Where am I going wrong with these fish?
I have a new 37-litre tank with filter, heater, chiller and temperature controller. The temperature is 26°C. I used the substrate and filter media from the last aquarium to jump-start the cycling process. All went well and my readings were perfect. I went to a pet store and purchased a young male
Betta, but he died the next day.
I waited a week, retested my aquarium, and everything was still perfect, so I decided to try another Betta from the same store, but he too died the following day. I then tried twice more—one came from a different pet shop, and he lasted a week, and I bought the last one from an aquatic shop and he died two days later.
What am I doing wrong? Is it me or the breeders? I’ve always had success raising male Betta in the past, and my last one lived for three years. But there are so many new breed names out there, such as mustard, combtail, crowntail, plakat, and so on, that I just don’t know where to start. I enjoy owning Betta because of their personalities, so what should I look for if I decide to try another one? I did notice that all the ones I purchased hung out up at the corners of the tank.
JEAN
NEALE REPLIES: Buying Betta can be a minefield because there are so many factors to consider. One that’s often overlooked is how old the Betta is when you buy it. In the wild, they’re lucky to live for a year or two, but in captivity they can live for 3-4 years and sometimes longer. However, by the time you see them on sale, with the long fins fully developed, they may already be something like a year old, so your new Betta might only last a year or two, even in the best conditions.
Some strains seem to be more robust than others, and purely based on answering ‘sick fish questions’ for some years now, they also seem to be more prone to tumours than most other sorts of tropical fish.
On top of that, the quality of Betta sold commercially varies enormously. There’s a healthy trade in top-quality specimens sold directly to collectors and breeders, but the ones that end up at the more retail end of the market are often produced to a price rather than a standard. Sometimes you can find lovely, healthy specimens on sale in your local pet shop. To some extent, they are one of those fish species where shopping around (and perhaps even online) makes sense.
I’m not saying you necessarily get what you pay for, but they are among those species, like guppies and ram cichlids, where the variation in quality is significant enough to make the difference between success and failure.
Generally, I’d avoid the more selected forms, such as those with the longest fins or most unusual colours. Instead, look for the more traditional sorts with medium-length fins in standard issue reds and blues.
Do also review the tank, however. Betta are very sensitive to cold air, so a covered aquarium is important, regardless of the water temperature. Cold, dry air damages their labyrinth organ, making them prone to disease. Filtration has to be gentle, preferably air-powered, and if the Betta has to swim against a strong current, it won’t do well.
Water quality is obviously important, with zero ammonia and nitrite essential. But do also aim to avoid water chemistry extremes. These fish naturally come from relatively soft water habitats, so very hard water is best avoided.