Alessa

After much meditation and a little investigation over the mysterious deaths of several bettas in the forum with the following symptoms:

loss of appetite
loss of colors
bloating
death 24/48 hours after the onset of the symptoms

water parameters were fine as well... I came up with a disturbing possibility after loosing two dwarf gouramis with the same symptoms that,

since both are labrynth fish
presented same symptoms
died on similar circumstances

maybe, and just maybe the dwarf gourami iridovirus which can stay dormant for a very long time, and that has been also found in other "completely unrelated species" could have jumped to another labrynth fish... betta splendens.

I have found this article and I am currently doing more research on my university's science online scholarly database.

http://www.ibcbettas.org/StadBylawsF...t1999-2003.pdf


I hope you guys will help me research as well and I also hope that I am wrong. But I felt it neccessary to mention this since I have lost two wonderful babies to that horrible virus, and even though I dont own a betta I want to be responsible and share an amateur hypothesis with the dedicated betta owners of fishlore.

thanks,

-Alessa

Alessa

anyone found anything? in allies thread we were discussing the possibility and seems viable... I just want some oppinions from people that actually HAS a betta...

Barbrella

I had 4 bettas. Two have died. After having the 2 dwarf gouramis die and looking back, the circumstances were very similiar.

Two young bettas, healthy and active with voracious appetite, suddenly not eating, then going to to the bottom of the tank and dying within a day or two. They had no outward signs of disease of any kind.

This is exactly how my gouramis died. But it's impossible to know what killed them without a laboratory examination.

capekate

While I have never lost a Betta (yet)... I have lost numerous D.Gourami's, neons, golds, and blues. Fine one minute... dead the next. I can see the possibility of these two Labyrinth fish to have the same type of Disease. But only if the dead Betta's were housed with Gouramis. Since most of the male betta's are sold in cups and not in community tanks, and we bring them home to tanks that house only the Betta, Im just not sure where the connection could be between the Betta and the D.Gourami Iridovirus.
I havent read the link you provided, and will check it out and maybe it will be able to answer this question.
Its a very interesting subject...

Alessa

well, at the petsmart i go sometimes, i see they put (i dont know why) bettas in some tank with danios... then the next day or so, the betta is not there anymore. As many of you know, in petsmart the water is the same for all the tanks. i have actually seen this twice, and the virus is highly contagious trough water.
or... could be the breeders doing the same thing with the water, or irresponsible shipment, or using the same tank for the gouramis, taking them out, and then adding bettas... maybe the people at the pet stores use the same water in the big tanks for the betta cups...

I was thinking in contacting my university and seeing if they would do an autopsy on a betta that died under the same circumstances.

sirdarksol

Bettas are likely not suffering as much because they are often isolated during shipping and in the stores.
Excellent thought looking into this alessa.

This could get really, really bad.
The good news for betta lovers is that there are plenty of breeders keeping the different strains in isolation out of necessity.

Alessa

yes! that would explain the more isolated cases of bettas... because they are often isolated.

however, if it happens to be true, betta keepers should be extra careful (specially when using a divided tank and adding new bettas)

i'll keep up with the research.

Allie

I don't know..but my 4 betta who died this week had the symptoms of this disease.

BettaGirl92

I know at my LFS that when they change the water in the betta cups, they scoop water out of a large tank nearby.
The closest tank to the bettas (where they scoop the water out for the cups) used to be gouramis, but they changed the tanks around. So now it's goldfish tanks.
It's not treated tap water that they use (at least not here, i don't know about other places) but water from other tanks.

Allie

I have seen them do that Petcetera.
Ok here's another theory. Our apartment building has been cover in these little red pharro (sp) ants. These ants are attracted to water and sweet things. They were ALL over our tanks. What if the ants got in the tanks and of course the betta would think they were food?
Here's a thing on iridoviruses: http://www.microbiologybytes.com/vir...doviruses.html
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA035

Allie

They say in this article it spread thru water...and only effect labyrinth fish. Maybe I can't keep betta in the summer b/c of the water here?!?
This article is interesting.
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.u....php?news=1139

Alessa

well, allie, your bettas are not the only bettas who died with alike symptoms... there is another betta name fury (and I am currently looking in to vazques' case) who also died like this...

also the disease is so vicious that even nets can become infected (and you know that in the stores they use the same net/container/water/etc for everybody...

there has got to be something to do about this!!!! i dont want any more gouramis/bettas dead!

The biggest problem with this virus is that it is a DNA virus (reminds me a lot of how HIV replicates ). this is why it is impossible to cure...

Alessa

Hello mods! is there a way that you guys can sticky this at the top of betta or freshwater fish disease forum? at least for a while?

joy613

I lost 3 bettas recently to symptoms very similar to this all were over a year and half old. I have been doing a lot of reading on it and find that the higher summer temperatures may help this virus to infect the fish. There was one site that said it could be because a lot of the medicines we are using is making it into a super bug type thing. The interesting thing is the 3 bettas that died all were in tanks with heaters, the temperatures were pretty constant. I know a lot of people say they really need heaters but I keep my house pretty much about 80 degrees in the summer but with the cooler nights it drops at night. Before I replace the 3 that died I am going to do more research. Seems like it might be crossing over to other types of fish as well. This is one good reason not to flush dead fish, I put mine out in my flower bed.

Allie

This is freaking me out. It's the pet food thing all over again. Soon nobody going to want to import anything from overseas or vice versa.

COBettaCouple

You hear a lot of people complain about things here, like environmental policies, workplace standards, etc. but we have to remember that in countries like China, there's no EPA, no OSHA, no minimum wage.

So no surprise that we get sub-standard production and products like lead toys and poison pet food.

rileyrk190

How quickly after the symptoms first show, does the fish usually die? I have this blue gourami, which has been bloated looking for a month or so now, and remains at the bottom of the tank. He is very pale, with his spots almost being indistinguishable. I have treated my tank, with tetracycline, and parasite clear to no avail. Although, my bettas appear to be doing well.

sirdarksol

Normally, it's a matter of days. Not sure, though, if your fish has been sick this long. It could be that the virus lasts longer and most fish just drown (labyrinth fish need to breathe air periodically).
Dave came up with a possibly brilliant solution of keeping the infected fish in a container floating at the top of the tank, allowing it to breathe easier.

Alessa

well, I have noticed that they become boated like a month before then, in 24/48 hours they succumb to the disease.

I recommend feeding the sick gourami either fresh/freeze dried daphnia too see if it is bloated. Try that and hope for the best.

Alessa

i repeat, hello mods! can you guys stick this to the top of the betta section? please?

rileyrk190

ok thanks! I'm not sure if i will try the floating thing yet, because he does come up for air. He just goes and rests at the bottom.

Allie

Their standards must be MUCH lower than North American's. They also must not view animals as most of us do here on Fish Lore.

Alessa

I just heard from a friend who had a betta and he lost him exactly the same way. I am almost sure it is the DG Iridovirus jumping species.

Allie

My gut is telling me that the DG Iridovirus is taking a lot of our betta. Until someone gets an "autopsy" on their fish. No one can be 100% sure.

sirdarksol

Alessa, we've got the DG and Betta Iridovirus thread stickied at the top of the Disease forum, and I have links to this thread, as well as Chickadee's threads, linked in that one.

Alessa

thank you very much sir