Betta Was Bleeding

[Karou-sama]

I don't feel this was appropriate for the normal betta section (don't want to sadden the mood), but technically I don't feel it is much of an emergency, for I don't think there is much I can do. I come to ask if someone knows what happened.

Here is what I know and a quick history. I have 3 bettas and an oscar. Well, had, now two bettas. I got the first betta beginning of last year. Two others a few weeks after that. Well, one of the more recent ones died about a week ago suddenly, and he was always the more active one. It was quite a shock. The original male has perked up since then. The female became a bit sluggish a couple days ago but seemed to be doing ok.

Today I was spending time with them and had put in 3 pellets for each. When the girl went to eat, she lost the pellet a couple times. I turned my head watching the other and I heard a 'cracking' sound. I saw a pellet was missing, and since I have an oscar which I have regularly heard him crunching pellets, didn't think much of it at first. I did keep an eye on her, and within a minute or so, the was a bit of blood coming from the right side gill area. He colors went to very defined horizontal stripes. The bleeding lasted for several minutes, maybe 15, very slow, and yes, I was sure it was a thick red liquid, as it fell off and dissipated. Within about 20-25 minutes, the stress stripes went away.

She is still alive and swimming. I can tell you I have noticed her breathing from air much more than usual. My bettas have always been more of a primary gill breathing mode. The male left, if still swimming around fine, flaring at her through the divider and at me.

The tank is a 29 gallon, it was split in 3, now just 2. The temperature stays around 89 F. I change the water 1/2-3/4 every 1-2 weeks. I stopped using the filter about 3 weeks ago, since it was a Penguin 100B and was quite a current for the girl to deal with. Now I don't want to put it back on because she seems a bit weak, and from reading around, 29 gallons with regular large changes should be sufficient.

So, what could she have possible done to herself. I did turn my head to see her doing the eating motion when this sound happened. I did keep an eye on her because I have never heard that before. I feed Hikari Betta Bio-Gold.

I will keep the water changed, and spend time around her as much as I can, as I think that helps some. She did have a swim bladder problem late last year from over-feeding, so now I only feed once or twice a day 3-4 pellets; so she is a fighter and I think she will pull through (I hope so anyway).

Has anyone else had this happen? What could it have been?

Thanks for any help.

 

[dzsigmond217]

Whoa...I have no idea! I hope she gets better tho! And welcome to the forum!! I'm sure someone will come by that can help you !

 

[Karou-sama]

Thanks for the welcome and the concern. I have heard (good things) about this place a while back and when this happened, I was searching for a forum with enough members that would increase the chances of finding a solution This name popped into my head and a quick search later I was here

Oops, let me correct my dislexia and mis-typing. The bleeding was coming from her left side, just in case someone is a betta anatomy major, then that could possibly make a difference ... and the tank temp is about 79, not trying to boil them!

 

[WILDER]

Do you keep all the fish together or are they in seperate tanks.
The pellet could of been sharp and cut inside her mouth causing the blood to come out of her gills.

 

[Karou-sama]

The oscar, of course, is in its own tank. The bettas were all in the same tank, with two dividers, now there is two, one divider. 29 gallon tank as stated. She is still alive this morning, and still seems to be breathing a lot from the surface as she has been the last several days, and as the other did before he passed. The surviving male, the first betta I brought home, is still doing well, and doesn't breath from the air much at all.

I didn't consider the pellet may have been sharp. The sound was quit disturbing, it was very loud, even louder than when the oscar breaks up larger pellets. But, like I said, she is a fighter, and is still alive this morning, and I hope for some time to come.

I still can't figure out why the one male died, he was swimming and appeared healthy one hour, the next he lost control of his body, similar to swim bladder, was breathing from the air heavily, and within about two hours had passed. I got these two from the same lfs (the male that passed and the female that is not doing the best), the other male was from petsmart, and is doing just fine.

Thanks for the possible cause.

 

[WILDER]

Do the gills look pale with excess mucas on them, or red and inflamed.
Any excess slime being produced on the fish body.
Do you have water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.

 

[Karou-sama]

She passed away early yesterday.

No, there was no excessive slime produced.

The filter is back on now, with the tank undivided. The male is still doing great.

So basically, the two fish from the LFS passed within a week. The one from PetSmart, purchased weeks to a month prior is still going strong. I am chalking up the lifespan to the LFS, since shortly after I bought them, they stopped carrying Bettas, and I don't know how long they did have them. I can say they were in cups, so at room temperature. It was early last year when I got all of them, so I have had them all over a year, which puts them in the 15-21 month old range on a quick guess.

I still have no idea what the cracking noise was, but I think it was louder than a pellet, and there isn't much that can crack in fish, so you can see what I am thinking.

I don't have the readings on hand, but they were reasonable. Again, 29 gallon tank with weekly to bi-weekly major water changes (closer to 80% than anything), fed minimally (3-6 pellets a day each).

It happens, sadly.

Thanks for the replies, and will be asking a question on the Betta board.

 

[WILDER]

I don't know what the cracking sound was, could it of been a bone cracking.
R.I.P.

 

[Karou-sama]

That was the only thing I could think of. Rather sure it wasn't the food sound, it was very loud. I think it was possible she cracked her neck or a bone close to her head. If you have ever cracked your bones, that is very much what it sounded like, though this was so loud, it was if someone cracked their knuckles next to your ear.

She was a very wonderful fish. Always full of energy and love. Anytime I passed by, she would be right where I was. She would follow my finger around the tank, and stay by it if I just kept it still by the bottom. She was a voracious eater, nearly jumping out of the water for pellets and would gobble up whatever I put in as fast as she could, quite like a baby oscar.

She and the other male had a burial in my backyard. They will always be remembered for their nice colors and unique personalities. Very happy I have been graced with their presence, and quite sad to see them leave.


The survivor has the tank to himself. He is a bit more lethargic by nature than the other two were, yet he still gets around and does enjoy flaring at me, or at his reflection. I think he is in awe of the amount of space he currently has. The first day he seemed a bit overwhelmed and lonely ... but he is coming around well. He has been in a 10 gallon by himself, a 10 gallon divided in 3, the 29 divided in three, then two for a week, now, more room than he could have dreamed


I shall miss those two, but they are in the rice paddies in the sky now, swimming away in an endless amount of pristine water for eternity.


I try to be positive, even through sad times.

 

[WILDER]

So he's loving the 10 gallon all to himself.
Sorry about the ones that you lost, but at least they were well cared for and had a good life with you.

 

[scooterchick]

I'm crying after reading that. RIP.

 

[Karou-sama]

Wilder, he has a 29 gallon all to himself He started in a 10 gallon to himself, then it was divided and he wasn't too happy at first. He got over it. When I first set up the 29, he was real drama queen for quite a while from being handled. He had been checking out his tank a little at a time, getting used to the current of the filter again, something he hasn't dealt with for quite some time, since I kept the filter away from the long finned males, in the female's section of the divided tank.


Today, he was back to his old self. Swimming the tank, flaring like crazy at his reflection and me, nice to see his spirits up and his fins spread the best he can (his tail is sort of short for a veil tail, and a bit triangle shaped) ... then running off and laying either on a new spot on the gravel, or his spot that he has had since I got him, resting on the angled heater. So 29 gallons of freedom for the VT boy. Nice to see him enjoy it, and the more he gets around, the smaller he makes the tank seem

Yesterday, the tank looked huge, and I did consider to put him in a 10 gallon, then turn the 29 into a sorority, but watching him today, I will let him keep it. I may just do a small sorority with the 10. Haven't decided yet. My oscar is eying me for some food, so I suppose I should go feed him soon


scooterchick, sorry to bring tears thanks for caring

 

[Chrispixx]

Sorry to here about the loss of your betta.

Regarding the filter your using, if the current is too much for your betta there is a method to slow the current.
Here is the link from the betta section. Filter Current Kill
I have used this method on two filters of mine and it works very well.

 

[Karou-sama]

Thanks for that That looks like it will work better than the two nets I have up there to try and slow it down. It works, but when he swims by, he still gets moved a few inches. He doesn't seem to be to bothered by it, since he will be pushed, get to the end of the tank, look at me, and flare. But, I go through a lot of water bottles, so this will be easy to try out. I could tape it on the lid that goes over the bio-well

Thanks Chrispixx