Just wondering if anyone's got any idea what happened to my little guy:
I woke up this morning, and went to check my 45g community tank and feed my fish. To my dismay, my male betta was dead on the bottom, his fins were almost shattered looking (no white edges or anything, just... broken into pieces like they were very brittle). I've only had him since February, and I know some people have kept bettas for several years. He was large when I purchased him, obviously full grown, and he's always lived in a well maintained, large community tank with non-agressive tankmates - in other words he's always been top dog.
There have been no recent changes to the tank, or the chemistry (I'm pretty militant about keeping the tank and fish in good health, I love my little guys). The fish have all been getting along, and until this morning the betta was a picture of health; a gorgeous, bossy little piggy. I did notice that lately (last couple weeks) he's seemed almost grumpy. Is it possible he was just getting old? Has anyone else had their betta die and his fins fall apart? I was wondering if he came down with some horrid, sudden overnight disease, or if their fins usually do this when they die?
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Tank information:
45g 'high' (36"l x 12"w x 24"h)
pH steady 7.4
temp steady 80F
NH3 and NO2 0
NO3 5-10mg/L (it's 5mg/L out of our tap, I don't let it go over 10mg/L)
PO4 .25mg/L (lowest measurable level above 0 w/ my kit)
UGF, Fluval2 (for circulation), Penguin 170, Aquaclear 150
Decorated w/ plastic plants, driftwood and bogwood
25% weekly water changes, I vacuum the gravel with a Python and use dechlorinator
The tank has been up and running since a major (sterilizing) cleaning about a year ago.
Fish:
5 calico platys
5 otos
2 skunk corys
4 pygmy corys
3 fm pineapple swords
8 neon tetras
Diet:
varied; Tetra staple flakes and bottom feeder pellets supplemented with Tetra spirulina flakes, Tetra colour bits, bloodworms and daphnia.
I woke up this morning, and went to check my 45g community tank and feed my fish. To my dismay, my male betta was dead on the bottom, his fins were almost shattered looking (no white edges or anything, just... broken into pieces like they were very brittle). I've only had him since February, and I know some people have kept bettas for several years. He was large when I purchased him, obviously full grown, and he's always lived in a well maintained, large community tank with non-agressive tankmates - in other words he's always been top dog.
There have been no recent changes to the tank, or the chemistry (I'm pretty militant about keeping the tank and fish in good health, I love my little guys). The fish have all been getting along, and until this morning the betta was a picture of health; a gorgeous, bossy little piggy. I did notice that lately (last couple weeks) he's seemed almost grumpy. Is it possible he was just getting old? Has anyone else had their betta die and his fins fall apart? I was wondering if he came down with some horrid, sudden overnight disease, or if their fins usually do this when they die?
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Tank information:
45g 'high' (36"l x 12"w x 24"h)
pH steady 7.4
temp steady 80F
NH3 and NO2 0
NO3 5-10mg/L (it's 5mg/L out of our tap, I don't let it go over 10mg/L)
PO4 .25mg/L (lowest measurable level above 0 w/ my kit)
UGF, Fluval2 (for circulation), Penguin 170, Aquaclear 150
Decorated w/ plastic plants, driftwood and bogwood
25% weekly water changes, I vacuum the gravel with a Python and use dechlorinator
The tank has been up and running since a major (sterilizing) cleaning about a year ago.
Fish:
5 calico platys
5 otos
2 skunk corys
4 pygmy corys
3 fm pineapple swords
8 neon tetras
Diet:
varied; Tetra staple flakes and bottom feeder pellets supplemented with Tetra spirulina flakes, Tetra colour bits, bloodworms and daphnia.
