R.I.P Lucy..

[DelleBelle]

:-[ I knew something just didn't feel right about my fish Lucy. I bought her last Wednesday, and she would not eat I tried four types of food- pellets, flakes, mysis shrimp, and peas. Today I headed off to petco again, I bought my mom an early mother's day gift- a halfmoon betta with heater, decorations and a large 2 gallon bowl. I also bought bloodworms for lucy, hoping to entice her, I set up the new betta (Lila)'s bowl, and then I went to get Lucy... he passed on while I was away at the store.

I went back and returned the fish for a new halfmoon, I haven't named him yet but he's beautiful. I'll post pictures soon.

My new betta happily ate 2 bloodworms and 3 pellets, He wanted more but I didn't want to overfeed. Lila didn't pay much attention to the pellets, but ate two blood worms. Lila hides in his bowl and doesn't like to come out near people, but my betta is already following my finger around. I'm happy about these new additions, but I'm still very sad about Lucy. :'( I just wish I knew what was wrong with her.

Thank you all so much for your help, I now have to happy healthy bettas.

 

[Shiba]

Yay! i'm glad petco would take Lucy back

 

[bolivianbaby]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

RIP Lucy.

 

[DelleBelle]

Thank You
I'm wondering- I have my betta in a temporary bowl while his tank filters, but his tank has an under gravel filter and I put in gravel from an established tank. I know with other filters if you put in established filter media it's almost immediately filtered, and for a UGF the media is the gravel. does the same apply with an under gravel filter? It's already been running for over a week.

 

[phishyitis]

When the tank water tests 0ppm ammonia,0ppm nitrite,20ppm or under nitrate hes good to go.Also what I have learned from my bettas is no more than 5 pellets per feeding.They have a tendency to gulp their food and if you feed too many pellets they will swell inside and block up their digestive system.
It doesn't seem like enough food but trust me it is,also for bettas you should try to feed them a peeled frozen pea defrosted in tank water.One or two pieces the size of their eye is enough,once a week.
If any fish starts acting abnormal the first thing you should do is check your water perameters with a liquid test kit, to rule that out.

 

[Meenu]

Thank You
I'm wondering- I have my betta in a temporary bowl while his tank filters.

I don't mean to sound mean, but why are you buying more fish if you don't have an appropriate home for them? Why not wait so more fish don't get hurt?

 

[DelleBelle]

Thanks, I did test the water even though I was doing water changes, it was fine- everything was at 0 and PH was normal. The bowl I have isn't inappropriate its just not ideal, and my fish didn't get hurt. I did daily 100% water changes, the problem was that he wouldn't eat. I tried four types of food, and he died when I went to buy a 5th type. My tank water parameters are normal, so I'm going to put him in his tank and monitor the water day to day.

 

[Meenu]

Oh, your bowl has a filter?

 

[Jequila]

Aww, I'm sorry about Lucy Grats on the new additions though, I hope they stay happy and healthy for a long time
p.s. Post pics!!

 

[Tigerfishy]

Sorry about Lucy, hope you get on well with your new fish.

I'm sorry but I do agree with Meenu. Is the bowl filtered or not, as that may have added to the problems if it was not filtered, heated etc. More importantly, filters need to be cycled, which you are doing with the tank now, if I remember rightly. Keep adding a food source to that tank so it can keep processing the ammonia to cycle properly.

 

[DelleBelle]

The bowl was heated, but not filtered. I did 100% daily water changes. He would not eat from day one. There must have been some kind of pre-existing condition, because the two bettas I have now act completely different. They eat, and are even friendly. You may feel that the bowl contributed to whatever was wrong, but the way I see it, I tried my best, and a healthy betta would have been fine. I did nothing that would have killed a healthy betta, and I did not know that Lucy was sick. This betta was unhealthy from the start, it was living in a small cup. I put it in a nice heated bowl. I improved the conditions he was already in, and I honestly feel like there was nothing I could have done. He didn't show any signs of all various betta diseases, he just didn't eat (and many of you said yourselves, that it is normal in the first week of being in a new home) So, there was nothing to treat, there was nothing I could have done.
Anyway, Since my water parameters where normal, I transferred the new betta into the tank, but I feel like the water movement was too much. Instead of staying up at the top a lot, like he did in the bowl, he stayed down at the bottom away from the aerator, under a plant. He seemed miserable. I put him back in the bowl, and I think I'll remove the filter all together. I know this may not be ideal, but I will be keeping up with consistent water changes, and once I find out the maximum allowed tank in the dorms, I'll upgrade to that size.

 

[Tigerfishy]

Honestly, yes. Sometimes bettas just have things when we get them that we can do nothing about. We just needed to understand exactly what was going on to make an informed decision on our thoughts about it for you.

 

[midthought]

I think the fish would be better off back in the tank with the filter, rather than the bowl. If he doesn't like bubblers, turn it off. If the filter flow is too much, you can diffuse it with a sponge, plants, a cup, etc. I have a setup similar to this:

 

[jerilovesfrogs]

I agree with midthought about putting him back in the tank. i've done things with my filter to help with too much current. and my bettas don't have bubblers, i've tried.....just didn't seem like they liked it.

if you don't put him back in the tank, you might risk losing your cycle. you don't want that! if you put him back in the tank, and give him a couple days to adjust, and is everything is how it should be, he should come around. good luck! and i'm sorry about your other betta.

 

[LyndaB]

I'm very sorry for your loss..... I've always loved the name Lucy for a pet..... :'(

 

[Shine]

My one betta appeared nervous about the filter flow when I first put him in the tank too... after a couple days though he had figured it out and would actually swim into it on purpose rather then hiding in his pot.

For the other one I had to stick a sponge in the outtake... it was clearly too strong for him to adapt to it