# Symptoms of Dying Betta Fish



## Npinja (Aug 12, 2013)

What are the symptoms of dying betta fish and usually how long do they live after the symptoms occur?


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Depends entirely on that which is killing it....

Sometimes death is a long and drawn out process. Sometimes the fish dies before you notice anything is wrong.


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## futbol1 (Dec 5, 2013)

Jaycee is correct-either it's long and drawn out, or very quickly for no reason. 

I have an older fish (over 3 years old) that's dying right now, I think, of old age, so I can give you his symptoms: He just lays on the bottom on his stones and doesn't move unless I gently nudge the container. Sometimes he lays on his side, breathing heavily, and he's recently stopped eating. I have him under a lamp in a small, shallow container to keep him warm, and to keep him comfortable for whatever time he has left. I'm hoping this isn't going to be a drawn out type of situation, but it's starting to look that way. It's been close to a month now.

Assuming there's no physically evident sign of disease, I would think that a fish that isn't moving much, lays sideways all the time on the bottom of the tank, and refuses food even when it's put right in front of his face, is probably dying.

Do you have a fish with these symptoms, and if so, how old is he?


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## bettasareawesome (Jul 9, 2012)

Yeah, it depends on what its dying of, often times they lay on the bottom of the tank or hang out by the heater where its warm, also lots of times they don't eat much or at all, along with not pooping.


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## Npinja (Aug 12, 2013)

Mine doesn't eat much at all much less poop. He has a fungal infection and he is very lethargic. It is a white patch on the left side of his body. I am currently adding bettafix.


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## futbol1 (Dec 5, 2013)

Npinja said:


> Mine doesn't eat much at all much less poop. He has a fungal infection and he is very lethargic. It is a white patch on the left side of his body. I am currently adding bettafix.


It's good that you at least have an idea of why your fish is ill and can medicate. Mine has no evidence of disease, no fin rot, nothing. It's so frustrating. Never considered meds, because there's nothing to treat.


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Npinja said:


> Mine doesn't eat much at all much less poop. He has a fungal infection and he is very lethargic. It is a white patch on the left side of his body. I am currently adding bettafix.


Sounds like you should be using a real medication. I don't have much experience with fungal infections, but I'm sure someone will be able to recommend one for you. Too, some bacterias can look like a fungus. Can you post a pic or video?


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Is the white patch kind of fuzzy or cottony looking? Is it raised at all?

It sounds like he may have Columnaris, which is a bacterial infection. (Bacterial infections are much more common than fungal ones.)

Bettafix won't really help with Columnaris. As Jaysee requested, can you post a photo? 

If it's Columnaris, there's a two-part treatment that is very effective:
(1) Lower the water temperature to about 76-77F. 
(2) A a furan antibiotic, such as API Furan 2 or Hikari Bifuran or Jungle Fungus Clear.

As for not pooping, when was the last time he ate? What brand of food are you feeding him? 

Also, do you have a water testing kit? If so, can you post the results? 
If you don't - when was the last time you did a water change? 
Do you add anything (conditioner, etc) when doing water changes?


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

I have read for columnaris to lower the temp to the low 70s in order to slow the growth.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Jaysee -

Yes, the lower the water temp, the slower the growth. But, IMO, you also need to weigh the needs of the fish against the need to slow down bacterial growth.... Since Bettas are tropical, I worry that lowering the temp to the low-70s will adversely affect it's metabolism and immune function. So I generally suggest just lowering it to the bottom part of the Betta's comfort range, which is about 76F.

Plus if you add an antibiotic, you're killing the bacteria anyway. 

(Conversely, adding an antibiotic puts stress on the fish's liver and kidneys, so again, you're still weighing your alternatives in terms of risks/benefits.)

IMO, since Columnaris can become an aggressive infection, if I can't control it very quickly (ie: at the very initial signs of it), I drop the temp to about 76F and add a furan medication. 

Again, this method has worked for me. Some people only treat holistically, in which case, yes, you'd probably need to drop the temp more since you wouldn't be using an antibiotic....


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## Npinja (Aug 12, 2013)

What kind of medication should I use? (Brands)


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Npinja, can you fill out the form below so that we have more information? Answer what you can, and leave anything else blank.

Also, if you can post a photo of your fish, that would be really helpful!

---------------------------------

Housing 
What size is your tank?
What temperature is your tank?
Does your tank have a filter?
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration?
Is your tank heated?
What tank mates does your betta fish live with?

Food
What BRAND of food do you feed your betta fish?
How often do you feed your betta fish?
How much do you give at each feeding?

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change?
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change?
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change?
WHEN was your last water change?

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity: 

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed?
How has your betta fish's behavior changed?
When did you start noticing the symptoms?

Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? What medications/treatments have you used?

Does your fish have any history of being ill?
How old is your fish (approximately)? How long have you had it?


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

And provide a pic and/or video so we can get a look at what's growing on your fish.


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## Npinja (Aug 12, 2013)

Housing 
What size is your tank? 2.5 gallons
What temperature is your tank? 75f/24-25c
Does your tank have a filter? Yes
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No
Is your tank heated? Yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? None

Food
What BRAND of food do you feed your betta fish? (Give us the brand and name from the label.) Omega one buffet flakes
How often do you feed your betta fish? Once per day
How much do you feed each time? Couple of flakes

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change? 1 per week
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 65-70%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Nutrafin aqua plus

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?
Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
pH:
Hardness:
Alkalinity: 

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? Clamped fins and white spots on the sides of his body. (Got a bit smaller after I added some bettafix)
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? Very lethargic, doesn't move around, and sinks to the bottom if he tries to float. (I don't think he has sbd, I think its caused by the fungal infection)

When did you start noticing the symptoms? 1 1/2 weeks ago

Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? (If medications were used, which ones? How long did you use them?)
Bettafix by API. Reccomended dose on bottle. (2.5 ml per gallon) Used medication for about 3 days now. Did a water change yesterday and reapplied the medicine.
Does your fish have any history of being ill? Fin rot 1-2 weeks ago before this happened
How old is your fish (approximately)? How long ago did you purchase it? Don't know
But he is really big in size. I have been to the pet store and all the other bettas look really small.


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## Npinja (Aug 12, 2013)

Also, the last time he ate was last week. Im pretty worried.


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## Npinja (Aug 12, 2013)

:-(Nevermind. There is no need for medication anymore. My betta has just passed away. Im planning to get a new one though.


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## Npinja (Aug 12, 2013)

Thank you guys for the help!


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## Npinja (Aug 12, 2013)

Another question: What should I do with the ghost shrimp in the tank? He seems fine.


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## Aryia (Oct 10, 2013)

Sorry to hear your Betta passed away.

I would do a full water change to remove all traces of medication and keep the ghost shrimp in clean water like you have. I hear ghost shrimp do better with aeration, so maybe an airstone would be good, but I'm not the expert on these guys.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Npinja - I'm sorry..... :-(

I don't know anything about ghost shrimp. If no one replies on this thread, try sending a PM to Jaysee, or start a new thread in the "Other Fish" forum.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I'm so sorry for your loss.


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## Npinja (Aug 12, 2013)

I am currently submerging everything in hot water for about 1-2 hours. After, I am going to let it dry and then start over again. How long should I wait before adding a new betta?


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## Bettasarebetta (Dec 21, 2013)

:shock:


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

You don't need to wait.... Once the tank is cleaned, you can refill it with water and add conditioner. Once it's at a good temperature, you can slowly acclimate a new fish into it. 

There are many ways to acclimate (introduce) your new fish into the tank. Here is one variation: 
 Fill the tank with water. Add the correct amount of conditioner.
 Be sure the water is at an acceptable temperature for your new Betta. 
The water should be in the 76-83F range. About 78-80F is considered 'ideal.'
 Keep him in the store cup. Float his store cup in the tank for at least 20 min. (Longer is OK.)
 If he seems stressed, you can drape a towel around the tank.
Darkness has a calming effect on them.
 Add a SMALL amount of NEW water to the cup. (Several tablespoons, or about 1.5 ounces.)
 Let his cup float for about 15 min. (Longer is OK.)
 Repeat the above two steps, until at LEAST an hour has passed. 
(I generally acclimate a new fish for several hours.)
 If the cup starts to fill too much, remove a SMALL amount of water from the cup. Discard it.
 Gently release him into the tank.


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## Julio1983 (Jan 7, 2013)

Hi guys,
I noticed in an earlier post someone wrote that if bettas start hanging out near their heaters it can be a sign that they are sick...can anyone confirm this? 
Only because my fishy has been sleeping close to his heater for the last few months (and he also "rests" there during the day) but he seems perfectly fine. Eats and poops normally, zooms to the front of the tank to say hello and is always swimming crazy and dancing around. Just made me worry a little bit!


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## Npinja (Aug 12, 2013)

Great news! I just bought a gorgeous twin tailed betta from my local petland! Stay tuned for pics!


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## Npinja (Aug 12, 2013)

Here is my boy! I just love the tints of electric blue!


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