What has been going on with all my Betta fish?

[eascusa]

Hello everyone,
I have had fish all my life and I have had bettas all my life. I have seen a lot of things. But one thing that has been occurring is new to me. Usually, when my fish die there is always a reason. There are signs of being sick or too old. In the last 5 years or so I have been making bettas my number one fish that I have. I'm ashamed to say that when I was younger I use to keep them in bowls. And believe it or not, they lived long and most often healthy lives. When I started on my betta kick it was when I realized that a bowl or 1-gallon tank just isn't big enough and in fact cruel. So, I began putting them in 5 or 10-gallon tanks. Except one of mine is in a 3.5-gallon tank right now. Ever since though like I mentioned before I have a mystery on my hands. And that is I never had so many deaths in Betta fish than I have had since I started putting my bettas in tanks. Now before you go on thinking that I must not have a clue what I am doing with a fish tank I assure you I do. I have had many, many tropical fish in them and they do great. And I have always known my bettas to be way hardier than any of my Tetras, Barbs, etc. or my live-bearing fish such as my Guppy's, Swordtails, or Molly's anyway. Hence, living in a bowl that didn't get its water changed nearly enough. :-/ I have had them in different ways such as living in a 10 gallon with 5 tetras and a cory catfish. This betta is still doing great. Or sometimes there all alone with maybe just a cory or a snail that they get along with. My bettas only have been in tanks with other fish that they have gotten along with. If not they always get their own tank. But I have been really lucky with my bettas. They have been really mellow sweet guys for Betta fish. I watch the water temp and test the water frequently. I watch what they eat and everything they do. Through the years I have learned a lot so I know what it looks like to have a healthy happy fish or one that isn't so happy. Now what is even more mysterious to me is there have been no signs or symptoms! There is no telling of any kind of sickness or sign that they are going to die. They are there one minute and gone the next. There have been some that did but I am not referring to those so much. Although, I don't know why they would have gotten sick in the first place. I took very good care of them and their tanks. They are not old. I bought them very young when they were still small. These three I am talking about haven't been the regular bettas of the past but the new breeds such as the butterfly half-moon. I wonder if this could have anything to do with it. Maybe they are more sensitive to something than the other breeds. It just really astonishes me that after I give them a better life in a tank something eventually happens to them. Usually, always around 6 months to a year later. But more on an average of 6 months. So, it's not the beginning when you first put them in a tank either. Has anyone else had this problem with their bettas? Can anyone think of what might be going on here? I know there are things I probably didn't think to add that you have a question about and if you do just ask. I will answer. Thanks

 

[jkkgron2]

Hello everyone,
I have had fish all my life and I have had bettas all my life. I have seen a lot of things. But one thing that has been occurring is new to me. Usually, when my fish die there is always a reason. There are signs of being sick or too old. In the last 5 years or so I have been making bettas my number one fish that I have. I'm ashamed to say that when I was younger I use to keep them in bowls. And believe it or not, they lived long and most often healthy lives. When I started on my betta kick it was when I realized that a bowl or 1-gallon tank just isn't big enough and in fact cruel. So, I began putting them in 5 or 10-gallon tanks. Except one of mine is in a 3.5-gallon tank right now. Ever since though like I mentioned before I have a mystery on my hands. And that is I never had so many deaths in Betta fish than I have had since I started putting my bettas in tanks. Now before you go on thinking that I must not have a clue what I am doing with a fish tank I assure you I do. I have had many, many tropical fish in them and they do great. And I have always known my bettas to be way hardier than any of my Tetras, Barbs, etc. or my live-bearing fish such as my Guppy's, Swordtails, or Molly's anyway. Hence, living in a bowl that didn't get its water changed nearly enough. :-/ I have had them in different ways such as living in a 10 gallon with 5 tetras and a cory catfish. This betta is still doing great. Or sometimes there all alone with maybe just a cory or a snail that they get along with. My bettas only have been in tanks with other fish that they have gotten along with. If not they always get their own tank. But I have been really lucky with my bettas. They have been really mellow sweet guys for Betta fish. I watch the water temp and test the water frequently. I watch what they eat and everything they do. Through the years I have learned a lot so I know what it looks like to have a healthy happy fish or one that isn't so happy. Now what is even more mysterious to me is there have been no signs or symptoms! There is no telling of any kind of sickness or sign that they are going to die. They are there one minute and gone the next. There have been some that did but I am not referring to those so much. Although, I don't know why they would have gotten sick in the first place. I took very good care of them and their tanks. They are not old. I bought them very young when they were still small. These three I am talking about haven't been the regular bettas of the past but the new breeds such as the butterfly half-moon. I wonder if this could have anything to do with it. Maybe they are more sensitive to something than the other breeds. It just really astonishes me that after I give them a better life in a tank something eventually happens to them. Usually, always around 6 months to a year later. But more on an average of 6 months. So, it's not the beginning when you first put them in a tank either. Has anyone else had this problem with their bettas? Can anyone think of what might be going on here? I know there are things I probably didn't think to add that you have a question about and if you do just ask. I will answer. Thanks

My only idea is that maybe due to bad genetics and such the bettas had shortened lifespans and just were too inbred to live long healthy lives so they ended up dying at 1-2 years old, sadly as bettas become more popular more things like this tend to happen.

 

[Eglassford]

Water perams (exact)? Pics of the tanks? As I think about it, a larger tank usually means more décor. Could the bettas be scraping themselves accidentally? What's the filtration like? One thing to consider may be your water source... I've found bettas to do better with a certain PH. I'm also wondering if maybe the tank mates are doing harm even if they get along. Has your supplier of bettas changed? (The farm, not the store you buy them in). I've seen some rough bettas coming from recent strains like jkkgron2 mentioned, it might be genetics. The only other thing I can think of would be location.

 

[rhyan]

Almost everyone here says that it could be genetics that a betta mysteriously dies for no reason at all maybe that's a good assumption to see but first deduce first any probable cause in the tank since there are many to think of maybe water parameters, tank mates, equipment or decorations can be the first thing to think. Anyway as per Eglassford request can we have your tank parameters and also can you share some pics of the tanks?

 

[eascusa]

My only idea is that maybe due to bad genetics and such the bettas had shortened lifespans and just were too inbred to live long healthy lives so they ended up dying at 1-2 years old, sadly as bettas become more popular more things like this tend to happen.

Yes, I think that may be the case with some. But, I had one just die about a month ago that was doing great. He suddenly died in a mysterious way and I had only had him for about 6 months. And when I bought him he wasn't fully grown yet. I literally watched his colors appear and change before my eyes because he was so young. It was awesome. He was awesome. And I really wish he didn't have to die. He was the one that I had most of a mystery with because the night before he ate great and was swimming all over like he does. And when I woke up he was still doing great. Then about lunchtime around 3 hours later, he was dead. And I searched and searched for a reason but there just wasn't one.

 

[eascusa]

Almost everyone here says that it could be genetics that a betta mysteriously dies for no reason at all maybe that's a good assumption to see but first deduce first any probable cause in the tank since there are many to think of maybe water parameters, tank mates, equipment or decorations can be the first thing to think. Anyway as per Eglassford request can we have your tank parameters and also can you share some pics of the tanks?

Yes, I agree and it is exactly the checklist I went through first. And these are different tanks that the bettas have been in. I don't put anything sharp in the tanks like seashells. I have learned from that. I have a beautiful Dragon scale Betta that cut himself lightly on a seashell. (It's the only thing it could be and the wound size and shape fit perfectly) It wasn't bad or anything but as it healed the scar got bigger and bigger. Now the poor guy has a big ugly scar on one side of his body making him not as handsome as he once was. But I still love him and think he's beautiful. This betta is still doing really good though. Let's cross our fingers and knock on wood. O.K. so the other's I went down the checklist and thought about all my past cases as well as all that I have learned on the internet and in forums and in books I read. But sometimes it is just a complete mystery. At least lately it has been. Such as the young male betta I bought not too long ago. He wasn't quite fully grown. So I got to see new colors come in and watch him change right before my eyes. And he was a character. Not as first. He was shy. I even called him Spooks at first. But before long he was one of the friendliest Bettas I ever had. I really cared for him. He was in a 3.5-gallon tank with a filter next to my bed, some gravel, one live plant, and one of those betta balls that he didn't actually care about. But he loved his plant! He loved to eat so I made sure to feed him 4 out of the 7 days of the week Daphnia instead of pellets which are constipating and Daphnia isn't. I have had a problem with constipation in my Bettas in the past so I learned from this and did research on some of the things you could do to prevent this from happening. He got regular flake food for Bettas on the other 3 days. Flakes not the hard balls which he didn't care for and were too big for him as well as constipating in my other Bettas. Anyway, I remember feeding him in the evening like I always did and he was alert, bright and going crazy for his food and when he sees me like he always did. The next morning I saw him and he looked great. A few hours later at lunchtime I went in to see him and he had just died. This was about 6 months after having him. I couldn't find any obvious answer and I searched and searched for one. I tested the water. I examined his body. I examined his tank. There was no other live creature in there except for two tiny pest snails that I occasionally let clear up the algae on the plant. I live alone with my dad so no one was in there. I have pets but they are not allowed in my room and the door is always shut. It was really upsetting for me. I really liked that little dude. I got attached. I just don't know what to make of it.

 

[eascusa]

I had forgotten that I already posted half that story when answering someone else. lol

 

[rhyan]

Well there's something wrong with the fishes try to buy from another LFS and see if it's still the same if it is, then the problem is inside the tank there might be something slowly killing them.

 

[eascusa]

Well, sad to say that the betta that just started showing a bit of swelling that I had bought as a baby about 8 months ago past away two days ago. I took him out of his tank into a smaller place so I can start medicating if needed and to look closer at him. I added a little aquarium salt first and before I could do anything the next day he was gone. I guess I was late on that one. But there were no symptoms other than what I mentioned prior. I don't think I will ever have a more beautiful betta that him. So, a couple of you asked me where I bought them. I buy my bettas from fish stores like Pet Smart. Once from Walmart. And once from a small pet store. All in the same area, Kern county. This got me thinking that maybe they all have the same breeders. It's hard to get fish where I live. Not many people want to live in the Mojave desert. And also as the article had said, these new more exotic breeds being introduced seem not to be as tough or live as long. They haven't been around long enough I guess. The bettas that lasted me for 5 or 6 years were the original type of betta. The ones that are dying have all been the newer kinds. But I love the new breeds! I want the one that they call elephant ears. But I also heard that that one might be the hardest to keep out of all of them and not to mention the most expensive. Before I get another one, however, I have to really clean the 5.5-gallon tank that my betta who just died had been living in. It's just hard because I have a cordy catfish in there still. And If I replace all of the water and clean the tank that is going to be hard on him. Maybe I can put him in another tank in the meantime until its ready. But I don't want him to bring any germs from those tanks over to the one I just cleaned either. Maybe I should just give up on the whole fish thing. Every time they die you have to go through the heartache of it and the confusion of what might have happened and what you could have done differently. I stopped having Guppy's because a similar thing was happening. They just weren't as tough as they use to be. It use to be a Guppy was very easy to keep. I remember my very first fish were two exotic fantail Guppy's that my Mom put in a small Goldfish bowl for me as a kid. She let me take care of them and do whatever I wanted. They lived quite a while. Can you imagine doing that today! Never! They would die by the end of the week. Anyway's sorry this is long. I just need someone to talk too about all this. No one else in the family has fish. And I don't have any friends these days. Thanks for the help and if you have any more ideas please feel free to mention them.

 

[Debbie1986]

Bettas are wildly popular & agee with the genetics issue. This fish is nearly completely unrecognizable after 40+ years of selective breeding from wild fish to hobby.

You only get special traits by mutation and then breeding fish to have that mutation - liek how pug dogs have curled tails.

 

[rhyan]

My family also just tolerating me to have fish since they knew I was sick and needed something to focus my attention to, I also had no friends whose keeping a fish since all I know keeps cats and dogs so whenever I got trouble with my fish and tank I have no one to ask aside form the LFS owners (which you know you can't really rely with their infos because they just sells fish not keeping as pet) and do some research. I'm amazed that there's a fish store somewhere there in Mojave desert, in my opinion you always do your best for your fishes so don't be hard on your self as long as you still have remaining ones keep doing what you like.