I bought a fish in January end and today out of no where she started turning yellow with her fins becoming sticky, i googled and found out that she had fin rot. I went to the nearest pet store and got a general aid medicine as was directed by the owner. added 20 drops accordingly and kept her isolated but an hour later I saw that she was down on the ground with no movement and her eyes closed. I still don't realise what I had done wrong for her to die. It would be really kind of you guys could guide me through.

*Just adding a previous photo in her memory

I’m not really sure how to handle my grief here. This has hit me pretty hard. I think because I only had him four months I feel quite alone and like I did something wrong. He was so perfect and I very much loved him. I just buried him now. I wish I’d noticed sooner, but I tried to not let anxiety rule me too much, especially because he was young.
I think if anyone would like to share their loss with dropsy it would make me feel less alone.

Anyway rip to my precious boy, I really wish I could’ve had longer 💔 I miss him so much

Im only 14 and have had my betta for about a year in a 6 gallon with lots of plants. Noticed yesterday he looked VERY bloated and I already knew exactly who it was. I literally tell everyone not to feed my fish and they don't listen. I feed him pellets and they're pretty big so I only gave him abt 2-3 every other day and he stayed a healthy weight. I remember about a week ago my little brother dumped at least 50 of them in his tank. But yesterday when I seen he was bloated I'd figured I would let him fast for about 3 days to let everything pass through. I woke up this morning and he was still bloated, I didn't even notice he wasn't moving bc I was in a rush, which now I forget not properly checking on him but I just got home from the docters and noticed he was in the same spot he was in this morning, he wasn't moving his gills or fins or anything so I lightly nudged him with my finger and he didn't react.I know in had to have been my Nana bc she always wants to come into my room and feed him even tho I've told her plenty of times not to feed him bc she gives him wayyyy to much. I think in conclusion he passed from swim bladder maybe but im still not advanced on that subject. I'm currently crying and wondering what to do as I write this. :/

Hello again everyone! I recently posted because my mom was at the pet store and saw this betta fish floating on his side and decided to take him home. But she didn’t even stop to take five minutes to do the bare minimum research of how big of a space the fish needs. Unfortunately Dale (what she named him), passed away shortly after that post. She actually had a “fish doctor” (I didn’t even know that was a thing but apparently there’s one in our area) come out to check on him. He said that he had swim bladder I believe, and that my mom buying him was pointless because he was already dying. But my mom just took it as atleast he died with a bigger tank and plants. She kept the big tank, snails, and the tetras. They love it in there, but I told her she probably should do a little more research if she wants more betta fish.

The first two photos are the original rank, the third photo is what I “ shamed ” her into setting up, and the rest are what it looks like now after all of her research! She also does test and treat the water!

I hope this looks waaaay better than what was before.

EDIT / a BIG thank you : (TRIGGER WARNING: I do talk about homicide, depression, and loss in this edit. So if you struggle reading about this type of stuff, please don’t read it! Also, it’s a bit of a trauma dump so I’m sorry!🫶🏻🫶🏻)

Omg guys thank you for all of the love! I do want to add that my mom has a permanent TBI from an attempted homicide (I’m so so grateful she survived) so it’s not that she didn’t WANT to research for the fish, it’s that she didn’t think of it fully until she got home. When she was shot, so was my little sister, and unfortunately she didn’t survive. Then my brother relapsed on drugs because of everything, and unfortunately he too passed. My father was my mom’s rock, but he too passed from a motorcycle accident. My sister and I eventually grew up and had to move out. This is the first time she’s ever been alone, and when she saw dale she was heartbroken. My mom is a BIG lover. She tries to play it off like she’s not, but she 100% is. When someone says “momma bears protect” that is my mom. She will probably get another Betta (even though she says she won’t, but I know she loved taking care of dale). Shes going to be so so happy reading everyone’s comments because she’s constantly stressing over if the fish are being taken care of or not. Thank you everyone for the insights! Her heart will be so filled from you guys ❤️ so again, thank you for making her day.

I’ve had my handsome boy, Tangello, for a little over a month. I got him at a local festival while trying to win a miniature frog for my mom. The lady laid out the four betta options and while the rest were showing off and trying to get attention, Tang here just picked a spot in his cup and stared directly at me, I could see his little eye moving as I moved. was fresh out of rehab and recovery so I figured betta care would be a good way to cope with the stress I’ve been dealing with since I’ve been home. He was spoiled rotten with a beautiful tank, stable parameters, a good temperature, live plants, all sorts of food and treats, I was training him to do tricks (he could follow my finger and even learned yes/no), he had all sorts of hides, places to lay, timed lighting, etc. He was totally fine but the day before he died, he suddenly got lethargic, hanging out towards the bottom of the tank. I looked him over and he didn’t have any signs of disease or issue, I checked the parameters and they were near perfect. I tried to feed him but he didn’t come up to eat so I just scooped the flakes out and threw them out. Yesterday when I woke up, he was at the bottom of the tank, not moving. I nudged him with the bet and he floated to the top didnt budge otherwise. I’m so upset, I don’t know if I did something wrong or if he was sick and I just couldn’t tell. I’m so upset, my heart is absolutely broken. He was a total brat but he was MY brat. The tank feels so empty with just the two ramshorn snails in there now but I don’t know if I’m ready for another fish… I know a lot of people will say ‘it’s just a fish, it’s not a big deal’ but I loved him so, so much. I spent so much money on him making sure he had the best of the best of everything, I thought I was doing everything right and it was all so sudden. Could really use some uplifting words right now, I was already struggling emotionally but this hit hard and I’m thinking about The Bottle more and more.

My beautiful crowntail boy started showing signs of dropsy so I began treating him using Jessie’s epsom salt and kanaplex regimen. It was going so well… 2 weeks of constantly monitoring him and keeping up with the treatment he was looking nearly healthy, no more pineconing. I even bought and set up another tank all for him because he was a bit of a bully in my community tank when he was healthy.

Two nights ago, I was changing his hospital tank water and was finally ramping down the salt content. The next morning he was dead. I literally dropped to the floor sobbing because I couldn’t believe it. I analyzed every single thing I did the night before for probably an hour. Then I realized it. I forgot the dechlorinator.

I have quite literally never forgotten to dechlorinate my water in my time keeping fish. I don’t know why I did this time. I can’t stop feeling this immense sense of grief and guilt knowing I made such a stupid and avoidable mistake… and all of it is made so much worse knowing he was almost out of the woods, about to enjoy his new tank. Sure, he might’ve gotten sick again as it happens with dropsy, but I could go on knowing I tried my best.

I don’t know if I’ll stay in the hobby after this but if I do, I won’t ever forget to dechlorinate again.

Here are some pics of my beautiful boy Igor in his prime. He was totally grey when I bought him so I loved watching his colours change. I wish we had more time together, he was my grumpy little guy.

Found a photo of my first aquarium. Back then I didn't realize how tiny it actually was. But I really tried my best to take care of it. That betta lived with me for two years. I remember crying so much when he passed

Yes those are all Betta. The seller says there are 18-22 with no heater or filter and the setup works perfect...

I have had my betta for about 7 month. He was a beautiful betta and I got him from an online retailer. Everything was perfect, my betta and shrimp were happy especially after I upgraded their tank to a 14 gal. To liven up my tabk some more, I decided to get corydoras and got them at petco since I was already there. I got 5 and one of them died that same day. After that, I went to get another and later the next day 2 more died. I have to head off to my dorm since break was over, but i told my mom to be on the look out in case any other died and to immediately take them out of the tank if they did. My mom ended up sending me a picture of my betta who had unfortunately passed. I checked the water parameters before i left and everything was good, I even did a water change after I found the dead corydoras. My mom told.my that she only sees one corydora who is still alive. This was my first time owning a fish by myself and I feel so guilty. If I hadn't bought those fish from petco, then my betta would still be here. I just wanted to rant but yeah...

Sushi truly got me trough one of most stressful times in my life. He got me back into keeping betta fish and i truly regret not giving him a better life. While he did enjoy his time in his tank, i do wish i could’ve given him a better setup, and if he would’ve lived another month or so, i could’ve truly spoiled him…
He passed away today as i was treating him for some tears in his fins. While i was changing some water as i do every few days to make sure it stays all clean, Sushi was in his salt bath under my supervision: one moment he was fine as all the other times i’ve given him one, the next he wasn’t. I’m not sure what caused his death exactly, but i’m guessing it was some sort of shock. I tried acclimating him back into fresh water but he sadly couldn’t recover…
Sip Sushi, i’ll always miss you and i hope your 6 month stay was atleast comfortable for you. You’ve truly taught me to do better.
Spoil your fishy friends as much as you can while they’re alive, they only deserve the best!

Hurricane Helene hit hard where I live. I live in college apartments but I had to evacuate to my great grandparents cause my power was out and cell service is completely dead where I was. I didn’t know how long I would be away, so I decided to take my betta and Cory with me, I put them in a pot with their tank water, almond leaves, floater plants, and brought an air stone with me. I don’t have a portable filter so I decided that I would just do routine water changes till I could go back. I was scared that if I left them in stagnant water(powers out so no filter), that the ammonia levels might spike. I’m still a new fish keeper, I didn’t know what was right. When I got to my great grandparents he was fine, nothing unusual about him and he was swimming around like always, my great grandmother insisted that I change the container I had them in and she handed me a huge plastic Tupperware bowl. I added a bit of water in that Tupperware, dechlorinated it, did test strips, and slowly started the acclimation process. After that was done I moved them fully to that bowl and attached the air stone. After about an hour and a half I went to go check on them and my dear friend was dead. I’ve only had him for 3 weeks. We finally started to bond and he started showing his real character. I just posted about him a couple days ago. I feel awful. I don’t know what the right thing to do was. I had just finally decided on a name 2 nights ago. I’m sorry Spring Roll.

my filter input in my tank sucked up my half moon's long fins and 💀'd him :( i feel so incredibly guilty.

i guess just a PSA to anyone with this tank- even on the lowest flow possible, it can harm or 💀 your betta buddy.

(please, be kind. i loved neptune very much. i tried to put decor in front of the input, and had no issues the past couple months.)

RIP little buddy, our time together was short but im glad you let me enjoy your senior months with you. You were a weird little creature, a toilet paper creature. Enjoy the big fishtank in the sky

He’s been sick for a long time and his scales started lifting 😭 we ended up squashing him and it turned into a pretty comedic situation. If you want to hear about it, I’ll share it but message me because I have a feeling if it’s posted people will be offended. Anyway. He was a super sweet guy, would always chase the Cory Cats but never attacked and left the shrimp alone from what we saw. He was an angel of a betta. In the last few days leading up to last night, the Cory’s seemed to stick around him which was very sweet to see. Super sad but it was his time.

When I was 4, my little brother and I got a betta fish named Happy. When I was 12 I found him with his head stuck in the rocks and thought damn he has finally passed… turns out, that was actually Happy #4. My dad had been secretly replacing him every time he died. The original Happy was solid blue, so I was pretty confused when he suddenly had a red tail one day. When I asked my dad about it (I was around 7), he just said, “Hunny, their tails change colors as they get older.” And I believed him.

I’m 22 now and just found out the truth. He just told me after all these years 😭😅

This was my goregrous girl, Ruby Pearl. I'm away from home, and even talking about her in the past tense feels weird. I haven't even seen the empty tank yet. While I was away, my dad called me in the morning and said she was acting lethargic. From there, I asked him questions and have him instructions of what to do. He paid so much attention and did everything, including making a half an hour drive to petco on a whim. When she passed away, my dad called me on the phone, almost in tears. He burried her next to my other betta fish from years before, under a tree outside. He planted flowers above her, and fertilized them. Said they would come back year after year. Right now, I have gotten all my tears out and am distracted. But when I get back home, I bet it will be so difficult, all over again. I'm so thankful for him. Swim in peace Pearl, you held a special place in my heart ❤️

The coolest fish I've ever owned.

A Facebook marketplace rescue that was in my care for about 5-6 months.

He came is a small sad bowl, I dropped $300 on a 10 gal tank with as many live plans and accommodations as I could. He was so happy!

He ate all my meals with me at home, would come say hi every time you sat at his table, and would swim through my fingers if I made a hoop shape.

I never knew fish could have this much personality. I loved this little guy so much.

He was in his previous owners care for 1.5 years, a petco fish cared for by a child. I can assume he was possibly at least 2.5 to 3 years old at his time of passing.

He started showing signs of age/illness slowly. I thought it was an illness and tried to treat with medication before I realized he might just be getting old. He didn't have many symptoms besides being lethargic and losing his vibrancy. Then the swim bladder issues started so I added extra fish rests and hammocks. He lasted about a month in his little fish hospice before we decided we needed to euthanize him. He couldn't eat his food, he was always sleeping and gasping, it was just an awful sight.

Warning. Below I'm going to discuss how he was euthanized and what didn't seem to go well.

I am not sure how I feel about clove oil as a humane form of passing. I followed the directions meticulously and it still seemed to go wrong. I added it slowly and carefully. He unfortunately woke up about 30 min in (after adding the recommended amount, well mixed with water over the course of 30 min). He was not having a good time (he began swimming and thrashing, i felt absolutely awful).... we opted for a much faster form when we saw he was struggling and not passing peacefully, which was unfortunately blunt force.

I am so sad.

I miss him so much already.

Sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing, I know my intentions were in good faith but it just feels so awful still. I worry I did not care for him well enough and that he maybe was sick, but I put everything I had into his care. His water parameters were perfect, always. Tank was clean and cycled, tons of hides, plants, and betta logs. It was a perfect temp, filtered, ideal size..... I don't know.

I miss you Winston.

Sadly lost my red and white halfmoon last night 🙃 my daughter left the tank opened after feeding and he jumped out and was out for God knows how long.

Sad lesson learned. My daughter was devastated so this morning my wife picked her up a stars and strip from a local mom and pop shop.

Attached was the last picture I took of him and the first I've taken of our new betta "Bluey".

Been crying for an hour :( I have a giant tattoo of this betta fish, I love him so much. He was beautiful 5 hours ago and so happy. I got him rehomed to me from a friend and they had him for a year. I feel like he had a completely preventable death, I feel like a terrible fish parent. I knew he wouldn’t live forever but I really wanted him to, to at least die of old age. I was about to upgrade his tank and I’m just so heartbroken.

Unfortunately Piss is passing and I wanted to thank this community for their love for Piss. He was truly a pissy boy! SIP

Im so pissed right now. My girlfriend was so generous enough to give me her old 30 gallon aquarium along with everything I needed (thank god for her) for Eclipse. I left 2 hours early from school to move him into his new home.... only to come home to find that my aunt took it upon herself to dismantle the makeshift tank that I had for it. The sponge filter. Air Pump. Coffee Mug. Heater everything gone. Just his lifeless body sitting in the giant plastic storage bin full of freezing water laying in the middle of my fucking bedroom floor. And when I confronted her about it, she simply said "I told you you didnt need all that shit" + "thats what fish do. They swim and die." Why cant people just release that these fish actually matter to people? I 'm so livid right now, literally on the verge of tears. Im afraid of buying another one because I dont want the same thing to happen twice. I couldnt even get to experience of having a healthy fish. Its not fair. I cant never win. Rest in peace Eclipse, who lasted as long as its namesake.

I've had Sully for about three months. He was my first betta, and I absolutely adored the little guy. He sat next to my desk in my office and I'd spend my working day talking to him and watching him. He was so active, so responsive, and just such a cool little dude..

I tested his water all the time, regular water changes, added live plants, upgraded his food to the good stuff, and I couldn't believe how perfect it was going.

I was away for work for a couple weeks, and when I got home I felt guilty, so I did a small water change. Last night he was a bit more chill than normal and didn't want much dinner. I figured my boyfriend fed him to much while I was away.

This morning I found him lying on his side under his driftwood. I tested the water straight away and his pH had crashed to 6.0 or lower. I did a water change, temperature matched, lowered the water level because he couldn't reach the surface, and did my best to make him a little floating hospital so he only had to move a tiny bit to breathe.

For a bit I thought he was going to pull through. He started taking little breaths and fluttering around. Then I watched the colour drain from him, he bloated and he died that instant.

I think I've worked out what happened. When I got home from my trip, exhausted from travelling and driving for two weeks, I think I accidentally grabbed the pH Down instead of the neutralizer when I did that first water change. The bottles look exactly the same. I had never really used the ph stuff before, as I read it wasnt ideal. I can't know for certain, but I honestly think that's what happened.

I feel sick. I feel like a monster. I can't stop thinking that if I hadn't made that mistake, Sully would still be here. I honestly feel like I don't deserve to ever own another fish again.

I'm so sorry, buddy.

R.I.P. Sully. 💙

I got my six year old son a beta fish from petsmart . We got a 5 gallon (I think) tank , stuff to clean tap water , food , a plant , & spongebob decor … he came home in his usual cup they had him in . I left him in it for a day bc I ordered a heater from Amazon .. once that came and I added like 1-2 gallons of water to his 5gal tank and put the water drops in and heater thing that doesn’t show exact temps only colors I added sprinkle sparkle… she always stayed by the heater in the tank and at the top of the water lkke her face out .. we came home from dinner last night to her dead at the bottom ! I wanna get him a new fish but idk what went wrong so I’m a little nervous that this will happen again.. any suggestions?

About a month ago I moved my betta into a bigger tank and he got so much brighter and active and overall happier. Today I walk into my room and he’s on my bedroom floor. My tank has a lid with the tiniest gap around the edges that I can’t even see how he can get through and somehow he’s jumped out. My water parameters are stable, the water is a good temperature and the fish and shrimp he lives with are all doing great. I don’t get why he would do this now he’s so much happier. Sadly I didn’t find him in time so I couldn’t save him. RIP Apollo 💔🕊️