why did my beta fish die?

Question

okay so i was given a beta fish from my friend and like one month after i got it it died..i took out the pump b/c it made this annoying blooblop sound every 5 seconds....but i thought beta fish were supposed to live with or without a pump.....i fed the fish every day and he kept on eating less and less and didnt swim much...then i just found him dead..
so y did he die?

Answer 1

Could be a number of things.Experience helps but Research helps alot if youre a beginner.Alot of Research!!!!!!

The main cause of death and disease for a betta is INFREQUENT WATER CHANGES!
You need to change the water frequently at least once every 2 days if you do not have a filter!!
And you cannot use tap water unless you have a water conditioner like 'Start Right' [available in Walmart for a dollar something,real cheap.]I always use Spring water and I STILL use a couple drops of water conditioner because it helps with stress.
And a heater is very important if you live in a house where the temperature is usually less than 76 degrees!A betta tank's perfect stable temp is about 80!!!
So yeah filters and heaters can help a whole lot in a betta tank,not to mention that you are able to add aquarium salt to the tank if you have a filter and aquarium salt is a great old disease preventative for a betta!

Filtered tanks only need a water change every 2 weeks!! I know some filters can make a real annoying sound,but filters save you the trouble of constant water changing!
And too much food can contaminate a betta tank only feed Mr.Betta 2-3 pellets,flakes,or dried bloodworms 2x a day.Bettas LOVE bloodworms!!!!!

Answer 2

Betas come from very stagnant waters so they do not need alot of water circulation. Water circulation is what helps provide the oxygen into the water. How often did you change the water in your tank? Just like any pet, fish still need to have their tanks changed and the smaller the tank the more they need it changed. If you had the Beta in one of those small fish bowls that you get from the carnival you should have been changing 50% of the water once a week. When you do change the water don't use water directly out of the tap because it contains chemicals that are harmful to the fish. Get a bottle of spring water and use this.
Also did you have the fish near a window or a vent where the temperature in the tank could fluctuate quickly. A small tank will fluctuate alot quicker than a big one. Large fluctuations in temperatures are aso harmful to the well being of your fish.
You should have been fine removing the pump so the problem should have been with the other things I mentioned.

Answer 3

Betta fish are the only fish I know of that can live in a gallon of water. However, they should not be given any less than that. Just because they CAN survive in such a small amount of water doesn't mean they wouldn't be much happier and healthier in a 2 gallon tank with a filter and heater. Please consider that set-up for your betta instead. However, if you're not willing to provide these basic amenities for your pet, then a betta is probably your best bet. They're very tolerant of their owners and are very easy to take care of. PS. Goldfish should never be kept in bowls. They need much more water than people realise. Many say that "they only grow to the size of their container" but what really happens is that the goldfish stop growing because they have no more room to grow and their internal organs get stunted.

Answer 4

We've had a beta fish before and now we've had my daughter's "Jake" for a year and a half. We just keep him in a good size goldfish bowl. When we change his water we stick a couple of drops of Betta Bowl Essential (water conditioner) in a pitcher and let it sit out about a day to get room temp. And be careful to put him in after the water has settled into the bowl. When my daughter feeds him she gets about 3 or 4 betta food pebble thingys and crunches them with a spoon. He seems to like it better that way. You really dont need a lot of pumps or any of that stuff and maybe he died because the pebbles were too big. So Sorry.

Answer 5

So far MM has the best answer. Not regularly cleaning your Betta's bowl is a good way to cause it to die fast. High toxin levels from ammonia will cause the fish to lose it's appetite and become less active. If you keep a Betta in a small tank or bowl you need to clean the water regularly. Or you could just keep it in a larger tank like 5 gallons or greater and the Betta will be more happy, more active and show more vibrant colors.

Answer 6

Could have been alot of things such as

Amonnia Posioning
Bad water condtions
Over feeding and polution,
Not changing anywater or cleaning it out
Taking the pump out
When you say it didnt eat as much and swim as much it was proibly suffering of somthing,

Answer 7

How did it look like when you got it? If it was already beautiful and flourishing, then it may have been at the end of its life. Domestic betas only live up to a year or so. I don't think you cared for the beta poorly, it may have just been too old already.

Answer 8

You didn't mention cleaning the container at all. Without a filter or air stone you should replace 100% of the water in his bowl every 2-3 days. Without doing so he will eventually die of foul water conditions.

MM

Answer 9

Beta's last about 2 year on average, you don't need a pump for them but you have to change their water at least once a week, the ammonia from their urine would make them sick, overfeeding is another reason they die. Next time you get a pet check the internet on how to care for them if your friend doesn't know how.

Answer 10

beta fish are very unpredictable. I currently have one that i got over a year ago,But then i also had one that died the week i got it! It may have gotten ill,or it may have been really old when you got it,or even when your friend bought it! (Wal-mart especially sells old betas!). So i usually just try and look for really smalls ones with very vibrant colors!