Losing Another Fish

[WILDER]

I can't really suggest anything else.
Just lift your tank lid up and smell the water to see what it smells like.

 

[attibones]

Smells like water and plants with a note of either wood or my substrate which is CaribSea Flora Max. It smells different from my puffer tank and different from my snail/male betta tank.

 

[WILDER]

A healthy tank should have a earthy peat smell.
A sign that bad bacteria is running rampant in your tank is rotten egg smell, or sulphur smell.
The water will just smell foul.

 

[Wildbetta]

I am extremely sorry to hear of all this trouble Atti.     Since sororities are one of those tank situations that is like "walking on a tightrope" all it really takes is one bad thing to happen and the tank goes up in flames.  Even people who are skilled with bettas have hard times with sororities.  Your tank has had quite a rough and stressful time lately which is why I think your girls have had such a massive die off.  Adding the 2 new "girls" at the same time as losing one of the previous girls was extremely stressful for them especially after what they all had to go through in the previous months.  With their immune systems pushed to the limit they were not able to effectively handle the onslaught from the male in disguise.  Then with the numbers down below the "safe" amount, it completely spiraled out of control.
 
At this point, I would look for an antibacterial medication to treat any survivors (including the male since he was in the tank with the females).  I suggest Marycn Plus since it treats both gram positive and gram negative bacteria.  If you can not get a hold of this medication and have to choose between a medication for gram positive OR gram negative bacteria -- go with the medication for the gram negative since the chance is higher that the bacteria are gram negative.

 

[attibones]

I'm so done with this tank. I have a few choice words for it, but none of them are suitable for this forum. Hecate is still alive. She hasn't moved again, but she's still breathing. I don't know if she's gone up for air at all or if she even can.

Tomorrow I will do my best to get some medicine for her. I think I'll let the medicine wipe out my bacterial colonies and then start over. I've still got some ammonia here which I can use to redo the cycle if I lose both the girls. I'm really frustrated right now.

 

[attibones]

Found her swimming along one of the side walls. She'd managed to get up to the surface for some air, swam normally for a bit, refused food, then decided to lie on the hornwort I've got floating. I can't decide if she's getting better or staying the same. Now that I think about it, Baubo (the one I found dead earlier today) had spent a strange amount of time hovering in a vertical position near the surface last night before I turned the lights out. 

 

[attibones]

She died. Not going to say I am surprised, but it still is sad. Picked up some tetracycline today, just dosed the main tank, moved my snails to a different tank. Gorgon still seems like her usual self. Hecate, however, was very pale, though I saw no fungus on her eyes or any part of her body.

In retrospect, I should have done a water change before I treated the tank.

 

[WILDER]

Bless Her. I feel sad too.. As I had seen her in the picture you posted.
Sorry for your loss.

 
If you don't mind can you keep me updated on your last female.
 
Good Luck.

 

[attibones]

I will. Instructions say to dose after 24 hours. Then a water change the next day. Then repeat. We shall see how it goes.

 

[CrazyDiamond88]

Hey Atticus, sorry to hear about your troubles. I hope things get better.
I'm going through similar frustrations with my tank. My pygmy cory are dying off one by one and I've no idea why.
 
Best of luck with yours.

 

[WILDER]

Hows is she doing?

 

[attibones]

Well Gorgon's stress lines are gone. She's still very active. She doesn't appear to be infected with anything, so here's hoping the medicine just knocks out whatever's been in the tank and she never gets it. Dosed again today. Tomorrow we will do a water change, which is interesting because we are staying on schedule with this water change. I do water changes on Mondays or Tuesdays (usually Tuesdays because I get home late on Mondays) and on Fridays (or sometimes Saturdays). I change about 75% of the water weekly (two 50% water changes, the second one is fifty percent old water, fifty new, so that's twenty-five percent old water removed for a total of 75%), but this week we will only be doing roughly forty percent. I'm hoping that the ammonia won't build up in that time, assuming I lose my bacterial colony.

 

[WILDER]

Bless her. Thanks for the update. Still away to go yet. But glad to hear you have seen
some improvement in her.
 
Wishing you well.
Elaine.

 

[attibones]

No change in. Gorgon's behavior and we are now officially half way through the treatment. I'm confident that she will survive. I pulled out all the hornwort in the tank too as it has been killing all my plants by blocking all the light. Gorgon may be a little stressed about the sudden lack of coverage, but I've got a few caves for her that just need cleaning.

 

[Wildbetta]

I am saddened to hear of the loss of your girl.     I am happy to hear that Gorgon is still going strong.  Hope to hear more good news with her in the days to come.  It has been a long difficult journey to here and hopefully whatever you decide to do next works out better for you.