BettaMomma
Fish Aficionado
So, because I don't like to be beaten by something and surrender to it, I spent the better part of the day and evening researching, talking, bothering, pestering, questioning, etc. in regards to what might have killed my Jack last night. It turns out I might have killed him myself with something I thought would make their lives better.
I recently went out and got a PUR tap water filter - one that hooks right on to the faucet, and you turn it when you want drinking water. It removes chlorine and heavy metals in your water, so naturally I thought that would help my situation with fin problems, etc... I was telling one of my coworkers today about Jack's death and he said (before I mentioned anything about having just got the filter)... "Yeah, both my bettas died when I got a new filter for my tap water filter system. I must not have let it run long enough to clean it out before I filled their tanks up with it."
I used the water from the PUR filter on Jack's tank for the first time last night. Now, this filter isn't exactly *new*, I have sent hundreds of gallons of water through it already, but I IMMEDIATELY rushed home and checked everyone else, because I changed EVERYBODY out last night and gave them all PUR water - Lucky was pale and breathing heavy up at the top of the tank. I ripped the filter off the faucet, and changed out his and Louis' water right away. Lucky's back to his old flaring self and Loius isn't quite as lethargic as he was. Everybody else looks okay for now, but they're all going to get changes, even Gary.
Sooo... in retrospect, I feel HORRIBLE, like I want to die and like I could just crawl in a hole... because what I did to intentionally improve their lives ended up killing Jack (or helped to kill him - I *THINK*) but I know deep down (and I hope he does too) that what I did was to try to make his life better, not end it. *sigh*
Just wanted to share with you all so that no one else has to go to thru what I did last night. PLEASE don't use these filters.
I recently went out and got a PUR tap water filter - one that hooks right on to the faucet, and you turn it when you want drinking water. It removes chlorine and heavy metals in your water, so naturally I thought that would help my situation with fin problems, etc... I was telling one of my coworkers today about Jack's death and he said (before I mentioned anything about having just got the filter)... "Yeah, both my bettas died when I got a new filter for my tap water filter system. I must not have let it run long enough to clean it out before I filled their tanks up with it."
I used the water from the PUR filter on Jack's tank for the first time last night. Now, this filter isn't exactly *new*, I have sent hundreds of gallons of water through it already, but I IMMEDIATELY rushed home and checked everyone else, because I changed EVERYBODY out last night and gave them all PUR water - Lucky was pale and breathing heavy up at the top of the tank. I ripped the filter off the faucet, and changed out his and Louis' water right away. Lucky's back to his old flaring self and Loius isn't quite as lethargic as he was. Everybody else looks okay for now, but they're all going to get changes, even Gary.
Sooo... in retrospect, I feel HORRIBLE, like I want to die and like I could just crawl in a hole... because what I did to intentionally improve their lives ended up killing Jack (or helped to kill him - I *THINK*) but I know deep down (and I hope he does too) that what I did was to try to make his life better, not end it. *sigh*
Just wanted to share with you all so that no one else has to go to thru what I did last night. PLEASE don't use these filters.
