Our fish died; can we add fish to that aquarium?

Greetings,
Two questions:
1. We lost our little Betta fish Nick about 2 weeks ago. He got swim bladder and struggled for a couple of months before passing away - we tried everything to save him ;(. I have kept our aquarium up (see pictures) as we have live plants. It's fully cycled with a heater and filter. Can I add a fish to the aquarium or is it possibly contaminated. We don't feel ready to get another fish yet, but it seems such a waste to have a nice aquarium and not get one when so many are living in tiny cups.
2. This is the 2nd time we've had a Betta that got ill and died after moving them to this style aquarium. I'm wondering if there's something faulty with the aquarium itself that makes it more prone for the fish to get sick. The lid only has a tiny hole for oxygen, and I started tipping the lid a little sideways to make more airspace.
3. Our first Betta lived for a year. We moved him from a 3.5 gallon tank to this same tank style and within months he passed on. Our Betta who just passed we didn't even have a year. I'd had him in a 5 gallon fluval spec aquarium and then moved him to this larger tank when the filter broke on the other one. We had a snail outbreak with the new plants and he passed within a few months of moving him.
4. these were not water quality related illnesses. The tanks have always been cleaned every week including gravel vaccum and 25% water change.
5. Maybe it's the Koi betta and they don't live as long?

 

First thing's first, how long's it been without fish? Like all living organisms beneficial bacteria need food (ammonia/ammonium). Dying plant matter is okay but isn't nearly as good as fish waste. To get another fish, plan on it soon. Otherwise you'll need to cycle the tank all over again.

Second, beware of the dracaena - it isn't a grass or bamboo but a semi-aquatic houseplant. Keep the leaves out of the water otherwise they'll rot.

Thirdly, positive/negative buoyancy disorder aka swim bladder disease/infection won't kill fish on it's own. It can cause stress which increases the chance of infections, disease and parasites but won't cause the mortality. Try to diagnose what else he could've had before you get other fish in case it's transferable. If the tank's without fish 3 weeks in though, it should be "clean".

Last, you said "maybe it's koi bettas". Well, you're not wrong. Bettas are all inbred especially koi or red fish. Issues caused by inbreeding range from relatively "insignificant" deformities like x-factor scales and spoonhead to more severe problems like scoliosis, deformed swim bladder or risk of cancer. So who knows - maybe he passed due to issues in care, genetics or just bad luck. Whatever the case, you have my condolences friend

 

I am sorry for your loss, it is heart breaking to see them struggle and perish without knowing the reason.
A couple of questions:
At what temperature do you keep the tank?
What are the parameters of the tank like Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates
What do you feed?
A suggestion would be to increase water changes to 50% per week. Bettas live pristine water.
If there was no disease, there is no reason to wait with a new acquisition and get a new Betta.
We do not know about the genetic pre-disposition of the Bettas, the little guys in the cup come from mass production and it is recommended to go with reputable breeder fish, but also that is no guarantee.
Go with one that tugs on your heartstrings and give him the best life possible. A beautiful tank like yours and an experienced fish keeper is more than many cup Bettas get.
Good Luck!!

 

First thing's first, how long's it been without fish? Like all living organisms beneficial bacteria need food (ammonia/ammonium). Dying plant matter is okay but isn't nearly as good as fish waste. To get another fish, plan on it soon. Otherwise you'll need to cycle the tank all over again.

Second, beware of the dracaena - it isn't a grass or bamboo but a semi-aquatic houseplant. Keep the leaves out of the water otherwise they'll rot.

Thirdly, positive/negative buoyancy disorder aka swim bladder disease/infection won't kill fish on it's own. It can cause stress which increases the chance of infections, disease and parasites but won't cause the mortality. Try to diagnose what else he could've had before you get other fish in case it's transferable. If the tank's without fish 3 weeks in though, it should be "clean".

Last, you said "maybe it's koi bettas". Well, you're not wrong. Bettas are all inbred especially koi or red fish. Issues caused by inbreeding range from relatively "insignificant" deformities like x-factor scales and spoonhead to more severe problems like scoliosis, deformed swim bladder or risk of cancer. So who knows - maybe he passed due to issues in care, genetics or just bad luck. Whatever the case, you have my condolences friend

Thanks for the feedback and info. It was definitely not issues with care. Our previous betta I actually brought to the fish vet. Couldn't save him. This one had fabulous regular care and a nice, well kept habitat. No need to even put that out there. Hard enough to be helpless with a sick fish.

I am sorry for your loss, it is heart breaking to see them struggle and perish without knowing the reason.
A couple of questions:
At what temperature do you keep the tank?
What are the parameters of the tank like Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates
What do you feed?
A suggestion would be to increase water changes to 50% per week. Bettas live pristine water.
If there was no disease, there is no reason to wait with a new acquisition and get a new Betta.
We do not know about the genetic pre-disposition of the Bettas, the little guys in the cup come from mass production and it is recommended to go with reputable breeder fish, but also that is no guarantee.
Go with one that tugs on your heartstrings and give him the best life possible. A beautiful tank like yours and an experienced fish keeper is more than many cup Bettas get.
Good Luck!!

Thank you. It was tough both times . Temp was 76-77 degrees kept consistent with a heater. I brought the water up to the fish store and it all tested normal - whatever that # was. No water issue. Fed him pellets then once a week a 1x feeding of brine shrimp or other frozens that are designated for bettas. He got sick after the tank got infested with snails brought in on a plant. He was eating and hunting for the babies nonstop. I think he must have gotten some of the shell material lodged in him and could just never pass it. He had a bend, was at an angle when he floated at the top, hid in his pineapple for extended periods. He never stopped eating, though. I fasted him a couple of times for days on end when he first got sick because it was advised. Didn't work. Hit him with Kanoplex 2x. No luck. Put some aquarium salt in. None of the usual remedies helped.

 

No need to even put that out there. Hard enough to be helpless with a sick fish.

I hope you didn't take what I said the wrong way. It would never be my intention. I've rescued over 250 bettas within the past 9 yrs. I've seen illnesses and am using personal experience to help you out

 

I hope you didn't take what I said the wrong way. It would never be my intention. I've rescued over 250 bettas within the past 9 yrs. I've seen illnesses and am using personal experience to help you out

Thank you. I'm a little sensitive .

 

So coming back to the snails, if you think that he may have ingested too many shells, do you have the snail issue under control? What kind of snails?

 

Water quality might damage their scales and fins and cause stress, but Bettas are labyrinth fish, and can gulp air if the water quality is bad or it's low oxygen. it would be a significant appearance decline if it were the water itself.

the MAIN problem I see with Bettas is that they are usually sold as full mature adults, and hard to tell which ones are beyond even breeding age at that point and in the elderly category. on average the store bettas live between 1-4 years in captivity depending on the age of the fish when you got it, which you won't know, unless you breed and raise your own. Wild bettas generally live 2 years in cambodia, vietnam, thailand, with no intervention, so by the time you get them at the store, in all their fined and colored glory, they are already on the back half of their lifespans.

Bettas can also get severely constipated and backed up which can look like swim bladder disease because the stomach will displace the swim bladder as they bloat from it. feeding them pea hearts (literally the little tiny bit at the center of a frozen pea) cut in to betta size pellets. Just a couple pieces will work as a laxative and get them moving again and feeling better, and yeah, nobody feels good when they are backed up, they won't move around as normal, stop eating and get lethargic, and yeah,,, die from it. Just my opinion on it and what might be going on. Most Bettas are old at the store for people to buy them.