# How many dead betta's is too many?



## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

I was talking to my friend about my dead betta's and she called me a fish killer since I killed 8 in the span of a year


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## kfryman (Nov 7, 2011)

I think if you are new and it is petstore fish it isn't very easy to keep them alive, well let's face it, conditions in the store suck, after a while their immune system goes down so you need to be careful. I have "killed" 5, in less than a year. Out of all those at least 3 were from the first hours/days which is when most fish will die, after that it is smooth sailing, sometimes lol. One got a malfunctioned heater and the other had dropsy in which I literally had to put him to sleep.

Just remember you start somewhere. Also those bettas died knowing someone loved them, so I think it is better to accidentally kill 8 bettas and house them properly than let's say leave them in the cup. Honestly most people won't buy them and give them proper homes, they usually just fight them 

Also identify what you are doing wrong each time. You can't succeed without failing after all.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I'm sorry you've had such bad luck with your bettas. There are a lot of factors that can cause betta deaths. Some of them have to do with the conditions they're kept in at the pet store but others are things that we, the owners, can fix and prevent. To help ensure success with your bettas make sure you do the following:

1) Heat the tank. Bettas need temps around 78-80 F to thrive.
2) Change the water often. The smaller the tank, the more often it needs to be changed.
3) Feed good quality food and don't overfeed.

If you make sure to do these things, especially the water changes, your chances of success with bettas will go waaay up. Good luck!

EDIT: Kfry is right; fishkeeping is a learning process and losses are inevitable. Everyone, from the beginner, to the most seasoned aquarist has lost fish.


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

:I your friend would hate me. i lost about.... 5 in a few months. not my fault, though. i had an outbreak of...... something. some users on here lost whole spawns of hundreds of babies. some lost entire sororities. doesn't make you a fish killer unless you totally neglected them. sometimes these things happen.


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

Sakura8 said:


> I'm sorry you've had such bad luck with your bettas. There are a lot of factors that can cause betta deaths. Some of them have to do with the conditions they're kept in at the pet store but others are things that we, the owners, can fix and prevent. To help ensure success with your bettas make sure you do the following:
> 
> 1) Heat the tank. Bettas need temps around 78-80 F to thrive.
> 2) Change the water often. The smaller the tank, the more often it needs to be changed.
> ...


I have Romeo in a 2.5 gallon, feed him, well try to feed him twice a day and change his water every week


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

xShainax - It's possible your fish are succumbing to complications of being in a pet store. Sadly, it does happen. As kfry said, their immune systems are pretty compromised by the time we get them home and some of them never recover. Also, it's possible your other bettas died of old age. I know it might seem weird that a betta you've had less than a year can die of old age but some pet store bettas are a year old at least by the time they hit the shelves.

There are a lot of reasons why a betta dies and many times, it's not the owner's fault. Keep trying. We're rooting for you.


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

what Sakura said. i've had two deaths due to pet store issues. one was a week after i got him, i had to put him down. he was lethargic, had slimy stuff coming off him, dropsy......

the second was sudden. an adorable female. was in love with this girl. suddenly, she was dead. no reason, just dead. oddly, it was days after i lost my last of my guppy trio, who dropped dead one after the other for no reason. bad shipment, i guess...


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

Sakura8 said:


> xShainax - It's possible your fish are succumbing to complications of being in a pet store. Sadly, it does happen. As kfry said, their immune systems are pretty compromised by the time we get them home and some of them never recover. Also, it's possible your other bettas died of old age. I know it might seem weird that a betta you've had less than a year can die of old age but some pet store bettas are a year old at least by the time they hit the shelves.
> 
> There are a lot of reasons why a betta dies and many times, it's not the owner's fault. Keep trying. We're rooting for you.


I had a beautiful CT betta who lived with fin rot for a year and he finally succumbed to it. T^T


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Luimeril, yikes, that does sound like a bad shipment. I know you take really good care of your fish so if your girl died so suddenly, it had to have been pet store complications. 

xShainax, don't give up!


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

thanks, Sakura. literally, she was fine that afternoon when i fed her, chillin' on her flower, dead that night when i went to bed. :I i was so upset! kinda scared me away from females from there, even though my Lulu is going on 3, i think. my first female. she's survived so much. .3.


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

Sakura8 said:


> Luimeril, yikes, that does sound like a bad shipment. I know you take really good care of your fish so if your girl died so suddenly, it had to have been pet store complications.
> 
> xShainax, don't give up!


Romeo is my latest project.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

I'm like a fish chainsaw massacre over here then. Most of my deaths were due to jumping out (this is for wild bettas and my killifish) but a few have been from disease and some from me being stupid and not monitoring my parameters every so often. 

We cannot buy a lot of common fish medications unless we have a vet prescription here. The only real internal parasite med that is easy to get is a poultry and pig wormer. It makes treating serious outbreaks of disease difficult so I usually end up having to euthanise most of sick fish.


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

LittleBettaFish said:


> I'm like a fish chainsaw massacre over here then. Most of my deaths were due to jumping out (this is for wild bettas and my killifish) but a few have been from disease and some from me being stupid and not monitoring my parameters every so often.
> 
> We cannot buy a lot of common fish medications unless we have a vet prescription here. The only real internal parasite med that is easy to get is a poultry and pig wormer. It makes treating serious outbreaks of disease difficult so I usually end up having to euthanise most of sick fish.


Mine died from the lack of knowledge


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

xShainax, it's part of the learning process. And so many people who start out in the hobby are given very bad information from pet store people. That you found this forum and you are seeking help means you are doing a good job trying to take care of your fish. 

LittleBettaFish, in the states where it's easy to obtain fish meds, a lot fish die from medicine overdoses. If they don't die directly from it, they often contract diseases that have developed resistances to the medications.


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

Sakura8 said:


> xShainax, it's part of the learning process. And so many people who start out in the hobby are given very bad information from pet store people. That you found this forum and you are seeking help means you are doing a good job trying to take care of your fish.
> 
> LittleBettaFish, in the states where it's easy to obtain fish meds, a lot fish die from medicine overdoses. If they don't die directly from it, they often contract diseases that have developed resistances to the medications.


I love your kitty on the aquarium.  My cats are too fat to jump on the tops


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Haha, thanks. The window perch was taken so he thought he'd make his own. I'm sure the poor fish inside looked up and thought the sky was falling. "Heeeeelp!" That's actually our skinniest cat, but he's just so furry that he spreads out. I have had one of my fatter cats break one of the tops walking across it.


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

Sakura8 said:


> Haha, thanks. The window perch was taken so he thought he'd make his own. I'm sure the poor fish inside looked up and thought the sky was falling. "Heeeeelp!" That's actually our skinniest cat, but he's just so furry that he spreads out. I have had one of my fatter cats break one of the tops walking across it.


My first HM betta used to challenge the cats wen they would stare at him. Our largest cat is a hefty 16 lbs and his sister is a dainty 10 lbs


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## Bombalurina (Oct 10, 2011)

A lot of the time, bettas are sick from the shop. My first boy, Felix, died within 24 hours, and I did everything right. 
I don't know how old Aphrodite was (about 3, I think, but she died after about 6 months). I had Athena for about a year and Apollo for much less. I've had my sorority 6 months and have lost two girls (one to unknown causes, possibly violence, one to the mysterious disease that claimed everybody else). 

You'll find the most frustrating thing is when you do everything right and give your fish amazing lives and they only live a short life, whilst you'll have friends keeping them in unheated, dirty, tiny bowls that live for ages. Of course, it doesn't mean they are doing it right - they just got lucky. 

Keep learning, keep trying.


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

Bombalurina said:


> A lot of the time, bettas are sick from the shop. My first boy, Felix, died within 24 hours, and I did everything right.
> I don't know how old Aphrodite was (about 3, I think, but she died after about 6 months). I had Athena for about a year and Apollo for much less. I've had my sorority 6 months and have lost two girls (one to unknown causes, possibly violence, one to the mysterious disease that claimed everybody else).
> 
> You'll find the most frustrating thing is when you do everything right and give your fish amazing lives and they only live a short life, whilst you'll have friends keeping them in unheated, dirty, tiny bowls that live for ages. Of course, it doesn't mean they are doing it right - they just got lucky.
> ...


The fish I was most upset about losing is a tie between my clown pleco and my purple and white elephant eared HM male


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## Sheldon31 (Mar 21, 2012)

xShainax said:


> My first HM betta used to challenge the cats wen they would stare at him. Our largest cat is a hefty 16 lbs and his sister is a dainty 10 lbs


Hehe Kyon challenges my cats all the time. Poor Benny boy has had Kyon attack him through the glass when he's been minding his own business. My cats are too lazy to bother trying to catch fish when then know I'm gonna come along and feed them anyway. 

I think fish loss is inevitable yet unfortunate. No matter how much research you do someone is going to get hurt somewhere along the line. I lost one tetra to having no tail, probably a birth defect. And one tetra to a bout of white spot which I was totally ill prepared for and didn't detect until they already had it for a few days! On the 2nd bout of white spot (I get one every time I go to pets at home for fish and will no longer be going there :evil I was much quicker and had no casualties at all. I feel awful because my inlaws betta has terrible fin rot but they won't do anything about it  fish is just a fish to them. And he's a gorgeous boy too.


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## DoberMom (Feb 3, 2012)

I am among those who has lost an entire sorority. I now have another one set up and everyone is doing well. It's been a frustrating 6 months.


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## Enkil (Jan 15, 2012)

Sorry for your losses.

I started buying bettas as pets to help my daughter as she was having a hard time grounding herself and fish calmed her. We went through 5 bettas in a very short time. It was hard replacing them as she had chosen one with very specific coloring. Still not sure why they died, save the last 2. The last two froze on moves when I had mistakenly put faith in others to remember to bring them in from the vehicles. Never made that mistake again.


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

Enkil said:


> Sorry for your losses.
> 
> I started buying bettas as pets to help my daughter as she was having a hard time grounding herself and fish calmed her. We went through 5 bettas in a very short time. It was hard replacing them as she had chosen one with very specific coloring. Still not sure why they died, save the last 2. The last two froze on moves when I had mistakenly put faith in others to remember to bring them in from the vehicles. Never made that mistake again.


I have autism and fish help when I get upset


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## Sheldon31 (Mar 21, 2012)

xShainax said:


> I have autism and fish help when I get upset


I've read a lot of research into the relationship between pets and autistic children during my health courses and everything was really positive. It also applies to those with depression or illnesses where depression is a symptom. I find my fish really calming when feeling low or anxious.


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

I'm so glad to have found this thread. It doesn't make me feel any better about losing so many fish recently. But, compared to some of the horror stories (multiple losses) here and on other threads, "There, but for the grace of god..."

I'm seriously questioning my qualifications and abilitiy to even keep fish. Though I do have four healthy males currently swimming and eating in my 'fish room,' aka my kitchen. 

Unlike Sheldon and, from what I hear most other keepers, I have not found fishkeeping to be a particularly relaxing or stress-relieving hobby. I frequently sigh with relief in the morning when I find my fish alive and well. That's not the kind of stress-relief I need. :-}

Now I have "empty tank syndrome." Knowing full well I should not get another fish, I nevertheless am window-shopping. And nobody on this forum will encourage me NOT to get another fish. Thank goodness it's forty miles to my nearest PetcoMart. 

Thanks for listening. <sigh>


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## Sheldon31 (Mar 21, 2012)

Oh Hally so sorry you feel this way  Maybe it's just a passing phase of disinterest due to being disheartened by losses? Big hugs! x


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

Hallyx said:


> I'm so glad to have found this thread. It doesn't make me feel any better about losing so many fish recently. But, compared to some of the horror stories (multiple losses) here and on other threads, "There, but for the grace of god..."
> 
> I'm seriously questioning my qualifications and abilitiy to even keep fish. Though I do have four healthy males currently swimming and eating in my 'fish room,' aka my kitchen.
> 
> ...


I know how you feel, a few months ago I had huge ammonia spike in my 29 gal, everything died and now there is nothing in there except a few plants


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

Sheldon31 said:


> I've read a lot of research into the relationship between pets and autistic children during my health courses and everything was really positive. It also applies to those with depression or illnesses where depression is a symptom. I find my fish really calming when feeling low or anxious.


I have Aspergers which is high functioning but I get stressed very easily and my dog can sense it, so could Spitfire who swam up and flared at me.


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

Sheldon31 said:


> I've read a lot of research into the relationship between pets and autistic children during my health courses and everything was really positive. It also applies to those with depression or illnesses where depression is a symptom. I find my fish really calming when feeling low or anxious.


i actually have a friend on Tumblr who got a betta to help with her depression. she messages me all the time when she has questions, and freaked out a little when he made his first bubble nest in his new tank. lol she said he's helped her alot, and loves watching him swim about, flare at his reflection, ect.

in fact, i love telling the story about how one of my females helped me out when a friend of mine was missing after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. if it wasn't for her, i would have moped about in a depressed slump, neglecting myself and my fish. i cried so much when she got sick, did everything i could to help her. i swear, she waited until Heavy and Spy came in the mail before she passed, and that was also the day i got Scout for some reason. pitiful little minnow with long fins, soon turned into a spunky, beautiful boy.


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

Luimeril said:


> i actually have a friend on Tumblr who got a betta to help with her depression. she messages me all the time when she has questions, and freaked out a little when he made his first bubble nest in his new tank. lol she said he's helped her alot, and loves watching him swim about, flare at his reflection, ect.
> 
> in fact, i love telling the story about how one of my females helped me out when a friend of mine was missing after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. if it wasn't for her, i would have moped about in a depressed slump, neglecting myself and my fish. i cried so much when she got sick, did everything i could to help her. i swear, she waited until Heavy and Spy came in the mail before she passed, and that was also the day i got Scout for some reason. pitiful little minnow with long fins, soon turned into a spunky, beautiful boy.


R.I.P baby girl.  Moonbeam did that, when my DG nearly killed him, he hung on until I got Spitfire and he finally passed seeing that my heart was starting to heal. They are more intelligent than people give them credit for. Romeo a few minutes ago headbutted a small stone away to get at a pea.


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## Sheldon31 (Mar 21, 2012)

Kyon has a real personality. Albeit not a favourable one, hes a bit of a grump but love him all the same. When I put my face near the tank he comes to say hello and I love having him chase my fingers when I feed him. I cleaned a smear off the side of his tank today and he chased my hand has I wiped it off, flaring and smacking his lips together! He's currently skulking around his plants like he owns the place. He's getting like black patches on his head at the moment. Worrying me a little but I think it might be his colouring. Looks like dalmation spots but just on his head. He had one when I baught him last month.


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

When I first started, I killed 5 in a week. Petco neglected to tell me I needed water conditioner >.<
Plus ones that have been in the petstore a long time tend to have issues


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## Amphibianite (Aug 6, 2011)

Trust me everyone has problems with fish dying especially our beloved bettas.
I lost my first two boys withing 24 hours of getting them from an LFS. Sometimes there are bad batches sadly. I also have gotten some beautiful and long lasting fish from the same LFS. I get walmart fish to save them once in a great while.
Some live, others die.

I have some sort of mystery disease that comes through and kills half my fish. 

Any number of things happen even to the more and most experienced. What is important is we do our best by them, and try to make their lives the best they can be. That we enjoy them, and love them. That is all that matters.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Well said, Amph, well said.


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

Amphibianite said:


> Trust me everyone has problems with fish dying especially our beloved bettas.
> I lost my first two boys withing 24 hours of getting them from an LFS. Sometimes there are bad batches sadly. I also have gotten some beautiful and long lasting fish from the same LFS. I get walmart fish to save them once in a great while.
> Some live, others die.
> 
> ...


Well said.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

one of my previous neighbors who likes betta for ornamental purposes and educated in the LFS betta care guidelines (not even water conditioner) used the bathroom sink for fish storage during WC. she did sometimes forget to put the plug in the sink a few times :evil:. she forgot how many she went thru but i dont think she has them anymore. :-D her WC procedure took only 60 seconds max with cold unconditioned tap water.


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## Sheldon31 (Mar 21, 2012)

Wow nel that's awful! Just shows that keeping them for 20 years is not a sign of experience. I'm new to bettas and even I know you don't use cold water! I use a mixer tap to get the water as close to the right temp as possibly. Would leave water stand but I have a 3 year old who'd just play in it.


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

I've kept fish since I was 19, I'm now 61 and I still lose some. Some just aren't as healthy as others. All you can do is your best and pray!


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## Fabian (Dec 16, 2011)

My lfs which i bought bettas from a few months ago don't even feed their bettas(i just realised that).They looked so hungry.Evil Shops!!


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

Sheldon31 said:


> Wow nel that's awful! Just shows that keeping them for 20 years is not a sign of experience. I'm new to bettas and even I know you don't use cold water! I use a mixer tap to get the water as close to the right temp as possibly. Would leave water stand but I have a 3 year old who'd just play in it.


she finds him struggling to stay wtill when being dumped and poured as "enjoying it". she was unaware of conditioner ever being invented. her only upside was that she did change the water every 2-4 days. its still overdue but beats waiting for 3weeks between wc. i dont even bother to correct her, she's a retiree and has more personal matters in her life that take precedence. she's one of those "its just a fish" people. hell, most people i know are oldschool vase/wine glass type of betta owners from experience. my fathere is 50 percent that type but my parents will understand the betta care if explained properly, my brother cares about furry animals than scaly ones.


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## Sheldon31 (Mar 21, 2012)

I don't know anyone else apart from my mother in law with a fighter as they are put off because of the "they have to live alone" rumour. Mr Blue my mother in laws lives with 4 mollies, 4 balloon mollies, 3 platys, 2 clown loaches, 2 pakistani loaches, 9 neons and 8 zebra danios. He's constantly stressed out and has the worst fin rot and nipped fins I've ever seen. He's just got over white spot. Poor thing I dunno how he's lived this long. He's a stunner too. My mum had a fighter or 2 when I was younger but I don't remember them living very long for whatever reason. My parents won't treat illnesses as it's expense. Yet they spend thousands on vets bills for their dogs a year! Makes no sense to me!


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

Sheldon31 said:


> I don't know anyone else apart from my mother in law with a fighter as they are put off because of the "they have to live alone" rumour. Mr Blue my mother in laws lives with 4 mollies, 4 balloon mollies, 3 platys, 2 clown loaches, 2 pakistani loaches, 9 neons and 8 zebra danios. He's constantly stressed out and has the worst fin rot and nipped fins I've ever seen. He's just got over white spot. Poor thing I dunno how he's lived this long. He's a stunner too. My mum had a fighter or 2 when I was younger but I don't remember them living very long for whatever reason. My parents won't treat illnesses as it's expense. Yet they spend thousands on vets bills for their dogs a year! Makes no sense to me!


Spitfire killed my platy's along with a bristlenose pleco


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## Sheldon31 (Mar 21, 2012)

He killed a bristlenose! Wow! Was it an adult? Kyons aggressive but I don't think he'd ever kill anything. He doesn't chase even. He's more aggressive towards me or my cats. And he really doesn't like my 3 year old haha.


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

Sheldon31 said:


> He killed a bristlenose! Wow! Was it an adult? Kyons aggressive but I don't think he'd ever kill anything. He doesn't chase even. He's more aggressive towards me or my cats. And he really doesn't like my 3 year old haha.


It was about maybe an inch long he kept nipping at it which I think over stressed the poor baby killing it


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## Sheldon31 (Mar 21, 2012)

Bristlenose are the only plecs I like because of the sheer size of the other breeds. I love the albino type. Is that spitfire in your pic?


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

Sheldon31 said:


> Bristlenose are the only plecs I like because of the sheer size of the other breeds. I love the albino type. Is that spitfire in your pic?


No, this is Romeo (Spitfire tragically passed) and I like albino's, the spotted bristlecones and I had a clown named Fred who passed from an ammonia spike.


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## Sheldon31 (Mar 21, 2012)

He's beautiful. Sorry about spitfire  I prefer smaller fish. I like little tetras and I have fallen for Endlers and wish I could keep them. The largest fish I like is the clown loach but I don't have the room for one


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

Sheldon31 said:


> He's beautiful. Sorry about spitfire  I prefer smaller fish. I like little tetras and I have fallen for Endlers and wish I could keep them. The largest fish I like is the clown loach but I don't have the room for one


I had a spotted bristlenose female and she passed away from lack of algae but I supplemented her with cukes and algae wafers but she never ate them


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## Sheldon31 (Mar 21, 2012)

Some algae eaters wont take wafers. I've heard otos are very fussy when it comes to wafers and they rarely take to them. I know of a lot of people who have lost them in the first month due to starvation.


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

Sheldon31 said:


> Some algae eaters wont take wafers. I've heard otos are very fussy when it comes to wafers and they rarely take to them. I know of a lot of people who have lost them in the first month due to starvation.


I had an oto for around 4 months and he gave up after his mate died


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## betta lover1507 (Aug 6, 2011)

i've lost 20 or even more betta's last year and two died this year. i've lost 2 spawns, so thats a lot. am still going i have currently 8 betta's, so i wouldn't give up. lot's by dropsy, unknown causing, and jumping. i remember when i had betta fish die every next day  i still remember there names.
"it's hard to forget it, when you once loved it"


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

I've tried and tried to get my algae-eating fish to eat veggies and they never do. Someone suggested to me that because most otos are wild-caught, they simply don't recognize wafers and veggies as food sources.


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## xShainax (Feb 11, 2012)

Sakura8 said:


> I've tried and tried to get my algae-eating fish to eat veggies and they never do. Someone suggested to me that because most otos are wild-caught, they simply don't recognize wafers and veggies as food sources.


I heard that too.


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