Two dead Bettas...

[Slaphppy7]

@NannaLou, what is your source water...tap, well?

Is it chlorinated, with either chlorine or chloramine?

If so, did you use a water conditioner to make the water safe for fish?

 

[Essjay]

The water conditioner is NT Labs Tap Water Safe, and their website says (my bold)

Tap Water Safe removes chlorine and other halogens, chloramine and heavy metals found in tap water, which are toxic to fish. Tap Water Safe also contains a special protective coating that reduces stress caused by transportation of fish.

NannaLou's water is supplied by a company called Yorkshire Water so it is not well water.


This is why I'm trying to think what the problem could be

 

[Slaphppy7]

"Halogens"?
I thought that was a type of light bulb....

Edit, N/M https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halogen

 

[Essjay]

Halogen is a group of elements fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine and astatine. Halogen bulbs contain a bit of one of the halogens, usually bromine or iodine.

Edit - I posted my post before I read your edit! It helps having a very old degree in chemistry

 

[QiQi]

What did you clean the tank with before filling it up with water? Just water? Did you use any chemicals like soap or bleach? The snails can stay in they will produce waste to start the cycle. With fish in cycle you need to add the NL lab starter for as long as the directions suggest on the box and 50-60% water changes every 2 days or daily to be safe (make sure you add the filter starter after the water change). Finding why they died comes first since I don't think it was ammonia poisoning, but maybe poisoning from a different source (even residue of hand soap can kill your fish). From ferts I use TNC complete and i am really happy with it, I also use TNC root tabs since I got a few heavy root feeders like amazon sword and tiger lotus.

 

[mbsqw1d]

Maybe antibacterial hand gel? It has seemingly been responsible for some mysterious issues lately.

 

[mbsqw1d]

Would be inclined to say that you have simply been unlucky with the fish purchases and they're already quite unhealthy by the time you have introduced them to their new home.

I would suggest buying from elsewhere, however still local to you if possible so the water parameters (the shop and yours) are likely to be similar

 

[Essjay]

That was my thought as well. Apart from asking about hand sanitiser, I've eliminated everything else I can think of.

It's not even a fish-in cycle with all those plants - it's a silent cycle. Very few bacteria grow in a well planted tank.

 

[NannaLou]

Sorry, had to recharge the iPad and loads of posts while I’ve been offline!

The water conditioner is NT Labs Tap Water Safe, and their website says (my bold)



NannaLou's water is supplied by a company called Yorkshire Water so it is not well water.


This is why I'm trying to think what the problem could be

I haven’t worked out how to reduce the quotes, but I’m in West Sussex, Portsmouth Water supply the water, but I’m certain it’s not from a well...?

I haven’t used any cleaning agents, just hot water and a clean (new from the packet) J-cloth.

I have to be careful with the hand sanitisers as I am allergic to something in some of them, I’ve been working from home for over a year now and have been very cautious when going out due to existing health issues, so I don’t think it would be that.

@QiQi, I’ve read that water changes can be very stressful too, which is the lesser of the evils..?

The second fish started with a very red/pink face and fins and a very pale body, when he died his face was almost white - I‘ve read that that can be caused by stress..?

I almost want to stop because of the worry of killing another fish...?

 

[Essjay]

Water changes are not bad things - most of us change at least 50% of the water every week. The only time they are not good is if you forget to add water conditioner so that chlorine/chloramine can harm the fish; or using icy cold water in the middle of winter so that the temperature drop shocks the fish.

Water changes remove the countless other things excreted and secreted by the fish which would otherwise build up in the water; they replenish things in the water which get used up between water changes - and this includes some of the trace elements needed by the plants.


When doing a fish-in cycle without live plants, water changes are needed on an almost daily basis - every time there is an ammonia or nitrite reading above zero. But with plants to remove the ammonia, weekly water changes are fine - though keeping an eye on the levels to make sure is always a good idea.

 

[QiQi]

I personally didn't have problems with water changes, but I made sure it is the same source and same temperature as the tank water and poured it in slowly. You could do smaller water changes just to be safe but from what I read it seems that if there is ammonia, small water changes won't help and you need a more drastic 50-60% (I could be wrong), seachem prime can help with it too since it binds the ammonia and nitrites, so they are not toxic anymore.
Only thing left is that they already had non-visible health issues as the rest of the people mentioned or the nl labs conditioner is not good and didn't dechlorinate the water.
I really can't think of anything else.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Water changes are not bad things - most of us change at least 50% of the water every week. The only time they are not good is if you forget to add water conditioner so that chlorine/chloramine can harm the fish; or using icy cold water in the middle of winter so that the temperature drop shocks the fish.

Water changes remove the countless other things excreted and secreted by the fish which would otherwise build up in the water; they replenish things in the water which get used up between water changes - and this includes some of the trace elements needed by the plants.


When doing a fish-in cycle without live plants, water changes are needed on an almost daily basis - every time there is an ammonia or nitrite reading above zero. But with plants to remove the ammonia, weekly water changes are fine - though keeping an eye on the levels to make sure is always a good idea.

Or water that is too warm = gas bubble disease

 

[Essjay]

Yeah, I should have included that bit

The new water should be roughly the same temperature as the tank water. Comparing the temperature with your hand will get it close enough.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Yeah, I should have included that bit

The new water should be roughly the same temperature as the tank water. Comparing the temperature with your hand will get it close enough.

I used to use the hand-method, until I killed 5 perfectly healthy fish within minutes by using water that was too warm (GBD)...it was only 5 degrees higher than the tank temp..now I use a digital thermometer, and make sure the tap temp is right before even beginning to fill the tanks

 

[Essjay]

Interesting.

I tend to use new water which is slightly cooler than the tank so I've not faced that problem - in winter a kettleful of boiling water isn't quite enough to get a bucket of water to tank temperature. And in summer, if I make one bucketful too warm, I boil less water for the next one. One slightly too warm bucketful out of 12 won't raise the tank temp by much.
Though it would be easy to raise the tank temp too much with a 25 litre/6/5 gallon tank, so it is something for NannaLou to be aware of.