# Immediate attention needed...before he dies!!!



## mlefev (Apr 19, 2005)

I have had my Betta for 6 months. he was happy, healthy, blowing bubbles and the like. Within the last 2 weeks he has become inactive. I have done water changes, cleaned, everything I could think of. now, when I got up this morning he was white, bloated, and very inactive. I added an antibiotic called BetaFix to his water as the pet store reccommended.

But I was wondering...what's wrong with him? Am I going to lose the little guy?


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## Jered (Mar 23, 2005)

Did you get him at the pet store? If you did he may have already been a year to a year and a half old at the time you got him. He might just be old.


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## mlefev (Apr 19, 2005)

Yes I did get him at a store. I've owned him for 6 months since then. I considered that a possiblity. Do you know the average life span for a Betta?


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## Jered (Mar 23, 2005)

The average life span for healthy Bettas is about two years. 
Here is a good site for betta diseases with lots of pics. Maybe you will find what is wrong with him here.

http://www.2cah.com/pandora/Disease.html


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## mlefev (Apr 19, 2005)

Well actually, it looks like a combination if ich and bacterial fin rot....oh good . Poor little guy. I tried to take the very best of care of him. I feel really terrible actually. It's my only pet afterall.


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## Jered (Mar 23, 2005)

I would jsut keep his water extremely clean and keep using the bettafix as directed on the bottle. Try to use aged water as the chlorine from the tap can irritate his fins. Especially if he has fin rot. Good luck with him.


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## mlefev (Apr 19, 2005)

thanks. I have a bottle of the chlorine neutralizer, and I hope the antibiotic helps. It's pretty funny to get so attached to a fish, but I really am. Thanks for your advice.


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## Jered (Mar 23, 2005)

I just started breeding bettas and my first pair was from the pet store (not exactly breeder material). My female is really cool. She is a cambodian which means she has a flesh colored body with red fins. I am really attached to her because when she looks at me she has pure black eyes and it reminds me of a mouse or hampster looking at me. Its funny how little things like that in a FISH can really set one off to them. Hmmm. Well I hope your fish gets better. Keep me posted on his condition. Talk to you later.


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## thatsfishy (Jan 18, 2005)

Bettafix isn't an antibiotic, it's just a herbal extract that helps to heal minor stuff like torn fins. It will do little if a fish has a serious bacterial infection and it is uneffective against ich (if he really has it). To combat ich (a parasite), just put him in fresh water with about 3 tsp/gal of aquarium salt and crank up the temp to about 84 degrees for a few days. In addition, salt also has antimicrobial properties, which aids in the healing of the fin rot. Change the water in his bowl/tank every other day and keep adding salt, you should see an improvement within a week. However, continue the treatment for another week to make sure the ich is eradicated.


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## (RC) (Jan 18, 2005)

Most pet store fish are imported and are no more then 4 months old because overseas breeders raise them as fast as possible to sell more fish.


RC


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## osteoporoosi (Jan 27, 2005)

Bettas do (in good conditions) live longer than 2 years, my bettas lived approximately 3 years, and the oldest a bit under 4 years. I bought them from a breeder, so I knew how old they were when I got them.


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## svolk (Apr 5, 2005)

It's ok to be attached, I'm also very attached to my fish, as I'm sure the majority of us on here are. I hate losing any and I feel terrible when I do. I hope things will improve with your betta. I don't have anything else to add that hasn't already been mentioned.


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## mlefev (Apr 19, 2005)

Well just for an update...poor little guy died sometime during the night. It was weird though, it's like he changed from fine and happy to sick in about a day. Thanks for your help and advice, I think after I'm done cleaning out the tank I may go for if some more social fish. At least that way if I lose one, it won't be my only pet. I feel really silly about being this upset about a fish, but oh well I'm just weird that way.


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## kidbetta (Feb 2, 2005)

mlefev @ Tue Apr 19 said:


> Well just for an update...poor little guy died sometime during the night. It was weird though, it's like he changed from fine and happy to sick in about a day. Thanks for your help and advice, I think after I'm done cleaning out the tank I may go for if some more social fish. At least that way if I lose one, it won't be my only pet. I feel really silly about being this upset about a fish, but oh well I'm just weird that way.


Sorry to hear the news....  

I have to tell you...... There is no other fish out there that has an attitude like a Betta.... I find Bettas to be very responsive, curious and at times devious.... Once you get a betta it's hard to replace them with another fish... You will always find yourself getting another betta.... You can always get tank mates for your betta if you have a nice size tank or you can also keep a couple of females together.... There are really nice females out there with attitudes...... Females are also fun to watch and have nice colors such as red, blue and etc....


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## mlefev (Apr 19, 2005)

What other kinds of fish can live with Bettas? I'd heard that there weren't many fish that they could get along with that live at the same approximate temperatures.


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## Jered (Mar 23, 2005)

I really don't know much about betta tank mates. I would say any community fish that will not bite their fins would be fine. Fancy guppies with long colorful tails wouldn't be a good choice because the bettas would see them as competition because of their tales. Maybe they think they are other bettas or something. Pretty much anything that isn't aggressive. Neons and other non aggressive tetras, platies, some guppies, algae eaters, things like that. Im sure the person at the fish store would be able to help you. Just keep in mind that as the bettas DO NOT need the higher temps from a heater unless they are spawning, the other tropical fish do. Just keep the temp in the range of about 75 degrees and you should do fine. Also the standard is one, one inch fish per gallon of water but im not sure how closely you need to follow this. With frequent water changes I don't see that a few more fish would be a problem. I've never kept a betta in my community tank but i know of people who have without a problem. It might also just depend on your bettas attitude towards the other fish. Since he has been pretty much isolated from a young age, he might not take kindly to having other fish in his territory. Just something to think about, but remember I have never kept bettas in my community tank so I don't know exactly how they are supposed to act towards other fish.
Good luck!!


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## chrisinha (Jan 24, 2005)

i just moved my betta in my female guppies' tank and respectively fry. i thought he would eat the fry but instead he spends his time flaring at his own reflection. what a dork!


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## svolk (Apr 5, 2005)

I currently have 1 betta (the only one I've ever owned), and he's in my community tank. He's never been a problem, and I must say that he's one of the most entertaining fish in that tank. He kinda hangs out by himself, but he's not shy around anyone else. Also in that tank are: guppies, mollies, angels.


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## osteoporoosi (Jan 27, 2005)

Sorry to hear about your betta mlefev!
Actually there is, if you have a non-aggressive betta.
Kuhli loaches,ruby tetras,blue emperor tetras , they like hihgh temps and go with bettas. Neon tetras like lower temperatures. generally guppys like cooler water too, and theirfancy tails can be a problem for the betta.


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## Miss.Soul (Mar 30, 2005)

svolk @ Tue Apr 19 said:


> It's ok to be attached, I'm also very attached to my fish, as I'm sure the majority of us on here are. I hate losing any and I feel terrible when I do.


yeah it's true.

I cried ALL NIGHT when my two bettas died. (they were in a container that seperated them.)

I only had them for 6 months 

him them and don't feel bad should the worst happen (I really hope not). You love him and that makes you a better fish owner than lots of others.


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## mlefev (Apr 19, 2005)

I moped around pretty much all day when he died. I'm actually thinking though, I probably should wait on getting more fish until I move. It's going to be about a 6 hour drive, and I don't want to put the fish through that. I also wouldn't want to have to give my pets back to the store after having them long enough to get attached, so hopefully later this summer I'll be able to get a new one. Hehe, maybe if I wait awhile I won't feel guilty about "replacing" him either, since that's what I'd feel like I was doing.


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