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HELP: Was it my tank or the fish?
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Hi everyone, I could really use some help figuring out what went wrong here. I’m new to the betta community and have been researching for months to make sure I do things right. I recently set up a 5-gallon Top Fin® Essentials Aquarium Starter Kit from PetSmart, making a few adjustments to create a safe environment for a betta. I added a small sponge to the filter output to reduce water current since I know bettas are poor swimmers, and I installed a heater to keep the water steady at around 82°F.

For the substrate, I used Aqua Natural Bio-substrate with live nitrifying bacteria and treated tap water with Tetra Aqua Safe for bettas (see photo). I also added a live rosette sword and anubias purchased from Petsmart. I made custom Jeopardy-themed decorations out of Super Sculpey oven-bake clay, painted with acrylics, and sealed with Alumlite clear cast resin (FDA compliant with 21 CFR 175.300). I let the resin cure for two full weeks before putting it in the tank.

I cycled the tank for about four weeks, adding a bit of food daily to support the cycling process (I made sure there was no excess food in the tank when the fish was added). Using the Aquarium Water-8 Test Kit (see photo), I monitored the water every day and waited until nitrite and nitrate levels spiked and then stabilized. When my test results looked good, I confirmed with a water sample at PetSmart, and they said everything was great (see report photo).

I then introduced a beautiful samurai betta to the tank. I acclimated him for 30 minutes, and he seemed happy and active, even coming up to the front whenever I entered the room. He was glass surfing quite a bit and occasionally resting in different corners, which I thought might just be him adjusting. I monitored the water quality closely and did not see any nitrite spike. I held off on feeding him, as I’d read it’s best to wait 24 hours with new fish.

About 8–10 hours after adding him, I went to check on him around midnight and found him positioned straight up, breathing but unable to swim normally. I tested the water again, and everything was within normal ranges. I transferred him back to his original cup with fresh, dechlorinated water at the same temperature, floating it in the tank. Sadly, he didn’t make it through the night.

I’m heartbroken and trying to understand if something might have been wrong with the tank setup, or if he may have had swim bladder disease or an injury. Any insights, ideas, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated—I want to make sure this doesn’t happen again with another fish. Thank you in advance!

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Expoxy will kill fish lmao

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2 months ago