in the tank and when you do get them don't forget to introduce them slowly to your water by floating the bag and introducing your water and some stress coat and then release the new fish about 30 mins or more after getting it home and aclimatised.
Kaz
P.S sorry for the long post.

 

[Scarab]

I bought both my boys from Petsmart and my two girls from Pet Supermarket.

Question: have you been using the same aquarium to house each betta that has died? Or a different one....reason I ask is that if you're using the same one, whatever killed the first one that died may still be thriving in the tank. If that's the case you need to strip it down and sterilize it.

 

[rollntider]

I bought both my boys from Petsmart and my two girls from Pet Supermarket.

Question: have you been using the same aquarium to house each betta that has died? Or a different one....reason I ask is that if you're using the same one, whatever killed the first one that died may still be thriving in the tank. If that's the case you need to strip it down and sterilize it.

yes same tank but I keep my cories in there. They are thriving and doing well. my other tanks have heavy water turbulence from the filters, bubble wand, and I am sure that isnt suitable for bettas.

Kaz: thanks for the long post , more info the better. I have a small filter on the tank a whisper 5-15. I have a sponge over the intake to slow the water rate down, there is very little water movement at all. It could be 3 bad fish in a row. Just kinda wierd it happened 3 in a row like that though. I am very reluctant to try it again.
Also I noticed no sign of disease in any of these fish, fungus ick all of that mess wasnt prevelent. The one from petsmart looks like they kept him in a methylene blue treated container(all were blue water).
I havent checked my nitrates this go around will check it tonight, do bettas have a low tolerance of nitrates?
all of my tanks are pretty much planted heavy. I am just at a loss.

 

[kaz petts]

The fish I got from Pets at Home had no particular sign of disease either. It started swimming near the top of the tank one day and then it was dead the next.
It is possible that if the 3 stores you got your fish from, are in close proximity to each other, they could have got the fish from the exact same supplier explaining why you have lost 3 in a row. How long after loosing the first did you buy your second one and from loosing your second to getting your 3rd. I have noticed that our Pets at Home stores get deliveries on a Monday and Victoria garden Centre get their deliveries on a Tuesday.
Just a thought.
Kaz

 

[EX-AmP]

how do you introduce the bettas to the tanks? they might be overwhelmed with decent-good water conditions

 

[FrEaKiNhippie13]

Maybe you shouldnt worry too much about the bettas, by this i dont mean in a bad way. I mean theres four main points you really have to worry about:
1. water is dechlorinated and clean.
2. temperature is where it needs to be.
3. betta has ample space.
4. betta is well fed.
I have seven bettas, and by using those four steps they have all been doing great. (knock on wood).

Then again it might just be the fact that the bettas are kept in disgusting conditions at the petstore. Either way i hope it works out for you!