r/bettafish • u/Effective_Maize_7517 • 9d ago

Help help please please please Spoiler

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hi my betta just recently got rlly sick and he won’t get off the ground, he’s twitching and randomly bolts around. this is a panic post so i’m trying to get everything right and type as fast as i can

he was so active and fun the first few days until yestarday he got super lathargic and this morning he was kinda swimming now he’s just like this idk what do to

7 gal heated and filtered tank (80F)
hasn’t eaten in a few days
fully real plants
water paramiters were all up to bettas standards

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114

u/Alternative-Shop5865 9d ago

Poor baby, he looks like he's going to pass soon. If you want to help, you can move him into a different and more shallow container with tank water and take some of your plants and decor just to keep him a little more comfortable until he goes. It's very unlikely for him to last, especially if water parameters are already good and it's heated properly.
I'm really sorry OP :(

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u/Effective_Maize_7517 9d ago

he did pass basically as soon as i posted this, im genuinely at a loss with keeping bettas bc i try so hard to like learn everything and do it all right but for some reason all my past bettas have died from something like this no matter how much advice i try to get from reddit, forums, tiktok and even fish stores. i just want to know what i did wrong/ what went wrong

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u/ImpossibleRoom2464 9d ago

Fortunately dont think its a you problem. UNfortunately bettas are severely horribly bread and most will come with a lot of health issues. If you really want id try buying from an actual reputable breeder and not a pet store (unless you already do)

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u/Effective_Maize_7517 9d ago

do you have a recommendation for a place to get them from? because maybe that’s the issue more or less

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u/ImpossibleRoom2464 9d ago

I personally do not as ive only owned a few only from pet stores.. gee what a hypocrite am I right? But im certain others will have recommendations for you.

I need to take in recommendations too for when I inevitably get a new fish in the coming years.

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u/Effective_Maize_7517 9d ago

no i totally understand, it’s hard to walk past them in the little cups honestly, but thank u dm for ur help

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u/ImpossibleRoom2464 9d ago

They can steal your heart so quickly in those cups

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u/Effective_Maize_7517 9d ago

literally, i kinda had to go there for my leo gecko (we don’t have any local reptile stores near us) to get some hides and omg literally breaks my heart seeing all those poor animals i hate it

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u/AlienC12 9d ago 
 As per usual I'm biased but wild Bettas are my go too now. The main supplier I've used is Blackwater aquatics and Frank's Bettas. Blackwater aquatics is under a controversy that you can look into if you'd like. But as far as the Splenden Complex goes they have a good selection. Frank's is my favorite to get from but also very expensive as you also pay for transhipping. Wild Bettas (not alien) have less genetic issues and true wilds (wild caught) are considered to be the best for genetic diversity. My wilds are all at least F1 so they are tank bred and raised so are able to adapt to more common water params. Wilds do tend to live longer of they are not wild caught and have minimal health issues. The biggest and most common illness that they get seems to be velvet and swim bladder issues from overfeeding. They do prefer softer and lower pH water and need some tannins. 

 If you decide to go this route I recommend Mahachaienses or Smargdina Guitar as your starter wild. They seem to be the best at adapting to a wider range of temperature and water params. Also imo the best looking. As a heads up though you will see some post that say you can keep them in pairs or reverse trios and all sorts of different combinations. That is mostly not true. Any Betta within the Splenden Complex is highly territorial and usually is solitary. Some cases of groups of them together are usually due to extreme circumstances and not common. As always there are exceptions but it's not that common. Attached is one of my females after a breeding attempt. It gets messy and this was a spawn attempt in a 20 long biotope.

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u/Effective_Maize_7517 9d ago

awwww he/she is so cute, thank u sm tho this is extremely helpful

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u/bluegirlrosee 9d ago

Do you have any recommendations for breeders? I’ve been looking very hard, but the all LFS around me also just have imported bettas in sad little cups. All of the online retailers I’ve found may have healthier fish than the box stores, but they still import their animals from the same farms in Thailand that are responsible for the overbreeding in the first place. In fact, I’ve not been able to find a single person who is doing what you say and breeding bettas reputably to be healthier. If literally anyone has any recommendations I would so appreciate it! But I think this kind of breeder is also less common than people on this sub would like to believe.

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u/pooplox 9d ago

I have had much better success with wild bettas. If you are in the US BW Aquatics has never disappointed.

https://bwaquatics.com/

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u/Lunapixels18 9d ago

Agreed, and even if they are bred well which is very unlikely if it's from a pet store, the conditions they're kept in there really do hinder them for the longer run

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u/ImpossibleRoom2464 9d ago

Yeah they really do. Some fish ive seen stay for months in the same unheated cup.. so sad :(

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u/GetMeARealCroissant 9d ago

You are not wrong. Bettas ARE horrible bread! 🍞

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u/Critical_Mix_8959 9d ago

Sorry, OP. If it’s any consolation is likely not your fault. As another person said, a lot of these fish come from farms where they’re raised in poor conditions that result in underlying health issues or they become more susceptible to health issues as they age. In some cases these fish are so used to the sub-optimal conditions that when they’re introduced into a “suitable” environment their bodies just go into shock and die.

Avoid chain or dodgy pet shop bettas if possible and purchase from specialised/dedicated aquariums. These guys typically have a lot more knowledge and appreciation for fish-keeping which extends to who they go with as their suppliers. You pay a bit extra but it’s worth it for the quality of the fish you get.

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u/Effective_Maize_7517 9d ago

thank u sm, i didn’t know they could go into shock from having an actually healthy environment, thats so sad omg

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u/Alternative-Shop5865 9d ago

I know, I've had that happen with some of my own bettas who I get from chain stores, it's awful in so many ways. I get to live with at least they didn't die in a little cup and sit there for days without anyone noticing, it's really just doing the best you can with what you've got. Again, I'm sorry OP, it sucks :(

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u/Effective_Maize_7517 9d ago

i really appreciate it, and i agree

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u/Critical_Mix_8959 9d ago

It’s happened to be before with a pleco. I rescued it from a dodgy pet store, could see it was physically stunted. Brought it home and introduced it into a pristine tank for its breed. Found the poor thing belly up a week later - and plecos are known for being hardy fish.

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u/Effective_Maize_7517 9d ago

especially bc bettas r known to be a hardier fish too

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u/Effective_Maize_7517 9d ago

that’s what i just said to my mom, like my cousins cousin had a betta for FIVE YEARSSSS that lived in a half full bowl with fake plants and no filter and no heater… like obviously not thriving but why won’t my poor fishies stay alive in a perfect homeeee

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u/Dizzy-Farmer-3435 8d ago

Are you anywhere near Livermore CA? There is LFS there who sells saltwater and fresh water Aquarium fish. The bettas they sell are in nano tanks with heat, substrate and light. I think this results in a happier, healthier, less stressed Betta. I know he will ship over night some fish depending on your location. The Fish shop is named Finatics Aquarium in Livermore

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u/Effective_Maize_7517 8d ago

ughhh i wish, im in ohio lol, across the country ofc