# Betta's Dying



## raeven (May 12, 2011)

Okay, so I've bought some bettas from the fish store in guildford mall (Kramer's Pet World, I believe). I seem to be having some problems with them, though. Two of them have died on me so far for no apparent reason, and I'm worried that a third might be doing the same. To my understanding these three came in at the same relative time period. The fourth has been around for two years, and he's doing fine.

I'm curious if it's possible that this is just a bad batch that they got, or is there something I'm doing wrong with the water?

I feed them twice a day (four pellets each time), and change their water once a week when I clean out my 45 gallon. I use the new conditioned water for the bettas by just dunking their bowl in and collecting some of it.

Sooo....any ideas?


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

probably best to post your water parameters to help in a diagnosis.


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## raeven (May 12, 2011)

Hmmmm. Well, the water is usually at 7ish for ph, 5 or so for kh, .2 nitrates, 0 nitrites, 0 ammonia. Usually. I don't test the water very often since we do regular water changes, and it's almost always the same. If something is going wrong I check it, but like I said, it almost never changes.

The one thing I am noticing is that one of our last two bettas is constantly laying on the rocks at the bottom, almost like he's sleeping or something.


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## April (Apr 21, 2010)

I'd cut the food way back. You can try a tiny drop of melafix in their water. Not alot. Also one drop of quick cure. One drop per gallon so I'd mix a gallon of water with it and the drop or so of melafix and use that water to change with. I'd do twice a week wc and rinse the substrate very well if you fed that much. Their stomach is the size of their eye. Even every second day maybe 4 pellets would do. Clean water and substrate should be the first line of defense.

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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=49.235342,-123.185187


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## Tarobot (Jun 27, 2010)

how much are you feeding? my betta feeding schedule is 2pellets every 12hours roughly (usually when i awake and before i sleep). i dont feed for 24hours no wednesdays and sundays. 30% water change every sunday in a 2g tank with plants.


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## moca (Apr 24, 2010)

how big is the bowl and what is the surrounding temperature? Could the water be heated up due to external factors?


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## raeven (May 12, 2011)

I'll try cutting back on their food a bit, that could very well be it. We were just following the instructions on the package and it said 3-4 pellets several times a day, so we settled for twice. Maybe that'll help.

As for their bowls, they're pretty small. Maybe a litre or so. I don't think it's a temperature thing, since our house is pretty neutral and never overly hot or cold.


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## Ebonbolt (Aug 12, 2011)

That's way too much... I feed 2-3 pellets a DAY. They wont stare if they skip a meal or two (or ten) =P


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## Tarobot (Jun 27, 2010)

ya that's way too much. sleeping on their sides all the time could be swim bladder disease, it's when you feed too much and the pellets expand in their stomach and presses up against other organs making them unable to swim properly. you should maybe starve for 3 days, then go on a 2pellet a day diet and skip every wed/sun. 1litre bowl also means you have to change water more often, maybe 50% every 2 days. i read that bettas just ooooze ammonia for no reason.


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## roadrunner (Apr 25, 2010)

I personally used salt treatments, daphnia in the past with good results. Please be aware that longterm use of salt is not recomended. Clean water is very important. In a small bowl, you should do 100% water changes once a week. (not sure from your description how you're changing the water by " just dunking their bowl in and collecting some of it") 
Here is quick description I copied from betta fish website. I hope it helps. Also almond leaves are great
"Swim Bladder Disease (SBD)/Bloat
•Symptoms: Betta has trouble swimming, maybe he can’t stay upright and can only swim on his side. 
•Treatment: This is not a contagious or fatal illness. If it isn’t congenital (aka a condition that he/she has had since birth), then it is caused by over feeding or feeding the wrong foods. Bettas will typically recover after a day or two of Epsom Salt treatments (1-2tsp/gal) and fasting. You can help prevent a reoccurrence by switching to a better pellet food, feeding less and offering a more varied diet. To make it easier for the betta to eat and breath, you can make the water shallower. You can offer him/her frozen daphnia (sold at Petsmart) as daphnia will help him/her pass stool. DO NOT FEED THEM PEAS."


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## Tazzy_toon (Jul 25, 2011)

I've had my betta happily in a one gallon bowl for a year. I change the water 100% every week. And he gets 2 pellets a day, one in the morning and one at night and occassionally some blood worm as a treat.

Sounds like overfeeding is possibly the problem. Hope all works out. Best of luck to you and your fishies.


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## April (Apr 21, 2010)

Dumking the bowl in your aquarium is used water with possibly high nitrates.a very good betta food is omega one pellets.
Foods for dogs and fish the companies always have high feed ratios on the package. You use more that way. More times to re buy the product.

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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=49.275073,-122.835520


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## raeven (May 12, 2011)

Unfortunately my crowntail died this morning. The other one seems to be doing okay, but I'm definitely going to cut back on his feeding and see if that makes a difference. I think I'm also going to hold off from buying another betta from them for a while, just in case it was a bad batch. One of the workers there said she was also having difficulties with her new bettas as well.

Thanks for all the help guys, and hopefully this won't be an issue later on.


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## Tazzy_toon (Jul 25, 2011)

I'm very sorry to hear that. All the best to you and your other fishies.


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## roadrunner (Apr 25, 2010)

I'm sorry to hear your betta had passed. I have bought few bettas from them. One passed after 3+years, one really fast and I still have one almost 2 years now. I guess "bad" batch can be from any store. Sometimes they are mishandled in transport and they are too stressed when they get to the store. Only strongest ones survive. 
Keep your water very clean (tap water with conditioner is fine, bettas prefer softer water), feed variety of food, try to keep stable water temperature (even when doing water changes, make sure that temp. of the water is not much different than water betta is in) and you should be fine.


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## Elle (Oct 25, 2010)

Cut the food way back for a bit, and do 100% water changes with totally fresh water with conditioner instead of water from the other tank. Make sure you match temp and PH to prevent shocking them. I'd also get them into a tank with mild filtration of some kind, but that's partly personal pref for me as I don't like keeping ANY fish in unfiltered tanks. You can get the teensy HOBs that don't make for a lot of current.

Good luck!


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