is something wrong with my betta?

[darkness]

Hi all,

My tank's fully cycled - ammonia and nitrite are 0.0, pH's between 7-8, and the temperature's stable at 26. I do a 20-25% water change every week, using Tetra AquaSafe and Tetra SafeStart.

The tank's pretty heavily planted with Anubias, Java Fern, and Java Moss, among others. I've also got some moss balls and Salvinia floating on top. I dose with Tropica Premium Nutrition once a week.

I had a bit of a disaster with my previous Betta - he was fine one day, then suddenly turned pale and got clamped fins overnight. I moved him to a hospital tank and tried Interpet aquarium salt, but he didn't make it. I've since deep cleaned the tank and replaced him with a new Betta.

This new guy's been in the tank for three weeks, but over the past couple of days, I've noticed his fins are clamped and he's hiding away a lot. He still seems interested in food, though. I've checked for signs of disease or fungus, but can't see anything obvious. I'm stumped.

Could I have too many plants in the tank? Maybe the plant fertiliser's affecting him? His tank mates - 3 Pygmy Corys and some Zorchno Shrimp - all seem happy and active.

I'll try to grab a photo of him next time he comes out.

[darkness]

I'm having a similar issue with my Betta, I've had him for about 4 months now and at first he was doing great, swimming around and whatnot. But over the last month or so, I've noticed he's been hiding more and more, and his fins are all clamped up. I've tried changing the water more frequently, but that doesn't seem to have made a difference.

I've also been wondering if it could be the plants - I've got a pretty heavily planted tank, but I figured that would be a good thing. I've got a mix of Anacharis, Amazon Swords, and some Java Moss. I dose with Seachem Flourish once a week.

I'm not sure if it's relevant, but I've also got a few Pygmy Corys and some Amano Shrimp in the tank with him. They all seem to be doing fine, so I'm not sure what's going on with my Betta.

I've been thinking about trying some aquarium salt, but after reading about your experience with it, I'm not so sure. Have you tried anything else that might have helped your Betta?

[barnicle]

Hi, I think your betta might be feeling a bit stressed, and that's why his fins are clamped. It's probably not the plants, to be honest, they're usually a good thing. It's more likely something to do with his environment or the water quality. What's the tank size like, and how's the flow? I'd try doing a big water change and see if that makes a difference. Also, keep in mind that bettas can be quite territorial, so maybe it's not the best idea to have him with the pygmy corys.

[darkness]

Hi, I think your betta might be feeling a bit stressed, and that's why his fins are clamped. It's probably not the plants, to be honest, they're usually a good thing. It's more likely something to do with his environment or the water quality. What's the tank size like, and how's the flow? I'd try doing a big water change and see if that makes a difference. Also, keep in mind that bettas can be quite territorial, so maybe it's not the best idea to have him with the pygmy corys.

It's a 20l tank and the flow is quite low, I've got a trickle filter which just gently drips down at the back, rather than forcing it across the surface. I've also got an airstone in the corner to help with oxygenation. I'm thinking of rehoming the Corys to see if that improves things for him, they're a lovely addition but I'd rather have a happy betta. If that doesn't work, I've got a shrimp-only tank that's currently cycling, so I could move the Zorchnos over there and give him the tank to himself.

[burglar_4]

I'm curious about the first betta that passed away - how long did you have him for? Were there any changes or additions to the tank in the weeks leading up to his death? Also, do you have any decorations or equipment in the tank that could be leaching toxins? It would be helpful to see a full picture of your aquarium to get a better understanding of the setup. Your current betta does appear stressed or unwell, but without more information, it's difficult to pinpoint the exact cause.

[darkness]

I'm curious about the first betta that passed away - how long did you have him for? Were there any changes or additions to the tank in the weeks leading up to his death? Also, do you have any decorations or equipment in the tank that could be leaching toxins? It would be helpful to see a full picture of your aquarium to get a better understanding of the setup. Your current betta does appear stressed or unwell, but without more information, it's difficult to pinpoint the exact cause.

I had my first Betta for a few years before he passed away. When I got my second Betta, I initially kept him in the original tank until the new one was cycled. He was in the new tank for about four weeks before he died. The only change I'd made prior to noticing his decline was switching from Tetra products to Aquadip. I changed back to Tetra as soon as I noticed the issue and did some small water changes to see if that was the problem.

With my current Betta, I've had him for about three weeks now. The only changes I've made are the tank itself and the addition of new plants - all from Tropica, except for the moss balls. I've also changed his food, but that only affects him as the Shrimp and Corys get different food. I'm careful not to use any chemicals around the tank, especially with the air pump. It's concerning that this has happened to two Bettas in a row, suggesting I might be doing something wrong, but I just can't figure it out - especially since the Corys and Shrimp seem fine. Could the new food be the culprit?

[darkness]

I'm really disheartened to report that my Betta has now passed away. After carefully examining his body, I couldn't spot anything out of the ordinary, but his fins felt incredibly rigid - I'm pretty sure they would have snapped if I'd applied too much pressure. I gently placed him on a tissue, and that's when I noticed a yellow patch forming around his gill area, it looked like something was oozing out of him. This could be a vital clue, perhaps?

[barnicle]

Sorry to hear about your loss, really feel for you. I've been racking my brain and I just can't think of what it could be, especially since your tank is cycled and you're doing regular water changes. It's all a bit baffling, to be honest. Hopefully someone with more experience will chime in and be able to offer some insight.

[happyone]

I'm still trying to figure out what's going on, so I'm going to ask a couple of questions. How did you originally cycle the tank? What type of test kit are you using? I'm just trying to cover all bases here. If the tank was indeed cycled, I'm guessing there's no need for the SafeStart - is that right?

[burglar_4]

It seems to me that there's a good chance some kind of infection or pathogen was present in the tank, which could've been passed on to each of your bettas. Given that your second betta was in the same tank as the first one when it died, it's possible that's what caused the issue. Since it doesn't appear to be related to water quality, I'm leaning towards this explanation. I'd exercise caution before introducing another fish to the tank, as it can be challenging to confirm whether the issue has been fully resolved. Perhaps it's best to keep it as a shrimp tank for the time being, just to be on the safe side.