Crowntail Betta

Question
Hi,
I've had regular Betta fish for several years without problems. They seem to last about 3-4years. I keep them in a 2.5 gallon tank with treated water conditioners, silk plants, a small cave, rocks, no filter but a small heater that keeps tank at a constant 78-80 degrees. I usually feed them 2 pellets in the morning, 2 at night. Eight days ago, I bought a new Crowntail Betta from Petsmart.  He was on the small side so I only fed him one pellet in the morning and one at night. After initially being fine and appearing healthy, 2 days ago he stopped eating.  The only thing I noticed was that he started swimming strangely like he was confused or not going anywhere in particular. Today he is now dead. Nothing else was noticable. No swollen belly, no weird markings, nothing.  It's a mystery to me so all I can think is he had some kind of genetic abnormality. Can you think of something I could have done to prevent this? Did I do something wrong? Are Crowntails more delicate than regular Bettas or more prone to genetic problems? I'm really upset about this and am thinking I will probably not be getting a Crowntail Betta again. Thank you for your help.  

Answer
Hi Lisa,
 That is really hard to say.  It is very possible that he had some disease before you got him. Personally, I would rather buy a fish from a proper fish store than buy one from Petsmart.  

-- Ron C.
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
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