Betta Death :[ Tank Cleanup

[cece5300]

My sweet betta fish Flounder died today I'm not sure what the cause of death was...at first I thought it was something to do with swimbladder; he was lethargic, wouldn't eat, and would either lay on the bottom of the tank or float near the top. But then he started rubbing against the rocks at the bottom of the tank, and I read that that could be an indicator of velvet or ich. He didn't have any spots on him or anything though. Tonight I noticed him struggling really hard to come up for air, and a few hours later he was dead. I'm heartbroken! I wasn't a fish person until I got Flounder, and now I love them, so he is very special to me.


That brings me to my question - I have another betta, Levi. He currently has his own tank but I really hate it and it's a strange shape that doesn't allow room for many decorations or anything. I really hate that tank. I wanted to move him to Flounder's old tank, but I don't know exactly what killed him, so I want to make sure that if there are any parasites or anything, I want to eliminate them before I move Levi. I've looked online, but there are conflicting statements ("use bleach" / "NEVER use bleach" etc). What should I do?

Also, I have a filter and a heater in the tank. The lady at Petsmart told me NEVER to use a heater but my old fish LOVED the heater and never had a problem with it whatsoever. Also, I have a filter in the tank...I've read that bettas don't like filters because the current can be too strong for them to swim against. Can they live in a tank without a filter? Everyone tells me different things!

Anyways thank you so much for any help or adive you are able to give me. I would REALLY appreciate it!

 

[Rafael Dilone]

My sweet betta fish Flounder died today I'm not sure what the cause of death was...at first I thought it was something to do with swimbladder; he was lethargic, wouldn't eat, and would either lay on the bottom of the tank or float near the top. But then he started rubbing against the rocks at the bottom of the tank, and I read that that could be an indicator of velvet or ich. He didn't have any spots on him or anything though. Tonight I noticed him struggling really hard to come up for air, and a few hours later he was dead. I'm heartbroken! I wasn't a fish person until I got Flounder, and now I love them, so he is very special to me.


That brings me to my question - I have another betta, Levi. He currently has his own tank but I really hate it and it's a strange shape that doesn't allow room for many decorations or anything. I really hate that tank. I wanted to move him to Flounder's old tank, but I don't know exactly what killed him, so I want to make sure that if there are any parasites or anything, I want to eliminate them before I move Levi. I've looked online, but there are conflicting statements ("use bleach" / "NEVER use bleach" etc). What should I do?

Also, I have a filter and a heater in the tank. The lady at Petsmart told me NEVER to use a heater but my old fish LOVED the heater and never had a problem with it whatsoever. Also, I have a filter in the tank...I've read that bettas don't like filters because the current can be too strong for them to swim against. Can they live in a tank without a filter? Everyone tells me different things!

Anyways thank you so much for any help or adive you are able to give me. I would REALLY appreciate it!

I am sad to hear that your betta died. I myself have just lost one of my betta's after having him for almost 7 years. In regards to the death of yours can you please give me your water parameters. pH, Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonia, Hardiness. Also how many gallons is the tank? How often did you do water changes? A heater is fine for a betta as they are tropical fish which live in a range of 74-82 degrees Fahrenheit. I recommend you buy a very small filter for the betta such as a Azoo filter or Red Sea. Here is the small Azoo filter i use on one of my tanks with a betta. http/www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=9821

Hope me along with the others on this forum can help you on the right path on keeping a betta and enjoy the hobby as much as possible

 

[loraxchick]

bleach is fine to use. empty the tank (dont get bleach near the filter whatever you do). scrub the tank with hot water and a cap full of bleach. rinse rinse rinse,wipe it dry with a clean cloth and let the tank completely air dry. the chlorine will evaporate and not leave residue behind. then just refill the tank with dechlorinated water which is around the temp you want it and pop the filter back in it. make sure you keep the filter wet while cleaning the tank. then just turn the heater back on(yes-they need heaters and filters) and once the temp is reasonable, move the other betta into the tank.
rubbing can be a sign of ich/velvet but also can be from internal parasites or flukes. after the good scrub of the tank risk is minimal. just keep an eye on the "new" guy for any weird behavior or obvious symptoms.
welcome to the forum!!! lots of friendly folks and good advice here. dont feel badly about the advice from the fish store. often it is misleading and downright incorrect!
cheers

 

[zophie]

Oh, that's so sad about Flounder...
What I do, is I clean the tank well with soap and water, and then I fill up the tank with saltwater-

1 tablespoon per gallon.

This is alot of salt, but if you do it, then leave the tank for 24 hours, any bacteria will be killed.

Then, if the tank still smells like fishys ) ) , then you can clean it out with a mild bleach soulution- 1 part bleach, 10 parts water.

Welcome to the forum, and sorry about your fishy death...


ZOphie

 

[ArnieStinger]

rip to youre betta


dont be too hard on yourself

 

[The Haunt]

What ArnieStinger said! Don't be too hard on yourself. It can happen to the best of us! :3
Happened to me with my first Betta.... *sigh* And I still miss her!
Also, they should have heaters.... What is it with the fact that I always read about Bettas not needing filters?