# What Killed my Betta?



## Kabooki LaKlub (Feb 19, 2017)

All of this happened over a period of less than three days. 

Day 1: My betta Ghost is happily swimming around in his ten gallon tank that currently houses 1 Dalmatian Molly and 1 Platy. That day I noticed one of his front fins was looking a little weathered, and the Dalmatian molly was doing this weird dip thing where it looked like it was trying to scratch its side on the gravel of the tank. 

Morning of Day 2: Ghost's color had faded surprisingly fast. His top fin and back fin looked torn, so I gave him a salt bath and placed him in a quarantine tank with bettafix. He sat near the bottom of the tank and only came up to breathe. He had begun to scrape his underbelly on the gravel of the tank.The mollies are still scratching themselves. It was all I could do before I had to go to work.

Evening of Day 2: I picked up some API General Cure during lunch because i suspected it could have been a parasite considering I added the platy in recently to the aquarium (1 week ago). His fins had deteriorated significantly more, and I added the General cure to both his tank and the other tank. His fins were at the point where his top fin was nearly missing and well over 2/3 of his tail is gone. I also noticed a reddish/brown spot near his back fin.

Morning of day 3: He was dead. His top and back fins were completely gone. His entire back half of his body turned black, and he was burrowed near the heater of the tank (Somewhere he never sits)

I want to know what killed him. I thought it was fin rot or a parasite but i didn't believe that it would rip through him in less than 48 hours. The molly and platy in my tank haven't been noticeably scratching anymore. I just want to know if its something that I did that caused him to suddenly drop dead.


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## wcduncan (Feb 15, 2017)

I would say finrot but im no expert, I would like to say im very sorry for your loss he was a beautiful fish 


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## sabrinah (Jan 2, 2015)

Knowing your water parameters when he died would be very helpful. Fin rot doesn't kill that fast. It usually becomes body rot before death. Columnaris can kill quickly with few symptoms but I'm not very good at recognizing it.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

When fish scratch themselves against objects in the tank, it is usually the result of irritation, most commonly caused by external parasites, or an issue with water quality. 

I too would like to know what your parameters were during this time. Whenever a fish is behaving abnormally, the first thing I check is water quality. Ammonia and nitrite can certainly kill a fish in a very short space of time if the levels are high enough. Poor water quality can also weaken fish, leaving them more susceptible to disease, which is why you often see outbreaks of columnaris in poorly maintained tanks. 

The black colouration on the body does make me think some sort of bacterial infection. Possibly a fast-moving strain of columnaris, but I don't have enough knowledge about the disease to state that with 100% certainty. 

There's also this that may prove useful.

http://www.bettafish.com/99-betta-f...90086-imporant-watch-these-disease-signs.html


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## Falcon (Jan 9, 2008)

I just looked up the information for Columnaris. It kills in 12 to 24 hours and the symptoms are dead on accurate.

It kills in 12 to 24 hours, but in higher temps above 21 c slows down considerably from 12 to 24 hours to 36 to 48 hours.


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## cakes488 (Dec 2, 2015)

And nobody else in the tank died? Are the survivors exhibiting any symptoms of illness? I'm wondering if it's that "graphite" illness? In the disease forum there is a sticky about this graphite disease....please go check it out.


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## bluebutterfly123 (Feb 23, 2017)

Sorry for your loss.. He was a beautiful betta.. 

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## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

Columnaris. :/ I've had run-ins with it, too. Only four of my fish survived.

Clean the tank, well. It spreads, fast. Don't share equipment between tanks.


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## cakes488 (Dec 2, 2015)

ThatFishThough said:


> Columnaris. :/ I've had run-ins with it, too. Only four of my fish survived.
> 
> Clean the tank, well. It spreads, fast. Don't share equipment between tanks.


How do you disinfect equipment? I have 8 tanks and I cannot have 8 gravel vac's...I just don't have room for that.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)




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## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

cakes488 said:


> How do you disinfect equipment? I have 8 tanks and I cannot have 8 gravel vac's...I just don't have room for that.


I usually just use water, as hot as it can come from the faucet. Some people use salt, others a 1:4 vinegar/water solution. Others, (I think) a 1:8 or 1:10 bleach/water solution. I've heard up to 1:20 on the bleach, so I'm not sure the exact dosage. Then rinse until you can't smell anymore.


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## Falcon (Jan 9, 2008)

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cakes488 said:


> How do you disinfect equipment? I have 8 tanks and I cannot have 8 gravel vac's...I just don't have room for that.


hot water

apple cider vinegar, weak bleach solution


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## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

Be careful to also disinfect the parts outside that touched the water, too.


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