# Why did my Betta die today?



## Misti

Hello all,
I always wanted a Betta fish, they are so beautiful.
I lost my new Betta today. I am terribly upset. I am a new fish owner and am totally confused about why he might have died. I have read so many sites and all have completely different info and sometimes opposite opinions on Betta fish care.

I went to Petco (supposed to be a reputable source) about 4 weeks ago to get my first betta and get a crash course on Betta care from the professionals right? I picked my beautiful boy "Razmataz" because he had the least amount of water in his tiny cup. He only had about an inch! I felt bad for him and wanted to give him a good home! I bought him a 2 gallon fish bowl, a live plant a small castle along with the natural gravel they sell. The fish keeper said he didn't need a bowl that big but I got it anyways. I asked him if he needed a heater and he said NO. He said they keep them all in plastic cups here and never with a heater. He said they didn't need one. He told me they needed a water change every week and showed me the betta fish pellets. He said they need a water conditioner or use bottled spring or drinking water. 

I brought Raz home and set up his bowl using bottled spring water. I made sure I rinsed the bowl and decor well before adding the water. I acclimated him to the new water making sure he was used to the water temp before introducing him to the bowl. He seemed to LOVE his new home. He swam around and was very active and did well for the first three weeks. He hated the pellets and I ended up feeding him dried blood worms (which he loved) and flakes (he didn't like as much but ate them). I fed him only every other day and changed his water once a week (every weekend).

This last week he started acting real lethargic, not swimming around and not moving alot. He stayed at the top of the tank only. There were a bubbles at the top of the water before I changed his water the last time.
I never went more than 7 days before I changed his water. He wouldnt eat much the last week and wouldnt eat at all the last three days, and he was an aggressive eater before.

We keep the house quite warm (almost too warm for us). And I caught my cat drinking out of the fish bowl the other day.
Could he have already been sick when I got him? Did I do something wrong? Could the cat drinking out of the bowl introduced bad bacteria?
Also I put in a new larger castle about 12 days ago. Could the castle have had some bad substance on it? I rinsed it very well.
Could the live plant have been bad? Every time I changed the water I had to remove yellow leaves.

I am nervous to try again!

Here is a pic of Razmataz healthy!


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## BettaxFishxCrazy

I'm so sorry about your betta.  Whenever you put something new in a tank/bowl you should let it sit in the water at least a day to make sure that the color doesn't leak etc. 2G tanks should be cleaned 100% (taking everything out and cleaning it) twice a week. Ammonia builds up very quickly in smaller tanks. Since they are tropical fish, they need to be in water that's a constant 76-80*F. I never trust pet store employees because 99% of the time, they have NO clue what they're talking about. They should...but they don't. 

Also, by spring water do you mean bottled water? Bottled water lacks the necessary nutrients that bettas need. He could've had something internal when you bought him. It's just a risk that you take when you buy them...they might "look" healthy, but that doesn't mean they are. I hope this helped!


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## Sella

I had an employee from a fish store tell me that I absolutley did not need a heater for my fish, and the only time they've lost fish due to temperatures was when it snowed and the heater broke and the store went down to freezing. I just rolled my eyes at her and left the store. 

I'm sorry about your fish. Give it another shot.


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## s3kshun62

Take what you've learned, and apply everything to make sure you're next betta friend stays with you longer. I'm sorry for your loss. Do your research, look up everything. I've heard getting a small betta is better, it usually means they are younger. Get a small heater and a filter if you can. We're hear to help.


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## TheJadeBetta

The plant you have. Did you get it in a tube from petco? Also, what type is it?


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## s3kshun62

I've seen those plants at petco, they come in those prepackaged "live plants" tubes. It looks like Albida...thats my best bet. They come with water gel.


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## TheJadeBetta

Albida? I don't know that one. Well, I bought the same plant. Looked it up online and it is not an aquatic plant. I remembered what they called it just now, Golden Ribbon. I don't remember the scientific name, though.

*Also: *It rots kinda fast in water.


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## s3kshun62

Nice how common that is now a days, if it can live a few weeks submerged, then its "aquatic" by the way, H-E-B or other grocery stores, in the floral department, bamboo, .99-1.99 for a long stalk. Pet stores, 5.99 to whatever


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## Mister Sparkle

D. Variegatus. It's definitely NOT aquatic. In fact, one lesson you can take from this is that a plant which Petco tries to sell you OUT OF the water probably isn't meant to be submerged in the water. It really is downright devious that they sell such plants as "aquatic".


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## s3kshun62

Any harmfull effects that this plant can cause towards fish? I can see partially submerged for another creature habitat.


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## Kittles

You made a lot of good decisions in regards to your fishkeeping, but unfortunately some poor information has tainted your experience. I wouldn't let it dissuade you from trying again, though. 

First of all, most pet store employees don't really know what they're talking about. A heater is definitely required for keeping a healthy betta. After all, they are tropical and thrive most in temperatures from 74ºF - 80ºF degrees. Not only does a heater keep the temperature warm, but keeps it stable - also necessary for keeping your betta healthy. Temperature fluctuations can stress your fish and weaken their immune system. 

Secondly, you shouldn't have to purchase your water. You can use water from your faucet and dechlorinate it with any conditioner. If your water is high in ammonia, you can buy Seachem Prime conditioner which will take care of that issue. If it contains metals, you might need to filter it. You should also be doing two water changes a week with a tank of that size. I'm not sure, but you might be able to pull of one 50%, and one 100%, instead of two 100%. 

Third, it's good that you've purchased several types of food, but freeze dried blood worms should only be fed as a treat. Probably once a week, only. They have little nutritional value compared to the flakes or pellets and don't contribute much to their diet. Feeding a few pellets or flakes once or twice a day is normal, as is fasting one day of the week to prevent any constipation or bloating. 

Lastly, your tank looks great and your next fish should live happily with all adjustments considered. I'd remove that plant, though, as it's not truly aquatic and find a pet store that has tanks of live plants kept underwater, rather than in tubes. Rotting leaves will only contribute to rising ammonia levels. Good luck with your next fish, and keep us posted on your progress.


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## bettalover2033

my only advice that i can give at the moment since everyone here has answered almost all Questions, dont take advice from any clerk...they are very misleading


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## Mister Sparkle

s3kshun62 said:


> Any harmfull effects that this plant can cause towards fish? I can see partially submerged for another creature habitat.


As I understand it, the roots can stand to be very heavily saturated, but the leaves are not designed to respirate beneath the surface. But I don't really know.


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