Siamese Fighting Fish

[lb05]

You'll have to bare with me as I am not the person who set up the tank, or who maintaines it.

Just need some quick advice...

Our tank has been up and running now for a few months with 2 gourmari's, 1 pearl danio and 1 zebra danio and most recently 1 3 dot gourmari, 5 Tetra's, 3 Mollys, 2 red honey gourmari's and 1 siamese fighting fish...

All bought at Pets @ Home, we where told these are all 'community' fish!

Yesterday I came home to find the Fighting Fish nesting within some of the planting of the tank, he stayed there for over an hour when we finally got him to come out, 2 our shock practically he's whole fins r missing...

He is still alive - barely, still able to swim but spending most of his time right at the top of the water or right at the bottom. Who is the culprit? and what do we do...

Do we leave him to die and then remove him from the tank or do we remove him now? will the other fish be affected...??

Can he survive such an attack this morning I found him at the bottom of the tank his head nestled between the stones/pebbles.

Pls help Should there be any information you need to help us let me know and I will find out.

Thank u , LB05

 

[catxx]

remove him now
bettas (fighters) are NOT community fish at all
and all the above tankmates will have probably eaten his fins

gouramis are the worst betta tankmates ever
and tetras and mollies are known for "fin-nipping"

the only recommended betta tank mates (in a large tank, 5g+) are african dwarf frogs and some bottom feeders (corys or small catfish)

given the right treatments and kept alone he may recover and fins can grow back (but not always)

isolate him in his own tank, i'm not sure on the treatments, a little aquarium salt to begin with!

 

[lb05]

Thank u!

Got my fingers x'd, not getting home till 6pm!!!

Will arrange moving him then. Hope he makes it, is a lovely fish.

Can't believe the guy would let us by both the fighting fish and Gourmari's @ the same time.

Are all the other fish we have together ok to be in the same tank?

Thanx again 4 all ur help! LB05

 

[catxx]

i'm not sure about the other fish, only ever really kept bettas!

Pets@Home aren't known for their Betta knowledge!

invest in some melafix/betta fix, chances are he's very very stressed, and stressed fishies lead to ill fishies which lead to dead fishies!
i've never used melafix personally, ask in the betta forum on here and they'll know waaaay more than i do!

 

[SkiFletch]

Gourami's and Bettas are both in the same Family of Anabantoids. Hence, males of both species cannot be kept together. Good luck keeping him alive

 

[lb05]

Thank u...

Shame it wasn't u working @ Pets @ Home when we visitied lol

2 be honest the Gourami's don't seem that bothered by him...more one of the female mollies we have!

They where all in the same bag when we bought them and one of the mollies was bullying everyone, when we got them in the tank the fighting fish soon took over....

But now it seems the mollie, or the gourami's got the better of him - if not both.

Here's hoping he makes it

 

[dwarfgourami]

Are all the other fish we have together ok to be in the same tank?

It would be really helpful here if you'd just let us know the size of the tank. And what kind are your 2 gouramis?

 

[lb05]

We have a total of 6 Gourami's....

3 Red Honey, 2 Opaline and 1 3-dot.

The tank is 60 Litres!

 

[rdd1952]

I have heard that bettas can't take full dosages of melafix so when I have used it, I have only used half dosages and that has worked fine. I think Bettafix is a very diluted version (something like 1/10th strength).

To offer some encouragement, my son and daughter-in-low ran into the same problem with a betta that had been in with danios, corys and rasboras for almost a year without any problems. They came home one day to find the same thing. They removed him to a 2.5 gallon and started treating. He made a full recovery.

 

[lb05]

That's some gd news, hoping it goes the same for us.

We will start treatment in his new tank for him this evening, that's if he is still alive when we get there!!!

Fingers x'd. Thanx 4 the nice words

 

[catxx]

FYI Bettas prefer a tank size of 2.5 to 5 gallons, 10 gallon is ok, any larger and they get stressed trying to patrol that much space. (Not sure of that in litres, 5 gallon is about 25 litres)

 

[pica_nuttalli]

you'll probably wind up with a lot more trouble in addition to the betta--you've got a lot of gouramis in that tank! most gourami species get territorial and fiesty as they grow up.

also, the general rule for stocking is about 1 inch of adult fish per 1 US gallon of tank. that's 1 inch per 3.75 liters; a 60 liter tank should only have about 16 inches of fish unless you start taking special measures (extra filtration, extra water changes...)

your tank is overstocked from both a territorial and biological perspective. what i suggest is that you list out ALL the fish you have in the tank and point out which ones are your absolute favorite fish that you just couldn't bear to part with. we can help you out from there.

its a lot easier to take care of a tank with just the right combination of fish. and a well-cared for tank is a good-looking tank.

 

[lb05]

you'll probably wind up with a lot more trouble in addition to the betta--you've got a lot of gouramis in that tank! most gourami species get territorial and fiesty as they grow up.

also, the general rule for stocking is about 1 inch of adult fish per 1 US gallon of tank. that's 1 inch per 3.75 liters; a 60 liter tank should only have about 16 inches of fish unless you start taking special measures (extra filtration, extra water changes...)

your tank is overstocked from both a territorial and biological perspective. what i suggest is that you list out ALL the fish you have in the tank and point out which ones are your absolute favorite fish that you just couldn't bear to part with. we can help you out from there.

its a lot easier to take care of a tank with just the right combination of fish. and a well-cared for tank is a good-looking tank.

Hi

We have the following....

2 Opaline Gourami
1 3-spot Gourami
3 Red Honey Gourami's
1 Black Mollie
2 Dalmation Mollies
1 Pearl Danio
1 Zebra Danio
5 Tetra's - mainly silver tipped

...we did have a lovely betta, but when I got home last night he was no more was attacked by other fish..

Have been told Gourami's where the worst match of all the fish but after thinking back one of the dalmation mollies was always up 4 the chase. The poor Betta was practically left with nothing.

Wish we would of clued up more b4 getting him and not have took the advice of pets@home.

To be fair this is more the hubbys fish and his tank but my faves by far are the mollies and red honey gourami and one of the silver tipped tetra's - slightly different to the others.

For now, if you could let me know what is ideal that would be a gr8 help....I can then pass on your advice.

All fish currently living within the 90 litre tank are 'currently' getting on fine. .