What happened to my betta?! :(

About a week and a half ago, I bought a crowntail betta from a fish store, and it was in a small glass bowl so I didn't get to inspect it very well as the picture was distorted from the round bowl.. I brought it home and put it in my 29 gallon tank, but took him out a day or two later because he was nipping at my other fish.. While looking at him, I noticed a little bit of white on his fin, and also his stomach was very big. I put a thread on here asking about it, and I was told that the spots on his fin were most likely his colouring, and I could feed him some pea, and then starve him for a few days to cure his bloat. Also, the poop in the tank was only tiny, think pieces.. Kind of clumpy looking, not stringy like regular fish poop. I tried the pea, and it didn't seem to work. 2 days ago, I noticed his tail and fins had a tiny bit of fuzzy, blurry-like stuff on the tips of all of the spikes on his "crown tail" so I decided I would keep a really close eye on him, but I wasn't sure if this was just how crowntail bettas' tails are, since I have ever only owned regular ones.. The fuzz was barely there.. So I wasn't sure if I was just seeing things because of the water or something.. The next morning I woke up, my betta had 3 or 4 patches of the fuzzy fungus on him.. It wasn't really white like all of the pictures I have seen of fungus.. It was clear, but not slimy.. it was definitely fuzzy looking. I had to go out for the day, and when I left it was around 7am, and he only had a few small patches of it on him.. I got home around 6pm after a trip to the pet store for some bloodworms for him, about to add medecine to the tank, and he was laying on his side on the bottom of the tank, dead, with a thin layer of the fuzzy fungus covering his whole body. Within 24 hours, the tiny, almost invisible tail fungus took over my betta's body and killed him.. What happened?!?

 

I am not sure what happened, but I am sorry for your loss. Hopefully someone with more knowledge will answer your question.

 

Your betta had ick... Did you post a picture of it here on the site... If so an experienced keeper could have told you what it was... Here lately fl seems to have been getting a lot of newbies to fish keeping grieving... Strange advice lol... I am sorry you lost your boy and I hope you don't let this keep you from owning any more bettas as I have 4 and love them to death! Btw keep an eye on your 29 gallon as you betta had ick so your other fish in that tank may get it as well... Just forwarding you... Good luck!

 

That doesn't sound like ich at all. Ich looks like salt not fuzz.

 

Thanks, and I won't.. I was looking for new bettas today actually.. Not for the tank that he just died in.. I was planning on buying shrimp for my 5 gallon but I think I'll just get another betta.. (I kinda already asked my boyfriend for a betta for my anniversary present this weekend.. :$ ) and I did post a couple pictures before the fuzz came.. but I didn't get any pictures of him like that. I should have QT'd him.. but I was actually just buying my first "batch" of fish for my 29g. My betta, and 3 other little guys.. I'm scared that they might get sick too.. I'm thinking of waiting at least another month before I add fish to that tank, just to be safe.. Don't want to be bringing any little dudes into a sick tank.. But I definitely will be buying more bettas. My favourite fish!!

 

Yeah, I have no idea.. I know that he actually did have a couple spots on his fin.. But they weren't as round as the ich I had in my 10 gallon before.. They seemed like they were actually inside his fin. :s

 

I was thinking it was maybe Columnaris, but like I said I am no expert. I think waiting a month before adding any more fish is a great idea. Good luck!

 

Thanks. I was just really surprised that it happened so fast... :s

 

Yeah, I'm no expert either but ich shouldn't kill that fast or be fuzzy.

You could also clean out the tank with really, really hot water + peroxide, or vinegar. Can also use bleach but I'm iffy about using that, myself.

 

I will. Just gunna throw out the gravel and plant I think.. Not worth making more fish sick from it..

 

Bleach is good! Make a solution of bleach and water 1:4 in a spray bottle. Keep handy to spray nets, and other shared fish gear. Wait 5 minutes, then rinse with water and air dry. Vinegar will kill nothing. H202 is good, but nothing is as good as bleach.

 

Okay, if any of the bleach stays on the glass, will it hurt the fish at all? Like I will rinse it really well, but just incase I miss a tiny bit... I'm worried.

 

I wash all my QT stuff with vinegar and rinse really well I would be way to worried about left over bleach.

 

That doesn't sound like ich at all. Ich looks like salt not fuzz.

Actually dude ick looks like salt peppering the body and is fuzzy what this betta had was indeed ick...

And to clean the cage do a 4parts water to 1 parts bleach and clean really well and let the tank sit to dry and once you don't smell bleach anymore then rinse the tank a couple times add prime and you should be fine...

 

Actually dude ick looks like salt peppering the body and is fuzzy what this betta had was indeed ick...

And to clean the cage do a 4parts water to 1 parts bleach and clean really well and let the tank sit to dry and once you don't smell bleach anymore then rinse the tank a couple times add prime and you should be fine...

I disagree. Unless there is some other post with different pictures than the one I was looking at I don't think you can say it was ich with the kind of certainty that you are coming across as having. I'm quite aware of the appearance of ich and being covered in fuzz is not how ich is generally described. Sorry I disagree with your assessment but there's no need to so blatantly disregard my conflicting opinion.

 

I agree with Sean that is ich and his directions are good

 

I agree with Sean that is ich and his directions are good

Thank you

 

https://www.fishlore.com/Articles/CuringIch.htm

You can read for yourself and see if you feel your betta's symptoms align with what is described here.

 

I read through that, and on here, people are saying that ich is fuzz, and/or salt looking dots.. But in that article, it only mentioned the salt dots. My betta seemed to only have fuzz on him.

 

It's hard to tell without a good picture. Columnaris presents as fuzz but usually kills within a few days. I've had a betta with a true fungal infection from a wound on its side, but even with the proper meds it didn't recover. I'm so sorry you lost your betta.

 

Thanks.. Jeez everyone on here is so friendly.. :') I kind of wish I got a picture of it, but I didn't really have time. I didn't think there was much need for a photo after he was dead.. Probably would've been helpful though.