# Beta fish help



## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

Anyone who knows anything about betas please feel free to leave advice/suggestions. I have a beta who's probably 2 years. It's always a pig, eats everything I drop in the bowl. Now it's not eating and the head looks weird and flaky/scabby. Idk what's going on?


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## fishin4cars (Dec 26, 2013)

Sorry to have to post this but 2 years old is pretty old for a betta. Best thing you can do is make sure and keep the water changed and as clean as possible. Can you post a pic? Almost impossible to make a call exactly what is going on from a simple post. Possibly could add more to help if I can get a closer look at what it actually looks like. Can you, or have you had the water tested?


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I believe it is Ich disease, get the treatment at the fish store


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Agreed^^


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

I'll try to get a picture. I haven't tested the water, I'm not sure how to


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

I can't get great pics but I did my best


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## fishin4cars (Dec 26, 2013)

Doesn't look like Ich, but it doesn't look like what I was expecting to see either. Tank appears to be clean, so I'm kind of doubting water quality too. 
But water quality is always the first step in trying to find out what is possibly going on. Is there a Local pet store close by? If so you may want to take a 
sample of water to the pet store and see if they can test it for you. Don't let them tell you Everything is OK or good. Get them to give you the exact readings 
and then come back and post them. I can tell you far more with actual readings. What I would like to know as far as water tests, Ammonia, Nitrite, nitrate, PH, temp. 
If I were going to try and guess a treatment I would go with possibly Melafix by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals. Available at most pet stores and walmarts. Melafix is 
wide spectrum antibiotic and it contains Malachite green which would also treat most of the more common parasites like Ich. I'm thinking it's more
in the line of a bacteria infection not parasite from what I see. Make sure and keep him in a place that has the warmest most stable temp. available.
Not near a window or draft prone area as this can cause temp. fluctuations. In it's present state this could weaken him further.
Keep in mind that at 2 years old he is considered quite old, as with any animal once they get old immune systems start getting weaker, so don't do anything drastic
that may shock him. Also what are you trying to feed him? IF you can get a hold of some small live food, like live brine shrimp, daphnia, mosquito larvae, etc. This MIGHT 
trigger him to eat. Please feel free to contact me by PM if you would like. I do have over 40 years experience with fish keeping and owned my own store for over 4 years, 
I also presently own a small Koi farm and several fish aquariums. I may be new to goat keeping, but when it comes to fish keeping I feel like I can give you a good educated 
direction to take. Hope this helps, Larkin


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

Thank you very much. I changed the water to see if it would help and he died. He started swimming around all crazy and then just died. The room he was in is about 70 degrees. He has lived in this temp since I brought him home so I can't see why that would be a problem. I have another one in a different tank, should I treat him ?


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

You don't want to change the water all at once. You take some out and put new water in. Make sure the water in the bowl is the same temp as the water going in. Sorry your fish died. 

Fish really shouldn't be kept in bowls. Even betas should have a tank with a filter to stay healthy. About 30 percent of the water should be taken out and replaced once a week.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Here is an article I found on taking care of your beta ....but 2 years old is average life span, so don't blame yourself...http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/betta1/f/bettalife.htm


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## fishin4cars (Dec 26, 2013)

I like and agree with Kylee's post. Betta's are air breathers, that's why they are often kept in bowls, But even in a bowl water can deteriorate
rather quickly and unknowingly. Tanks with filtration is a far better way to keep them. I would not treat the other one. Unless you are seeing similar signs. 
Honestly if you kept him for two years and he was already about full size when you got him then that puts him at 2.5-3 years old. That's really a old betta. Looking at the bowl I think you were
doing everything as right as you could considering. Sorry for the passing, even our little finned friends are family and I am sure he will be missed.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I am so sorry the fish died.


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

He will be missed! I've never been without a beta. The other tank has a filtration thing. I was a bad fish mom and didn't get to cleaning the bowl for a couple weeks. Now I will know in the future. The beta I had before was given to me on valentines day in 2011 and died this past August. She lived a while too! thanks everyone


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## Emzi00 (May 3, 2013)

I'm so sorry! And you're not a bad fish mom. I am.  I have a beta about the same age yours was.... I haven't cleaned his tank in a couple months... he's swimming in a few inches..... it makes me feel so bad, because you took so much better care of him than I do mine, and you lost him. :hug:


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

fishin4cars said:


> Sorry to have to post this but 2 years old is pretty old for a betta. Best thing you can do is make sure and keep the water changed and as clean as possible. Can you post a pic? Almost impossible to make a call exactly what is going on from a simple post. Possibly could add more to help if I can get a closer look at what it actually looks like. Can you, or have you had the water tested?


2 years isn't old for a betta. With proper care they should live about 5 

EDIT-

Just now read your Betta died. So sorry  :hug: If you ever need fish advice or help, PM me. I am known as the fish nerd here :laugh:


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Emzi00 said:


> I'm so sorry! And you're not a bad fish mom. I am.  I have a beta about the same age yours was.... I haven't cleaned his tank in a couple months... he's swimming in a few inches..... it makes me feel so bad, because you took so much better care of him than I do mine, and you lost him. :hug:


 Better go add some water, girl!


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## Emzi00 (May 3, 2013)

NyGoatMom said:


> Better go add some water, girl!


After reading this, I sure will.


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

Emzi00 said:


> After reading this, I sure will.


:clap: I have four Bettas. Have any questions, just ask


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## Emzi00 (May 3, 2013)

Scottyhorse said:


> :clap: I have four Bettas. Have any questions, just ask


Question... Do you want mine...?  :lol:


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

Do betas really fight each other?


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

^ yes... My sister tried to breed some of hers.. It didn't go over so well.. We separated them before there were any deaths.. But they were fighting..


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

wildegoats0426 said:


> Do betas really fight each other?


Males will, yes. I have three community tanks with a betta in each, and a 5.5g with a betta only. The community tanks were planned around the betta. Only some fish are compatible.

If you have a larger tank, like a 20 gallon long, then you could keep a sorority of females. About 5 or 6. With lots of decor and hiding spots to break the lines of sight up.


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

J.O.Y. Farm said:


> ^ yes... My sister tried to breed some of hers.. It didn't go over so well.. We separated them before there were any deaths.. But they were fighting..


I'm kinda hijaking the thread, sorry. But you have to do special stuff to condition the male and female for breeding. But before that you need a LOT of space and time for the fry.


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

Okay I thought so. I had two males and just separated them


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

I bet the babies are adorable!


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

Scottyhorse said:


> I'm kinda hijaking the thread, sorry. But you have to do special stuff to condition the male and female for breeding. But before that you need a LOT of space and time for the fry.


Yah.. We found some stuff and did what it said/when it said.. It just didn't go over too well.. :shrug: I have no clue.. Not my fish.. It was mostly her that did it.. And we have no clue what we are doing  lol!


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

Emzi00 said:


> Question... Do you want mine...?  :lol:


LOL, if I had the space I would teach you how to ship bettas. Its not hard


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

J.O.Y. Farm said:


> Yah.. We found some stuff and did what it said/when it said.. It just didn't go over too well.. :shrug: I have no clue.. Not my fish.. It was mostly her that did it.. And we have no clue what we are doing  lol!


Been there. I had a female and male in seperate tanks but they could see each other. Somehow the female got into the males tank (thinking she jumped) and tore him up. He died a few days later.


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

^ oh wow! Not cool!


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## Scottyhorse (Feb 11, 2013)

Nope. Wasn't happy about it :lol:


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

I wouldn't imagine so!


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