Sick Betta Need some help

Chinnie Girl · 12-06-2003, 08:22 AM

This morning I noticed my betta in my tank was not acting normal. Usually he swims like crazy. He won't swim and won't eat. I even tried giving him worms and he didn't eat that so I know he's sick. I put him in a bowl to seperate him from the others. He looks normal ... no white spots, no ick. I really like this little guy. I need help to figure out what's wrong with him.

clearjade · 12-06-2003, 10:51 AM

Did the temperature of his water drop? Was the water cycled in his original tank?

Brandy · 12-06-2003, 10:55 AM

m,,,I dont think that would have much to do with the water temps or cycling, bettas dont need al of that and can live in a glass of water,,,,,,,I find bettas are like gold fish and just seem to die for no apparent reason, I am sure there is a reason but i dont know it,

we have one one betta now for 3-4 mths, the longest I ever had one survive was 8 mths, then i gave it away and it lived for another 3,

I have gone through bettas on a weekly basis before, ,,,,how long have you had it?? I know when i had them die daily , the store i had bought them from said they got in a bad batch and they were all sick but sometimes bettas dont show signs of illness so it was to late and they sold the majority f them before they found out

you can also buy betta water conditioner and it helps alot,,,

Chinnie Girl · 12-06-2003, 11:05 AM

The water temp didn't change at all and the water has been cycled. I've had him for a while. About 5 months. I put some water conditoner in for him and some stress zyme. It's not "betta" water conditoner, does that matter? It's just fresh water conditoner and chlorine remover. He has lost his colour and looks very sick. I will do my best to try and get him better but like you said they just die sometimes. Plus we usually have no clue how old they are.

Brandy · 12-06-2003, 11:13 AM

exactly Courtney,,,,,,,I dont think it would make a difference about conditioners but someone else here might know, I always have the water conditioner because Vicki gives it to me,,,,,,,,,,,We buy so many fish from her that when we buya new betta kit or new betta she usually gives me the food or the conditioner

i really hope the little guy pulls through, but that sounds like my blue one i had,,he turned almost white, with a little bit of a teal color and he literally dug his own grave, it was the saddest thing,,,but when they go down hill they seem to ddo so fast

clearjade · 12-06-2003, 11:30 AM

I think that bettas are misunderstood fish

They can SURVIVE in poor water conditions, but it will also eventually kill them. One of their natural habitats are the rice paddies in Thailand. These rice paddies are flooded when planted (http://www.thailandlife.com/thaifarmer.html) and are a natural habitat for fish. So they don't necessarily live in a small puddle all their lives, they actually have a whole rice field to swim around in.

They can live in jars with frequent water changes and a lot of betta breeders do keep their fish in gallon or 2 gallon jars to save space since they usually have more than 50 fish but they also have a good filtration system.

And you're right, bettas in petshops are usually rejects from breeders or older fish no longer used for breeding or just bred without any attention to their quality and health. From what I read, bettas in pet shops are usually close to a year old if not more because it takes time for them to grow in their colourful fins and customers want 'pretty' fish. The price difference between a betta from a dedicated breeder and the petstore is huge, the cheapest I could find from a breeder (not a special colour or anything) was $20 for one fish.

When I used to fight bettas in Singapore (when I was a kid), my uncle told me to put them in a glass jar and bury them in the ground. This would (supposedly) turn their colour black and make them fierce fighters. I never tried it though. Also, bettas in fishstores in Asia put cardboard in between betta jars to prevent them from seeing each other to prevent stress.

Brandy, I had goldfish that died almost every week when I was kid! Now I figured out that it's because I mixed them with angelfish and tropical fish when goldfish are coldwater fish. Then I also never cycled my tank so the water would get cloudy and they'd die. I also overfed them, didn't change their water regularly, didn't have a proper filter, and a TON of other stuff, lol! Goldfish sold in petstores also aren't the healthiest either.

Courtney, I don't think it matters whether it's the 'betta' water conditioner or not. I hope he pulls through, you can also add a bit of salt to his water. Here's a comprehensive website on caring for bettas from a breeder: http://www.bettatalk.com/basic_care.htm

That breeder has BEAUTIFUL bettas, but last I checked, he/she doesn't ship across the border

Brandy · 12-06-2003, 11:35 AM

CJ, thats the thing, I have never kept goldfish with other fish besides themselves and it was always cold water, (no heater),,,,gold fish just dont like me

I have my betta in a 2.5 gallon tank, not to big but to not to small, he seems to enjoy it,

clearjade · 12-06-2003, 11:48 AM

Brandy, don't blame yourself! My uncle used to breed goldfish, he LOVES them and I bet he was biting his tongue while all my fish died (I was 7 or 8 yrs, he didn't want to yell at me lol). He did try to teach me how to take care of them but I was such a spoilt brat I never listened to anyone.

I had two female bettas in a divided 5.5 gallon tank and 2 males in 2 goldfish bowls (I think were about 1 gallon each) and they were fine. I was trying to save up for another 30 gallon that I could plant and create a habitat so that they could all live together. Some people mentioned that they kept several bettas in one big tank, all you need is lots of hiding space and I was trying to do that

But it didn't work out 'cos we never had the extra money to get another tank

So in the end, I gave them to my cousin who came to visit from MN, he loves fish too. They made it across the border just fine

I'd love to have bettas again, I still have my old 5.5 gallon tank sitting empty in the closet

Brandy · 12-06-2003, 01:15 PM

yes we have successfully kept 3 males and 1 female together,,,,,,,,,,but it was in a 77 gallon tank with lots of other tank mates and hiding spots so it all worked out, we cant cant keep any little fish in our tanks anymore or they become dinner

Chinnie Girl · 12-07-2003, 07:32 AM

Wow Thanks for the great links. He didn't make it. I didn't think he would. I really hate watching the fish suffer and gasp for air. He was really struggling and looked like he wanted to jump out of the bowl.
I added the salt but I think it was too late. I tried my best. It might be better to get a baby betta. Then you know about how old it is. Im going to try and look in the classifieds to see if I can find some fish breeders. They have to be more healthy then the pet store. Our Pet Smart here is very very clean. Even the small animals are really taken care of. But if Im going to get another betta I would like to find a breeder. I still have a betta in another bowl.