Betta Old Age :(

[f8fan]

I think my little "ZaBetta" is reaching old age...in the last week he has lost a lot of his color, hovers on plant leaves for support and really looks ragged. He is about 3 years old and has been a tough little bugger in his life.
Today, he isn't interested in food at all, and he is laying on the bottom all weak looking. Should I just let nature take it's course or should I help him along and make his pain and obvious disconfort go away?
He lives in his own heated, filtered 5 gallon tank, and just for the sake of it, in case it is a disease, I have been doing partial water changes each day and putting a bit of salt and extra Stress Coat in, but it seems like his healthy little self just isn't gonna come back It alarms me mst that he won't eat, he LOVES his freeze dried bloodworms/flake mix...and today he just stays on the bottom.

 

[Lotus]

You could try the treatment for "depression" here: http://www.bettatalk.com/betta_diseases.htm

Personally, I rarely "help fish along" as I would rather have them pass peacefully in their own home.

 

[germanshepherds]

he sounds like he is just getting old,he has had a happy long life so id give it afew more days.If not mabe its time to let him go

 

[f8fan]

ohhhhhh....it's not looking good . He ate a little bit right after I posted the original message, and then I left for the day to visit my brother's campsite, then returned this evening, and he looks even more weak and worse . I hope the little guy isnt in any pain. I'm just gonna wait and see what happens. I hope he isn't suffering through this. Isn't it weird how he could be all lively and healthy, and in a week, age like an old man....

 

[f8fan]

The little fella is still holding on, he isn't himself at all, tho. He looks more pathetic every day. He is, however, still eating a bit. He has a really difficult time swimming tho and tends to stay resting on the bottom or inside some broad leaves....I guess I will keep the water as clean as possible for him and let him peacefully pass on when it's his time

 

[f8fan]

well, not to turn this thread into some kind of "blog", but believe it or not he is still alive! He is virtually the same...resting on plant leaves or the bottom of the tank, looking ragged, but still showing interest in eating! So, heck, if these are his last days, I am feeding him his favorites: frozen bloodworms & frozen brine shrimp. (Along with some staple flake). And taking out a gallon or so of water every couple days (from his 5 gallon tank) and replacing it with fresh treated water with some stresscoat. Leaving the lights off the majority of the time so he can just "chill" and not be "on stage".
I wish something would just "happen" instead of him looking like a zombie fish. I don't have the heart to euthanize him...but he isn't getting any healthier either. I wonder how long this lasts before he either gets "better" (which I doubt...the little guy is "old" in betta years....)or he passes on....I can't stand to think the little fella is suffering at all. He has been a wonderful pet and I hope I have served him well with his little life....

 

[Lotus]

At least he's still eating. It's a good sign, and I don't think he's in pain.

 

[f8fan]

Thanks, Lotus, I hope not I don't mean to sound so melodramatic about him, it's just he was one of my first fish I got when I got back into fish keeping a few years ago, and I made some mistakes early on with him (like housing him in a community tank with my new (at the time) figure 8 puffer! doh!) and he withstood it all, got battle scarred, healed up, and has been in a five gallon all by himself for a year and happy as can be. Sad to see him age/deteriorate.....

 

[Fish Friend]

sounds like hes on the way to recovery sad to hear that

 

[f8fan]

Well, RIP, Zabetta....you were a very good little fish....
http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/showthread.php?t=28803

This is a really bad photo of my NEW betta I got last night. (In the red square). I'll try to get a better pic soon (all I have is my crappy webcam, I'll bring the 5.1 MP home from work soon and get a better pic.)
He is beautiful! He has a pearl/pink body with lavender fins. I took out the gravel from the tank and replaced it with some sand from my 55 gallon, (hence the cloudiness) and got lucky and scored some snails from the LFS. I'm hoping they will start breeding like crazy so I can feed them to my puffers)

 

[Lotus]

Congrats on the new betta

My old betta hated snails, and he would pick them off the side of the tank and smash them against it He wasn't a very sociable betta, in general.

 

[fishbrain]

My son & I reasonly lost an old guy ourselves. He was fairly old when my friends mother gave him to us (2-3 years old) & last a little over a year with us. We haven't gotten another male betta yet but we have a female that we love, her name is NewYear (b'cuz we bought her on new year's) she a pretty dark purple-ish mostly.
Best of luck with your new guy & snails!

 

[FisheyLisa]

I was following the thread, but didn't post. So sorry to hear about your Zabetta

Congrats on the new tank though!
Lisa

 

[Fish Friend]

sorry to hear about the betta f8fan...R.I.P betta