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Why are my bettas dieing in their new tank?

2K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  k19smith 
#1 ·
I had an 8 betta sorority in a 10g tank for about a year. All the girls were happy and healthy. Three months ago I got a 55g. I moved the girls over and gradually added tetras, cories and mollies. Everyone was doing great at first but I've lost two bettas in the last two weeks. No signs of sickness. No visible bloat. No splotches. No weird behaviour (maybe a bit more lethargic). Another betta is already starting to act a bit lethargic and is hiding in the same place most times I check. All the rest of the fish are doing great. Water params are good, 0 amm, 0ni, 20na. ph 7.4. Additives to the water include Prime with each water change, flourish twice a week and stabilize daily during the first week and now weekly. The aquarium is heavily planted and contains large pieces of mopani. I can't think of any more details to share... but will be happy to answer any more questions. ANY advice will be GREATLY appreciated!
 
#2 ·
Okay, I have lost a third betta (that's 2 TODAY!) PLEASE HELP!

1. Size of tank? 55 gallon

2. Water parameters
a. Ammonia? 0
b. Nitrite? 0
c. Nitrate? <20
d. pH, KH and GH? 7.4
e. Test kit? API

3. Temperature? 79.5

4. FW (fresh water) or BW (brackish)? Freshwater

5. How long the aquarium has been set up? three months

6. What fish do you have? How many are in your tank? How big are they? How long have you had them?
8 betta sorority (now 5), 6 cories, 6 neons, 4 mollies. The mollies are the newest (two months) the rest are from 10 gallons i collapsed down into the 55. The bettas I've had for at least a year.

7. Were the fish placed under quarantine period (minus the first batch from the point wherein the tank is ready to accommodate the inhabitants)? No.

8. a. Any live plants? Fake plants? yes, vals, cabomba, water sprite, wisteria, java fern, anubias, dwarf swords
b. Sand, gravel, barebottom? small gravel bottom
c. Rocks, woods, fancy decors? Any hollow decors? Two large pieces of mopani

9. a. Filtration? Emperor 400, 4 carbon filters
b. Heater? yes

10. a. Lighting schedule? What lights are used? aqualight 10 hours
b. Any sunlight exposure? How long? no

11. a. Water change schedule? 5 gallons and gravel vac on Thursdays, 10 g water change only on Sundays
b. Volume of water changed? see above
c. Well water, tap water, RO water? tap water
d. Water conditioner used? Prime
e. Frequency of gravel/sand (if any) vacuumed? weekly, but only around plants. There are some areas I simply cannot vac

12. Foods? tetramin granuals (usually), alternate some feedings with aqueon tropical flakes, blood worms (frozen and dried), and bottom feeder tabs from aqueon.
How often are they fed? twice a day, small pinch

13. a. Any abnormal signs/symptoms? lethargy, stress stripes, hiding
b. Appearance of poop? Havent seen...
c. Appearance of gills? normal

14. a. Have you treated your fish ahead of diagnosis? No. It is very sudden. They will seem perfectly healthy. Become somewhat lethargis and then be dead the next day. No bloat, No signs of dropsy...
b. What meds were used? N/A

15. Insert photos of fish in question and full tank shot if necessary. They look perfectly healthy before they die!

Read more: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...orm-read-before-you-post-61135/#ixzz1YdU5nChB
 
#4 ·
Sounds to me like either your neons or mollies are killing them, even if you are not seeing direct aggression they maybe stressing them out to the point to cause death.

If it were me I would just do one large water change verse two, easier on you and IMO better for the fish.
 
#5 ·
From what I know, keeping bettas in larger tanks (at least larger than 30 gallons) is a bad idea because it takes them too long to get to the surface for air. No matter how well oxygenated the water is, bettas always need to go to the surface for air, and it doesn't take long in taller tanks for them to exhaust and suffocate because of their continuous need for surface air. Bettas also like to hide in their aquarium decor and among the plants, which is hard and stressful for them to do in larger tanks, because again, of the tank's tallness. I find it hard to believe that your neons or mollies would be killing them, in reference to k19smith's post, but I suppose anything's possible.
 
#6 ·
My thought was more toward stress with the neons or mollies, I was also under the impression neons can be nippy? After further thought on this the only other idea I would have is bettas do not like current. I really don't see that keeping them in a 55g would be a problem. I am definitely no betta expert you may have a better response if you post in the betta section.

I think since there is no sign of disease it would have to be stress guess it comes down to what is stressing them.
 
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