# A Tale of Many Fish



## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Alright, so I wrote an entire huge post and then my computer crashed and I lost it all. So this is probably going to be pretty short because I don't have the patience to spend hours more rewriting everything. 

To start, I did have another journal but I haven't posted on it since August (time flies!) and a lot has changed. So I want to start fresh. 

I lost a lot of fish recently. I was in a very bad relationship situation that I needed to get out of right away (I'm not going to go into the specifics) and unfortunately I was unable to take all the fish with me. I brought as many as I could to my new house. When I was able to go back for the others I found out they had not been fed or gotten their water changed and almost all the heaters had been turned off. It broke my heart. I lost Finley, Marlow, Baby Betta, Mr. Bucket, Galaxy, and Banana Stand. Five neon tetras, a baby bristlenose pleco, a nerite snail, and a guppy also passed. May they swim in peace. I don't think the guilt and sadness in my heart will ever go away. 

I was able to bring eleven bettas with me and I also bought two new ones. 

The boys: 









Mochi 
My second betta. I got him as a baby from Petco in October 2014. 









Valentine 
I bought him from Petco on Valentine's Day 2015. He's a gorgeous halfmoon but unfortunately a tail biter :-( 

Pale Pal 
He's very camera shy so unfortunately I dont have a decent photo of him. He's a cute little black and white marble doubletail. Right now he's recovering from fin rot and ammonia poisoning - he was the one betta I had left behind that I was able to save. He's my little trooper  









Lavender 
I secretly think he's my prettiest betta, but shh don't tell the others! He's very photogenic so expect a lot of photos of this boy! Lavender is a super delta plakat. Petco labelled him as a halfmoon plakat but his tail doesn't _quite_ reach 180 degrees. 









This boy doesn't have a name yet! I'm open to any name suggestions so fire away  Maybe something related to gemstones or space would be cool? 









Romeo 
My newest betta. I missed having veiltail boys and I couldn't resist his shimmery pink colour! I have his bowl on my nightstand and this is my first time having fish right next to my bed, besides my cherry shrimp. It's cute to peak at him after I turn off the lights because he's always sleepy :-D 

Now onto the girls: 

I have a 20 gallon sorority which all the girls are in except Jazz. 









Isabel 









Lola and Lily 

I don't have any photos of Shimmer or Esmeralda. I will have to get some soon  









Jazz 
The new non-sorority girl. 

The fish appreciate your comments ;-)


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## kitkat67 (Mar 10, 2015)

SplashyBetta said:


> This boy doesn't have a name yet! I'm open to any name suggestions so fire away  Maybe something related to gemstones or space would be cool?


Lol, how about Emeraldo.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Somehow I messed up my first post and put a photo of the king under Romeo, so here is Romeo: 









And a few pictures of Lime, the glofish, who will be moving into the 75g in a couple weeks! 




























A little late, but how was everyone's Christmas? I spent mine with my mom's side of the family as usual and it was great  My mom got me this: 








A pack of silk plants from Petco! I already gave one to Romeo to replace his other one and switch up his bowl a little and he loves it!! 

Now I'm off to do water changes on the sorority and guppy fry.


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

You have lovely bettas, Splashy. 

Congratulations on the new journal and fresh start in life. Abusive relationships...no good...glad to hear you got out if not all your fish. (((hugs))) I love that plakat! Ooo...! I have a soft spot for plakats for some reason.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

BettaSplendid said:


> You have lovely bettas, Splashy.
> 
> Congratulations on the new journal and fresh start in life. Abusive relationships...no good...glad to hear you got out if not all your fish. (((hugs))) I love that plakat! Ooo...! I have a soft spot for plakats for some reason.


Thank you for your kind words. 

I really like plakats too! I want to get more but for some reason I rarely find one I "click with" as much as I do with other tail types. I always keep an eye out though. 

I woke up this morning to find Jazz belly-up :-( I don't know what happened. She had been a little lethargic since I bought her but I figured that was from being in the Petco cup with dirty water. I thought she was getting better. The water parameters in her tank all check out fine. She didn't show any signs of being ill. It was so sudden. It's the worst to lose a betta shortly after bringing them home, before they've even gotten much of a chance to experience being in a nice home. SIP Jazz 

On a happier note, Happy New Year! Hello 2016!


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## BettaBoy11 (Apr 21, 2015)

Nice fish! I'm subscribing!


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

I just got in an order of live plants off eBay! Bought from the user grumpy-bear-art for the first time and WOW!! I think they'll be my go-to online seller from now on. The bunches were large and they are *the* healthiest plants I've ever received in the mail. Not a single bad leaf. 

I accidentally left my camera at my photography class studio so no pics right now, but I'll be sure to have some on Monday or Tuesday. 

Here's the run-down of what I got: 

Bunch of moneywort - 10 stems! 

3 dwarf sag 

2 jungle val - these are huge, about 24 inches each 

Bunch of ludwigia opalis - 5 stems 

1/4 cup of hornwort 

Bunch of anacharis - 7 stems 

3 Hygrophilia corymbosa 

1 banana plant 

Came to a total of $24.50 with free shipping! 

I'm already planning my next order as I just received a $25 eBay giftcard from a friend


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

I got my camera but I lost my SD card! Luckily all my pictures from the card are already uploaded, no photos were lost, but I don't have an extra card so no plant photos :-( My mom is coming to visit this evening so I'll ask if she can bring her camera along for me to borrow. 

I have some very sad news. Pale Pal passed away :-( 
This was the last photo I took of him: 








(It was taken with a cell phone so that's why it's low-quality) 
I'm just so sorry I couldn't save him. He fought so hard. Rest easy my little warrior <3


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Photos!!!! 

Romeo got a 50% water change today and I added another silk plant (the small red one): 








I'm pretty satisfied with the set-up. I think the heater is finally completely hidden! It looked really ugly when there were no plants covering it up. 









Valentine is so hard to photograph! Took me about a hundred photos to get a decent one  









Played around with close up shots a bit: 
















(Shimmer) 

I hope y'all had a good day


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## themamaj (May 11, 2015)

Very pretty fish! Wow Lime the glowfish has really unique eyes. I like the bright color. Is Romeo the pink fish? Shimmer is so cute.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

themamaj said:


> Very pretty fish! Wow Lime the glowfish has really unique eyes. I like the bright color. Is Romeo the pink fish? Shimmer is so cute.


Thank you! He is very bright, isn't he? Yes, Romeo is the pinkish veiltail.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Some of the plants I bought off eBay are rooting and growing! The banana plant has sprouted a third leaf (there were only two originally), the hygrophila leaves are getting longer, and while I don't notice any new stem or leaf growth on the ludwigia ovalis it has rooted strongly. Everything else looks fine, no change but still healthy.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

It's been a rough couple of months. I lost three bettas :-( 

Mochi: I got him as a baby from Petco. He was my second betta and I had so much fun (and a little stress) raising him! I brought him home October 2014, so I had him for 1 year and 5 months. I know Petco babies usually tend to live shorter lives than the adults so I guess I did alright. It was so sudden though... I hope he passed peacefully. 

Valentine: I don't know what happened. One day he was fine and the next day he was gone. I checked water parameters and they were good. He had no signs of illness or anything. I only had him for one year. I feel like it's the mysterious passings that are the worst, y'know? :-( 

Lavender: Wow. I think I'm going to tear up just typing this. So I went to Florida to visit family for a week. I had my mom come over every day to take care of the other pets but not the fish. I figured they'd be fine for a week as they were all healthy and fish can go for a couple weeks without food. Lavender was absolutely fine the day I left - his usual active, bright self. The day I got back I found him laying on the sand. He had lost almost all his colour and had weird yellow patches on his face/head. His fins were in shreds but it didn't look like tail-biting at all and no fin rot. He kept trying to swim up to the surface but he couldn't make it that far. He was barely able to get off the sand. His stomach was also sort of sunken in, like he hadn't eaten in a long time (but he ate the day I left). I have never seen a fish of mine look that awful. It broke my heart. I can't even fully describe it... He looked barely alive honestly. The only thing I can think is he had columnaris. That night I made the decision to euthanize Lavender. I didn't see any point in letting him suffer longer while I tried to figure out a treatment. I usually try treatment when I am able to make the fish as comfortable as possible, but I don't think there was any way to make him comfortable. He could barely breathe. I used clove oil and he went to sleep, passing peacefully. Swim in paradise, my beautiful boy :-( 

That was a lot of deaths to deal with in a short time. I have some happier things to share but I'll save them for a second post to let this be a memorial post.


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## BettaBoy11 (Apr 21, 2015)

Ah! I'm so sorry.


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## Flashyfins (Mar 27, 2016)

Your fish look amazing!


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Thank you both. 

On a happier note, I did get a new betta! A little baby from Petco. He was too cute to resist and since Mochi passed I thought I'd raise another baby. Not to replace Mochi, but to cheer me up a bit. Meet Strawberry: 








I'm hoping once he adjusts to his new home he'll unclamp his fins. 

I have pictures of a few of the others too. 

Emerald: 









Romeo: 









Shimmer: 









Now I'm off to work on the 20g. It needs a water change, a plant trimming, and I want to rearrange some things.


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## ShelbysFish (Sep 5, 2013)

Bettas are beautiful, and especially love your new little Strawberry.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

I just bought a betta on eBay!!! It's late now and I'm tired so I'll explain it all tomorrow. I just had to tell someone before I could sleep! :-D


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Here are the seller's photos of the ebay boy: 
























I was skimming wishfully through the betta listings and when I spotted him I just knew... I would regret it if I didn't get him. He was only $29 with shipping so not bad at all. 
I do worry about shipping fish at this time of year but he's only coming from one state over so he should be here in one or two days after he gets sent out tomorrow. 
So exciting, ahh!


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

I'm so frustrated with the 20g. I've been having issues with diatoms for months now. I know diatoms are common with newly set-up and uncycled tanks, but this tank has been up for seven months and is fully cycled! What's the problem??


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

The ebay boy got here on Friday and I'm 100% in love with him! 




























I can't get over how gorgeous he is!! He's super healthy and active although he hasn't eaten yet... I'm assuming he's just getting used to his new home or perhaps pellets are new to him? I'm not sure what the breeder was feeding him. I'll try soaking his pellets in garlic juice tomorrow and see if that entices him. 

Here's Romeo's bowl today after a little rearranging: 



















Feisty boy :-D 

I tried to get a close-up of the shrimp. They're too zippy lol


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

I was just in the kitchen making dinner and I heard a very, very loud crash! My first thought was "Oh no! A fish tank!!" I was so worried as I went to see what it was. Well thank goodness it wasn't a tank, it was the top shelf in my closet, with the rack that also holds up all my clothes. It's so heavy I can barely lift it. I will have to get someone to come repair it asap. Not a good night lol


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

*Romeo:* I like to call him my problem-free fish. I haven't had a single issue with him or his tank. He's my only long-finned boy so I'm thankful he doesn't tail bite! He's due for a 50% water change tomorrow and I'm going to add some java ferns and DWL. :-D 

*Strawberry:* I moved her to a new tank today. She was previously in a 1 gal plastic corner tank I got at a thrift store. Whoever owned the tank before must have soaked it in *something* because it started giving off an awful smell and the water was collecting a white slimy film. I had washed it with a vinegar/water solution as I do for all thrift store fish items but there must be some remaining residue. Some chemical... maybe ammonia? Well anyway Strawberry is in a 1.75 gal kritter keeper now. I moved all her plants and cave over after giving them a good scrub and soak. No smell or slime on them but I'll be keeping an eye on them just in case something soaked in from the icky tank. 

*Emerald:* He's doing well. There's a lot of green algae in his tank right now... yuck. I'm wondering if I can get away with a single horned nerite in his 2.5 gal tank? The plants are thriving and I'm fine with doing extra water changes. Any thoughts? 

*Isabel:* Due to mysterious swim bladder issues I've isolated her from the sorority. No bloat. Maybe constipated? Not sure yet. We'll see. I can't seem to find my box of epsom salt so I think I'll have to pick some up from the store tomorrow. I'm fasting her too. Hoping I can figure out the problem and she'll make a fast recovery!


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## themamaj (May 11, 2015)

Oh gorgeous betta!!!! Cant wait to see pictures after arrive.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Isabel is not doing well. She has stress stripes and clamped fins. Her poops are normal. I went to the store but they didn't have any epsom salt. She's not even trying to swim anymore. She just floats. Are her organs just giving out? She's not old...


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Isabel is perking up! She's mostly unclamped her fins and she's eating again. She is still not near as active as normal but she's getting there. The stress stripes come and go. I'm so glad to see her getting better! Maybe I'll never know what happened but as long as she's well I'm happy  

Unfortunately it seems I'll never get a break from sick fish. Over the last few days the ebay boy went downhill very fast. I made a thread here: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=682449 I'm hoping someone will be able to help me figure out what's going on... 

The other fish are all doing well at least. 

Lola (and a neon trying to photobomb): 









Strawberry having lunch: 








She is so funny! The only thing she eats consistently are mysis shrimp. Her interest in everything else varies day by day. She'll devour something one day and refuse it the next. Apparently she's decided today is a no-pellet day so she got Omega One frozen community formula for breakfast and OO flakes for lunch. I'm going to try offering her some brine shrimp for dinner. This will be her first time with those. 

Female guppy tank after a water change: 








I'm planning to put some live plants in there after the 20g's next trim. Probably hornwort, DWL, and maybe some pennywort if there's enough. Also might take some anacharis from Emerald's tank. 
I'm excited for the weather to warm up so I can put some gupps out in the pond!


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

I've had a crazy past couple of days. I have bad news and good news. 

The ebay boy died. I can't believe it. He was so healthy and gorgeous when he arrived. I don't understand how it happened so fast... Was it columnaris? The red/purple must have been ulcers. I know those are a sign of columnaris. I wish I had known how to treat him in time :-( 

Something VERY exciting happened on Saturday! I'm going to put it in a separate post so stay tuned ;-)


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

*Maisie*

SO my exciting news! I adopted a kitty on Saturday! Since losing my 13 year old tabby to lung cancer in July I've been missing having a cat. I finally decided I was ready to bring home another furry friend so after searching on Petfinder.com I fell in love with a gorgeous calico girl named Maisie. I drove two hours to pick her up from the Animal Welfare Society shelter in New Milford, CT. 

Sitting in a sunbeam: 









Playing with her favourite toy: 









She's such a sweet kitty. She just wants cuddles and love constantly. She's sitting in my lap as I type this! 

Maisie was found as a stray in January. It breaks my heart thinking about her out there in the cold all alone :-( I'm so glad someone found her and brought her in because I'm sure she wouldn't have survived much longer. She was very underweight and anemic when they found her. On top of that she's declawed so she wouldn't stand much of a chance against a predator :-( AND we had that polar vortex in February. But anyway, what matters is that she's safe and warm now <3 

She is still not an ideal weight but she's getting there. I have a vet appointment for her on May 5th (earliest I could get) so they'll run some tests and also hopefully give me some ideas for putting some pounds on her.


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## BettaBoy11 (Apr 21, 2015)

Yayyyy!!!


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## brooklyn (Apr 19, 2016)

*need help*

i have a 40 gallon tank with 12 fish all cichilds and my ammonia keeps spiking on me i been doing water changes like almost every four to five days cuz the ammonia gets high i have two filters and power head with heater ph im new to this and need help


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

brooklyn said:


> i have a 40 gallon tank with 12 fish all cichilds and my ammonia keeps spiking on me i been doing water changes like almost every four to five days cuz the ammonia gets high i have two filters and power head with heater ph im new to this and need help


Sounds like your tank isn't cycled. Here's a guide that explains the nitrogen cycle: http://seriouslyfish.com/cycling-an-aquarium/


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

I stopped at the LPS to get some shrimp pellets for the cories. They had a few nice looking bettas there but I couldn't get any photos because I forgot my phone at home. The ones I remember, if anyone's interested, were a cellophane doubletail, a salamander EE plakat w/ some white, and a red and blue bicolour super delta. I can get some pictures maybe tomorrow or the day after if anyone might be interested in a particular one  They're all super healthy and bright.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

I don't feel very well today. I think I must be coming down with something. 

But no slacking on the pets ;-) 50% water change for Strawberry. Everyone got fed of course too. Tried the Omega one shrimp pellets with the cories for the first time. They've been given the corydora seal of approval!


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

I am so sorry your ebay boy died! That's just terrible...  Did he have a name? His eyes were so incredible.

New kitty is gorgeous!


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## NickAu (Sep 28, 2015)

Sorry to hear about your fish.

Attack of the killer shrimp LOL.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

BettaSplendid said:


> I am so sorry your ebay boy died! That's just terrible...  Did he have a name? His eyes were so incredible.
> 
> New kitty is gorgeous!


No, I hadn't come up with a name yet. His eyes were unique, weren't they? I miss him. :-( 

And thank you! 



NickAu said:


> Sorry to hear about your fish.
> 
> Attack of the killer shrimp LOL.


Thank you. 

Haha. Sometimes when I'm trimming plants in my cherry shrimp tank they poke at my fingers :lol:


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

So I'm starting to feel a bit uninspired by bettas. I absolutely love my current bettas and I DO want more, but I guess I just wish there was something 'more' to do? I see people starting rescues to rehabilitate bettas and adopt them out and I think that's something I would really enjoy. I have so many extra tanks and supplies, I definitely have the means to set it up. The problem is getting the bettas... I could go to Petco and find plenty of sick bettas in need of rehabilitation.But the local Petcos won't take anything off the price of sick fish so I'd be paying full price. Is that really the right way to go about doing a rescue? I don't know. I'd love to hear from some people who have a rescue. Comments/thoughts? Ideas?


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Went to Petco and got a tube of water wisteria and a cup of java moss.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Not a good day in guppy land. I've started treating the female tank for a bacterial infection since one gupp is showing symptoms. All the girls are refusing their flakes so I don't know what's up with that. I'll try brine shrimp later. 

In lighter news, I went to the LPS today to pick up some cat treats and I was excited to see they're now stocking mini sponge filters! They used to only have the small (for 5 gal+) and up. They're tiny and compact, perfect for 1 or 2 gallon tanks/bowls. And they were only $2.38 each! I bought two and a pack of airline tees.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Feeling a bit sad thinking about past fish. Found this picture of Blueberry: 








I miss him. A lot :-(


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

I lost the guppy who was showing signs of infection :-( She had developed an open red sore and some smaller marks on her sides. Poor girl. The others are a little lethargic and not eating much but no sores or patches. Tomorrow is the last day of treatment. Hopefully I won't have to do another round but we'll see.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

The guppy girls are all looking good so after a water change tomorrow the treatment will be officially over! I'm excited to add the activated carbon back to the filter and clear up the nasty yellow colour the water turned from the tetracycline.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Happy May Day! 

A few pictures. 






















































(I really need to clean the glass on Romeo's bowl!)


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## Aetherius (Sep 5, 2015)

Happy May! The rescue idea seems nice, and I've heard of people telling the managers that the betta they're looking at is sick. Apparently that softened their hearts and they gave them a discount. But whatever you plan to do I'm sure many of us are willing to back you up! And your new kitty is just adorable, I would totally smuggle her if my allergies weren't directed at dandruff :-(.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Aetherius said:


> Happy May! The rescue idea seems nice, and I've heard of people telling the managers that the betta they're looking at is sick. Apparently that softened their hearts and they gave them a discount. But whatever you plan to do I'm sure many of us are willing to back you up! And your new kitty is just adorable, I would totally smuggle her if my allergies weren't directed at dandruff :-(.


Thank you! I've mentioned sick bettas to Petco in the past and also directly asked about getting a discount and they won't do anything. They told me I can either take the sick fish for full price or they'll "take it to the back of the store" whatever the hell that means! I've stopped mentioning the ill fish to them. I'm thinking my rescue idea is a no-go.


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## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

The PetSmart near me has a glass window on they're door to the back, so I can see in. It looks terrifying and filthy.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Water wisteria is my new favourite plant! It's growing well in all the tanks I put it in except the female gupps. A few leaves are melting and no new growth on the stems in there. Maybe leaving it in during the tetracycline treatment was a mistake. Anyway, the stems in the shrimp bowl, Emerald's tank, the 20g, and Strawberry's KK all have new growth. I'm glad to see wisteria is tolerant of a wide range of lighting. The shrimp and Strawberry both get only indirect sunlight. Emerald has a 30w? (not quite sure LOL I will check at some point) CFL. The 20g has a 60w CFL bulb. I have no idea how many watts the LEDs on the guppy tank are. They're just the stock strips on the Walmart Aqua Culture 10. It does get a lot of indirect sunlight though. All I can think is it was the tetracycline that did those stems in. Still a couple good leaves though so I'm hoping they'll recover! 

Anyone have experience with dwarf sag? I have three plants from an ebay order in January. They're all rooted (won't budge if I pull a little) and have been growing new leaves. All very bright green. The problem is they haven't sent off any runners yet. Not a single one. I would think in almost four months they would have but maybe not? Are they still adjusting? Tank is 20 gallons, soil with sand cap, 60w CFL, dosing Flourish, Trace, and Iron. Any ideas? Other than the lack of runners they appear to be thriving.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

I got a new betta!! :-D I stopped at the LPS yesterday and since it was the day after their restock day they had a pretty large variety. A lot of multicolour CTs and blue VTs. A couple yellow PKs. One koi PK. The koi was cute but nothing super special. Instant love with this boy though: 










I've named him Winslow, after the watercolour painter. 


















His bowl: 










---- 

Maisie had her vet appointment last week. She was diagnosed with kidney disease and hyperthyroidism, both of which are common among older cats. They recommended some special foods for her and some resources for me to take a look at since I've never dealt with this before. Please keep her in your thoughts. <3 

---- 

I've made a big decision... I'm going to separate the sorority girls. I've been considering this for a while now. The sorority is causing me too much stress and worry. After Isabel got sick I started thinking about this seriously and I've decided it would be the best decision for me and for the girls. I realized I've only been keeping the sorority together for my benefit and that's not fair to the fish who are being forced to live in constant stress. There hasn't been any obvious attack or injury in months but regardless they are stressed. 
I'm setting up a divided 10 gal for Shimmer and Lola, Esmeralda will go in a 5, and Isabel will stay in the 20 with the neons and cories. I can switch that arrangement up if it's not working. With the three bettas out I'll have room for more neons and cories! Yay large shoals! 

---- 

Strawberry is growing! 



















---- 

How many times am I going to attempt to bake something before I'm convinced I can't bake? I can cook anything on the stove top, but baking is a no-no. And yet I keep trying... Today's baking disaster involved a cracked cake pan, vanilla cake, and a LOT of smoke. Somehow I missed a crack on the bottom of the pan (no idea how it cracked) so batter leaked out onto the bottom of the oven. I noticed a weird smell and when I opened the oven to check on the cake smoke started pouring out. And then I was coughing and the smoke detectors were going off. I had to open every door and window and turn on every fan in the house. Let me tell you, five smoke alarms going off at the same time is VERY loud! Surprisingly Maisie was completely relaxed. I thought at least the alarms would scare her if not the smoke, but apparently not. 
So yes, today was a very chaotic day. No cake for me LOL!


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

The vet prescribed Methimazole for Maisie's hyperthyroidism. She's doing well. 

Strawberry's heater stopped working yesterday. The water temp was at 74 and wouldn't go up. So I drove out to the LPS and picked up a new heater. Now her tank is back to a toasty 79.


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## Autumncrossing (May 2, 2016)

I feel for Maisie, I've had the same thyroid issues since I was in 5th grade. The medicine helps greatly though!! Just keep the temperature comfortable and she'll do great . 
Strawberry is such a cute name lol she's adorable.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

It's 90*F here! Hello summer. Almost pond season too! We're still supposed to get a few very cold nights in the next couple weeks but after that I'll be able to put some guppies out in the 30g pond and see about getting some goldfish for the 120g. Exciting! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

I'm really upset right now... Winslow passed away :-( This morning I found him floating dead with bloody gills. He didn't eat very much last night but I didn't think much of it because his eating habits have been sporadic since I brought him home. He's been completely healthy otherwise. I had checked the water params yesterday and they were perfect. I don't get it :-( I was just getting to know him... Swim in peace, my boy.


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## themamaj (May 11, 2015)

Oh no! I am so sorry.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Thank you, mamaj 

I'm so angry at myself. Yesterday I had some extra small plant clippings and I needed a place with light to keep them temporarily. I didn't want to lose track of them so I put them in a cup floating under the lamp in the 20g. I didn't want the clippings spilling into the tank or the fish messing with it so I put a lid on the cup. One of the pet store betta lids with the air hole. A little while ago I went to feed all the fish and turn off the lights and I swear I screamed. Somehow, some way, both Shimmer and one of the albino cories had managed to jump into the cup through the little hole in the lid! The cory's stomach was ripped open, by Shimmer I guess, and Shimmer was dead. I assume she drowned because the cup had tipped over and filled all the way up with water... I feel so sad and guilty right now. I should have taken this possibility into consideration. I have no idea how the cory got through the hole as he was pretty chubby, but Shimmer's very petite. Why didn't I think? This could have been so easily avoided. SIP Shimmer and Sammy (in truth I named all the cories but I have no idea which is which so I'm just guessing) What a sad day :-( I've lost so many fish recently. Posting this story makes me feel even more guilt but I can't lie. Just know I truly wish I could go back and fix my mistake and I take full responsibility for what happened. :-( 


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## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

SIP.

Don't feel guilty, I did that the other day, too, but instead, my science teachers Neon Tetra got in and died.


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## themamaj (May 11, 2015)

Oh no. I am deeply sorry. That would be something no one would ever anticipate. Bless your heart. Hugs.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Thank you both^^ I really appreciate it. 

Romeo and Strawberry got water changes today. I'll post photos tomorrow, including a little memorial for Shimmer. 


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

I had to make a very sudden and unexpected trip to visit a family member in hospital. Normally I'd have my mother come over and take care of the pets but unfortunately due to the short notice she couldn't make room in her schedule. Luckily a neighbor was able to stop by every day to care for the cat, bunnies, and guinea pigs but she has zero experience with fish and thinks they're gross. So they had to go a week without food or water changes. She didn't even understand the tank light schedule I left for her so those got left off the entire week. Bleh. 

The short of it is I came back to an absolute disaster. 

The long of it is I lost a lot of fish in the 20g and some others aren't looking so great. Lost another cory, half the shoal of neons, and Lola. Isabel is pale and lethargic and Esmeralda's fins are torn up. Romeo, Strawberry, and Emerald seem alright although Strawberry is a little clamped. Guppies and platies are good. A lot of dying plants.

I feel discouraged and honestly a little defeated. I'm questioning whether I should continue in the fish hobby. Maybe I should tear down my tanks. I could give away the fish. I really don't know at this point. The last couple weeks have not been good  


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## Amberjp (Apr 28, 2016)

I'm sorry that you've lost so many fish, it's really odd that you do keep losing so many fish though after not that long period of time

Maybe you should remove everything from the tanks that fish have died in and clean the tanks + decor thoroughly with vinegar and water solution? Since the parameters are good from what you said it might be something that they caught and may still be within the tanks/decor themselves

I'm only guessing but I hope this helps, hopefully things get better for you <3


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

Oh wow, it's been a while! How's everyone doing?

Small update
I only have three bettas now: Romeo (male vt), Gilligan (male ct), and one who I have not named yet (male delta plakat). I've been focusing on other fish species, mostly goldfish and cichlids, as of late.

I will see about getting some photos up soon.  It's good to be back!


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