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Oh my god, I can't believe what I just found. I came home tonight to my mom saying that she couldn't find one of my betta boys. I had cleaned the four tanks last night about this time and I swear they were all there. I was horrified to find Justice, my sweetest tempered male, on the floor behind the wrought iron shelving unit I have the boys on.

I don't know if he somehow jumped out of the tank while I added water (I clean the tanks in the kitchen, fill it up halfway, then bring them back to my room to add the rest of the water after placing them on the stand) or the only other thing I can think of is that he somehow managed to wedge himself out the small hole I cut in the lid to admit the heater plug. He's in a two gallon kritter keeper... the hole is just big enough to admit the plug end of the heater, otherwise it is securely covered. Either way, I'm going to assume he's been out of water for nearly a day.

I couldn't even stand to pick him up for a burial at sea, so asked my mom to do so. "He's moving!" I about fell over. I scooped him up in a net and reintroduced him to his tank, where he floated for a moment, then I was able to prop him up on a silk plant leaf that reaches the surface of the water. Within moments, he was thrashing around in the tank. He propped himself up on the thermometer last I checked, with his nose out of water.

He doesn't look great (would you after that experience?), but he's alive (don't ask HOW). His fins are a bit shriveled and dry, his eyes look filmed over... but he's moving and breathing and... HELP! Basically all I can do is watch and wait? I hate to jump right to meds, but would melafix, salt, anything help him right now?



Last edited by Kitten at 03-Nov-2004 18:04[/font]

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

Wow he went through alot, if that is a pic of him afterwards, then I would say he is in pretty decent shape considering his ordeal. I'm not so sure meds would be wise unless he is showing signs of infection, but maybe some stress coat or something along those lines would help. I know when a fish loses his slime coat it isn't a good thing so anything to help replace it would be a good choice. Good luck I hope the little guy pulls through.

and just to touch on what wolfie sid I also use salt in my Bettas tanks, and have been for about 6 months now without one sign of any diseases or infections. Before this I had nothing but problems.

Last edited by Jessnick at 03-Nov-2004 21:38

Salt, to the tune of a tablespoon per five gallons, will help him out. You can OD a little because he's a betta guy, so go ahead and bring the salt level up to 2.5 TBSP in your 2 gallon thingie over the course of three days.

One of the betta breeders I know swears by this for everything that ails and he's a whiz with fish disease.

Yes, but in an already dehydrated fish?? I'd be very wary of anything that might draw more liquid out of him.

I think your main problem is necrotic (dead) tissue, at last that is always my biggest problem with jumpers, parts of them are dead and toxic by the time i but them back in

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

No advice, just wanted to say I'm sorry about your betta. Please keep us posted how he's doing


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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

*cries* Well, I had a fishy funeral this morning. I did everything I could think of for him. To help him get to the surface of the water, I stood the little flower pot cave upright and put a 3 cup betta container on top of it so that the water levels in the tank and cup were the same. In went a little silk plant for him to rest on and he seemed to settle in with his nose to the surface. I had to leave for choir practice, but figured I couldn't do much else for him. When I returned late last night, I was pretty sure he hadn't made it, but not wanting to wake up the 'rents, I left him alone, hoping for the best. He was in the same position this morning and was definitely not breathing. *sigh* My poor baby.

Justice was my second eldest betta boy, and would have been with me a year at the end of this month. The picture is definitely a "before" picture, as he wasn't looking too hot "after". Definitely the betta with the sweetest temper, he was going to be my first attempt at breeding (assuming I got a place where I had enough room to do so). I thought crossing a sweet-tempered male with a docile female might make for a even-tempered line. I know he's "just" a petstore betta, but his colors were lovely and so was he.

After exploration of the tank, I've decided he must have jumped through the hole for the heater cord... there was the start of a bubblenest in the tank, which he must have spent some hours making, so there was no way he could have jumped when I was filling the tank. At least that makes me feel a bit less like a horrid fishy mommy. I've covered the holes in all the tanks now... I just never thought he could SEE that hole (it's quite above the waterline) much less somehow get himself through it.

Justice was laid in a little gold cardboard jewelry box, lined with the original cotton and java moss. The inscription "RIP Justice 11/3/04" was written on top and he was laid gingerly in the garbage can. We have a dog that isn't opposed to digging, so... I'll make sure to take out the garbage tonight. *sigh* My poor Justice... His tank will be cleaned with hot water (ugh... the water in that cup he died in was yellow and smelled of ammonia *gag*) and set aside for now.

The betta apartments now have a vacancy, but I don't know if I'll take any more bettas in...

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

I'm so sorry for your loss

My oldest betta died a couple months ago...again 'just' a petstore but still one of my favorites. I only have one male now and no intentions of getting any more.



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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

First let me express my sympathy for your loss.... I know it's difficult to lose one of these guys -- because most have such wonderful presence and personality!

Realizing I'm too late for this particular Betta Boy, I thought maybe I'd express an idea so that others could possibly benefit should a similar experience happen to them.... But I was just wondering, since your Betta didn't have the strength to get to the top --- why wouldn't bringing the top to him work? I mean reduce the water level to the point of just slightly above him? Water isn't nearly as important to Bettas as air --- and as they're shipped in VERY little water, I would think this might be a feasible solution...... ??????

Again, so sorry this happened!


Last edited by dreamweaver8891 at 04-Nov-2004 18:25

To thine own self be true...

Very sorry for your loss, we all know how hard it is to lose one of our wet friends Sorry we could not help him more.