I found my betta fish dead at home
I found my betta fish dead at home
I've got a tank with 11 Neon Tetras, 2 Blue German Rams, and these two orange fish - I've posted a pic below, can anyone ID them? I'm trying to figure out if they're the culprits or if it's something else going on, maybe a disease?
Re: I found my betta fish dead at home
The orange fish with the black tail appears to be a platy; the other one's a bit harder to make out, but I'd wager it's a platy as well. They're generally pretty docile, so I highly doubt they're responsible for your betta's demise.
Those eroded fins on your betta - were they like that when it was still alive, or did that happen after it passed?
To help us better understand what might've gone wrong, could you tell us a bit more about your setup? What's the tank size, and how long has it been running? Is it a relatively new tank or has it been established for months or even years? Have you introduced any new fish recently?
Also, what are your current water conditions like? What are your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels? And what about the water parameters - specifically, the hardness and pH? You should be able to find your tap water hardness on your water provider's website.
Those eroded fins on your betta - were they like that when it was still alive, or did that happen after it passed?
To help us better understand what might've gone wrong, could you tell us a bit more about your setup? What's the tank size, and how long has it been running? Is it a relatively new tank or has it been established for months or even years? Have you introduced any new fish recently?
Also, what are your current water conditions like? What are your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels? And what about the water parameters - specifically, the hardness and pH? You should be able to find your tap water hardness on your water provider's website.
Re: I found my betta fish dead at home
He was perfect, I bought him yesterday, but now I'm left wondering what happened. My tank is 75 liters, or 20 gallons if you prefer. It's been running for almost three weeks now. The betta was the newest addition, arriving yesterday. The platys have been there for two weeks, along with 4 of the neon tetras, and I added 7 more neons yesterday.
As for the water conditions, my pH is between 7.0 and 7.5. The nitrite level is a bit concerning at 5ppm, while the nitrate level is 80ppm. The hardness levels are: carbonate hardness at 40ppm and general hardness at 60ppm.
As for the water conditions, my pH is between 7.0 and 7.5. The nitrite level is a bit concerning at 5ppm, while the nitrate level is 80ppm. The hardness levels are: carbonate hardness at 40ppm and general hardness at 60ppm.
Re: I found my betta fish dead at home
Also, the other orange one is a female I believe.
I was led to believe this hobby would be a breeze, thanks to the pet shop salesman - my mistake for taking his word for it. I've already had to deal with a fungus issue, neon tetra disease, fin rot, and white spot disease in this short time.
I'm really passionate about animals, so I'm determined to get it right and keep them healthy.
I was led to believe this hobby would be a breeze, thanks to the pet shop salesman - my mistake for taking his word for it. I've already had to deal with a fungus issue, neon tetra disease, fin rot, and white spot disease in this short time.
I'm really passionate about animals, so I'm determined to get it right and keep them healthy.
Re: I found my betta fish dead at home
I'm going to take a guess here, but I think there might be some mistake with the nitrite reading - 5ppm seems really high. Did you miswrite that or is it genuinely that high? Also, I'm curious, what's the ammonia level in your tank?
Re: I found my betta fish dead at home
Don't take the word of a shop worker as gospel - always do your research. I've found most of them are clueless and just make things up.
Your nitrite level of 5 ppm is extremely high and could very well be the cause of your betta's death. You didn't mention ammonia levels - are you using test strips that don't include ammonia? I suspect that's high as well. Both ammonia and nitrite are toxic to fish and must be kept at zero. To deal with this, you'll need to do frequent water changes to get ammonia and nitrite down to zero, and then continue to do so as needed to keep them there.
Until you get ammonia and nitrite under control, I'd recommend feeding the fish a small amount every other day. The less food that goes into the tank, the less ammonia is produced. Fish excrete ammonia, and fish waste and uneaten food break down into ammonia. In a cycled tank, there's a colony of bacteria that 'eats' ammonia, turning it into nitrite. A second species of bacteria then 'eats' nitrite, turning it into nitrate. It takes a few weeks for these bacteria to grow, and this process is called cycling.
The fact that you have a nitrite reading means you already have some ammonia-eating bacteria, but likely not enough yet. The nitrite-eating bacteria also need time to grow.
Fin rot and white spot are often caused by poor water conditions - all that ammonia and nitrite in the water stresses the fish. Getting those levels down is crucial.
Your tank is suitable for the fish you have, but your hardness is soft, which is good for neons and rams but not ideal for platies. If possible, consider returning the platies to the shop. Fewer fish will also mean less ammonia and nitrite.
Once your ammonia and nitrite levels stabilize at zero, you might be thinking of adding more fish. Please, for the sake of the fish, don't get another betta - they're not community fish and do best in a tank on their own.
Your nitrite level of 5 ppm is extremely high and could very well be the cause of your betta's death. You didn't mention ammonia levels - are you using test strips that don't include ammonia? I suspect that's high as well. Both ammonia and nitrite are toxic to fish and must be kept at zero. To deal with this, you'll need to do frequent water changes to get ammonia and nitrite down to zero, and then continue to do so as needed to keep them there.
Until you get ammonia and nitrite under control, I'd recommend feeding the fish a small amount every other day. The less food that goes into the tank, the less ammonia is produced. Fish excrete ammonia, and fish waste and uneaten food break down into ammonia. In a cycled tank, there's a colony of bacteria that 'eats' ammonia, turning it into nitrite. A second species of bacteria then 'eats' nitrite, turning it into nitrate. It takes a few weeks for these bacteria to grow, and this process is called cycling.
The fact that you have a nitrite reading means you already have some ammonia-eating bacteria, but likely not enough yet. The nitrite-eating bacteria also need time to grow.
Fin rot and white spot are often caused by poor water conditions - all that ammonia and nitrite in the water stresses the fish. Getting those levels down is crucial.
Your tank is suitable for the fish you have, but your hardness is soft, which is good for neons and rams but not ideal for platies. If possible, consider returning the platies to the shop. Fewer fish will also mean less ammonia and nitrite.
Once your ammonia and nitrite levels stabilize at zero, you might be thinking of adding more fish. Please, for the sake of the fish, don't get another betta - they're not community fish and do best in a tank on their own.
Re: I found my betta fish dead at home
I agree with the previous advice, and I'd also like to suggest incorporating salt into your water changes. This can help counteract the damage caused by those high nitrite levels, and may also help prevent Brown Blood disease in your exposed fish.
It's worth noting that high nitrite levels can contribute to this condition, and I've found a useful resource from Texas A&M that explains this further.
It's worth noting that high nitrite levels can contribute to this condition, and I've found a useful resource from Texas A&M that explains this further.
Re: I found my betta fish dead at home
There's a helpful sticky on using salt in water changes to counteract potential damage from nitrite levels, which I think is worth checking out, especially considering the risk of Brown Blood disease in exposed fish.
Re: I found my betta fish dead at home
I was naive to think I could just dive into fish-keeping without doing my research - a mistake I won't be repeating. Growing up with dogs taught me to always verify information, especially from those who don't know what they're talking about.
Unfortunately, I'm in Ireland and all the pet shops are closed at the moment, so I'm stuck with my API 5 in 1 testing strips for now - no ammonia testing kit for me. I've been doing plenty of water changes, though - two 50% changes in the past five days, as per the pet shop's advice after using those eSHa products. Can I do more, or is there another way to get these levels under control?
I'm not holding my breath, but I'll give the pet shop a call tomorrow to see if they'll take the platys back.
Unfortunately, I'm in Ireland and all the pet shops are closed at the moment, so I'm stuck with my API 5 in 1 testing strips for now - no ammonia testing kit for me. I've been doing plenty of water changes, though - two 50% changes in the past five days, as per the pet shop's advice after using those eSHa products. Can I do more, or is there another way to get these levels under control?
I'm not holding my breath, but I'll give the pet shop a call tomorrow to see if they'll take the platys back.
Re: I found my betta fish dead at home
Take a look at the link I provided, it's worth reading. Salt can be beneficial in blocking the nitrite from entering the fish's bloodstream. The amount I suggested won't harm your neons and rams in the short term, but keep in mind that removing the nitrite through water changes is still the best course of action.
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