# HELP! Betta seizures?!



## KingTriton

I went to my bedroom to go to sleep not too long ago. I turned the light on and said hello to my betta and he came right up to the glass like usual. I turned for a moment and the next thing I know he was lying with his mouth on the bottom and his body standing straight upwards. I went closer and he started darting all about sideways and such. He'd stop and dive down face first again and sit there. He continued doing this several times. The last time he darted sideways into the plant and just laid there, as if he were dead. I couldn't watch anymore, but I couldn't climb into bed and go to sleep knowing this was happening. I searched and found that is might be common for bettas to have seizures. What does this mean? Is he dying? Is there anything I can do? Please help!


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## KingTriton

He passed away. I just checked on him. 

Can someone please tell me if these seizures are common? Is there a specific illness that causes them?


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## King of Candlesticks

I'm Sorry for your loss... It's sad losing fish.

Both my Dalmation Molly and my Red Wag Platy did this before they died. So did my African Dwarf Frog. I think it's just something that happens to fish before they die. It's hard to watch and slightly disturbing.

Once again, I'm sorry.


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## KingTriton

Thank you. I've only had him for a week, so I feel like it must have been something I did. 

I've never seen a fish do this before, thankfully. Besides not eating (which I wasn't sure of, exactly) he seemed prefectly fine. He was far more active than my previous betta.


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## key_555

i am so sorry for your loss


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## herefishy

I have heard that sometimes just turning the light on in an unlit room, scares the holy bejesus out of some fish, bettas included. I had a 26" clown knife jump out of the tank one time doing that. He scared me as much as the light scared him.


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## Meatpuppet

I agree to the light 
i did this to a betta once. as soon as i tuned on the light i looked at the tank and he looked fozen- just in one spot. then suddenly he burt into superspeed and started swimming around the top of the tank faster than a speeding bullet. it was like watching a blender! this went on for like 4 seconds, making a big mess of slashes and whatnot...(poor thing) 

well he did live after that  and ill be more carefull


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## stephenmontero

i'm so sorry for you and your betta


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## bf2king

sry for ur lose and i have silver dollars who sometimes run into driftwood and the tank side when i just walk into the room.


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## KingTriton

I returned him to the store today and they didn't have any clue what it could have been. They said he must have been ill with something before I took him home.


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## Falina

The light could have really shocked him. It's always best to turn room lights on for a bit before turning the tank light on to allow him to adjust to the light for a bit. When turning lights off again turning the tank light off a few minutes before turning the room light off does the same thing in reverse.

And i'm really sorry to hear that about your betta.


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## studioskim3

wow... this is the first time I heard of light seizures, although I figure the light might freak them out once in a while... but now, at least i know about this....

I'm sorry for your loss... I COMPLETELY know where ur coming from, KingTriton (cute sn) .. I had 6 bettas before my current 3... and each of them lasted maybe 2 weeks at least and one month the most. This was before I heard about heaters and bigger tanks. 

The 6 fishes that died when I was clueless, 3/4 of them had the EXACT same symptoms/ behavior before they died... I FREAKED out and started researching this but I THINK what happened, from my research, is that maybe they died from ( I forgot what its called...) something something poison.... ammonia? The water was cold and although I changed the water every few days, I think every time I changed the water the temp/ new water shocked my bettas.... Some of them started to form pale horizontal lines across their body, or would only get up for air, but lied flat on the floor, lethargic and tired. 

Its funny, my baby betta (about 3 or 4 months old... I had him for 3 months now) he LOVES the light... whenever I turn his light off... his face turns pale and doesn't really move. But when I do turn on his light... he is so happy and excited and moves around alot.

Hope this kind of helped you... I remember when my fishes died... I felt TERRIBLE and sad. But having a heater and a larger tank really does make a difference. Each of my 3 bettas each have at least a 2 gallon tank w/ heater and they have brilliant finnage and energetic, loves food, and loves me


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## KingTriton

I got a new betta two days ago. She seems happy in her new tank and very energetic. Sometimes she seems too energetic and I have to check to make sure she's not have a seizure as well! My fish that died didn't eat the entire time he was with me (about 6 days). I also noticed some stringy white-ish poop hanging from him the day before he died, which isn't healthy. He was probably already sick. The funny thing is that he looked healthy and he seemed so much more lively than the betta I had a year ago that lived for quite a while. 

My new betta is a blueish aquamarine color with some faint pale horizontal lines on her sides. Only about 2 on each side that go down her body. Does this mean there is something wrong with her? It looks just like it's her coloring. She seems to be acting normal and is eating just fine.


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## Meatpuppet

sounds like a very pretty fish

as for the white lines, i think its normal if she is acting fine, being well.
i wish you luck with him!


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## studioskim3

I have a baby fish, i think he is about 5 months old... I think I got him when he was about 2/3 months... and I had him for about 3 months now... he has two pale horizontal lines across his eyes on both side, its been ever since I got him... I think he is cross bred w/ a crowntail (or he has fin rot... which is funny cuz he doesn't seem to lose finnage, just the edges) and cross bred with either a veiltail betta or a plankat... I dunno... but I seem those horizontal lines across some betta's eyes, but it usually ran the entire body, which his didn't... my betta seems fine. He looks perfectly healthy (except his tail and front fins and his back fin which are jaggedy... the petco guy that I talked to about him said he was probably bred with a crowntail... hmmm... but anyways, he chases my finger around and eats like a horse. good luck!


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## lizatoast

*Us too!!!*

Our fish does that too! But has been for months.. Ours does not stand up though, she still alive and we are watching her do this now. What is this???


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## kelly528

KingTriton said:


> He passed away. I just checked on him.
> 
> Can someone please tell me if these seizures are common? Is there a specific illness that causes them?


 
How long have you had him, how big was his tank and how often did you change the water?

I am skeptical that a fish prone to seizures would survive past fryhood, but ammonia kills fish by causing nerve damage, which manifests as -you got it- twitching and seizing.


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