Betta Fish disease

Question

Max   QUESTION: Hi Ron, I have been researching for 3 hours and can't find an answer. Breif history - 20 gal long fish tank, 3 partitions, 4 bettas, was feeding live blood worms only as they would not eat pellets or flakes. Lost one fish about 1 1/2 months ago to dropsy. Learned live blood worms could cause. researched and found frozen shrimp and beef hearts. They love the beef hearts. Purchased another Betta which seemed fine in the store. Got him home water adjusted him to tank. He never ate and died about 2 weeks later with signs of Dropsy. Another one of my origial 4 died today of Dropsy. On top of all that I have 2 left. Max a big dark blue boy and Flame a Red scissor tail. I intoduced 2 Yellow snails about 2 months ago which are now dead from the copper product I was treating with and I introduced a bottom feeder cat fish about 1 month ago. He is in Max's partition. Max has developed since the Cat fish came Black mold like patched all over his body and Fins. His fins are also looking all torn up. He is very active, always hungry. He and Flame do sit at the bottom of the tank a lot. I have opaque white partitions. They can somewhat see each other and flare up at each other when feeding and active but for the most part they both lie on the bottom. I have treated with kosher salt from fish store and increased temp to 80 degrees. I also tried the copper product that only killed the snails. I am now on my 3rd day of maracyn 2. I attached a picture of Max. I hope it helps. I have a Rena filter and carbon, I have live plants and a heater and air bubbles. PH is fine 7.5, no ammonia or nitrates/nitrites. I want to have healthy Bettas what should I do next.  Thank you so much........Francine

ANSWER: Hi Francine,
  It is possible that the catfish is attacking Max, likely at night.  What are you feeding the catfish?

 P.S. "Dropsy" isn't an actual disease, rather is a set of symptoms that could be caused by many different things.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Ron and thanks. Many new developments. To answer your question I was not feeding Cat fish anything specific. I thought it would eat stuff that fell to bottom from the beaf hearts. I am very clean and hand feed each fish with tweezer. only a little goes to the bottom fish usually find and eat. Cat fish is now in his own partition. Max is now in his own 2 1/2 gal tank and Flame has a bloated abdomen (about 2 months) and has a swollen rt side of his face. His scales are NOT pineconed. Eating like a pig. Flame looks like he has a tumor under his rt gill and it is pushing out. I am sick over this whole thing and have no idea why I can't keep these fish healthy. I am trying so hard and spending hundred of dollars. I don't know what Flame has and I am afraid to put Max in with him.I don't know what to do anymore.I am treating max w/ melafix to help his fins.

Answer
Hi Francine,
  It is a common mistake to think of catfishes as scavengers.  Certainly they will scavenge but if you want them to be happy and healthy, try feeding the catfish with sinking algae wafers.   

 Your betta problems are a bit puzzling; however, from the number of questions that I receive about bettas it is pretty clear to me that bettas are not terribly robust animals.  They don't live very long (often a year is a good life) and they seem to get tumors and other weird problems more often than many other fish.  This may have something to do with how they are produced en masse in Southeast Asia.
Bottom line: it is possible that you are not doing anything wrong.  I realize that isn't much comfort given Max and Flame's condition.  

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>