Rip Sparkle, Oscar, Spikey And Cameo

[Amberleaf]

So ... Basically, divided tanks can be risky, eh? I've gotten lucky till now, I guess. Shame, though, that all of your bettas died. On the site where I read about fish TB, it said that the one thin that infected bettas have in common is that they will all die. Sad.
If I ever *do* get a big elaborate many tanks fishroom setup, I'm gonna have a qt tank for sure.... *le sighs all solemnly and stuff*

 

[theshadowinc]

Hard to really say what it is from the photo although I would think its both columnaris and finrot hmm....
I to have been through the war of not using a quartine tank, the part I don't like is I only have one quartine and ended up buying 2 breeding pairs and yikes don't want them all in the same water because they where all in there own. Mine are not fully grown and having them in a heated tank, all individual containers, with daily waterchanges of 90% of the water. I would recommend a qaurtine tank, even if you keep the same setup, look for a 2.5gal tank to use as a quartine tank and medication tank for emergencies, the problem comes when all need to be medicated seperatly and tank taken down for cleaning and disinfecting.

I have been down this road and it sucks!

I guess we all get to learn something from this, this is where the forum comes in handy....

 

[aly_starh]

I will defos be investing in a QT tank. And will not be divided a tank again. If i do keep male bettas again they will be in a small tank of there own

 

[coldcazzie]

It's such a shame you've lost them all - definitely invest in a quarantine tank! You've put me off having a divided tank now. Wonder if I can persuade hubby to let me have a dinky tank with a male in it on his own?

 

[aly_starh]

It's such a shame you've lost them all - definitely invest in a quarantine tank! You've put me off having a divided tank now. Wonder if I can persuade hubby to let me have a dinky tank with a male in it on his own?

sorry

 

[-Rob-]

sorry to hear of your loss mate, you must be gutted. i would be.

QT tank is a must when introducing new fish even if it LOOKS ok,

having a divided tank isent the issue, if all the fish in there are healthy , clean water etc etc then all should be fine, i think your problem was adding the new fish into the tank.

definetly invest in a QT tank tho,

 

[Inchworm]

Hi betta_246,

I'm so sorry to read about you losses.

Since bettas are totally raised in captivity and jarred up at an early age, I don't think they ever have the chance to develop strong immune systems and resistance to disease like wild caught fish do. They are difficult to keep successfully and, all things considered, relatively few people can do it for any length of time.

Columnaris and finrot are bacterial diseases. Potentially harmful bacteria live in all tanks but strong fish are able to resist them and stay healthy. Bacterial disease can develop when a fish is exposed to unhealthy tank conditions and does not have the immunity to resist it. Any form of stress can lead to lowered immune systems and make the fish more apt to become sick even if some other fish in the tank remain healthy. Some common stress factors include over feeding, high nitrite, nitrate, or ammonia, aggressive tankmates, overcrowding, temperature fluctuations, or low oxygen level in the water. To make matters worse, once a fish becomes infected, it's not unusual for a secondary infection to set in. Some bacterial diseases like columnaris move quickly and by the time they are discovered it could be too late to cure a delicate fish.

No matter how clean and cycled a tank is, bettas have gone through bad conditions before they reach you and might have had setbacks you can never know about. Unless you buy them from a good breeder, and take possession in person, there's always a risk.

Good luck with your future purchases. With your knowledge of fishkeeping and the experience you gained from keeping these bettas, you will be more successful in the future.

 

[Haych]

Columnaris and finrot are bacterial diseases. Potentially harmful bacteria live in all tanks but strong fish are able to resist them and stay healthy. Bacterial disease can develop when a fish is exposed to unhealthy tank conditions and does not have the immunity to resist it. Any form of stress can lead to lowered immune systems and make the fish more apt to become sick even if some other fish in the tank remain healthy.

i couldnt agree with that more. i had columinaris spread through some new fish that i bought at the same time and they all died before i could treat it, yet my other fish survived.

i did lose a couple of my own due to an ammonia spike due to fish deaths, so that statement is 150% true

 

[aly_starh]

ahh thanks Inchworm I hope i will be able to keep bettas again soon

I seriously cant pin-point what it was, as you say;
*Tank Stats were fine (Ammonia-0ppm, Nitrite 0ppm, PH IAL)
*Temperature was a stable 27C
*Tank was not overcrowded- 4 male bettas in 65l
*Airation cant have been the problem as they breathe from the top
*Filtration was spread with the use of a spray bar
*Lots of plants, for coverage, shelter and to intake the Nitrate(?)

I think it might remain a mystery but it is more than likely to be Columnaris.

THE TANK HAS OFFICALLY NOW BEEN BROCKEN DOWN AND HIGHLY DIS-INFECTED.

Lets hope it doesnt return, it wont be set up again now till next year.

 

[Haych]

i wouldnt give up on bettas OR dividing a tank if i were you, i know its heartbreaking though

 

[Inchworm]

I seriously cant pin-point what it was, as you say;

*Temperature was a stable 27C

*Airation cant have been the problem as they breathe from the top

Hi betta_246

Those are two possible reasons why potentially harmful bacteria can thrive in a betta tank. First, they multiply more rapidly in the warm water bettas require than in cooler water. At 27C (80.6 F.) they reproduce considerably faster than at 23.8C (75 F.). When treating bacterial infections in fish that can tolerate cooler water, I usually recommend lowering the temperature.

Second is the fact that poorly oxygenated water also creates a more hospitable environment for the bacteria to breed in. While it's true that bettas don't need to have a high oxygen content in the water to breathe, the harmful bacteria tends to do very well in it.

Remember that bacteria will not show up on any water tests and will grow even though the tank is well cycled. Under the conditions that bettas require, even a small amount of uneaten food can provide a feast that can lead to an explosion of columnaris or other harmful bacteria.

 

[aly_starh]

Hmmm, i was just reading up on it last night.

Columnaris likes:
*Warm temperatures
*Lack of oxygen in water
*Hard water
*High PH

I did use IAL to lower the ph, but i only put a little bit in because it made the water yellow

I tryed to get a hold of Myaxzin, a few hours before i found the majority of them dead, but the 2 shops i went to didnt have it in stock. This was of-course before i knew what it was. it was highly unlikely that it would have been treated even if i did get the medication.