Betta Fish Joe

Question
Our beautiful betta fish passed away this morning. We only had him one week. After five days he was not as active as when we first brought him home. I asked another expert what to do and she said to put water conditioner in his fish bowl and to put a lamp over him to keep his water warm or a heating pad under the bowl. I changed the water, put a conditioner in it and used a desk lamp to warm his water. We have well water. Should I not have used the conditioner? I feel very sad and badly about this. The clerk at the store said she never used water conditioner and also has well water. My neighbor has bettas and they only eat 3 times a week and swim in cool water and are thriving. I fed mine 3 pellets in the am and 3 in the pm and he had water temp at 75 degrees.Why do you think this happened?  

Answer
Hi Floraisa;

Sometimes in spite of our best efforts we lose fish. It could have been something he already had wrong inside him we can't see. It just happens. It's heartbreaking, but you did everything I would have done; using water conditioner, warming with a lamp, feed about 6 pellets a day. I also have well water but I use conditioner anyway because it does other things besides remove chlorine. It helps with stress and binds up dissolved metals so they don't affect the fish so much.

A couple of possibilities are;

Perhaps the new water when you changed it was too cool or too warm? If the temperature of the new water was different from his old water it would have shocked him.

Were any sprays or chemicals used near his tank or were any soaps or cleaners ever used in his tank or on his tank equipment? Soaps, hairspray, and especially bug spray can make fish sick or die.

When you are ready to try again just do what you did before, remembering the other possibilities I listed above. Some bettas are exceptionally hardy and do okay in cooler water or with less food. If it works for their owners, fine. Just don't count on it. They may have lost many fish before they got one that would tolerate that environment. Or, the fish they bought was one of the 'strong survivors' at the fish store. All the weaker guys died before they got there. Who knows? There are exceptions to every rule. Just do your best, it's all you can do.

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins