My Girls - The Horrible Few Months

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

A good few months ago I moved my female bettas from a 14 gallon to a 45 gallon; they’d been in the 14 gallon for almost a year. I moved all of their stuff over, got them settled in and bought 4 new girls. At the end of the week with the 4 new girls 2 had died of dropsy and one had dropsy. This started the slippery slope of “thing” I had in the tank. After losing about 20 of my girls and remaining with two, (one with a tumour). I decided after 6 weeks of the two girls being ok that I’d chance some more girls… I bought 2, within the first week one died of dropsy and the ‘tumour’ girl died, the other is still with me. So after about 2 or 3 weeks I decide to try another female to bring my number up to 3. They’ve been fine for 2 weeks (I’ve since moved them down to a 10 gallon tank, as 45 gallons for 2 female bettas was a bit OTT. Now this week one has white spots (but they look smaller than ich spots), one is flicking – but only at night, she will slowly swim up to something then flick, I’m not even sure she’s flicking against it; just near it AND the final girl, she’s been with me through everything has been quiet and not her usual brightly coloured self this week.

All three girls are eating well as normal. The girl with spots seems to be acting normal but the other two are quieter.

I have no idea what is causing it. My water “seems ok” the stats are always fine. I clean it normally, I’ve never had so much trouble in 17 years of fish keeping!

I’m at a bit of a loss now. It’s been going on since about mid-May!

I’ve been trying since then to clear “it” up since May so I can get some of Vicki’s fish, but “it” seems to appear cleared up and then voila it’s back.

I’ve sterilised their ornaments and plants (or rather my boyfriend melted all of my plants), I’ve bought new sand just in case (as it was in a different packet to normal), *sigh*. I’m treating for white spot at the moment ‘just in case that’s what they have now’ but it’s one thing after another. *sigh*

 

[sausagewinkle]

You have had a total nightmare

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

You have had a total nightmare

Tell me about it. I've been trying so hard to fix "it" as well .

 

[marieukxx]

God sounds horrible, sorry I can't think what's causing all this.

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

After a pretty severe dose of what looked like white spot (not convinced it was white spot and not something else) I've lost one girl, another is on her way out I think.

 

[loraxchick]

Symptoms?

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Lethargy, extra hyperactive flicking, white spots but not as large or as white as ich. I've been treating with myxazin and now its the 2 days off before re-dosing (if I do it)

 

[loraxchick]

Can you get a pic of the spots? Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't myxacyn a bacterial remedy? I'm not up on my Uk meds tbh but its what members use for finrot. Perhaps yoy aren't using appropriate meds. Copper sulfate would work for ich. So can raising tank temp to 86 F with increased aeration. Pics would be best to rule out other external parasites like flukes or fish lice to name a few.
cheers

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Can you get a pic of the spots? Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't myxacyn a bacterial remedy? I'm not up on my Uk meds tbh but its what members use for finrot. Perhaps yoy aren't using appropriate meds. Copper sulfate would work for ich. So can raising tank temp to 86 F with increased aeration. Pics would be best to rule out other external parasites like flukes or fish lice to name a few.
cheers

The fish with spots died so no photos. I have snails in the tank so I can't use copper medicines .

When "this" first started happening the very first "new" 4 girls showed signs of dropsy (within the first day or so) then girls were just dying with no signs of anything unusual. They'd look and act fine then they'd be dead, the next few showed signs of columnaris. After that I was left with 2 girls, one with a tumour and one without. The tumour girl died and after about 6 weeks of nothing new being added to the tank I decided to add 2 more girls one showed signs of dropsy straight away and the other was fine. So then I was back down to two girls; I decided to chance another girl....the "older" new girl developed spots and died yesterday, the ther new girl died last night. I'm now left with my one original girl. I have been buying the last few girls from the same shop and their water isn't always the best. My water quality always seems ok, I've checked and checked. It's only happened since I added the first 4 girls to the tank as they were perfecly fine before then.

 

[lilfishie]

i'd try using a different shop to be honest, since you had no trouble before you added some i'd say its there stock

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

i'd try using a different shop to be honest, since you had no trouble before you added some i'd say its there stock

The first 4 girls were added from shop A and the other 3 girls were added (months later) from shop B. Shop B isn't normally very good but does the best female betta stock.

TBH I'm a bit downheartened about it all, whilst I'd like more I don't know if I will as it's not fair to the fish for this to keep happening.

 

[lilfishie]

all the rest came from shop B apart from the original 4?

I am still thinking it may be a bad batch, do you know how long shop B Qts? my LFS only QT for a week, so i always give them an extra 2-3 weeks before putting them into my tanks (the downside is all the best have gone by then )

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

all the rest came from shop B apart from the original 4?

I am still thinking it may be a bad batch, do you know how long shop B Qts? my LFS only QT for a week, so i always give them an extra 2-3 weeks before putting them into my tanks (the downside is all the best have gone by then )

I've no idea how they are quaratined. I'd guess not at all tbh.

 

[lilfishie]

wouldn't surprise me

so sorry for all your trouble hun

 

[fuzzynicki]

I missed this post as I was away last week. God you've really been through it haven't you hun? What a terrible experience for you. I couldn't imagine losing all my girls,- I would be totally gutted I don't know what to say.

Now that your 45 gallon tank is empty have you given it a complete clear/clean out? You could start from scratch and get a new female tank set up and ready for girls from Vicki (and Siobhan when she has some ready ) It would give you something positive to concentrate on during this time of feeling so disheartened. xxx