PLEASE IF ANYONE IS THERE HELP, SICK BETTA :(

I am sorry to shout but I am at my friends house and he brought a betta yesterday (male) he is in a 10 gal tank with plants and tiny bubbles, etc.. there are 2 catfish in there too. The tank is fully cycled and has been running for about 2 years with the catfish.

The betta was fine yesterday but now he is really really sick - I think he is dying There are no siugns of damage to him or any skin rashes/mites/worms or spots but he has lost most of his colour and keeps sinking to the bottom of the tank, we lifted him up to stop him drowning and rested him on the plant so his head was at the surface (I believe this is where he breathes too?)Please please someone help, the water tests are all normal, nitrate 20 am 0 and nitrite 0, but we still did a huge water chnage just now to see if it helped - we decholrinated the water and everything like normal but he hasn't got any better?????
Please help I cannot stand to sit here and watch him die

 

He is now sinking then going mad trying to get back up to the top - his sense of direction seems to have gone and he has badly knocked some of his fins, some have broken off, but besides loosing their colour they looked fine......... He is having a hard time, Ricky is beside himself Please please if anyone knows what to do or where to get help on the web please post If it contiunes much longer Ricky is considering the clove oil in a litre of water to put him out of his misery He is such a poorly fish, I am in tears watching him

 

All I can tell you is to put him in a hospital tank and if you are close to a fish store, look at some of the medications made expecially for bettas. I have no clue what is happening to him, and I am so sorry for that. What is the ammonia level in the tank?

 

I'm so sorry to have shouted and to have gotten all upset We moved him into the quarantine tank, which Rick keeps running 24/7 and keeps it cycled with ammonia all the time (as it doesn't always have fish in to keep the bacteria alive) the ammonia in the quarantine tank and the 10gal were both at 0, as were nitrites and nitrate was 20 in the 10gal and about 10/20 in the quarantine tank.

The Betta - Franky, has died, we did everything and Ricky called the lfs were he got him and was asking for advice, they told us to take him down there as they have a Betta fanatic that works there and he was going to get a tank emptied for him, but we were too late, he sank one last time to the bottom and stopped breathing. I feel so sad, and Ricky is still really upset, Franky was fine yesterday and all last night and even this morning Ricky said there was nothing wrong with him, he had his breakfast and everything, Ricky uses betta pellets that Franky adores and was fed on in the shop. He picked me up from work and we both came to his house and Franky was on the bottom on his side That's when we knew something had gone horribly wrong.
On closer inspection when we lifted Franky out we saw that his fins looked like they were breaking off from the very base (where they are attached to him), could it have been finrot that he already had? Would that have taken him down so quickly after seeming apperently healthy for the last days?
Does anyone know what it could have been? The catfish are fine and they are as barmey as usual and they have no signs of any fin danage or ill health.
Ricky is now worried about the rest of the fish, and indeed if he could ever keep another Betta, the guilt is awful, he feels like he killed the fish, that he didn't do enough, but I have tried telling him that we did everything possible for such a shock discovery

Again I am sorry have shouted in the title, I was so panicked I apologise if I have caused any offence, it isn't like me to get so bad

 

Shorty,
I know how panicked one gets when a fish looks like he is headed toward the light. I was not offended in any way, so don't worry about that. I just can't imagine what happened. Any other thing I wonder about is was the ph dramatically different in your friend's tank than what he was in when he bought him? And also, what type of catfish are in the tank? If they are real active, they may have caused excess stress to the betta even if they weren't nipping him. Some bettas can't handle a lot of activity in the tank. Again, I am so sorry this happened.

 

Thank you so much for understanding, We never checked the Ph levels, to be honest it something that I never do myself either. I don't trust the Ph adjusters you can buy commerically and I know Ricky is the same. He has kept Betta's before in a similar set up. The catfish that were in there are bristlenoses, and to be honest Ricky's are a bit freaky because they are always out and about, they behave like corys really and I know that bristlenoses are usually more sedate, they have been in there for a couple of years (not sure how long they live) so we know the tank cycle was done and the water tests confimred that. I think maybe after all it must ahve just been too much the Betta, they are all different from what I have read on here and I guess this little guy just wasn't up to the move along with everything else I guess the catfish may have spooked him too We live and learn, I just hope is wasn't a disease that could be spread to the bristlenoses because Ricky is worse then me when one of our little critters heads off to the great tank in the sky. He is going to treat for finrot just in case, or use melafix. I have come home now after spending some time calming him down assuring him we did everything we possibly could and that it wasn't his fault. Sometimes I guess the little buddies have just been through so much that the one move to your tank is the last move they can cope with

 

I understand, I totally freaked when my Otos came down with finrot...
This is quite puzzling...I hate it when a fish--even one I don't know--dies and I don't know why. Did you say the Betta was new? Is it possible the shock from going from a cold cup to a heated tank is what killed him? Or I think I've heard that just eating pellets can cause constipation...could a serious case cause a fish to do that?

 

I am so sorry for you and your friend. It is a hard thing to lose a fish or any pet. They are creatures who become very close to us. Bettas especially develop a bond with their owners because they seem not to care much for the other fish they are with.

It sounds like the Betta (Frankie?) was suffering from a very severe case of finrot. It can hit all of a sudden and since a bettas fins are so long and flowing it is so hard to see it if it does not manifest itself on the ends of the fins first. This is the first time I have heard of it being so close to the body right away, though.

I am sure he had a much better life than he could have had and you can tell your friend, he was happy until the end or he would not have eaten. They do just sometimes get sick and die quickly. The only concern is the water quality and temperature for the other fish. If there was a massive water change done and the parameters sound okay, then just make sure that the temperature is at least 82 degrees and perhaps watch the other fish. Catfish don't much like to have medication, but if you do start to see a problem you can medicate them with Jungle Fungus Clear Tablets (Fizzy Tablets) or Melafix and that may help. I know Omorrokh nursed her otos through a couple bouts of finrot and they did fine so perhaps she will advise you.

Don't be concerned about shouting. When my Azul died, I would have behaved much worse.

Rose

 

I know Omorrokh nursed her otos through a couple bouts of finrot and they did fine so perhaps she will advise you.

oh boy did I ever...
I actually didn't do a whole lot myself, the Jungle Fungus Clear Tank Buddies worked miracles...the main thing you want to do is keep them in as good condition as possible--extra water changes, plenty of food. The first time through I used a full dose of it, then removed it and waited...then of course the other Oto got it a few weeks later just as the first was done growing back his fins...so anyway since the second Oto was weaker I used only a partial dose.

 

Thanks again for understanding and not being corss with me for being pushy and shouty It was a total shock, R%icky keeps his fish in the most wonderful tanks and the conditions are always perfect, he reaserches everything and is currently seeing about getting capital for his own tropical and marine fish store It would be wicked if he did - the only problem is that I doubt Ricky would ever sell anyone his fish without them facing the Spanish Inquishion first! I have a feeling they would have to have a home visit before he agreed to let them take any fish Lol, he is much better now and calmer - he hates loosing fish - and over the years he has lost some and it takes him ages to forgive himself, such a gentle soul, such a respect for all life - it is hard to find nowadays. Some would call him overreactive or oversensitive, but I just call him my best buddy and one I wouldn't change for the world, he helped me so much through the fire, we cried and laughed together through good and bad.

I am hoping in the next few weeks to go with him to see about getting another Betta, he wants to wait first to make sure the tank is ok and in the meantime he is reading everything about them, even though he has kept them before he wants to make triple sure he has his facts

I nearly re-thought having a Betta too after what happened, but I will join Ricky in the search for more info etc, and perhaps not let this event keep me away from the hobby, goodness knows it took me long enough to get back in the first place and after all we all lose fish, we all do everything we can, and still lose them. Tis cruel but we all know it can and does happen dispite our best efforts.

I have rambled on, and gone all girly and fuzzy - I am glad you guys and girlies were here, for what it is worth, I know it wasn't the end of the world but it sure was unpleasant and I am glad I am not the only one who gets upset to the point of breaking down

Hugs and loves, Shorty and Ricky XXxxXX