# The overfed betta apocalypse



## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

*sigh* 
This is what happens when you don't actually WALK someone through feeding fish when we ask them to watch the tanks. 

He misunderstood our directions for "three good shakes" of the flake bottle because he opened the hatch pretty much all the way. All of our tanks but one were able to handle the overfeeding, and that one was a divided betta tank. Apparently he didn't remember there was also a specific bottle of food for them, too. 

We came home to find one dead already - although he wasn't bloated or anything - but the water was murky and there was decaying flake everywhere. The other one seemed alright at first but it seems like he's going downhill. I did a big water change and gravel vac'ing since the tank was so nasty and now the water's clear but he doesn't look well at all. He just sits on the bottom or kinda floats vertically (head up) and doesn't even try to swim away when I stick my finger in. He's also pale, but doesn't look too skinny and there are no signs of ick or fungus. 

Any ideas on what I can do for him?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Keep changing water, maybe move a filter from another tank as the ammonia will have destroyed the 'cycle', add some aeration to make breathing easier on burned gills. Then wait and hope.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Wouldn't a little bit of salt help? I would put betta revive in my tank cause it would prevent fungus and adds electrolytes to the water. They sell it at petco.


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

Another thing I forgot to add... 

We got a Congo Tetra that looked a little fin-rotty, so we wanted to quarantine him. Since one of our guys died and we had another divided 10 with only one betta, we moved the one from that tank into the empty spot the dead betta had occupied (in the apocalyptic tank). He seems to be doing just fine, though... so I guess as far as the puny betta, damage has already been done but the new occupant isn't affected. I'll try some salt and do a water change as suggested.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

salt can help with 'fin-rotty' and with making nitrite spikes a bit less toxic. But tetra don't like it much, be careful not to overdo.


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

It was too late. Pretty boy was dead this morning even after I tried a water change and a little salt. 

The other betta is still fine, but since the Congo Tetra has been deemed tank safe and was moved into the community tank, our second 10 gallon was open again. Hubs and I decided to just empty the death tank and let it start over once it dries out, so we moved the betta again and also had bought a new white betta last night. We're down to three bettas - the third one is in a breeder net in our community tank to help heal his fins with super clean water, since it gets the most attention and also is overfiltered.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

hmmmmmm...what got into your heads letting someone else feed your fish...i was going out of town for a couple of days once so i told my girlfriend to feed the fish 3 times a day while i was gone..i left friday afternoon...when i returned sunday night i found a note..."friday...fed the fish..went to mom and dad's for the weekend..will be home monday...."
15 tanks.....everything dead..3 breeding pairs of discus..3 breeding pairs of gold severums...about 1000 young severums...200 young discus....and a bunch of others...
i should have just let them be hungry for a couple of days...
we all learn best from the mistakes we make....won't happen again...
let me know if there is anything i can do to help....like maybe more food...lol...


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

We all have fish-sitter horror stories. They always overfeed. Better to let fish go hungry.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

not all fish sitters are horrible. You just have to be VERY clear. Say I want you to come over once while I'm gone and feed em this much, put it in a ziploc bag, and hide the other food.


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

We normally have a guy come feed that used to have his own fish tanks and worked in a pet store, but he couldn't this time. So, we just asked the guy that was keeping our cat to come feed them twice over the course of a week. Since he overfed so badly the first time (and he knew it because he texted us and told us) he didn't feed the second time... I guess the one betta was still alive or maybe he just didn't notice it dead. I think the rotting food combined with the dead body was just too much toxicity for the other betta to handle. *sad face*

Yep, though... lesson learned.


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