Betta Meltdown overnight. Advice please. (posted in betta discussion also)

[Redpixy]

I've had my sorority up and running since March...very successful from all the stories I've heard about beginners and their sororities, but...

Last night I noticed one of my females missing. I found her behind the filter-not stuck just lying vertically against it. When I nudged her away from it she freaked! She started dashing around the side of the tank and propelling herself out of the water-back and forth. Then when she settled down she kind of sank, tilted to the side then shot back up to the surface and just stayed there. Breathing slowly.

She had filmy/cloudy eyes, a blue tint to the front of her body. Her overall appearance just seemed washed out. So very different from the colors I'm used to. So I put her in a cup and floated her inside the tank and changed about 1/3 of the water (including new water for her).

This morning she died along with 2 others that had the same 'wash out' look. I took the remaining 2 out of the tank and in a cup and they probably won't make it. Same symptoms (I noticed white-ish poo also. Not really stringy-just normal poo that's white).

I don't have a master kit (sorry, I know I should and I probably could've saved them if I had), the ph was a little high (7.4) but the other fish aren't showing signs like the bettas did. I have 2 otos in the tank also and they're still vibrant and active. I have a tetra in there (long story) and he's fine also.

-20 g tank
-Artificial plants
-1 real plant (Some kind of Echinodorus?)
-Whisper filter (changed the biobag a couple of weeks ago)
-20% WC about every week in a half to 2 weeks
-AquaSafe conditioner
-Occasionally aquarium salt
-The top of the tank is open...it's possible something got in it, but it was just so sudden.

I have one female left, Dora. I planned on breeding her and took her out and put her in another tank and that was when I noticed I was missing one betta. I looked at Dora this morning and she's fine. Swimming activly, bright colors, attentive. Ugg. It's really depressing. I loved my bettas with all their bright colors dashing around and playing. Now what am I going to watch? The otos? Uh...

 

[jo3olous]

I've had my sorority up and running since March...very successful from all the stories I've heard about beginners and their sororities, but...

Last night I noticed one of my females missing. I found her behind the filter-not stuck just lying vertically against it. When I nudged her away from it she freaked! She started dashing around the side of the tank and propelling herself out of the water-back and forth. Then when she settled down she kind of sank, tilted to the side then shot back up to the surface and just stayed there. Breathing slowly.

She had filmy/cloudy eyes, a blue tint to the front of her body. Her overall appearance just seemed washed out. So very different from the colors I'm used to. So I put her in a cup and floated her inside the tank and changed about 1/3 of the water (including new water for her).

This morning she died along with 2 others that had the same 'wash out' look. I took the remaining 2 out of the tank and in a cup and they probably won't make it. Same symptoms (I noticed white-ish poo also. Not really stringy-just normal poo that's white).

I don't have a master kit (sorry, I know I should and I probably could've saved them if I had), the ph was a little high (7.4) but the other fish aren't showing signs like the bettas did. I have 2 otos in the tank also and they're still vibrant and active. I have a tetra in there (long story) and he's fine also.

-20 g tank
-Artificial plants
-1 real plant (Some kind of Echinodorus?)
-Whisper filter (changed the biobag a couple of weeks ago)
-20% WC about every week in a half to 2 weeks
-AquaSafe conditioner
-Occasionally aquarium salt
-The top of the tank is open...it's possible something got in it, but it was just so sudden.

I have one female left, Dora. I planned on breeding her and took her out and put her in another tank and that was when I noticed I was missing one betta. I looked at Dora this morning and she's fine. Swimming activly, bright colors, attentive. Ugg. It's really depressing. I loved my bettas with all their bright colors dashing around and playing. Now what am I going to watch? The otos? Uh...

did you cycle your tank? I don't see how you could have considering you do not have a test kit. You should definitely learn the ins and outs of cycling a tank with/without fish, so you understand how ammonia poisoning, high nitrates, etc can be bad for your fish. Is the conditioner the dechlorinator for the water? Also what temp do you keep your tank at? Are the water changes temp consistent with the temp of your tank water? Do you use a bucket to add water to your tank? If so have you ever soap-washed it before?

Just wanted to give you some factors to consider as to how they might've died. You should def understand how they died before buying more, or history will prob repeat itself. Hopefully someone can better ID the disease

 

[Redpixy]

No the tank was not cycled. Conditioner is also declorinator for the water. Temp is kept at steady 78 F. No I do not just pour a bucket of tap water into the tank. Water is the same temp as the water, if not aged it IS declorinated with the AquaSafe. Nothing I've used with the tank, inside the tank, to scoop out tank objects or fish has touched soap-no contamination that way. I don't plan on buying more until I find out what the prob was. As it stands I still have 3 fish in the tank that are not reacting the way the bettas did-they are "seemingly" fine. Things may be different when I get home from work though. Thanks for the input.

 

[jo3olous]

No the tank was not cycled. Conditioner is also declorinator for the water. Temp is kept at steady 78 F. No I do not just pour a bucket of tap water into the tank. Water is the same temp as the water, if not aged it IS declorinated with the AquaSafe. Nothing I've used with the tank, inside the tank, to scoop out tank objects or fish has touched soap-no contamination that way. I don't plan on buying more until I find out what the prob was. As it stands I still have 3 fish in the tank that are not reacting the way the bettas did-they are "seemingly" fine. Things may be different when I get home from work though. Thanks for the input.

There's your problem, cycle your tank. This can take up a month if done fishless. If you cycle with fish-in your tank it can take longer and you risk losing the fish due to the stress it puts them through