Bettas in Port Elizabeth

I'm somewhat new to fish keeping, only been going for two years. I have a very heavily planted 250L tank. It has about 60 different plants in it so it's quite densely planted. I bought fish from a shop here and every single one died. All other fish in the tank are okay but the ones from this shop specifically died no matter how many different types of medicine I tried. Now I was wondering, where should I buy small betta females from around here? I want to see their colors develop so I don't know what I'm getting when I buy them but I don't wanna spend that much money again just for them to die.

 

How did you acclimate them?

 

floated the bag in the water and added a little bit of the water every 4 minutes until I reached the 20 minute mark then scooped them out with a net and put them into the tank.

 

Did you test the water beforehand (ph in particular)? Perhaps 20 minutes is not long enough and they need the drip method. But now you're forewarned. Take a test kit along and test the LFS's water so you can have an idea. Or maybe you just got unlucky and were sold sick fish. Did they just go bellyup or where there other symptoms?

 

I bought them with full bellies thinking they had just eaten but their bellies got bigger and they started pineconing, their fins started clamping, white spots developed within hours and after dosing them for three weeks with different medicines, nothing helped, they died one by one. I test my water every time I do a water change and my tests come up clear except nitrates, which are at 10-20ppm. None of the fish got sick besides the bettas I brought in. I've bought from this place before with the same problem but I thought it was me being inexperienced. I don't have this issue with any other fish shops around here. PH is at 8.2

 

Hi Malice,

Do yourself a favour and join the ECAAC. We meet at the Italian club on first Saturday of the month at 14:00. We kind of do our own thing and have lots of experienced members which can help with issues. Unfortunately I dont do Bettas so I am unable to assist with what was wrong but at the club someone will be able to assist you.

 

The symptoms described relates to dropsy. You used the word pineconing which is very descriptive of dropsy. Its usually caused by a bacterial infection and is unfortunately common with bettas.

Though your pH is high for a planted freshwater tank, i doubt thats what caused their death in relation to the acclimation process used which is fine for such fish.

PM me if you want to be introduced to a betta breeder in Kzn that could ship to you.

For the benefit of other members, if fish suffer from pH shock on acclimation you will see them dashing around the tank frantically and darting up at the surface. They die soon after.