sudden betta death

Question
QUESTION: i have a 30 gallon fresh water tank which i have tested the
water. it was well within parameters and the fish all
seemed fine(silver molly,opalate gouramis)black skirt
tetras,and the betta but today when i got home, the betta
was dead and looked like it had been that way for a long
time even though i saw him last night before bed. his
colour was gone and almost of the fins were missing. i
couldnt even recognize him, any ideas? thanks, pat


ANSWER: Hi Pat,

It seems that your Betta has been dead for more than 2 days, judging by your description. The other fish may have picked at his/her body after it died, hence the torn/missing fins. The Betta may have been sick, although you might have not realized it. That's why you should do a daily check of your fish every morning or evening, to make sure they are all healthy and thriving. After a fish has died, it's almost impossible to determine the cause unless there are specific signs and symptoms.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask me!

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

QUESTION: i was actually mistaken about the last time i saw him, it
was the morning of the day i found him dead, not the night
before which was why i was so concerned, he was a grayish
white with black markings. I check them twice a day when i
feed them and he looked fine.

Answer
Black marks are usually a sign of ammonia poisoning, but that does not seem to be the case with your fish, as all the others are alive as well.
If you did not notice any sickness or signs of stress on that morning, the cause may have been a rapid pH rise or drop. See how the other fish are doing, and see if they are showing signs of stress (clamped fins, lethargy, trouble swimming). Perform a 20% water change right now, to prevent any chance of illness.

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