after reading the other post i tend to think you will be amazed at how much gunk you syphon out from under the plants and the wood piece, it will most likely disgust you... when i had my cichlid setup i had to completely move all rocks to one side vacuum and then repeat with the other side as the caves act as little reservoirs for debris and everything else, the current will push it in and it will settle cause the current doesn't go all the way through it chooses to go around, remember path of least resistance.
ph is a little off i would tend to think, fish generally live in a ph range of 6.8-7.4 right around the neutral range, your tank seems to be a bit alkaline, if anything try to get the ph down to around 7.2 in over the enxt few days, this could also be the issue for the betta, as their natural habitat is rice patties in china, it's rain water filled with all sorts of stuff and the rice seems to even it out and drop it down, a betta can actually survive for months on end in an area no bigger than a puddle of water. but if the ph gets to alkaline it will kill em. at least this is what i have read.
The pH here is naturally high and I've had Betta fish for up to 3 years with this water. You may not have been in the discussion about my relentlessly high pH. We've tried everything, except peat moss, to get it down but it won't go down. It's this high in my community tank and other 2 small tanks as well. I would *love* to see it as low as you suggest, but those numbers are elusive.
try the peat moss it works wonders i have a nylon with about 3.5 cups of it in my canister and it's doing wonders for the tank our ph here is 7.8 coming out of the tap and letting it sit for a day with a bubble wand in the bucket, straight from the tap it reads in the 8.3 range which is why i am using an r/o tap mixture for my tank to keep the ph stable when doing water changes. my mixture consists of 5 gal r/o per 5 gal tap and i leave it out and test it after 24 hours and it's stable at 6.5 ph, this may be something you want to think about doing when doing water changes. although a ten gal bucket is back breaking to lift and slowly dump into my tank
I will definitely try the peat moss. I've been using spring water and that brought the pH down a notch or two, and that was straight spring water. My tank is small at 28 gallons so it isn't that many gallons for me to lug around. It's doable, and my guppies play in the waterfall. Yes, I have guppies. I'm really hoping to see a pH under 8.0...that would make me one happy fishkeeper.
Well the Betta died today. I really hoped he would make it, some fish are pets. I checked on him this morning before leaving for the day and I knew he was dying but I had already done everything I could. When I came home he was dead. This might sound silly to some of you, but if I knew how, I would have euthanized him this morning. Is there a way to humanely put down a fish?
so sorry for your loss, i really do know what you mean when you talk about losing a pet, they truly are pets and not just a fish.
on a bit of a darker note, if i see that a fish is not going to make it i usually put it in a bag with water in it and put it in the freezer as the temp cools the fish gets groggy and then goes to sleep, and once it's frozen you can then take it from the freezer and bury it in your yard somewhere, i have a rose in front of my moms house that i use for the special fish that i have, they go under the rose bush.
thoughts are with ya.
Brandon
Wow, my apologies to all, I underestimated your sensitivity. I'm buying Finquel tonight, the stuff you put in water, the fish swims around, goes to sleep, then it's heart stops. Sounds like cat/dog euthanasia and I've witnessed hundreds of those (long story). I wouldn't provide any less to a fish, if I have the ability, which I wish I had had for Finley this morning.
I really had no idea there were any serious, documented methods for fish euthanasia. The artiicle was very helpful, never would have found that. I feel better knowing the answer and having the knowledge/ability to handle this next time. Off to buy Finquel...
(I've buried a few fish too...sshhhh) I seem to get more attached to Bettas, so far. Anyone partial to a species like that?
Yep, he was my avatar and his picture reached #2 out of #3500 freshwater fish pictures. He's famous!
I read about the freezer technique. I don't think I can do that, it's too far removed from any familiar environment for the fish, IMO. It also isn't approved by the AVMA, not that that always means something. I went with the Finquel because the fish is naturally swimming in water, and he goes to sleep. While he's asleep his heart stops. Very similar to how cats and dogs are euthanized. They are actually put to literal sleep first, then their heart is stopped. Very calm and peaceful, no signs of stress.
Maybe I'm just comfortable with the general method. It seems like the very best I can do, and that lets me sleep at night. Not to be too touchy feely. :)
may the memory of Finley live forever in the minds of fish lovers evrywhere Zam..... your right, he is famous............my daughter wants a Betta tank.....and ot one of those "wal-mart" fish either ....lol because of the pics I showed her of your tanks a while back.................so feel good that you have encouraged people to take care of Bettas and not just put em in a cup for a month and watch them slowly perish ......................
Same thing happened to me two weeks ago except my Betta (R.I.P.) had only one big spot. All other fish seem to be ok. But he died. I thought he is the toughest and I will have him for years but he is gone. And the interesting thing is I bought an another Betta same looking but my barbs nearly killed him. They never bothered the other one but this one they ripped his fins and tail to shreds in less than five hours.j
