# Betta died because of water change



## Stormykitty (Sep 10, 2013)

I'm not sure if I should post this in the disease forum, but I know for a fact that my fishy died because I made a mistake. So I figured it would best be posted here. My goal here is to pin point exactly what my mistake was and not do it again for my future fish.

So I was changing Thor's (fishy) water. I use city tap water and condition it with splendid betta water conditioner. Here's a link to petco's page about it. My tank is 1 gal, and per package instructions 1/2 tsp.

http://www.petco.com/product/10844/API-Splendid-Betta-Complete-Water-Conditioner.aspx

From there I rinsed the gravel and the tank using no soap. Then I transferred him from his temporary bowl to his fresh tank water. 

At first he was fine, happy to be back in his tank and left alone, and then he started twitching and flailing. I thought he was flaring but it kept going and he swam erratically all over the tank as if he was irritated. Then finally he swam to a corner twitching and gasping at the surface before finally turning on his side. It was all very quick happening in perhaps two minutes tops. 

So all I can think is I did not use enough conditioner, did not let it sit long enough, or my roommate had just scrubbed the bathroom sink out and cleaning chemicals washed off on the glass beads. 

I feel bad. I also want to get an idea of what I did wrong since I'm going to try again with a new fish at the end of the week.


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

Did you just dump him into the bowl? Shock is what I'm willing to bet killed him... Did you ever compare the temp of the water he was in to the temp of the fresh water?


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## Stormykitty (Sep 10, 2013)

I used a fish net to scoop him out and gently place him back into the water. And no I didn't compare the temperature, his was room temperature water and the new water I'm willing to bet was at least high 80's low 90's. 

I think you're right, I hadn't thought about shock. But he seemed fine for like ten seconds then it hit him.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Sorry for Thor's death.

Even if you don't have a heater, buy a thermometer so you can synchronize temperatures. And get a small bowl or collander in which to rinse your beads instead of using the sink and do a final rinse with dechlorinated water.


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

Yea, chemicals like chlorine or the cleaners from the sink would take quite a bit longer then 10s... I'm almost certain it's shock.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

+1 Matt; that's why I suggested buying a thermometer. All my other suggestions are just precautionary.


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

And please use Prime water conditioner. It detoxifies ammonia. Very important in a small tank with frequent water changes. 

(Or Amquel Plus or AmmoLock)


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## Stormykitty (Sep 10, 2013)

Well, dang, shock then. 

So what causes shock? Would a ten degree or more difference in water temperature cause something like that? Do fish need to be re-acclimated to water every time you put them back in the tank after 100% water changes?

I'm a little bummed, this little guy was so hardy and so chill. Occasionally I'd lapse in his care, being the first fish I've ever owned and in college, and he'd be all like "It's cool man, the water is changed, totally awesome."


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## Siobhan (Nov 11, 2013)

That happened to me once with a goldfish. Since then, I take extra care to compare water temps and either the fresh water is just a LITTLE warmer than the old water, or the same temp. NEVER colder, and never significantly warmer.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Lots of things can go wrong when making a water change. Depending on how long between the water changes-You can also have chemistry changes that will cause shock-then death if not properly acclimated.

Sudden twitching, erratic movements, roll over then death...IMO/E-that was shock related from either too extreme temp or chemistry change or toxic substance or forgotten or not enough dechlorinator used.

IMO/E based on experiments conducted-In a 1gal unfiltered tank without live plants-1-2 50% water changes a week-depending on your feeding method and types of food used. Water temp at least 75-76F.

IMO-I wouldn't remove the gravel or even over clean it too much-(_unless you grossly overfeed_-then cut back on the food). 

I wouldn't even remove the Betta for the water changes-this will limit accidents....I would do the stir and dip method with a 1gal and if you can get some live plants-this would help even more....

Sorry for your loss....stuff happens...we learn from it, grow- then move on with more knowledge.....


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I'm so sorry for your loss.


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## Stormykitty (Sep 10, 2013)

Firstly, thanks for all the well wishes. It's nice to have a group to share my grief (however brief) with. I'd only had Thor for about two months and he was the perfect dorm companion. Loads of personality and very soothing to watch before bed. He had a proper funeral, *sigh* in the dorm bathroom because I couldn't bury him outside. (God don't I feel like a child?)

Secondly. Oldfishlady I will most certainly take your advice about the 2 50% water changes. I'll also throw away the food I was using and just get good quality stuff from the get go. I got BettaMin from Tetra. I don't recommend it. I hate waste so I wanted to use it but still it was awful and I don't think it was proper at all for my Betta

Thirdly, can anyone recommend a good water conditioner brand?


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Seachem Prime is the best.


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

Hallyx said:


> And please use Prime water conditioner. It detoxifies ammonia. Very important in a small tank with frequent water changes.
> 
> (Or Amquel Plus or AmmoLock)


..


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## rickey (Jul 7, 2013)

Oldfishlady said:


> Lots of things can go wrong when making a water change. Depending on how long between the water changes-You can also have chemistry changes that will cause shock-then death if not properly acclimated.
> Sudden twitching, erratic movements, roll over then death...IMO/E-that was shock related from either too extreme temp or chemistry change or toxic substance or forgotten or not enough dechlorinator used.


 I don't think there has ever been a livestock death because of a properly performed water change, It is always human error in some form and I'm reasonably sure that is the case here. And I myself have had those oh heck moments.

R


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Good that you are tossing out the fish food-Fish food can expire. While it might not be bad or kill the fish directly in most cases, its the vitamins, minerals, nutrition may not be any good since some are not very stable to start with and/or improper storage or contamination...etc...that can shorten the fish food life. When in doubt-throw it out....lol...

What I recommend- buy the smallest containers of fish food to start with and if you have friends with fish-Share it and get several different type of food to feed. IMO/E-especially when you don't have live foods-It is best to feed small amounts of several different quality fish foods throughout the week. IMO/E-it doesn't have to be Betta specific-look at the ingredients.

Be sure and date the bottle/container of fish food once you break the seal

IMO and from research-you should be tossing out your fish food about every 6mo-1yr-The research states 6mo-but a lot will go 1yr and still would be fine as long as you stored the fish food properly to start with.

Proper storage of fish foods: In a tightly sealed container-kept in a cool, dark, dry place. When feeding you shouldn't put fingers in the container itself. Best to pour out small amounts in either the cap or something clean-_The oils from your hands or wet hands can contaminate the food causing it to go bad faster._

Worst place to keep your fish food-On top of the aquarium-especially on the lights-Too warm and moist....

Nutrition is one of the most important aspects of keeping healthy-thriving fish IMO/E and often one of the areas that many hobbyist try to save money or cut corners-When this is the areas you should look at best quality and usually quality comes at a price...


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I've been told by breeders that fish food can be frozen...


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

dramaqueen said:


> I've been told by breeders that fish food can be frozen...


That is correct, however, you need to be careful when freezing fish food due to water crystals that can form on the fish food and once the fish food is thawed and ice crystals melt-this wets the food and increases risk of premature spoilage and Aflatoxin poisoning. If you feel the need to keep cool what I would recommend is just place in the fridge-be sure and date bottles.. this is from a breeder too...me....


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## Stormykitty (Sep 10, 2013)

Fish food goes bad? Ugh! Good to know. I can't wait to get paid Friday so I can restock on my supplies. 

I just got myself a really pretty boy yesterday, I couldn't resist! He's exploring his new tank but I think he doesn't like the bamboo that I have in there. He's a double tail halfmoon and his long fins I think don't fit too well in the leaves. *sigh* 

So I guess a new tank set up is in order too.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I heard it from IBC breeders. I would imagine it would have to be frozen before it's opened to prevent crystals from forming. Correct?? Thanks for the info.


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## SalsaMom (Aug 16, 2013)

Sorry about your fish!
Figured I'd toss my experience out for your consideration - and others too.
My 6 year old wanted a Betta so after some research (and finding this board) we took the plunge. Hadn't had fish in years - but in the past had done numerous fresh and saltwater tanks.

We snagged the 5 gallon Hawkeye (came with a little internal filter) set up from Walmart, I put a Hydor-Theo heater in it, daughter picked the gravel, some silk plants, and a thermometer that sinks and sits in the tank gravel as a double-check that heater is doing its job.
To treat my tap water I use Prime by Seachem (used it in the past - it is great today still).
I heard about Dr Tim's (bottled beneficial bacteria) on here - and having used similar products in the past and liking them - I ordered and use it too.

You are in college - so money might be a big issue for you!
If you can - check out Foster & Smith online - they have stuff _way_ cheaper than pet stores.

Once it was set up and going for a while (ie - I knew the heater was working properly) - we took our daughter out to get a fish.
That was mid September sometime.
Today I did the first real water change - and that was roughly 2 gallons - again - set the tank up in September.

With the Dr Tim's - I never, ever got water test results over zero. I think it just flat out cycled this tank with no spikes (though I was prepared to handle any spike and really thought I'd have at least a little ammonia at some point).
I tested the water a lot at first - daily. Then eased back to every few days, once a week and now about every 10 days.
I keep a container of treated water ready all the time and I have a dedicated fish-tank-only Solo cup I use for the tank.
I top the tank off with my pre-made water whenever the filter gets a little too splashy-sounding (highly technical explanation there - haha).
So...maybe half a solo cup every 4 days or so...if that.

My pre-made water is room temp and cooler than the 80 degree tank water - but it's such a little amount compared to the tank volume - it's ok - never seemed to bother the fish and I never notice the heater light come on right after adding it.

I cleaned the tank today as a matter of course - I knew after all this time, despite zero readings on my ammonia etc...it just needed to be cleaned (and sure enough I found the ONE spot this fish must go to when he poops!!).
I vacuumed the gravel, wiped off a little algae that was in a few spots and that's it. 
Added matching temperature, treated, water back to it.
Unless there is some problem - it would never dawn on me to break a whole tank down and even wash the gravel...even on a non-filtered tank.

Took me a few minutes. 

Make sure your 'tank stuff' is dedicated to only being fish tank use things. I use a Solo cup and other things that are 100% only ever used for things fish tank related. 
Before I dare stick my hand/arm into the tank - I wash them, then run lots of water over the area (so I don't get lotion or anything in the tank).
I use a fresh towel and/or plain old paper towels when working with the tank.
I only ever rinse 'tank stuff' in plain old tap water.

So...that is how our new tank is going...not a ton of maintenance - mainly checking water quality and topping it off.

We feed NLS betta food, I give him some daphnia every week or 10 days...every now and then one dried bloodworm (maybe 2x a month).

Good luck with your new fish! 
My experience may not be the norm....but with the filter and Dr Tim's - seems my betta-keeping has been made easier.


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