betta s+ death

Question
i have had many bettas,28 at one time and death just keeps happening.i gave up for a while and have just started again.i had 2 in a 40 ltr tropical aquarium wtih a big separator.i want to know if when i did a water change (60%) would the faeces stirred up in the water be the cause of my fish getting sick?also they r in non tropical tanks now with just a bit of cajuput oil(bettafix) in there,complete water change, any other suggestions?ty

Answer
Dear Matthew,
It's hard to determine exactly what caused your bettas to perish. A large water change were the replacement water wasn't properly dechlorinated or equal in temperature to that of the bettas aquarium could have shocked them or made them ill. Poor water long term and a sudden large water change could have also shocked their systems. If large water changes are maintained frequently, this isn't a problem.  Do you have any idea what your ill bettas were afflicted with? Fungal and bacterial infections are the most common and the majority are the cause of poor water quality. Too cool of water temperature can have a bad health effect on bettas. They don't do well at room temperature and thrive best at least 80-82F.

Stirred up dirty water in general could release large amounts of harmful bacteria in the water. Frequent gravel vacummings are in order with every water change and your gravel should never be dirty enough to cause enough waste matter to cloud the water.

Here are the general basics for thriving bettas-
(Remember everybody has their own way of caring for bettas, but this is what I do--trust me--I have had many bettas)
1.) Stable water, the water may be dirty, the temperature may be too cool, and the pH may be off the wall but if the water is stable and not flucuating, the betta will live. Stable water is much healthier than a specific water in terms of chemistry. Far too many people worry about the pH of their water and constantly try to adjust it. This isn't necessary and actually does more harm than good.
2.) But no fish should be subject to unsuitable conditions as you know. A warm temperature is an important thing to remember with bettas. 80-82F tops at the best- (26-27C)
3.) Clean water! If the water quality is never allowed to detriorate. Bettas will always be healthy for the majority of their lives. Weekly/twice weekly water changes are important. I cannot give a once all recommendation as every aquarium is different and there is no such thing as  SET amount or set FREQUENCY of water changes. Your own           ituation is the best indicator. General guidelines can be followed, but they almost always need to be adjusted to deal with that certain aquarists tank conditions.
4.) Quiet or NO tankmates. Quiet tankmates must not be fin nippers. No tankmates are probably the most preferred by bettas--who often greatly dispise company. But many people keep their bettas with tankmates and this can work out just fine. It also depends on the personality of the individual betta. Some are very placid, and others are very aggressive to any living creatures in their domain. The beautiful, golden mystery snail is a safe tankmate. But these creatures put a big bioload on the aquarium and water changes are always in order in frequency and volume.

The important thing to remember is bettas don't generally live very long. The real fact is bettas in petstores are often already 1 year old or past. And because the usual lifespan of these majestic creatures is about 2 years. A year can go by very fast and before you know it, your little betta will be in his grave... :( Also the older the betta, the deeper the coloration and the more elaborate the finnage, unfortunately this is what most people pick out at the petstore. But lifespans are not limited to only 2 years. Bettas also commonly live 3-4 years if they are kept healthy longterm.

Bettas perishing only a couple of months after you get them might be something they had before in the petstore. You can run into bad batches of fish commonly at the petstore.

Having many bettas at one time can cause you to lose track of just how long each betta has lived.
Knowing of how they behaved before their unfortunate endings can further help me solve this mystery. Anything odd that you noticed can help.

I'm very sorry to hear about your trouble. I do hope this helps. Let me know if you have anymore questions or concerns.

Best wishes and I'm sorry to hear about your bettas....
Karen~
ps:For lots more reliable info (not my website) on bettakeeping- please visit-
"www.bettatalk.com"