# Betta fish is dying



## 85miles (Mar 10, 2011)

Hi, I am encountering a problem recently. My betta fish died. He was fine, swimming around, eating well. but then he started turning pale n then some cottony kinda thing started appearing - he got restless n he just died. its not ich though. i bought another one, and the same happened. now i got one more. each time i change the water - dechlorinate it, clean the stone, plant well.. change the filter n also place the betta heater i got from petsmart. the filter is a small tetra whisper for 1-3gal. n the fish seems restless now like the other two. i don't want another one dying on me. could you please help me?


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## Malvolti (Nov 15, 2010)

This should really be posted in the disease and emergencies section here: http://www.bettafish.com/forumdisplay.php?f=99

Either way you will need to answer as many of these questions to help the diagnosis.

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 type of food do you feed your betta fish?
How often do you feed your betta fish?

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?

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


My first thought is cotton fungus but without a picture it's hard to tell. Even though you are doing a water change between fish the fungus spores are still in the tank. On the glass, in the gravel, on the decorations. By not fully cleaning every inch of the tank (it takes more than just a rinse in some warm water) the infection will keep killing fish.

The best treatment to try first is 1 tsp of AQUARIUM salt per gallon of water in the tank. Do daily water changes.


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## TaraJets (Mar 9, 2011)

I'm not exactly sure what infection your fish has but some things you can do are:
1) put the correct dosage of aquarium salt in there
2) turn the water extra hot (like 82 degrees F) 

These things will give the dude a little boost. 

If he does not make it I would recommend taking apart the entire tank and sanitizing everything you can, including gravel, decor, and the tank itself, in a 10% vinegar 90% water solution. Make sure you get all the vinegar off everything.

I hope a moderator finds this soon, I've never heard of a disease like this before.


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## Babyfins (Jan 21, 2011)

I am VERY new to fishkeeping so I have no idea if this problem would even create the "cottony kinda thing" but make sure everything is aquarium safe. I once had a from years ago that died because I put a shell that I found on the beach in his bowl. When I did find him he was covered with white slime.


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## 85miles (Mar 10, 2011)

Housing 
What size is your tank? - 2.5 to 3gal
What temperature is your tank? - 75-80
Does your tank have a filter? - yes, tetra whisper for 1-3gal, uses small filter cartridge.
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? - no
Is your tank heated? - yes, the flat undergravel water heater from petsmart. 
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? - none

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? - betta pellets
How often do you feed your betta fish? - twice a day, skip a day in the week to rest his digestive system. 

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change? - bi-weekly
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? sometimes full if it doesnt look good, otherwise 50%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? - aquarium salt, top fin water conditioner

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters? - NO

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? - bit restless
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? 
When did you start noticing the symptoms? - starts like 2 days before the first 2 died. 
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? - don't know if its a fungus. 
Does your fish have any history of being ill? - no, the second one was brand new from petsmart and died in 4 days. 
How old is your fish (approximately)?


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## c4talys7 (Sep 7, 2010)

Here's a site that has more information and possible cures. http://www.healthybetta.com/fish-illness-and-cure-information

It sounds like Columnaris, but I'm not completely sure. It's the only thing I know to somewhat fit your description and it's a nasty thing to deal with. Hopefully OFL or another fish healer will see this soon. I unfortunately do not know how to treat it.


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## Babyfins (Jan 21, 2011)

This Neon Tetra Disease is usually found in tetras but can also be seen in other tropicals. Looks like it is highly contagious whatever it is.


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## 85miles (Mar 10, 2011)

my betta fish bowl.. the tetra filter n the zoo-med heater.. the heater looks large cuz of the bowl shape.. its a brand new fish, new water n i have done everything possible to ensure a healthy betta life.. i hope i dont get to see more fungus or watever..


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## Babyfins (Jan 21, 2011)

I wish you and your betta the best. 

One thing though, it looks like you have a heater in the tank. Is this right? If so, do you have a thermometer on the tank? It's hard to see if you have one. If not, this might be your problem. It is really easy to overheat your fish and ultimately cook them to death.  Good luck.


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## Babyfins (Jan 21, 2011)

Duh...I just realized you posted that you DO have a heater.  Sorry. But _do_ you have a thermometer?


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## sharka91 (Mar 8, 2011)

My fish have had this too i think. My last fish I got started to get tail rot or something then died soon after i bought it. I just got a new one to replace it and now it has ick i believe. I just got this fish two days ago. i made sure to clean out the bowl thoroughly after the one before it died. but even still i didnt use the same bowl. i put it in a different bowl. i'm not certain he'll make the night, and i want to get another fish but i'm afraid its something i'm doing wrong, not that i just bought a sick fish twice in a row.


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## Emmalea (Jan 23, 2011)

Are you sure that bowl is 2.5-3 gallons? It looks really small, I would guess that it is 1 gallon or less. 
You are not doing water changes frequently enough. Even if the bowl really is 2.5 gallon which I doubt it is, bi-weekly are not enough.
Even if your water looks clean it can still contain ammonia which can make your fish sick.
With a tank your size I would be doing water changes every 2-3 days if it really is 2.5 gallon, if it is smaller I would do changes each day.

Also your setup is not ideal for a betta, you need to add some more plants and something for him to hide in. 
In a tank that small the filter could also be to strong and cause him stress.

I would do a 100% water change and measure the gallons to see how big your bowl really is.
Also you might want to think about just getting a tank, your bowl may look nice but it really isn't great for a betta to live in.


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## Saoirse (Mar 7, 2011)

I just got a new betta, I noticed yesterday a white cotton on his caudal and anal fin tips (crowntail). Went to petco and the fish expert gave me a water additive that kills fungus, bacteria and something else, but I don't remember. He told me to put the fish in a smaller bowl and quarantine, add the recommended dose, do 100% water changes once a day, adding fresh mess with each change, for 3-4 consecutive days. Also, to do a deep clean on the tank. He said the cotton stuff is a fungus and that med should do it. He says it's caused by poor water quality - if your other fish had it, it's probably still infecting your tank and decor. Perhaps you're having the same issue as me? Mine is tolerating the med very well and I've already seen a difference in behavior and the white cotton had already begun to shrink. I hope you figure out your issue and can save your baby.


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## Saoirse (Mar 7, 2011)

*Fresh -Meds- Wouldn't let me edit. 

And the poor water quality was from the cup he came in from the store, luckily I hadn't purchased the 2.5 gal tank yet and put him in it yet.


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## Capricorn (Sep 4, 2010)

White/cottony thing sounds like columnaris.. not a fungus but actually a bacterial infection. More than likely its from poor water conditions from the infrequent water changes. Emma is right, even if that bowl is 2.5gallons it should get changed every couple days to avoid harmful ammonia buildup.

Fish constantly secrete ammonia, hence why water changes have to be done. When it reaches harmful levels, it can cause things such as organ failure and bacterial infections. Your best bet would be to up the water changes to once a day until the symptoms disappear, and after that keep up with water changes every 2-3 days or so.. if you want t cut back on how often you change the water, you can upgrade to a larger tank, which will be easier to maintain in the long run.


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## 85miles (Mar 10, 2011)

thank you so much for the feedback guys... it's a 2.5gal bowl, cuz it takes me 2 gal spring water jugs to fill it plus a cup.. even then the filter is only for a 1-3gal, so will the filter stress him too much? 

EMMA - i guess you are right, cuz he hides behind the heater whenever he gets a chance... so i should get a tank. 

maybe, i should get a tank like u guys suggest...  thanks so much for the feedback..


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## Emmalea (Jan 23, 2011)

If you can gt him a tank I think you would see a big improvement.

You can get a plain 2.5 or 5 gallon for less than $20 and you already have the heater and filter, so you just need some sand or gravel, a few more plants and something for him to hide in. 
If you want t save some money instead of buying a hideout from the pet store you can use a taracotta pot, it's cost about 70 cents and works great, just make sure to plug the hole in the bottom.
As for the filter it really depends on the fish, some don't mind and some totally hate it. 
If you think he is stressed you could try making a filter baffle or you could just take it out.
Good to know the bowl isn't as small as I thought, But the shape doesn't make the best use of water space.

I say totally get a tank, it will be super rewarding to see your fish happy!


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## xkatieebby (Mar 10, 2011)

Mouth Fungus
Symptoms: White cottony patches around the mouth. Mouth Fungus is so called because it looks like a fungus attack of the mouth. It is actually caused from the bacterium Chondrococcus columnaris. It shows up first as a gray or white line around the lips and later as short tufts sprouting from the mouth like fungus. The toxins produced and the inability to eat will be fatal unless treated at an early stage. This bacteria is often accompanied by a second infection of an Aeromonas bacteria.
Penicillin at 10,000 units per liter is a very effective treatment. Treat with a second dose in two days. Or use chloromycetin, 10 to 20 mg per liter, with a second dose in two days. Other antibiotics can also be effective. Kanacyn (kanamycin) will treat both bacteria at once. Maracyn (erythromycin) is effective against C. columnaris, and using Maracyn 2 (minocycline) in conjuntion with it will treat the Aeromonas bacteria as well.


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