What Am I Doing Wrong?

[sparklefuzz]

So, in the past 8 weeks, I have had 5 bettas. I now have 1. They have been kept in either a 2.5g tank with heater, or a divided tank with 4g in each section... with heater. I've done water changes as follows - either 70% ish every 3 days, or 100% every 5/6 days. I add a little salt to the water, and stress coat for the chlorine etc. I've had cases of fungus, fin rot and white spot. I've bought melafix, pimafix, fin rot and fungus meds, bacterial fin rot meds, white spot meds, nothing has actually cured anything - although the white spot seems to have cleared from cherrykins. Like I said, 4 out of 5 are dead. 2 of them did die within the first week, so I put that down to the LFS's I got them from... Kamiko, who I had longest, was 'dying' for 16 days... nothing I did would make him better, he finally gave up on sunday. Pina Colada, who was in the divided tank with Cherrykins (who is alive and kicking) and a female who only lasted 3 days.... died today. For the past couple days he had fluffy fins and was acting lethargic.. not eating etc. I treat him for fungus. He died anyway.

What the f*** am I doing wrong? I did my research, I monitored the water parameters... the fish weren't stressed out when I changed the water, they were gently cupped and acclimatised before returning to their tank. I fed them flakes, bloodworm and brine shrimp. I was super careful after a fish had died to clean everything I'd used. I let them flare for 5-10 minutes a day, no more.

I basically bought 2 small tanks and a 12g which I divided - all because I wanted to keep and possibly breed bettas... and now I have 1 betta, and I don't think I dare buy anymore. I've never had fish die on me like this before... Have I just been unlucky or is it something I've done?

 

[Jonz]

Where are you getting your Bettas from??

My brother swore off Bettas and fish forever when they kept dying on him. He was gettig them from a store in town and they wouldnt last more than a few weeks.

 

[lisie]

I really don't think it's anything that you're doing wrong. I also really hope that you don't totally give up on bettas. I have a suggestion for you... don't buy from pet stores. At least not now when you're "burnt out" from losing so many bettas. Pet store bettas, if they don't have a disease already, are usually more prone to getting them. Get fish from a good breeder, so you know you'll be getting healthy fish to begin with. You can usually find some that are pretty cheap, and you can even try contacting the breeder to see if they have any "culls" or non-breeding quality fish that they could give you.

 

[sparklefuzz]

Where are you getting your Bettas from??

My brother swore off Bettas and fish forever when they kept dying on him. He was gettig them from a store in town and they wouldnt last more than a few weeks.

I've had 4 from one LFS, which I think very highly of. The other was from a garden centre, who I knew probably wouldn't last long - and didn't.

I really don't think it's anything that you're doing wrong. I also really hope that you don't totally give up on bettas. I have a suggestion for you... don't buy from pet stores. At least not now when you're "burnt out" from losing so many bettas. Pet store bettas, if they don't have a disease already, are usually more prone to getting them. Get fish from a good breeder, so you know you'll be getting healthy fish to begin with. You can usually find some that are pretty cheap, and you can even try contacting the breeder to see if they have any "culls" or non-breeding quality fish that they could give you.

I might try that, though I think I'll see how the one I've got left goes first... if he dies, I might just need a break. Thanks for the advice

 

[Miss Wiggle]

my suggestion would be to invest in some filters for the tanks, personally i don't think the big water changes are a good way of keeping on top of the water quality, i think it just stresses the fish and leaves them susceptible to disease. Also don't buy from lfs's, i wouldn't buy fighters even from our favourite lfs's, go to a good quality breeder, they're really not that expensive, in the last few months i got a lovely SD male for about a fiver plus delivery, and Ian got a CT for a similar price.

 

[Jonz]

Have you been testing the water?

Bettas are pretty sturdy fish - Im guessing the place your getting them is getting some bad Bettas. See if theres someone else in the area you can try, even if you have to travel a bit. The place I get mine, a mom&pop store is about 50 minutes away. But to me its worth the trip to get such beautiful fish.

Other people may say this is nonsense, but I always used bottled water when first putting them in their new homes.

As I do small water changes,they get used to the "cured" tap water. And I still mix in bottled water from time to time.

Definitely invest in filtration. From my experience theyre much healthier and happier in tanks that are filtered.

 

[sparklefuzz]

Have you been testing the water?

Bettas are pretty sturdy fish - Im guessing the place your getting them is getting some bad Bettas. See if theres someone else in the area you can try, even if you have to travel a bit. The place I get mine, a mom&pop store is about 50 minutes away. But to me its worth the trip to get such beautiful fish.

Other people may say this is nonsense, but I always used bottled water when first putting them in their new homes.

As I do small water changes,they get used to the "cured" tap water. And I still mix in bottled water from time to time.

Definitely invest in filtration. From my experience theyre much healthier and happier in tanks that are filtered.

If I put a new filter in, it obviously won't be cycled, so how often would I need to do water changes, and how much at a time? Also, how long would the filter take to cycle? Would I be better running it on my community tank for a couple weeks before adding it?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yes if your community tank's been running a while and is disease free then run the filter on there for a week or two, then it should be cycled and you can move it to your betta tank. Or if your filter on your community tank is big enough that you can spare enough media to fill the new filter without the old one starting to cycle then just take some media and transfer it over.

 

[sparklefuzz]

yes if your community tank's been running a while and is disease free then run the filter on there for a week or two, then it should be cycled and you can move it to your betta tank. Or if your filter on your community tank is big enough that you can spare enough media to fill the new filter without the old one starting to cycle then just take some media and transfer it over.

Main tank is a juwel filter and the filter for the betta tank is a fluval 1 plus, do I just cut it to fit? That would work better for me, if I could do that... rather than leave it running on the main tank.

 

[Amerce]

I have two of my males in a non filtered tank (separated with plastic canvas so that they can see each other and exercise). I do a 20 to 30% water change twice a week and then a full tank clean every other week with a 100% water change.

Any ornaments from that tank are washed in the water from the tank and then go back in (so any good bacteria is also returned).

Any water that I use has been dechlorinated the previous day so it many of the tap minerals have been neutralized.

You say you use "stress coat for the chlorine etc", unfortuantely this is not for dechlorinating you need the proper dechlorination stuff (stress coat merely returns the slime coat to the fish scales if they have been damaged in any way) it will not really dechlor your water.

 

[BWBettas]

Yeah. i had a few die when i was using stress coat as a "de-chlor" i'd say get someting like a tetra one or i use a wardleys one i can get in tesco for £1.50

Bret

 

[liz2]

It is probably where you are buying them from I had one after the other die so I stopped buying from this lfs. I only get from one other if they look ok. its probably not your fault so dont cut yourself up over it

 

[bUcky]

just to give an example, i only have 2 bettas left that ive bought from pet stores, and ive bought about 10. they all died. and the 2 i have left are from wallmart believe it or not. and its not me because i have about 40 bettas right now that are from breeders. so, this is why i will never my a petstore betta again.

 

[liz2]

just to give an example, i only have 2 bettas left that ive bought from pet stores, and ive bought about 10. they all died. and the 2 i have left are from wallmart believe it or not. and its not me because i have about 40 bettas right now that are from breeders. so, this is why i will never my a petstore betta again.

not even if you accidentally went in and there was a betta who was realy cute, and he looked at you with pleading eyes until it tugged at your heart strings?

 

[sparklefuzz]

I have two of my males in a non filtered tank (separated with plastic canvas so that they can see each other and exercise). I do a 20 to 30% water change twice a week and then a full tank clean every other week with a 100% water change.

Any ornaments from that tank are washed in the water from the tank and then go back in (so any good bacteria is also returned).

Any water that I use has been dechlorinated the previous day so it many of the tap minerals have been neutralized.

You say you use "stress coat for the chlorine etc", unfortuantely this is not for dechlorinating you need the proper dechlorination stuff (stress coat merely returns the slime coat to the fish scales if they have been damaged in any way) it will not really dechlor your water.

Been using stress coat to dechlor for 18 months. My dad used it for the past 7 years - it was him who told me what to buy.... so I think if it was not a dechlorinator, my community tank might not be doing so good!

The bottle says "Removes chlorine, neutralizes chloramines and detoxifies heavy metals" "use when changing water, or when fish are damaged by injury or disease."

Anyways, from what you said, seems I haven't been doing anything wrong, though I don't let my water stand overnight - I read you don't *need* to do that. I really think it must be the bettas I am buying.

Thanks for your help

just to give an example, i only have 2 bettas left that ive bought from pet stores, and ive bought about 10. they all died. and the 2 i have left are from wallmart believe it or not. and its not me because i have about 40 bettas right now that are from breeders. so, this is why i will never my a petstore betta again.

not even if you accidentally went in and there was a betta who was realy cute, and he looked at you with pleading eyes until it tugged at your heart strings?

Yeah, I have that problem too.