# Two in about 14 hours.



## TheKingsFish (Jan 8, 2011)

It is indeed a sad day at our home. Yesterday we lost Oberon, the father of one of our fry batches, and Silvia; one of only two survivors of the columnaris pandemic that hit our first sorority.


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## TheKingsFish (Jan 8, 2011)

*Silvia*

Let the word grow
Of sorrow and woe
Through eyes growing teary,
While we stifle our cry
As we say goodbye
To the battle weary.

She fought well
And the story will tell
Of perseverance,
Strength, and beauty
As the Poet heaves 
And the Bard grieves
Over failed duty.

The Bard sits to write,
But it seems tonight 
That the words simply will not come,
Though we sit here stunned
It must be done
And songs of honour must be sung.

So small and meek when she came,
A trouble maker as she grew--
In her fins of red and scales of gold
And lovely sheen of blue.

So strong was she when the plague came
And took away most we knew:
Out of six she survived,
And her sister Viola too.
Sisters came and went,
But her reserves were never spent.

She tried to take charge
When new girls were at large,
But would eventually was given time out.
She fought for life well
But there came a spell,
And mortality swelled its rout.

Our words do not seem to flow
But we know where we must go:
Though both our hearts break
We will journey to the lake.
As the fire strives
Once more she will be alive.


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## carzz (Mar 8, 2011)

Aww, I'm sorry. I could only imagine....
Horrible. Lot's of tears, I'm thinking.


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## metalbetta (May 17, 2010)

I'm so sorry about them... I have a feeling I know what you're going through.. I'm still going through the grieving and loss period myself. Anyway, things will be okay, and at least you know that if they were suffering, they aren't anymore. That's what got me through Nina's death. R.I.P.


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## naturegirl243 (Aug 1, 2010)

Aww I'm sorry for your loss.I know it's an awful feeling loosing two back to back like that.


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## TheKingsFish (Jan 8, 2011)

We knew there was a chance of losing Sil. Oberon just dropped on us: I have no idea what happened


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## TheKingsFish (Jan 8, 2011)

*Oberon*

Hark the call of the night,
When dark birds take flight
And the howlet's cry
Bodes ill for the fated to die.
Let the faeries sing
Of our beloved king;
Hearken their sad lays
About the end of his days.

Beloved son, gentle father,
Slayer of snails without bother.
Lover of Rosalind,
Friend,
Brother.
Obi-fish was like no other.

Strong and full of fire,
Or sweet with little ire,
He was our happy son.
Like him there was only one.
We know no reason why
Our son should suddenly die.

The Poet Cursed the night birds;
The Bard ran out of words.
We sit awake at daybreak--
His offspring makes our hearts break.
As dawn subsides to temperate day,
We wish that he could stay.


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## TheKingsFish (Jan 8, 2011)

Three within 36 hours, now.


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## naturegirl243 (Aug 1, 2010)

Wow have you tested your water? maybe something changed...? Sorry about your newest loss I hope you don't loose anymore :-(


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## TheKingsFish (Jan 8, 2011)

I've been wondering the same thing. The strange thing is that the others are all fine. The two females were sick. It's the male that baffles me.


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## metalbetta (May 17, 2010)

My guess is that you might have spread it to the male while you were doing water changes without knowing it. I try to make sure I'm pretty much sterile after touching the sick ones, but Winston had an injury on his forehead that turned into a white speck on his forehead not long ago... I treated it quick and he's fine, but I'm thinking I might have gotten the bacteria into his tank by mistake. 
Definitely test your water though, you never know what could be in the city supply.


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## naturegirl243 (Aug 1, 2010)

metalbetta brings up a good point it might have spread, do you net your fish? if you do I would really clean them or buy new ones( I usualy scoop mine with a cup but they all have there own cups) if you don't think you spread it then maybe it was just his time he might have gooten old or just had something internal happen.My first betta had like a stroke he swam around really fast and crazy one night I walked out of the room for something and when I came back he was dead.So sometimes there is nothing you can do.


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## TheKingsFish (Jan 8, 2011)

They've never had any contact...not even with nets. We've always used cups to catch them and then sterilized them afterward.

Best we can figure maybe Oberon choked on a baby snail or something. He always had it in for them, and it wouldn't have taken much for one of them to climb in with him.


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## naturegirl243 (Aug 1, 2010)

hmmm thats very possible, the only other contact I could think of would be a siphon.Did he look really bloated or anything like that when you found him? I'm stumped I just hope you don't loose anymore.


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