Problems With Betta?

[Bambi211]

My dad has got a siamese which hes had for a quite a long time. I know they dont last that long but not sure if thats the reason or not?

When he first got it, it was a beautiful bright red, fins long and flowing

but recently its colour has faded to a really dark sort of dirty red and the fins has lost a lot of the length and have started to go abit manky and ripped

it doesnt really seem like fin rot. and there isnt many fish that would bother it really.

any advice as to what it would be?

xxx

 

[rdd1952]

Bettas can live 4 or 5 years but the ones you buy in the chain stores generally are only good for 2 or 3. Do you know how long he's had it? It could be something as simple as fin rot that is easily treatable. Anything that auses stress, such as a disease will cause them to lose their color.

 

[pammy172]

Could be old age if he's around 4. What's the water readings for the tank he's in and what type of tank, any companions etc?

 

[bronzecat]

Hi

I think the fact that its in with loads of other fish isn't helping. Re. your other thread.

 

[LauraFrog]

Yeah, if this is the one that's in the tank you've been on about in tropical discussion, the stocking from memory includes

Platys
Mollies
Clown loaches
A bristlenose
Neons
A female betta
AND a male betta
Angelfish


So it sounds to me like serious stress from being in a totally unsuitable environment. Manky, ripped fins losing length is because they are being eaten, probably by the tetras - you can imagine how much fun it is for a fish to have other fish eating bits of him and have no way of stopping it or getting away. You'd probably find that if you got him away from the harassment of all the other fish, he would recover.