Bettas getting sick at the same time - in separate tanks.

[ewok]

the only thing i came up with personally, and this was sort of conjecture.... was the "irritant" thing. maybe.... bettas are pretty commonly kept in crappy containers with little or no aeration, etc. if you bottle the "fumes" up and force the betta to breathe it, it may irritate their "lung" too much. possibly even causing them to sufficate (sp?) or "choke" on it. this is running on the assumption it's an irritant........ we find the smell "minty", they might find it toxic.

most other labyrinth fish aren't "kept" in small stagnant pools of water. in a larger aquarium, with more movement and possibly aeration this might become a non-issue.

normally the precautionary stuff i see bettas kept in is "green goop". i forget what the stuff is, but it looks like net dip. i haven't used it in awhile, but i don't recall seeing melafix being green or blue.........

 

[Leopardess]

Ok...now there may be something.

I would accept the statment that if you have a betta in a small enclosed container (like at a pet store), that the fumes may build up under the lid and be concentrated. But then, bettas do have and use their gills also, and the smell would aslo be directly in the water.

you're right - it isn't blue or green, but I know that my LFS's uses it because i've seen them adding it to all the tanks...plus, you can smell it. (boy that clears out your nasal passages!)

I'm not sure why they wouldn't be irritated by the fact that it is in the water, but maybe then we'll just say not to use it in those little betta cups or small unfilterd, quasi-covered tanks? (LOL even then, the drop from 1% to .2% isnt' that big of a difference...)

 

[spanky37]

WOW

Wow, that's a lot of info. Now I'm confused. What should NOT be used on Bettas? I just want to make sure I don't stress them too much. That's a great idea about the nets, I'm going to Petco to buy some new ones and that net cleaner. Say - how long do they live? My oldest one is about a year old. I'm hopping that I will have him around for several years. Oh - and I do keep the water very clean, changing it once and sometimes 2 times a week.

Thanks again for all of your great advice!!!

 

[ewok]

trying to contact tenojin for the heck of it, still waiting on a password tho. she might have some other insight.

unfortunately she resigned due to time issues, so i don't hear from her much anymore. i figured i'd dump the forum on the new board i've been working on.........

 

[ewok]

unfortunately all i've ever heard about bettas for longevity is 2 or 3 years or something. not really very long as opposed to most other fish.

do betta fry even have a labyrinth organ? just as an odd thought..... it may react differently with gills as opposed to the primitive "lung". i think that the air-breathing thing is something they more mature into? ie: the older they get the more they rely on air.......?

melafix (and probably bettafix) is a great additive and it is a natural antibiotic. it's just the dilution rates in question really. considering you're using fairly small containers, if you use it, i'd still recommend diluted.

i'm still thinking the biggest area that might make a difference is the "outgassing" that would occur, both by surface area and by agitation. i'm assuming most of the sites posted use basically "normal" tanks.

owell, still trying to send her a note and she if she ever got a reply.......

 

[Misskiwi67]

Say - how long do they live? My oldest one is about a year old. I'm hopping that I will have him around for several years.

Bettas live an average of two years. Some have been known to live 4-5 years, but its very rare.

do betta fry even have a labyrinth organ?

Betta fry do not have a labrynth organ until about 6 weeks of age, depending on how quickly they grow. If I remember right, mine usually start surfacing for air at 5-6 weeks.

Wow, that's a lot of info. Now I'm confused. What should NOT be used on Bettas? I just want to make sure I don't stress them too much.

Some breeders have begun to see negative effects when they use melafix. I still use it on mine when I have a bad case, but I use it sparingly, and only with heavy water changes. Most betta breeders have switched to using Indian Almond Leaves, a dried leaf imported from Thailand. The leaves work miracles, much the same as the melafix can, but I've never seen or heard of it creating negative effects. Even better yet, its 100% natural, and is found in the water the bettas inhabit in the wild. If you can get a hold of some of these, I highly recommend them.

 

[spanky37]

Betta is still sluggish

Hi again,
My Betta Rocky is still a bit sluggish. We treated him for fungus and for ick but he doesn't seem to have much energy. He is eating though. Right now we are using Maroxy to treat him. It worked great for the other Bettas but Rocky still isn't himself. I'm going tonight to get more medication. I was looking at Jungle Fungus Clear tank buddies or Bettamax blended antibiotics - any suggestions? Or should I just keep using what I'm using?

 

[anonapersona]

How old is the food?

How old is the food, and have you called the water department to be sure they haven't startee adding different chemicals to the water, chloramine instead of chlorine would be a problem.

 

[Julia]

Originally posted by Misskiwi67


Most betta breeders have switched to using Indian Almond Leaves, a dried leaf imported from Thailand. The leaves work miracles, much the same as the melafix can, but I've never seen or heard of it creating negative effects. Even better yet, its 100% natural, and is found in the water the bettas inhabit in the wild. If you can get a hold of some of these, I highly recommend them.

How are the Indian Almond Leaves working out for you. Misskiwi?

Has anyone else tried them?

I got some and now I'm nervous about using them. I had to get 10 (minimum order) and I don't need all of them, so if anyone else in the USA would like to try them, send a PM & I'll stick one in the mail.