Sick Betta

[LvBettas]

This is the third betta I have that is sick and the other two died within about 24 hours of first showing symptoms. These bettas were not kept together however, I did use the same net and changing bowl for their water changes before I realized the first one was sick.

Request Help

Tank size: 2 1/2 gallon
pH: I do weekly water changes and don't test each bowl.
ammonia:
nitrite:
nitrate:
kH:
gH:
tank temp: 78 degrees

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): On all three fish they have started out acting lethargic and not eating, then they seem to loose their balance and either seem to stand on their heads not moving for long periods of time, or they are laying on their sides in the bottom of the tank. Within a few hours of dying, the first two started to develop what appeared to be red streaks in their fins. I can't tell with this one since he is red.

Volume and Frequency of water changes: Weekly

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: Dechlorinator and Indian Almond Leaf

Tank inhabitants: Betta only

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): None

Exposure to chemicals: None

Digital photo (include if possible): No camera.

 

[WILDER]

Sadly it all bacterial swim bladder with septicemia on top, plus when they headstand and lay on the botom not good never seen a fish recover from headstanding.
What do you feed the fish.
If they are in bowl I would try tetracycline but the odds of survival are very slim, sorry.

 

[LvBettas]

I feed them a variety of hikari pellets, frozen bloodworms, frozen daphina, frozen bbs, and frozen peas. Is this contagious and I've passed it on from one fish to another?? I have tetracycline and will at least give it a try.

Thank you for your quick response.

 

[WILDER]

Well the diet looks good, swin bladder can also be caused by tempreture going up and down.
Septicemia can be passed on as they release bacteria into the water.
Do you have heaters in there bowls.
Plus i would get some liquid test kits as swim bladder can also be caused by poor water quality.

 

[LvBettas]

Well the diet looks good, swin bladder can also be caused by tempreture going up and down.
Septicemia can be passed on as they release bacteria into the water.
Do you have heaters in there bowls.
Plus i would get some liquid test kits as swim bladder can also be caused by poor water quality.

No heaters, I'm in a climate controlled office and all the tanks stay at 78 degrees. A little warm for me, but the fish are happy. Usually . . .

 

[WILDER]

Seen alot of problems with keeping betta's in a climate controlled office, don't no why but they always become sick.
I would look into your water quality, good luck.

 

[jaclynhas7days]

Did you wash what you're keeping them in thourghly? Or use any soap on them at one point that may not have washed off completely? I remember I bought a bowl for a new, absoutely adorable betta, and rinsed the bowl out with water, but unfortunely, not enough. After she died, I placed another betta in the bowl after rinsing thourghly with hot hot hot water, and he was fine. Her symptoms sound similar to your fishes' symptoms.

 

[LvBettas]

Wilder - Thank you for your help. He made it through the night which is longer than the others lived from the time I noticed the symptoms. I started him on tetracycline. He is still head-standing, but goes up for air regularly and sometimes will swim around for a minute before he heads back to his osterich position. He has literally dug a hole in his flat marbles and has his head stuck in the hole. So far I have not seen the red streaks on his fins, but since he has a red wash, I don't know that I could. He seems to be a little swollen today though. Like he might be retaining fluid, not like constipation. Do you think it would hurt to add a touch of salt? I only have aquarium salt here at work, but I have epsom salts at home I can bring in. I'm concerned about him developing dropsy on top of the other problems. He's just a little WalMart betta, but he's kept me company here in my office for several years and I've become very attached to him.


JC - I'm not sure what cause the problem with the first guy. I'd had him for about four months and he was kept in a tank that I purchased new for him. One day he seemed a little sluggish and I did a water change as soon as I noticed it. But without thinking, I used the same net and changing bowls for my other three boys at work. The next day the first guy was dead. A few days later another one started showing the same sypmtoms and then died within 24 hours. Now this one shows the same symptoms as the other two. The fourth one is still active and alert, but I have gone ahead and started medicating him since this seems to be such a quick killer.

 

[black angel]

Head standing is a sign of either, kidney problem which is why you might be seeing the start of dropsy, or toxic water which you should test for ammonia or internal parasites.
Do you buy the fish from te same store?
I take it the heating in the office isnt switched off at night?
The red wash sounds like septiceamia which would go with the toxic water but it doesnt look good for the fish im afraid. Do you use a dechlorinator and is the water from a tap rather than from a bottled source?
Do a half change on the tank today with warmed water, never add cold water.

 

[LvBettas]

I use tap water here at work with dechlorinator added. I do 100% water changes weekly and am very careful not to overfeed so I do not keep a test kit here at work. I'll bring mine in from home tomorrow as a precaution, but I also have three other males here that I didn't expose through use of nets and bowls, and they are doing fine, at least so far. No symptoms whatsoever. That's why I think it started with just the one and I passed it on to the others.

Yes, the heat stays on during the evenings. No the bettas did not come from the same place. One from the BettySplendens group, one from a friend who bred him, and this one from WalMart.

I keep aged dechlorinated water on hand for my water changes so I will do a 50% change right now. I can't thank you enough for all the help.

Oh, should I add salt?

 

[WILDER]

For that size bowl i would think you would need to do two water changes a week, as bacteria will multiply in the water, do the bowl have filters in them.

 

[LvBettas]

Yes, it's a 2 1/2 gallon Minibow with a Whisper filter. I did remove the charcoal part before I started medications. I had been advised that I should change a 1 gallon bowl once a week so I thought with a 2 1/2 gallon I could go with the same. I did a 50% change a few hours ago.

 

[LvBettas]

Yes, it's a 2 1/2 gallon Minibow with a Whisper filter. I did remove the charcoal part before I started medications. I had been advised that I should change a 1 gallon bowl once a week so I thought with a 2 1/2 gallon I could go with the same. I did a 50% change a few hours ago.

 

[LvBettas]

Yes, it's a 2 1/2 gallon Minibow with a Whisper filter. I did remove the charcoal part before I started medications. I had been advised that I should change a 1 gallon bowl once a week so I thought with a 2 1/2 gallon I could go with the same. I did a 50% change a few hours ago.

Sorry about the triple post. My pc hung up and I didn't think it posted.

I use the filter in conjunction with the water changes, but still do the 100% changes because I've never been able to get a 2 1/2 gallon tank to cycle properly.

 

[WILDER]

It will takes ages if you are doing 100% water changes for the filter to cycle, are you making sure the betta is added back to the bowl at the correct temp.