Did mopani kill my betta?

[ImBettaNow]

Recently I set up and cycled a divided 10 gallon to house 2 bettas. I have anubis and crypts and HAD 2 beautiful pieces of mopani wood from ZooMed. Soaked them for a couple weeks and boiled off some water 3 or 4 times before they went in to the tank. However...even doing all that there was a lot of flotsam from the wood after being placed in my tank. I have been vacuuming it up during my twice weekly water changes and everything looked good. Ph 7.4...ammonia 0...nitrite 0...nitrate 10.
So I brought home a betta and acclimated him to that tank. 48 hours later he was dead. What happened? Did the wood leach something?
For reference...I work in a pet store and he was a happy bubble blowing boy before entering what I am now referring to my death tank.
Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance.

 

[fishorama]

I don't think it was the wood...unless it was specifically for reptiles, I've "heard" those are sometimes treated for parasites. That paranoid thought aside, I've used zoo med mopani several times without issues (but not w/bettas). All your pretreatment should have been enough to take care of any "issues".

I'm sorry your betta died. Could you have forgotten dechlor or something else? Is there a big difference in your water parameters from your store's? Slow acclimating is the right thing...I'm assuming you cycled the tank first, right? It looks like it from your parameters. 1 betta & even a few plants should be good to go...I wish I could help.

 

[ImBettaNow]

Thanks. Im seriously stumped. And I have zero way of finding out. At this point I'm just going to start over with this tank. I'm tearing it all down scrubbing it out and treating it with isopropyl alcohol before I put anything back in. The wood is the only difference between that tank and another that I started the same day. That one is thriving with 2 bettas living their best life.
Like most bettas my new one lived in a cup in the store. That water was changed every day with stress coat added. I'm one of the managers and its a hard and fast rule that water changes happen every morning. As a result my bettas are much healthier than at other certain stores. If I do get a case of fin rot or clamped fins they come home with me to rehab. Which most of the time means I have a new betta.
Today was rough tho. Lost Golf due to a toxic tank and had to put my my dragonscale crowntail Books down due to dropsy.

 

[fishorama]

Well, crap! I don't have any ideas...I wish I could offer a suggestion on what happened. Dropsy is more a sign than an actual disease...kidney failure? Old age (often similar)? Not easily or successfully treated...sorry to not help but you have my sympathy...for what it's worth...E-hugs, I don't have anything better to offer...

 

[ImBettaNow]

Lol...thanks. It helps. They're not just fish to me...They're my boys. Have a great night and thank you for taking the time to respond.

 

[fishorama]

I do understand, some of my fish are pets that I love...& some are just...fish in my tanks...There is a difference...I get that & I'm still sorry for your betta's demise. I truly wish I could offer...something that might help...but I don't know what to say in a helpful way...Better luck next time?

That's all I've got for now...chin up, things will be different & hopefully better soon...

 

[the loach]

Like most bettas my new one lived in a cup in the store. That water was changed every day with stress coat added.

You know this is a terrible practice that is very hard on the fish right? It's not the wood...