# newb betta owner-betta males dieing



## patchesofheaven74 (Sep 4, 2011)

Ok. I my 1st betta fish, Luke, was a crown tail that i owned for about a month till he died (due to constipation, otherwise he was as fit a a fiddle) 

So i bought myself a new one, Skywalker. 
My mom didn't know i'd just bought a new fish that day and got me a new one too , a veil tail named Hansolo, and i had him for a week before mom went off and bought my baby bro a veil tail, Starsceen, and me a female , Princess Lea. 
(please note i did not want her to buy me more fish. i was only planning to have one betta...) 

So to my problem. I'm very new to owning bettas and currently have 3 fish i look after (though star screen is my bro's , he's too little to care for it on his own) 
My 4th one, Skywalker, just died recently for no apparent reason. He'd been very active and healthy for the month i had him. I changed 50% of his water every week with 100% every month. and he lived in a .5 gal tank with a little rock formation to hide in and he seemed healthy. Then, over night, he grew 'depressed' acting and wouldn't eat or move much. he just hid in the tank all day and died within a week. 

Now my only living male , Hansolo, has been acting just like Skywalker did before he died. Perfectly happy up till a week ago and suddenly grew 'depressed'. He's in .5 gal of water same water changing schedule but i haven't done 100% change this month cause i'm worried i'd stress him more. he nibbled at food then won't touch it and hide. he either floats at the top, or lays on the bottom and will remain still for hours. I'm very worried he's about to die and i don't understand why this is happening. 

today i notice my female, Lea, and my baby bro's male, Star screen, started to grow very inactive. Starscreen refused to eat and though lea will eat, she hides a bit more. Normally she's a very active fishy. 




****PLease remember i'm not a fish hoarder. my mother bought most of them even when i told her to stop. i only have 3 fish right now (including my brother's) and they are all wallmart bout fish. ****



Because Hansolo is the worst off anf they all seem to be following his example, i'll just answer the following about him 

Housing 
What size is your tank? .5 gal (only thing i could get at the time)
What temperature is your tank? no idea. not regulated but it's been in the 90s outside around here and our house stays about 74F
Does your tank have a filter? no
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? no?
Is your tank heated? 
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? none

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? pellet and freeze dried blood worms about once a week. only one per fish when i do give them a worm
How often do you feed your betta fish? 2 pellets daily. once or twice a month 1 pellet and 1 freeze dried blood worm

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change? 50% weekly, 100% monthly (minus this month's 100% because i'm worried of stressing him out more)
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? answer is above...
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? a little tablet i got from walmart, says it regulates the levels or the water up to 5 gals or water and to ad one per water changing. I add about a 3rd of a tablet when i do 50% changings.

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?


N/A

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed? he's always had a bit grey tint to him.. his (and the other's) bellies might be a tad greyer? and today a couple tiny tips of his tail curled up and fell off!!! 
How has your betta fish's behavior changed? yes, 'depressed' won't eat but can swim fine when he chooses to (which is not very much at all)
When did you start noticing the symptoms? about a week ago
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how? i added a little bit of Mella Fix 1st aid today after seeing the bits of tail fall off. (I used the same stuff on star screen to save him from fin rot when we first got him about 3 weeks ago)
Does your fish have any history of being ill? no idea. walmart bought 
How old is your fish (approximately)? no idea walmart bought







___________________________________________________





I read a few articles and since winter is coming, i got a 5 gal tank and just split it into 3 sections. (so each fish will get about 1.7 gals instead of 0.5 gal) and it came with a filter, light, and i bought a heater for it. i just got doen gluging in the sections of fiberglass like material (small holes drilled in for circulation) with waterproof glueing and plan on trying to move all three living fish into them tomorrow. (after the water heats up to the right level) 
i did all this because i read they can go into shocka nd survival shut down to try and stay warm. it hasn't gotten cold here yet but i don't want to take chances. especially with them already getting worse. 

i plan on putting the heater on one side and the filet on the other in hopes the filter, sucking in water , would draw the heated water throughout the whole tank. would that work? 







thank you so much for reading the HUGE article and for the help.


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

Yikes.

First off, I'm a rather polite person, may I say. If you could hear me say the words I type here, I'm saying it as nice as possible... and I have a headache right now, so I'm being paranoid about my speaking skills right now. :'D

100% on a .5 gallon tank is Waaaay too little of a water change. In a tank that small, daily 100% water changes would have helped the fish live a lot healthier and longer.

Good to know you've read up on some things on the site. Since you have the three fish in one rather small tank (for three), I'll say you do water changes as much as most here would do on a 1.5 galon, which I think is a 100% every other day.

Water temperature should stay between 78-82'F.

The temperature of the water will diffuse to be equal temperatures even if the filter wasn't in there, but I'm sure the filter will help a lot, too.

Do you have live plants in the tank? If not, and forgive me if you already knew, but plants help keep ammonia levels down. It doesn't mean you don't have to do water changes any less unless there are a lot of plants (but don't overcrowd the fish, either), but it does help.


Edit: Any sick fish, you might want to keep separate from the others, unless they're all sick with the same thing, I don't see why you shouldn't treat the whole tank.

Editedit: I just thoroughly read through your form. Since they're all in their own tanks right now, treat them individually.
First, do a 100% water change. Let the temperature even out with his water (acclimate him) and let him into the water.
I think with proper water changes, the fish will perk up considerably. 
As far as eating habits go, try feeding half a cooked pea to the ones who aren't eating. It could be that their intestinal system is blocked up that they have no desire to eat. Usually bettas will eat themselves to death, but it's a good diet you have them on.
Also, forgive any mispellings... my heaache doesn't help that either.


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## patchesofheaven74 (Sep 4, 2011)

Blakbird- i don't see you as being rude at all. 
each fish is in .5 gal for now with soft fake plants but i'm not allowed to get real ones :/
i have read about real plants though


i would have loved to have gotten them all a 5 gal tank or at least a 2 gal but that's all i could get them at the time and some goes for this 5 gal i just bought. 

the heater says it'll keep the water about 78-80f after the first 24 hours on it's own. 


i had tried doing 100% every day the first week i had my first betta but that really stressed him out no matter how careful i was so i was very timid about doing the same to these. 

i want to be sure the gluing is 100% dried before putting the water and ehater in so i won't be putting the fish in till tomorrow noon maybe? 

lea seems to be a bit more active now it's dark but the two males are still 'depressed'


____________
i don't mind the mistakes. i'm a horrible speller and i'm thankful you're willing to help me though you feel unwell. 

Ok. so leave them all in their own .5 gal tanks instead of putting them in the 5 gal that's separated out?
how could i convince them to eat a halved pea (assuming the little round green ones) if they won;t even eat a bloodworm (they all go loco for them other than lea) 

do you think i should still give hansolo (the worst of the bunch) the mella fix?


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## patchesofheaven74 (Sep 4, 2011)

daw crud there's a typo in my origenal post. i meant that i do 100% weekly 
and i lightly scrub the whole tank (rocks and all) once a month XD sorry


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

It's alright... as a note, with typos, there's an edit button on the bottom right corner of your post. It will stay there for 20 minutes, afterwards you can't edit it. '

I understand; people are in different situations that they're only allowed so much. What you did sounds fine, though I imagine if and when you get a chance, you'll buy separate tanks for them? If not, as long as you keep them in good water, they'll be fine.

While most of us on the site prefer heaters you can adjust, the one you have now sounds perfect. Is it a Tetra heater? If it's the one I'm thinking of, I know they work like a charm.

He might seem pretty stressed out, but it's honestly better to keep him in clean water than let him sit in old. Eventually he'll realize he's going into fresher water every time there is a change and get used to it. My half-blind betta was super stressed about his water changes, too... especially since he's half blind. He got used to it though and is a very bright, snow white color (as opposed to his slightly off-white he was when I got him).

That's fine with the glue, too... though make sure it's dry and rinse out the tank a few times before adding the bettas.

It's good Princess Lea seems better, but still keep an eye on her, especially the guys.


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

I think the problem is with the water quality. Ammonia will build up very quickly in something as small as a .5 gallon. If the ammonia level is high enough it will eventually kill the fish :-(

if you are worried about stressing the fish out with a normal water change, you can use an eye dropper or something similar to suck out some old water and replace it with fresh, clean, conditioned water.

Also, you can use storage containers as fish tanks. I have two that live in them. One is about 1 gallons and the other is almost 3 gallons. Just be sure to either cover the top with something so they don't jump out OR drill holes into the cover. 

Alot of people will go _psycho _and demand that they need a minimum of 2.5 gallons each. Personally I don't that that is the case as long as you keep up with the water changes. Plus not all fish like big tanks. I have a white delta tail male that seems to like the 1 gallon way more the being in a divided 10 gallon. Larger tanks are easier to maintain then smaller ones though, and I think most fish would rather have more room...

And I doubt anyone on here will call you a fish hoarder with only THREE fish. Many of us have more then that - especially those that breed bettas :-D


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

Tikibirds said:


> Also, you can use storage containers as fish tanks. I have two that live in them. One is about 1 gallons and the other is almost 3 gallons. Just be sure to either cover the top with something so they don't jump out OR drill holes into the cover.
> 
> And I doubt anyone on here will call you a fish hoarder with only THREE fish. Many of us have more then that - especially those that breed bettas :-D


To the first paragraph: +1 to that. I forgot about regular household items that make great tanks.

And to the 2nd: I almost became a breeder, too.... But I still already have and had so many fish! xD


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## patchesofheaven74 (Sep 4, 2011)

ok thank you both very much. i wish i'd known about this site before i might have been able to save Luke in the very beginning. 

man i used to think i had a 'way' with fish.. tell i got a betta XD first fish i've had all these problems with. i've had gold fish, koi (pond and tank), neons, these strange little blue and pink fish, etc and well.. none of them died fast. in fact one golden i got from the fair was 1/2 inch when i got him. he died 7 years later and was nearly a foot, grew an extra dorsal fin, and front fins. 

it is a nice little tetra heater :3

ok so tomorrow first thing i'll change the water in all of the little tanks and give the big one 24 hours to regulate, etc. i'll keep hansolo in his little tank and maybe put lea and star into the bigger one if they are doing better after the change since they only just stared acting weird. 

i wish i'd known about the edit button sooner!

i would have never thought about the storage containers either. dang, too bad all mine are full with crud under the bed.. i'll have to keep that in mind. 

i'll try and get another 5 gal tank in the future but for now i'll have to stick with the 3 .5 and 1 5 gal i already have. 
my parents are already peeved with me for spending this much effort on these little fish. (he wouldn't really do this) but dad threatened to just flush them and be done with it from hearing me jabber away about how worried i was. 

P.S: Lea is creeping on me cause her tank is next to my bed... she seems to like staring me down and swimming bck and forth on this side of her tank. i'm very happy she seems to be feelign better tonight. and i'll be sure to give a little update tomorrow.


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## iloveengl (Sep 1, 2011)

Be sure NOT to RUSH the drying of that glue!! It needs at least a solid 24 hours before you rinse that tank and then fill with water. I once rushed a project and killed my betta because the glue wasn't dried all the way - it essentially poisoned the fish. 

Great advice from everyone, and it sounds like you are doing your very best, patches. 

Best wishes!!


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Hi patchesofheaven and welcome to the forum. First, I agree with Tiki. I have no problem with bettas in small tanks as long as the water as often as is necessary. My only problem with tanks 1 gallon and under is that they are very hard to heat and heat is essential to bettas. If you can find a way to reliably heat a tank 1 gallon or smaller, fabulous. 

I'm sure it's been mentioned before but I'll just repeat real quick: water changes. Clean water is the best thing you could do for your bettas. I know you said 100% changes really stressed your bettas out. Can I ask how you go about them? Do you net the betta? You might want to consider using a clear plastic cup to catch them. Usually all you have to do is put the cup in the water and the suction pulls them in. If you're really lucky, your betta might swim in on his/her own. Using a cup is a lot less stressful than nets. Another tip is this: you don't necessarily have to do 100%. You can leave the betta in the tank and just remove water either by cups or by siphon until there is just enough water left for them to swim in. That's usually more than enough of a change. 

I hope this helps you and I hope your fish perks up soon. May the Force be with you.


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## BlakbirdxGyarados (Feb 10, 2011)

... Sakura8, I have just dubbed you epically awesome because of how you ended that.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

:lol: I have a special fondness for the original Star Wars trilogy and all who love it too. 

Although, for Star Trek fans, I have been known to tell them Live Long and Prosper.


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## Pataflafla (Jun 2, 2011)

I wouldn't recommend the pea method since I've read such bad reviews on it. If it's constipation, epsom salt should work just fine though. 1tsp/gal premixed should do the trick along with warmer water when you're able to do that. So you'd need 1/2 a teaspoon for each tank. Combine the salt with the recommended water changes and you should be good.


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## Kaoru (Jul 28, 2011)

patchesofheaven74 said:


> i just got doen gluging in the sections of fiberglass like material (small holes drilled in for circulation) with waterproof glueing and plan on trying to move all three living fish into them tomorrow. (after the water heats up to the right level)


The glue that you used, I realize is waterproof, but is it aquarium sealant? If not, it could very well be the stuff people use for water pipes and most of the time those have chemicals that will kill your fish. That glue will hold things up but will end up leaching out regardless of the glue being dry or not. Since you didnt specify exactly what glue you used other than that it is waterproof, I will assume that it isn't aquarium safe. I highly advise you to check the tube to see if it is safe to use for aquariums.


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## patchesofheaven74 (Sep 4, 2011)

ok so i'm in the process of changing the water and wipeing all the rocks off in all my tanks. 
how i change my tanks is a use little sandwich bags and gently scoop the fish. then i set the bags (open so they have air) into little cups to keep the sides up and so it doesn't roll away or anything. 
then i clean the tank, bla bla bla, drop in a water fixing tablet thingy (it says it's a water conditioner or something like that, for betta fish) then i place the fish (in the baggy still) in and let it sit for a while before gently placing the fish into the new water.

right now they are all in the baggies and adjusting to water temp. 





for the glue, I used quick fix glue. it says nothing of being, or not being, able to use for aquariums. :/ it just says things like use for everything indoors and out, water and weather proof. so i've emailed the help center. 
i can't believe i didn't check that before using it. i pray that it's safe for them cause if not, then i'm going to have to scrape all that dried glue out.. and dad's going to be poed cause he's the one who helped with it.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Okay, sounds like a good method. Basically, you just want to scoop and not net. Keep us posted on how things go.


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## patchesofheaven74 (Sep 4, 2011)

Sadly starscreen just died. he seemed like he was perking up a little in the fresher water then he went inside the shark cave and literally fell over dead. 

Lea seems a tad shy still but she's otherwise a bit better i got her to eat a pellet

Nothing has seemed to change for Hansolo. he swam for a bit when i did get him in the fresh water, but now he's just floating in one spot once more, inactive, and not eating. 



i just remembered a little detail that i'm unsure if it has anythign to do with all this. 

just before Skywalker got sick (and mom just bought lea) i wasn't home and she plopped little lea into the tank with him. 
she was only in there for about 30 mins before i got home and quickly got her out. She was unharmed and the two were just resting at the bottom of the tnk next to each other. then the next day is when he started his 'depression' and later died. 

I opened the lids to both my tanks (hansolo's and lea's) but had to leave a minuet or two to get the food. he ended up jumping into her tank (it was a pretty big leap ) and i think he was courting her?..cause he did the 'hugging' and 'butting' stuff but i put him back into his tank. that was two days before he got sick. i doubt it has aything to do with all this since star screen was never near any of the others and he'd just died. 

would it help if i posted before and after he got sick picks of Hansolo? he used to be such a vibrant blue.


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

That glue will harm/kill your fish =( Needs to be the aquarium sealant to be safe. 
Would recommend using the liquid form of water treatment such as Prime or any of the tetra brands. Can't get the proper amount of medication from the tablets, especially since most medication base off of gallons+. 
Sorry for all your troubles, I know you are trying. Just let your mom know of what is needed, recommend this site to her so she can see and learn with you. And hopefully that will be incentive enough for her to realize they aren't something to just pick up and not be prepared for and will buy you better tanks


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## patchesofheaven74 (Sep 4, 2011)

Above is the tank set up i made. (minus water and decor of course!) to the right at the back is a black blob (the filter) and laying on the floor t the left is the heater i'll be using. 










this was Hansolo before he got sick, and about a week after being in my care. (after i took this i removed the fake plant and put in a different one that wouldn't shred his fins as you see above)

and below is hansolo today  (taken with the same exact lighting as before so you can see how dule his colors have grown)







Below is Lea before and after (though she hasn't changed much look wise and seems much more hardy than the boys.) 
she's always been a tad see through with you have back lighting and she has a lovely strip down her side that isn't easy to see in these..








please ignore the floating food debree she spat it out before posing for this then ate it after i took the pic


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

I believe it's the ammonia that is getting them. .5 gal please do 100% every other day at the least. The 10 gal will be less often. But! I still worry since you used a human super glue which most likely will harm/kill your fish =( Otherwise it's a good set up!


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## patchesofheaven74 (Sep 4, 2011)

Ok i'll be sure to do 100% every day fpr the .5 tanks. 
as for the glue i'm waitng on an email from the help center. i'm going to go crazy if i end up having to scrape all that out. or do you think i could just spend more $ and get aquarium sealant and place it over all the glue? 











man i can't get anything right. of all the 'fragile' fish breeds i've owned they all lived long and happy lives but this more 'hardy' breed seems a million times more fragile. it's rather frustrating and once again i thank every one of you for takign the time to help me become a better betta owner.


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## Myates (Aug 2, 2011)

It can be frustrating, but you are learning and willing to try whatever it takes which is great. In no time you'll know all that needs to be known and you'll have healthy, happy bettas =) 

I would scrape as much of the glue off as you can, unsure how it would be to cover the old with the new glue that you weren't able to get off..


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## patchesofheaven74 (Sep 4, 2011)

i have the large tank set up now and just waiting for the water to heat up, bla bla bla. parents wouldn't allow me to scrape out the glue and get the aquarium specialized stuff. 
and dad told me i had to use that tank today and set it up cause he helped put it together and wants me to use it instead of scrape all the stuff out and start over. 

'if they're dieing anyways then putting them in shouldnt hurt.' was my mom's reply. dont get me wrong they are animal lovers but they're sick of me stressen over these fishies. 

Mom went out and bought my baby bro a new red betta so he never found out star screen 1 died. -_-' he seems super healthy so i hope i don't screw him up too. 

i felt the glue aftrer it'd been in the water a while and it doesn't seem to be any softer (i know that doesn't mean squat really) the water in my little tanks is freezing cold for some reason though, and i think maybe part of their inactiveness is the temp.. 

Hansolo (the worst off) hasn't had any more tips of his tail come off and he swims a little, but he won't eat still. 

Lea swims a bit and rests a bit. her water seems colder than the other two.

Star Screen 2 is healthy and all.. no signs of anything bad happening to him in the pet shop or in shiping. not a scratch on that fish.


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## Kaoru (Jul 28, 2011)

Okay, so if it sounds like I'm mad and ranting. I am sorry because I dont mean to come off that way. I'm just trying to help without beating around the bush and being as direct as possible so that the problem can be fixed. So here goes. 

"'if they're dieing anyways then putting them in shouldnt hurt.' was my mom's reply. dont get me wrong they are animal lovers but they're sick of me stressen over these fishies." 

Thats like saying, "Oh that dog is sick anyways, putting him in the pound wont change anything, he may even get adopted!" I really think you should spend the money to have things right, than have to see them worsen in condition and replacing them like your mom has been doing. Honestly, money will be spent either way, you decide where you want it to go. I also think that you should get a different water conditioner than those tablets. Something like Aquasafe(doesn't need to be the kind specifically for bettas) would probably be better because I dont trust things that are simply labeled to "correct water", but thats just my opinion. As for Hansolo, I may be wrong, but I dont know any type of sickness that can't be healed with some heat, salt, and clean water; dont over do it though with the salt/heat. Feeding good quality pellets will also be good and encourages health/recovery. I use New Life Spectrum and it seems even my pickiest of bettas will eat it so try that before buying all sorts of food only to have them reject it. Doing things right the first time will save you money, time, and grief. Also, one last thing, what is the actual temperature of the water you are keeping them in(telling me somewhat cold wont help)? If you dont know, get one of those glass thermometers and place them in each of their current homes to see the temperature.


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## patchesofheaven74 (Sep 4, 2011)

i've done all i can. if they live, great. if they don't then it sucks that i spent all the money i have to try and fix them up. 

it had been down to either leving them in the .5 gal with cold water or puting the two sick ones into the 5 gal with the heater, filter, and some epsom salt. 


my mom is kinda right. they are already down hill putting them in the larger tank with the set up is the best thing i can do for them and if the glue ends up killing them, they won't be suffering any more. i don't want them to die but i doubt the glue will be a problem.


no glass thermos but the heat says it keeps things at 78-80f


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

> I dont know any type of sickness that can't be healed with some heat, salt, and clean water;


Fin rot but I don't really consider that a disease...



> they are already down hill putting them in the larger tank with the set up is the best thing i can do for them and if the glue ends up killing them, they won't be suffering any more. i don't want them to die but i doubt the glue will be a problem.


I don't agree with your statement but if you are still a minor, which I am guessing that you are??, there is only so much you can do. 

If you can get the glue out, you can make removable dividers that don't need to be glued in place using stuff you can easily find a walmart. 
If you have enough gravel, that will hold he divider in place.

http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/diy-aquarium/diy-aquarium-tank-dividers-21866/


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## Kaoru (Jul 28, 2011)

@Tikibirds, Finrot is kind of a disease but its bacterial and if it happens, something is definitely wrong with the water quality and most of the time, its too late to fix if the fins are shredded by the feeding bacteria 

@patches, 78-80 is a good temperature to be at. How have Hansolo, Lea, and Starscreen 2 been? Any updates on their health? Has the water changes helped them?


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Fin rot is often misdiagnosed. Just losing tips and bits of fins isn't fin rot. True fin rot is accompanied by blackened edges and the fin will fall/melt off in big chunks. You will often see bits of fin the tank. As the bacterial infection progresses, the fin may get septicemia and you will see reddened streaks going up the fins. Fortunately, it is a slow moving disease and thus easy to treat.

patches, probably the best thing you CAN do is tell your mom not to get any more bettas if you feel you can't properly take care of them. If you are feeling overwhelmed, don't be afraid to tell them. It's nothing to be ashamed of and it would be better for everyone, human and fish. Also, your parents need to understand that fish require the same level of care that any pet requires. Just because they are inexpensive doesn't mean they are disposable. You are a good person to be stressing over their well-being the way you are so don't let them get you down. They should be proud of you for caring so much, not annoyed. 

Hang in there, patches.


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## patchesofheaven74 (Sep 4, 2011)

starscreen 2 is perfectly fine , just not used to me feeding him yet..hell freak for a bit then eat when i leave.

the other two wont eat, but they swim some. been doing the epsom salt thing and i got so paranoid with the glue warnings i put them back in the .5 gal tanks at 4 am XD
what also worries me is becauseof lack of food intake, theyt aren't pooping. 
i seriously think they will die soon.


as for getting star 2, if my bro found out the 1st died, he'd cry his heart out for the next week, that's the only reason we got a 2nd one to try. plus the 1st ws never healthy, having fin rot when we got him and a little 'tumor' like thing on his side..i got th erot to go away but the lump never did he seemed healthy other than that till he died


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## patchesofheaven74 (Sep 4, 2011)

Lea died which shocks the heck outta me. and i cried. she was my 2nd fave only to Luke, i 1st betta that died of constipation. I wish i had known of the epsom salt treatment. the only thing i could find to fix it was the halved pea, but he would never eat it and so he died. 
Lea became very active late yesterday and this morning. she seemed to be getting strong but still wouldn't eat. I came home from band to find her dead. 

I got Hansolo (the one fist i though would have died 1st is turning out to be the 'last fish standing' out of the three that were sick..) to nibble a blood worm and i think he eat half of it after i left. he swims a tiny bit but mostly lays on the bottom or floats at the top. his colors seem to be a tad bit bluer (like his original coloring) but it might just be me. still no poopy.


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## patchesofheaven74 (Sep 4, 2011)

also i'm starting to think that it wasn't just me that was the problem but the fish from the begining. Starscreen 1 , lea, Skywalker, and Hansolo were all from the same walmart, and i noticed there were the same fish there and no new shipments.. maybe they were all sick with the same thing from that? like a slow working disease, i don't know maybe i'm being dumb

Starscreen 2 and Luke were from another walmart though and they aren't having these problems. (like i said Luke died from constipation)


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I'm sorry you lost Lea.  I hope Hansolo hangs in there for you.


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## patchesofheaven74 (Sep 4, 2011)

Hansolo ate today and swam around, acting like he was going to make it. but he died about an hour ago. so now we only have the new, healthy fish, Starscreen 2. (who i call Berry.) 

he's a red veil tail (i think that's right) and he has blue highlights that are almost white on his little front fins, and a semi see through black edge to his tail and dorsal fin.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I'm sorry you lost Hansolo too. That's too bad.  Good luck to Starscreen 2/Berry!


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

I'm sorry you lost all the fish.  You learned a lot so that's a good thing out of a bad situation. You need lots of patience as a fishkeeper and one of the things we ALL do is rush out to buy more because we enjoy them so much. But more fish mean more work and sometimes we fall short of what we should have been doing. So my advice to your Mom would be slow down. I'm probably close to her age. 

I just wanted to say that I thought Lea looked very much like she might have had velvet. It sort of looks like a gold dusting on the fish. It could be the picture but I wanted to point it out. Make sure you clean out everything with super hot water and let it sit out to dry for two days, in the sun if you can. Good luck with Berry! I know you tried your best.


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## patchesofheaven74 (Sep 4, 2011)

velvet? is that like a parasite or something? 

thanks. i don't know what to think of all 4 fish dieing like that. i'm sure i'm mostly to blame but it's so weird how overnight they suddenly fell ill after they'd been so happy and lively. it's very odd.


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

I think there were a number of things going on. It was certainly not enough water changes and they need a heater. All of these things can lead to stress and when fish are stressed they're much more susceptible to disease. It's a lot like people in that way. Velvet is a parasite, yes.


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