BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish Here's Something Strange...

Today at work, my friend's 2 female bettas were swimming happily (in separate containers). She fed them, and it wasn't 5 minutes later, she asked me to look at one of her fish. It was dead! Lying on the bottom of the tank. It didn't show any of the normal signs of distress (no clamped fins, no loss of color - she looked quite happy and healthy minutes before). What could have happened? When I took her out of the tank, her back seemed to be flexed in a weird way. Not hunched, but as if her head was pulled back toward her tail. Anyone have any idea why this happened?

Can fish choke ?? <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

That's what I wondered... has anyone ever seen or heard of this?

I haven't heard of fish choking. Some of the photos I've seen of fishes eating "prey" the same size as themselves seems to indicate that they do not, but I have seen and read about "FSDS" (Fishes' Sudden Death Syndrome.") It is quite common in fish in the genus _Corydoras_, where the fish swims quickly to the top, sucks up a gillfull of air, and immediately dies. It looks for all the world like the fish had a heart attack. Bettas do not seem to have a predeliction for this, but never say never, especially when dealing with fish. Then again, maybe it was just her time. BTW, that white betta in JMS' post is gorgeous. There aren't many pure white fish, are there? That one is just lovely.
Best fishes,
Mary Ellen Sweeney

He sure is Mary...love that Iceman !