# Phoenix - Risen From Ashes



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

On 7/8/14 I found a betta abandoned in a Kroger parking lot. He was in an unmarked cup, sitting in a parking space opposite the space I happened to park. His water was over 95 degrees when I found him and raced home to try and save him, begging for help on the forum. After floating in a tub of cool water, and then room temperature water, the little fish made it back down to safe temperatures and stopped thrashing in his cup. He spent the rest of the day in the darkness, and only that night did I manage to get a good look at him.

What I saw was a terrified and emaciated little yellow veiltail male. He was clamped and pale and lethargic, laying at the bottom of his tiny, filthy cup and coming up only for air. But slowly, the fish was beginning to perk up a bit. When he was put in to float in his temporary tank, he began to move around his cup a little. And when he was finally released into the tank, he quickly made himself at home exploring every bit of it!

From some of the worst circumstances I can imagine, this little fish has risen beyond what I would have thought possible. He survived the hot sun and dangerous conditions of sitting in a parking lot. He survived being brought back down the 76 degrees rather quickly. He survived a filthy cup with disgusting black crumbles on the bottom of it, most likely fossilized poo considering how filthy the cup was and how clamped the poor fish was. But he survived. And he rose above it.

The name Phoenix was suggested for this resilient little fish, and everyone seemed to agree it was perfect for him. Here, I will be chronicling his recovery as he regains his color and unclamps those gorgeous fins of his... and eventually goes to his forever home.

The before shot:


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Starting to unclamp already? He must be VERY happy to be out of that cup!









He's gonna be GORGEOUS!









Lookit that sweet face~


----------



## CNDBETTAS (Jun 21, 2014)

Still utterly amazed that out of EVERYBODY who COULD have found him, YOU DID! He is a VERY lucky Betta for being as un lucky as he was (if that makes sense LOL). I look forward to seeing his progres! Great work Seki!


----------



## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

That was a really good intro for him 

+1 for CNDBETTAS, I deffinktly agree


----------



## Aquatail (Jun 29, 2012)

Subscribed! Can't wait to see this little guy enjoy his new home! ^_^


----------



## autojoy (Jun 16, 2014)

*subscribes* A..... a parking lot?! Why...! How could anyone do that?! I'm so happy you found him. That is immense luck. Ugh, I feel so depressed thinking anyone could just leave a fish on the floor like that ;___;

He is very beautiful, I'm so happy you're together


----------



## KFoster (Mar 26, 2014)

Subscribing! Can't wait to hear how the little guy is doing!


----------



## fleetfish (Jun 29, 2010)

You're a saint for what you did for this little guy. I'm looking forward to see how his recovery goes.


----------



## Jonthefish (Jun 16, 2014)

He looks way better out of the cup ! How is he this morning Seki ? He kinda looks like my boy Jon ! I can't wait to see his colors brighten up . Also , has he eaten anything yet ?


----------



## Bikeridinguckgirl14 (Oct 22, 2013)

I've never seen a betta look so happy to be in a .5g bowl, goes to show how much you saved him


----------



## Tsukikoi (Feb 19, 2014)

Wow! A tail looking so much better in a day! It's just perfect that you've found him. (I don't know how to subscribe to a thread without commenting...)


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

Awe look at the face! He's so precious. Its so good to see him start to unclamp his fins. I can't wait to see him fully color up, He's gonna be gorgeous.


----------



## freeflow246 (Jul 24, 2011)

He is gonne be beautiful. I've always had a soft spot for yellows.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Well, he made it through his first night and seems to be alright! He's not taken any food yet, although I did offer one pellet each of Omega One and NLS. He sniffed them a bit and bumped the NLS with his nose, but he didn't want them, so I removed them. I will try again this afternoon before I go to work. It was suggested to me that I soak his NLS in garlic, so I will stop by the store on my way home (here's hoping I don't find any more bettas in the parking lot!!) and look for some garlic juice to do just that.

Phoenix has a long way to go and a lot of weight to put on to be healthy, but we have a little fighter on our hands, I think! I'm hoping with quality food, his colors will start to pop!


----------



## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

That's good news I'm glad he's still with us 
Fingers crossed he'll be willing to eat soon


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

if you can't find garlic juice. You can just buy garlic and microwave it for a 10-30 seconds until some juice comes out.


----------



## cmwong27 (Jun 4, 2014)

What a resilient little fish!


----------



## Jonthefish (Jun 16, 2014)

That's great news ! What a little trooper ! He will eat eventually we just have to wait :3


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Sabina - I feel the same!! He's such a skinny dude, he needs to put on some weight!

Vivian - I will have to give that a try if I can't find the garlic juice! Thanks for the tip!


----------



## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

Haha it seems Pheonix already has a bit of a fan club 


Hopefully after a good nights rest in clean water will give him more energy and a apitite


----------



## InStitches (May 26, 2014)

I love the name Phoenix for him  How perfect! Great work, Seki!


----------



## CNDBETTAS (Jun 21, 2014)

Hows he holding up??! Hopefully he eats tonight!! Poor little guy looks like he could use a good meal (or 5!).


----------



## Pippin (Apr 11, 2014)

He looks adorable. I'm glad that you saved him.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Poor baby. People can be so cruel...

But you remind us that people have immense capacity for compassion, as well. I'm rooting for you both.


----------



## juanitawolf (May 12, 2014)

i hope he gets better, he deserves to live in the best conditions possible


----------



## myexplodingcat (Apr 9, 2014)

Tsukikoi said:


> Wow! A tail looking so much better in a day! It's just perfect that you've found him. (I don't know how to subscribe to a thread without commenting...)


If you meant that literally, the button's here.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Thank you guys for all your support! Phoenix ate ONE NLS pellet today, and only after it had lost is buoyancy and begun falling. It caught his interest and he darted after it and gobbled it up. No such luck with any more pellets, though. One step at a time. I am wondering which of his markings are his natural coloration, and which are disease. I know he has some fin rot, maybe even some fin melt, but he also has some black spots here and there on his fins. Could be that he's sort of a dalmatian. Could be disease. Little dude is still fairly lethargic, but at least he is swimming around a little more in his home. He seems to like his moss ball and his silk plant both, I've seen him resting on both of them. All in all, I think he's better today than yesterday. But he has a long way to go!

Pictures!!


















































See those black spots I am talking about? Hm...


----------



## myexplodingcat (Apr 9, 2014)

Could the spots be caused by damage from the intense heat? Maybe lilnaugrim could come up with a theory or two.

Are you medicating him? Kanaplex or API General Cure or anything? Or just salt?


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

At the moment, nothing but Stress Coat, which I figured could help a bit with both his slime coat and his fins. Also, I was hoping it would be soothing for him and help him to relax a little in his new environment. I don't have Kanaplex (tried to order it once... it was just never sent), but I do have API General Cure, AQ. salt, epsom salt, fungus cure, um... I'm sure I have more haha just can't think of it at the moment.


----------



## Aquatail (Jun 29, 2012)

Do you mean the black spots on his body? I think they're scales. They look extremely similar to what one of my rescues looked like when I first got him. He wasn't boiling in a parking lot, but he was pale, small and I doubt he would've lasted a whole lot longer. He was actually more white and when he was healthier they darkened and he seemed to have more of them.

However, I would still have someone more knowledgeable take a look in case.  His face looks like it may be somewhat dirty too, or that may be coloring. But my boy's dark scales never bothered him and he lived fine for months before he passed from something internal.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Aquatail said:


> Do you mean the black spots on his body? I think they're scales. They look extremely similar to what one of my rescues looked like when I first got him. He wasn't boiling in a parking lot, but he was pale, small and I doubt he would've lasted a whole lot longer. He was actually more white and when he was healthier they darkened and he seemed to have more of them.
> 
> However, I would still have someone more knowledgeable take a look in case.  His face looks like it may be somewhat dirty too, or that may be coloring. But my boy's dark scales never bothered him and he lived fine for months before he passed from something internal.


I agree that the black bits on his body are part of his natural coloration. I was more looking at the black bits on his fins. He has a few black spots that worry me a little bit. Maybe rot, maybe something else? It's hard to say, but I might bug lilnaugrim about it. She always seems to have some good insight for me. ^_^


----------



## Aquatail (Jun 29, 2012)

Oh, I see what you're talking about now. And actually, I was just about to ask lilnaugrim if she could take a look.  Phoenix looks so much like my one little rescue, he's kind of crawled his way into my heart.


----------



## autojoy (Jun 16, 2014)

He's so cute. I'm glad he's started eating a little!!


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

Awe he does look much better today 

Hmmm.... I agree that I do see some fin rot/fin melt but it doesn't seem to be severe. About the black spots - my best guess that it could damage from the heat/maybe ammonia in the cup or fin rot/melt. Treat him for fin rot/melt and keep on eye on the black stops. They could be part of his coloring too. Its a bit hard to tell since he is still recovering.


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Hi guys!

Little Phoenix is adorable, I was following his thread yesterday but apparently more has happened by this morning!!

Those black dots look normal to me, much like those wild type spots you'll see on a fishes dorsal, those can extend to caudal or anal if the genes are right. He does have a bit of fin melt going on but nothing looks too serious; normally emaciated but otherwise doesn't look too bad of shape considering where you found him!!

You can treat him with Triple Sulfa for the fin melt if you feel he has the strength, that or you can do Potassium Permanganate baths for him which might be easier and will treat a wider variety of stuff than T. Sulfa will. You can find PP in Jungle's Clear Water. If you want to use PP in a bath, the bath will last 30 minutes in the medicated water. I suggest you do one PP bath with 1 teaspoon of salt in it as well, the momentary salinity change will help kill off some unwanted bacteria and rejuvenate his slime coat and balance out his electrolytes too.

Dosing is normally 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons, in one teaspoon there are approx 48 drops. For one gallon you will use 4.8 drops at a normal dose but you'll want to double the dose for a bath which means you'll use 9.6 or just 10 drops in 1 gallon of water. If you only have the .5, no worries, just do 5 drops of Clear Water and .5 teaspoons of salt.

He also looks like he's got some ammonia burns or nitrite burns, that can be corrected with a Methylene Blue bath! So you can alternate each day with PP/AQ salt bath and then the next do a Meth Blue bath.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Good morning all! Little Phoenix is doing much better today!

I was slightly worried when I saw him listing up onto his side in his bowl today, but when I took the cover off his bowl (I cover it at night just in case he gets the bright idea to jump out... not that he currently has the strength), he greeted me with a wiggle. I offered food and he accepted it readily, eating a total of FIVE NLS pellets! I think for the moment, he will be fed twice daily now that he's accepting food. We need to get some weight back on that bony frame!

lilnaugrim - hey, good to see you on this thread! I was about to send you another of my famously annoying PMs hahaha. Thank you so much for the advice! I think my plan for today (or maybe tomorrow depending how late I'm stuck at work), is to get a sterilite tub for his baths. I would love to permanently house him in the sterilite tub, but I don't have anywhere to put it! It will have to sit on my bed while he's having his baths. But I think it will work great and will give him the treatment he needs! I hope moving back and forth between the baths and his bowl won't be too stressful for the little guy. But he definitely needs medical attention... I don't want him to lose any more of his pretty fins!

So the plan as of now... baths of PP/Salt and Meth Blue on alternating days... two meals a day of 5 pellets each... daily water changes in the bowl. With any luck, we'll be seeing major improvements in Phoenix soon!! :-D


----------



## Aquatail (Jun 29, 2012)

Oh, good for him! ^_^ So glad to hear he's doing better! And thank you for stopping by, lilnaugrim!


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Oi vey guys! Please! They aren't annoying PM's at all! I'm totally happy to take PM's any time you want! I probably won't answer in the middle of my night or anything haha, but I will answer!!

That sounds like a good plan to me!


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

Im so glad to here that he ate! I'm so excited to see him fully color up.


----------



## myexplodingcat (Apr 9, 2014)

YAY! He ate! He's getting better by the day 

As always, Lil's advice is super solid. If you can get your hands on PP and methylene blue, I'm sure he'll be back to good health in no time!


----------



## GreenEnvy (Apr 27, 2014)

So glad he's eating! What a tough lil' guy. Thanks for keeping us updated on his progress.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

myexplodingcat said:


> YAY! He ate! He's getting better by the day
> 
> As always, Lil's advice is super solid. If you can get your hands on PP and methylene blue, I'm sure he'll be back to good health in no time!


Hm, that sounds like an excuse for... a trip to the aquarium specialty store!!! Hahaha I love going there and staring at the saltwater fishies~


----------



## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

So glad he got his appetite back at least. Definitely going to keep checking to see how he's doing. I think Little Phoenix is becoming famous around here.


----------



## Jonthefish (Jun 16, 2014)

That's great ! He is really brightening up !


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Little punk almost gave me a heart attack today! I came home from work and discovered that I had not covered his bowl when I left. Well, no big deal I reasoned... not like he's strong enough to jump. But then I couldn't find him... I mean... it's a half gallon bowl, where the heck could he possibly HIDE?? I started panicking and searching everywhere near the bowl... the desk, the floor, the chair. Nothing to see, no flopping fishies...

... And then I look up. And he's staring at me from behind his moss ball. "Um... what are you doing?" GAH. I think I just shaved about five years off my life. -_-


----------



## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

haha its seems our fish are good at that. But im glad he was ok and nothing bad happened, hopefully he never lives up to his namesake and thinks he has wings and can live out of water . Plus its a good sign that he willing to eat now and seems hungry.


----------



## Bikeridinguckgirl14 (Oct 22, 2013)

Awww what a cute little bugger, archy (the black one) hides behind the (black) filter all the time


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Haha, sometimes it's the fish that are silly, sometimes it's us...
Yay on him eating! Yay on him showing awareness and interest in his surroundings! Yay on him not having visions of flight!

Do you have any new pictures for us? ^_^


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

Awe it sounds like his personality is already coming out! He sounds adorable.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Phoenix is having a bad night... He's laying at the bottom of his bowl and not coming up except occasionally to breathe. He did go after pellets when they sank to him, but he wouldn't come up to get them from the surface, which is worrying to me. I am hopeful he is still on the road to recovery. He seems to have no issue coming up to breathe, and he will swim around if I tap the bowl a little, so I will not be cupping him tonight. I don't think it's necessary... but I will be monitoring him very closely. I've seen him resting on a leaf which is right by the surface, so he knows its there if he wants it, and he can easily reach it. I am hoping this is, more or less, a mood swing on his part. I will update in the morning.

These are the best pics I can get for the moment. From this angle, his emaciation is so evident...


























PS - that is not poo or anything bad you see on the bottom of the bowl. His water is changed daily (90% so that I can leave him in the bowl rather than trying to catch him), that is just from the moss ball. No matter what, it seems to shed those little fuzzies. But his water prams are 0 across the board with a PH of approx 7.


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

Awe poor little baby 

I hope he makes it through.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Oh no, poor guy.

I'm crossing my fingers that he just finally feels it's safe to rest and recover.

We're rooting for you, Phoenix!


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Poor boy!

Have you done any baths yet? Also at night it might help him if you cover it with a towel/blanket to keep him nice and calm and comfy. The added humidity will help him breathe easier as well which I'm sure would be a nice addition for him


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Thanks guys. He's still with us, and he's a little more active this morning. He is still staying towards the bottom, but he is coming up more frequently, and he is swimming around the bottom.

lilnaugrim - no, I haven't done any baths yet because I don't have any PP or Meth Blue yet. I have to make a trip to the specialty store, which is an hour's drive away. But I might be able to go tomorrow. So far, my work schedule hasn't cooperated with me going. I will get him covered with a handtowel. Do you think seeing the girls (he's right next to the sorority) is stressing him out? They don't seem to pay him any mind... they might not even be able to see him because of the thick, curved glass of his bowl.


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

The Jungle Clear Water you should be able to get at Wal-mart.

I wouldn't think so, it's difficult to see out of that rounded shape anyway so if he does see them it's more like blurs of color and shapes, he shouldn't really be able to see them but you can put a card between them if you think it is stressing him; wouldn't hurt at least.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

I will go ahead and tuck the towel between the tanks so that there is no chance of them seeing one another, although I'm guessing you're right and they can't haha.

Amusingly, I live out in the sticks, and Walmart is just as far a drive as this specialty store (almost, at least). The only nearby things are Kroger and Meijer. There is a Petsmart and a Petco near my gym, too, so if either of them might have it, I could potentially get it sooner. But I can't go tonight either way. The soonest would be tomorrow. I'm working a split shift today and have to get home to let the dog out between shifts.

For whatever reason, he has perked up in the sunlight. I opened my blinds and he did a couple laps around the bowl and settled on his plant to rest a bit. I think I'll try feeding him and let him stay in the sunlight until I have to leave.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Sunlight is good for the soul. I'm glad to hear he made it through the night!

You can probably call and ask an associate at your local petco/petsmart to find out if they have the medications - a quick website search didn't bring anything up, but that often doesn't mean anything. Maybe you can get lucky and save yourself the time (although a trip to an aq specialty store sounds like fun...)


----------



## freeflow246 (Jul 24, 2011)

I've had to recover from some tough illnesses before. Nothing like being left in the sun for hours and being half-starved, but I've had my hard times. I got pneumonia when I was younger and lost a ton of weight. It was viral so they couldn't do a whole lot for me except giving me oxygen when I needed it. Once I was back on the way to recovery and trying to gain all that weight back, I mostly felt better but I would have my bad days where I didn't feel like leaving my bed. Maybe fish are the same.


----------



## Aquatail (Jun 29, 2012)

So glad to hear he's a little more active today and enjoying the sunshine! ^_^ Go Phoenix! :yourock:


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

His appetite is as good as ever! I may be slightly overfeeding him, but I figure that's forgiveable. He ate six pellets th is morning for breakfast and he will be given another five tonight for dinner. Mind you, these are NLS small fish formula, so they're tiny. But hungry means healthy, right?


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Hungry is a good thing! Especially with how thin the poor baby is. He'll get some meat back on that frame in no time


----------



## myexplodingcat (Apr 9, 2014)

Poor sweetie. I sure hope the lil dude is doing better. It's good to hear that he's eating!

Is he being fed anything apart from pellets? Any live food, perchance?

Also, have you checked on poop? With him being that emaciated, one has to wonder a bit about internal parasites.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

At the moment, he is only being fed the pellets. The only live food I have access to is BBS, and I don't even really have access to those right now, since he is in the bowl I was going to use to hatch them. The irony is rich hahaha. I did see that Petsmart has started selling flightless fruit flies in a little vial. I was thinking about getting some of those... it's like a little culture of them that they say can keep going for a while. Anyone have experience with these? Are they nutritious?

I'm uploading today's pics to photobucket right now. He's not looking particularly better or worse, but he's hanging in there. And he's a bit more active this evening~ ^_^


----------



## myexplodingcat (Apr 9, 2014)

I've heard good things about those fruit flies. Never used them, personally.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

At the very least, they sound like an amazing treat for an insectivore.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

I would imagine, among all my 17 (O_O wtf... I need to downsize) bettas and four guppies, the flies would certainly get eaten up. I might buy a vial, they were only about five bucks if I remember. Tomorrow, part of my shift was taken by someone else, so I should be able to get the medications Phoenix needs. YAY! Hopefully that will help him perk up a bit more.

As for his poop, it looks a little stringy, but not white or anything. I don't think he has any sort of internal parasites, though I'll keep a watch, of course. I'm honestly surprised by how many things aren't wrong with Phoenix that could have been. For the conditions he was found in, he's remarkably healthy. Just underfed and with a bit of ammonia poisoning and fin melt. All things considered... it could have been much worse.

Pictures!! I got some cute ones today~


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Look at that sweet lil' grumpy face. He's watching you. :lol:


----------



## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

My favorite is that last photo of him I like the way his fins look 
Im glad he seems to feeling well for the most part and is eating well. I cant wait to see him in all his glory all healed up. Hopefully it wont take to long for him to heal up


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

He already looks so filled with personality.


----------



## TripleChrome (Jun 5, 2014)

Why would someone leave him out in a parking lot? I would never do that with my bettas Leo and Summer. I'm glad that you had found him.


----------



## SkyDye (Jun 29, 2014)

I've been lurking sense the very first thread on Phoenix. I'm so happy you found him and I hope karma hits the people hard who left him there... I love the third picture you just posted. He looks so grumpy he is cute! He is such a fried little fishy... I shall be keeping up each day with his progress! I'm surprised after all you two have been through together that you don't keep him... Even among your 17 lol It's far more then just a little rescue, you're his angel


----------



## myexplodingcat (Apr 9, 2014)

Better hit that finmelt quickly! It can be super aggressive from what I've read. Glad you'll be able to get that medication soon!

He's such a grumpy, feisty little asbestos fishy now compared with when you found him. XD


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

TripleChrome said:


> Why would someone leave him out in a parking lot? I would never do that with my bettas Leo and Summer. I'm glad that you had found him.


Some people will abandon cats...dogs...babies...and so many people have even less attachment to fish :-( the minute it becomes trouble it's flushed down the toilet/dropped off at the vet to be killed/abandoned, and they're off to buy a new one.

I used to volunteer at the city animal shelter while I was out of work, and I admire those hardworking employees. It's hard, seeing what people do every day without regard or care. Our local animal shelters take every domestic animal, but few people responsibly surrender fish. They're usually dead before people know they're in over their head. Phoenix is so lucky, as awful as his circumstance was, that Seki found him, because so few people give fish any notice at all.

*Faith in humanity:* There are more "Sekis" than there are cruel individuals. I believe this with complete conviction. The good people do their work without much notice, because the long hard road of recovery isn't easy or sensational. It doesn't make a good news bite. Pictures of hurt and recovering animals aren't "pretty" so to speak, and they draw blinks and winces and looks away.

Many people are ignorant, and their cruelty is thoughtless or unintentional. Education, kindness, and leading by example makes things change, if slowly, where flashy signs and screaming slogans does not.

Most notable example: "Why would I get my dog 'fixed?' She is not broken."


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

SkyDye said:


> I've been lurking sense the very first thread on Phoenix. I'm so happy you found him and I hope karma hits the people hard who left him there... I love the third picture you just posted. He looks so grumpy he is cute! He is such a fried little fishy... I shall be keeping up each day with his progress! I'm surprised after all you two have been through together that you don't keep him... Even among your 17 lol It's far more then just a little rescue, you're his angel


I just don't have the space, and he deserves so much more than a tiny bowl. He deserves the world, honestly... my personal minimum for keeping fish permanently is 2 gallons. None of my boys have less than that, and my girls are housed together in a ten gallon. Phoenix is incredibly special to me, which is exactly why I know he needs to belong to someone else. It's the right thing for HIM, even if I am growing incredibly attached to that grumpy little face. Being a responsible pet parent means doing the best thing for your pet, even if it's not the easiest thing for you.



hrutan said:


> Some people will abandon cats...dogs...babies...and so many people have even less attachment to fish :-( the minute it becomes trouble it's flushed down the toilet/dropped off at the vet to be killed/abandoned, and they're off to buy a new one.
> 
> I used to volunteer at the city animal shelter while I was out of work, and I admire those hardworking employees. It's hard, seeing what people do every day without regard or care. Our local animal shelters take every domestic animal, but few people responsibly surrender fish. They're usually dead before people know they're in over their head. Phoenix is so lucky, as awful as his circumstance was, that Seki found him, because so few people give fish any notice at all.
> 
> ...


hrutan, that was so inspiring to read. You have a way with words, and you actually lifted my spirits with this. Thank you~


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

When I bought Mr. Kitty, I fell head-over-heels so hard that I made a crater in the floor. My coworkers were shaking their heads and humoring me while I frantically tried to understand how to care for him, and my husband and roommate were listening to me with that "she'll get bored of it in a couple of weeks, but she's right that the fish is cute" smile plastered on their faces. There I was, trying to figure out why Mr. Kitty was getting sick, while the person who had the bright idea of buying him was saying "Oh come on, he's a $4 fish."

You guys told me I'm not crazy, and let me join in the chatter without so much as a ripple. Mr. Kitty got better, and the coworkers pooled their money to get him a better tank - including the person who was rolling her eyes over my attachment to a $4 fish...education and kindness really does work. ;-)

It's important that we all know we're not alone. :-D Those of you who rescue the smallest and most helpless, and then nurse them back to health and beauty - you do not go unnoticed. What you do matters.

For goodness sakes...Phoenix has a whole cheerleader squad. 

:thankyou: :thankyou: :thankyou:


----------



## SkyDye (Jun 29, 2014)

I agree hrutan, I have had to put up with people who think I'm crazy and laugh when I have my bettas in a 5 gallon and 2.5 with a heater. They consistently tell me I am cooking my fish because of the heater, and when I panic if I think my fish is sick people tell me that it just a fish. I love this forum because I know I'm not alone or crazy with how much I love and care for my little fishies...


----------



## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

Seki said:


> At the moment, he is only being fed the pellets. The only live food I have access to is BBS, and I don't even really have access to those right now, since he is in the bowl I was going to use to hatch them. The irony is rich hahaha. I did see that Petsmart has started selling flightless fruit flies in a little vial. I was thinking about getting some of those... it's like a little culture of them that they say can keep going for a while. Anyone have experience with these? Are they nutritious?
> 
> I'm uploading today's pics to photobucket right now. He's not looking particularly better or worse, but he's hanging in there. And he's a bit more active this evening~ ^_^


Although I haven't done it myself yet, I was looking up live food that I could possibly cultivate and came across these. I read that they were very nutritious and pretty easy to cultivate. Just make sure that you have a couple jars going, some paper or board that the adults can use to climb out of the medium or they'll smother themselves. There are recipes on the internet that you can use.

Also, is it just me or does little Phoenix already look to be fattening up, he looks so much different from that little fish that was all scales and bones a few days ago.


----------



## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

hrutan said:


> Some people will abandon cats...dogs...babies...and so many people have even less attachment to fish :-( the minute it becomes trouble it's flushed down the toilet/dropped off at the vet to be killed/abandoned, and they're off to buy a new one.
> 
> I used to volunteer at the city animal shelter while I was out of work, and I admire those hardworking employees. It's hard, seeing what people do every day without regard or care. Our local animal shelters take every domestic animal, but few people responsibly surrender fish. They're usually dead before people know they're in over their head. Phoenix is so lucky, as awful as his circumstance was, that Seki found him, because so few people give fish any notice at all.
> 
> ...


Unfortunately there are people out there that see this as a dollar investment instead of an animal, too many see it as spending money and time to save a $5 fish instead of spending money to save a life. If this were a dog locked in a hot car, there would have been the police, fire department and might I say some fines doled out to the owner in addition to having to possibly fix a broken window, but "it's just a fish", right? I wonder how many people might have walked by this container before Seki got there?

I comfort myself by making myself believe that someone bought this emaciated little fish to rescue it as a pet for their young kid and that kid unknowingly to the parent put the container down and forgot about it. Then the parent didn't realize it was missing until they got home, a long, long way away and went back searching in a dreadful panic. (I need to keep my faith in people somehow).

Well, I'm glad Seki got there and I'll tell you what, this quote from the original thread made my day and reaffirmed how much we all care for even the littlest of lives:
"_i covered the tub with a towel. my mother is furious i used one of her bath towels. i don't care even a little bit. god i hope he makes it._"


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Hey guys!! Updates for this evening on little Phoenix.

He is WAY more active! I got home this evening and he was swimming around his bowl, his fins were unclamping quite a bit, and he generally looked like he had a new lease on life. He's been eating well, scarfing down every pellet I give him. And his color seems to be becoming richer and bolder. I'm so excited he's doing better!

I got his meds today. I could not find Jungle Clear Water (I even checked Walmart... nope), so I got Triple Sulfa instead, since lilnaugrim mentioned it as an alternative. Oddly, despite not stocking the PP, the aquarium specialty store had methelyne blue in stock, so I was able to get that. I also snagged a new 1.2 gallon kritter keeper of sorts to keep as a QT since my QTs frequently seem to be full. I'd love to put him in it, but I need to find space first. Now that he's more active, though, I think he'd appreciate the space.

Pics in a bit, I just got home and I hurt my back at the gym today, so I am resting for the moment with a heating pad. -_- I feel so old sometimes...


----------



## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

Im glad that he is doing better today


----------



## TripleChrome (Jun 5, 2014)

I'm glad that today he is doing better. He'll soon be all the way better with his medications.


----------



## freeflow246 (Jul 24, 2011)

He's so cute! I have a 2.5 gallon and I love love love yellow bettas, but the whole reason I upgraded Blizzard out of that 2.5 is because I grew pretty sick of the frequent water changes. I'm sure Phoenix will find a lovely home.  And with some tlc and medication to recover from the fin melt and ammonia burn, he'll color up even more for sure.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

I'm delighted to announce that Seki has given me permission to adopt Phoenix. He will be coming home to me when he is healthy enough to travel. I have a planted 10 gallon cycling on my dresser right now. He will live like a little fishy king - I'm not home right now, but when I am home and have access to my computer, I'll post a picture of his future home for critique/commentary.


----------



## Aquatail (Jun 29, 2012)

Go Phoenix! ^_^ And congrats hrutan for becoming Phoenix's lucky new servant- ahem, I mean owner. Of course I mean owner.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Servant is probably more accurate. You should see me fussing over the two boys at work, lol! And Phoenix will be at _home_...


----------



## KFoster (Mar 26, 2014)

Yay! So glad hrutan will be taking care of him! Way to go!


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Here's the initial setup. This tank is still cycling, and was planted earlier this week. Ammonia is doing its thing, and now I'm starting to get nitrite readings, so things are progressing well -- I hope! Yeah, the plants might slow it down, but if I planted heavy enough to get rid of the toxins through plant growth...well, I'm okay with that, too.

Things I plan to add:

1-2 homemade caves, made from smooth, cleaned river rocks & using aquarium silicone (leftover sealant) as adhesive. I practiced with hot glue, but the stuff falls apart when submerged. Aquarium sealant should work better. Hey, it's a learning experience!

1 betta bed (checked for wire). My boys at work have theirs and love them. I'll put it well away from the faster current from the filter, so Phoenix always has a cozy place to take a break.

Maybe some other fish furniture, if I feel inspired. Depends on how many rocks I have left.

If Phoenix will tolerate them, I hope to add 2 Nerite snails and some panda corys. We'll see - he gets priority.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Ahhh what a lovely setup! He's gonna love that for sure!!


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

How's he doing today?? :-D


----------



## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

How is cute little grumpy face doing today?


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Ahh sorry guys, I was baking a cake for my friend's son's first birthday party!! I will upload pics of Phoenix shortly. He's doing fine today, just as active as he was yesterday if not moreso. I'm working on dosing the Triple Sulfa for a half gallon (and trying very hard to get things moved to where I can set up the 1.2 gallon I bought... would be better for him, but the space just isn't there!). It's proving a bit tricky, but I'll get it worked out! He's still eating like a pig, which is fantastic.

Pics to come, I promise!


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Happy birthday to the kiddo!


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Oooookay, extra large pic update since I missed yesterday haha.

























































^^ Hard to see, but he is chasing a pellet hee hee








^^ He is also chasing a pellet in this one~

























All in all, I'm super glad he's starting to put more weight on, and I'm equally glad he's gotten more energy! Go, Phoenix, go!!


----------



## freeflow246 (Jul 24, 2011)

He is so fricken cute. Glad he's making such a good recovery.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Wow. You can really see the new weight already.

Is it just me or is he turning from yellow to orange?


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

freeflow - He ALMOST flared at me today. Cutest thing ever. But I didn't have my phone handy to snap a pic of it, and of course he wouldn't do it again. Soon, though... his grumpy little face is so cute, I agree!

hrutan - You know, in certain lights he's very vividly orange. But in others he is still a bit more golden. But yes, I do think he's going to end up golden orange! I can't help but to think the NLS pellets are helping to bolden up his color a bit. Not to mention the clean water and space to swim! I bet he'll be even happier in your ten gallon~


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

He'll be handsome to me no matter what color he ends up. But, orange _is _my favorite color...no joke...lol

I keep staring at the nitrite tests like it'll change in 12 hours, and then reminding myself that it's okay, Phoenix isn't ready yet, anyway. *SIGHS* Waiting is _hard_. New growth is starting to appear on his future jungle. There's that.

Thank you so much for what you're doing, Seki. You and the "Call me crazy" thread are real Faith in Humanity boosters.


----------



## autojoy (Jun 16, 2014)

Looks like a very happy outcome for Phoenix! 
He looks so much better already, too!


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

How's he doing today?


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Phoenix is doing well! He's still eating like a pig, and I've been dosing his water with T. Sulfa. Not much improvement yet, but hopefully we're getting there. If nothing else, he's not been getting worse, so that's a good sign, yeah? ^_^

He is still very active, and I think he's sort of getting a bit more aggressive, which is a good sign. He'll glare at my finger before swimming away to hide now haha. Before, he would just dart away at the first sign of anything touching his bowl. Now, he's gaining confidence. That, or he's associating shapes with being the bringer of food lol.

Pictures in a bit. I was finishing up that cake yesterday and forgot to take new pics of Phoenix. That cake took me THREE HOURS to decorate!! lol


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

3 hours?! You and my roommate, lol. I'd just buy one from the local Vons, but she'll bake the whole thing and then get out those squeeze tube things of frosting after everything's set...admittedly, while the Vons makes good cakes, hers are better...

Lucky party goers, unless the birthday boy puts a fist in it. ;-)


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Hahaha he's one, so he has his own personal smash cake that I made as well. And he put his fist through that one for sure!! The cake I made for him was a monkey-shaped cake. It turned out SUPER cute!! It was just time-consuming lol


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Okey-doke, pic spam time!! Phoenix has improved significantly! The Triple Sulfa seems to be improving his finnage, and he's not as clamped as he was!










































































Sorry some of them are a bit blurry! It's hard to take pictures in a bowl haha


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

awe he is such a cutie!


----------



## Bikeridinguckgirl14 (Oct 22, 2013)

I wish I could cuddle him, I'm so happy he made it


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Yay!! Such a handsome boy. He really _is _looking a lot better. The body shape changes and fin improvements in just a few days are amazing!!


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Guess who's getting an UPGRADE!! I cleaned and cleaned and finally managed to get a space cleared (on top of a jewelry box... yeah, I'm at THAT point... but I promise it's huge and very study!!) for the 1.2 gallon kritter keeper I picked up at the specialty store. I'm rearranging things now and planning on getting Phoenix moved in by the end of the night! He will have a little more space to stretch his fins and hopefully this will encourage muscle growth as he will be swimming more. Also, better pictures since it's not a round bowl haha. Plus, dosing the T. Sulfa will be much easier for 1 gallon than for 1/2 gallon. All in all, I'm just glad he gets to have a slightly larger temporary home before he goes off to his new mansion with hrutan~

Also... he was posing while I was taking pictures of the new girls I picked up at Petsmart today (they had been there for months, I had room in my sorority, and my willpower had reached its limit!). Therefore... second pic update for today! ^_^


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

he is just so adorable. I cannot understand why someone would leave him in a parking lot!


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

I know!! I'm beyond shocked it happened, but I am also extremely thankful I found him. Probably two dozen people walked by that cup and ignored it. I am so glad he didn't boil alive before I could get him home and into cooler water!! And I'm soooo glad hrutan wants to adopt him! From boiling in a parking lot to eventually living in a planted ten gallon, this little guy got a new lease on life for sure! He's certainly perking up for me, which is super encouraging~


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

i am so so so glad he made it too. I'm even more glad you found him instead of some random kid who would just abuse him.


----------



## Aquatail (Jun 29, 2012)

Oh, look at him! He's gotten so much better! ^_^ I'll be honest though, when I saw his orange coloring and his clear tail, the first thing that popped into my mind was a creamsicle.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Vivian - I'm glad I found him, too!! Imagine if some child had grabbed that cup... he would probably be dead by now, poor baby.

Aquatail - Thanks! He's a little stressed right now since I netted him into his new temp tank (I couldn't get a cup into the bowl, so... he had to be netted, unfortunately), but he's settling and starting to explore. I moved his silk plant and his moss ball with him, so hopefully that will help him to settle faster. Pics from the new tank as soon as he's a bit calmer! ^_^


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

oh god I can only imagine. Im so happy that he is going to a loving home. He deserves it so much


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Wow, Phoenix looks so wonderful today. I really did see his twin at the lps, lol. He is getting strong so fast! Bettas truly are resilient fish, aren't they? Informed my husband and my roommate, and they are happy for me. No one would have said no since it's up to me how I stock the tank, but it's nice that there are active thumbs up.



VivianKJean said:


> he is just so adorable. I cannot understand why someone would leave him in a parking lot!


I can picture _how _someone would abandon him...was talking it over with my boss today.

No one goes to a Kroger's with the intention of abandoning a fish - that's just weird.

Something like this:

Mom goes with kid to pet supply store for dog food, kid wants the fish, mom says no. Kid shoplifts Phoenix & sticks him in his pocket (the cups are easily small enough for that). Mom discovers the hidden fish when going for groceries. Unthinking fury - YOU PUT THAT DOWN RIGHT NOW.

Phoenix ends up in a parking lot.

I've seen angry moms do some pretty horrible things, and for a lot of parents that have dealt with a series of dead fish, they aren't really _real _anymore.

This is all a scenario made up in my head, of course, but it does make sense...


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

hrutan - i am just very happy that he going to a good home. You seem to take excellent care for your fish and there is nothing more that I would want for him then a planted 10 gallon tank all to himself.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

hrutan said:


> Wow, Phoenix looks so wonderful today. I really did see his twin at the lps, lol. He is getting strong so fast! Bettas truly are resilient fish, aren't they? Informed my husband and my roommate, and they are happy for me. No one would have said no since it's up to me how I stock the tank, but it's nice that there are active thumbs up.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That... is a very creative scenario, and yet I can see that happening. I've seen kids try to shoplift bettas before... it's not exactly difficult. Shove a cup in a pocket or a bag or under your shirt... most of the time, the employees don't notice. And it's not like there are sensors on the cups, so the alarms won't go off.

Goodness what a thing to think about, though. Just leaving a living creature in a parking lot... jeez...


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Guys... I kid you not, he is rolling his moss ball around in his tank. I have never seen a betta do this before! Gonna try to get a picture of it if he'll cooperate... He's wedging himself underneath it and then using his whole body to get it to move!


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

Wait. This is the CUTEST thing I have ever heard!

I really do hope you can get a photo!


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Little punk wouldn't cooperate!! ARGH! It was super adorable, though hahaha. I'll have to be quicker with the camera next time. Every time I would try to take a shot, the camera would try to refocus and it would delay it enough that I missed my shot!! Oh well, I got some cute pics of Phoenix in his new home~









































^^ He had JUST shoved it, but my camera was too slow! >.<


----------



## InStitches (May 26, 2014)

looking good!!


----------



## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

Aww man, now that he's filling out so nicely, he's losing that cute 'grumpy face' look. He's still adorable and looks so much healthier, so I'm happy.


----------



## Fenghuang (Dec 28, 2012)

I've been stalking this thread and I have to say, Phoenix looks so good. You have done an amazing job, Seki. Hope he continues to improve!


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Seki said:


> Guys... I kid you not, he is rolling his moss ball around in his tank. I have never seen a betta do this before! Gonna try to get a picture of it if he'll cooperate... He's wedging himself underneath it and then using his whole body to get it to move!


I'll buy a new moss ball for him as soon as I'm back from vacation. This sounds like an opportunity that must not be missed. :shock:


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

Hahahaha He is probably sitting in the tank being like "hey why are you trying to take photos of me? Im playing!"


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Hahaha his moss ball has been moved from the position it was in last night, so I know he kept playing after I turned out the lights for the night! Wish he would have let me get a pic or a video, though!

hrutan - oh yes, definitely get him a moss ball! Maybe you'll catch him playing soccer with it! LOL


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

hrutan, if Seki can't get a video of him playing with the moss ball it is your responsibility to get one


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

VivianKJean said:


> hrutan, if Seki can't get a video of him playing with the moss ball it is your responsibility to get one


Understood!


----------



## Thothgirl (Jul 12, 2013)

I have ended up forwarding this thread to several people just because I think it is so amazing how people have come together for this fish. It is wonderful to see the community giving well wishes and the sheer amazingness of Seki and hrutan stepping up because that is what people do. so very awesome!


----------



## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

Idk, maybe he's not playing, maybe he's chipping in to do his part in maintaining his tank by rolling the moss ball for you. I wonder if you put a pair of scissors in the tank if he'd figure out how to trim the plants?


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

GOT ONE!! It's blurry, but I got a picture of him shoving his moss ball!! See how he's kind of curled around it? lol









Aaaaand the rest of his pic update for today~









































Pardon the ad that is shown reflecting in several of the shots haha. His tank is near Daredevil's bowl, and I use that ad as a cover for the bowl when I'm not around, to make sure Daredevil doesn't get any bright ideas to jump out of his bowl hahaha


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

That is so cute and funny!


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

omg, so freakin cute. hrutan is so lucky to get him!


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

My husband says he must be some kind of fishy musclehead and he's working out to get strong. Pump it, Phoenix!


----------



## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

hrutan said:


> My husband says he must be some kind of fishy musclehead and he's working out to get strong. Pump it, Phoenix!


When you do the video of him pushing the moss ball, might I recommend for the background music the theme song to Rocky.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Lol


----------



## BambooTikiBettaGirl84 (Jun 29, 2014)

You gotta have "Eye of the Tiger" playing in the background when he's pushing the mossball. The song they play in the original Karate Kid. Lol. I have been watching this thread since you got the lil guy, and it's sad someone would ditch such a pretty fish like that. There will be a special place up in heaven for you saving this lil fish.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

lol You guys are too funny. I have yet to get any sort of video of him playing with the moss ball, although I did catch him laying on it today when I got home from work. hrutan, he's gonna love you for getting him a moss ball or two. I think they are his favorite bed AND toy hahaha


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Mine, too. Moss balls are great. They look like tribbles!


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Phoenix seems to have developed SBD. I am not sure how to help him right now... He can swim down, but he ends up popping back up to the top like a cork and sort of listing up onto his side. I am worried... am I feeding him too much? He doesn't really look bloated... His water is about 77 degrees (my house is quite warm in the summer) without a heater. Should I try and bump it up with a heater, maybe? I don't want him to get TOO warm... Would heat even help with SBD? 77 is within the range of acceptable for bettas...


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

Do you think he can handle having Epsom salt in his water? 1 teaspoon per gallon. 

maybe also try to find frozen daphnia to feed him instead since that helps with SBD.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Should I be mixing Epsom with the Triple Sulfa? I am worried about overloading his little system when he is still recovering from the parking lot incident. Normally epsom salt would be my go-to medication for SBD. I will try to find some daphnia, but I'm not sure I can get it tomorrow. I don't like the idea of fasting him, though...










































As you can see, he can right himself and he can hold it for a few seconds, but then he ends up slowly floating up to his side. To me, he does not look bloated, and I just saw him poop (it was completely normal). It's definitely not parasites or anything. I'm just not sure what brought this on all of the sudden. He was fine when I left for work about seven hours ago.


----------



## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

Nooo, poor little guy, he's really had a rough start in life. Worst of all, he can't get to his moss ball 

Get well Phoenix, we're all pulling for you.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

When Mr. Kitty got SBD, it cleared up without Epsom Salt in a couple of days with fasting. I agree, Phoenix doesn't look bloated, and he's so thin fasting seems scary. Maybe take him down to half rations, well-soaked before feeding? If he keeps pooping then we'll be able to eliminate one possible cause. The daphnia seems like a good idea.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Oh, and I think Mr. Kitty's bloat was brought on as much by stress as anything else, since he could see Buttercup through the divider. Has anything changed which could have bothered him? Inside or outside the tank?


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

He's still pooping as it is. I will cut him down to one feeding a day, maybe, and see if that helps. He's still active if I go near the tank (he's most active when I'm trying to get pictures, lil stinker). And he's figured out how to pin himself under his plant leaf so he can be near his beloved moss ball. I've never seen a betta so attached to a plant before...


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Well, he has seemed slightly overwhelmed by all the space in the new 1.2 gallon. I haven't got much in there for him, just the one silk plant and the moss ball. Do you think he feels too exposed? This is almost three times the space he had in his previous bowl. Other than that, I'm not sure what could be stressing him out. He's not close to any other betta, he's sort of in his own little nook in my bedroom. In fact, he was close to other bettas in his previous bowl...


----------



## Tsukikoi (Feb 19, 2014)

Perhaps a lower water level for easier access to his moss ball? He might want to lay on his moss ball, but floats up? Sorry, I'm not of much help...

Get well soon, Phoenix!


----------



## myexplodingcat (Apr 9, 2014)

Seki said:


> I've never seen a betta so attached to a plant before...


Oh my gosh, that is so cute XD


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

I am unsure that you can mix epsom salt with triple sulfur. I know i've mixed epsom salt with general cure before without any issues but my girl was also much stronger then phoenix seems. 

I had a girl with a similar SBD issue. She never really look bloated but would float to the top for a few days and then go back to normal. Her poop was also normal. Maybe after you finish your triple sulfur treatment and he starts to look a bit stronger you can try the epsom salt + general cure? I know it sounds strange but I had tried a bunch of different treatments and the ONLY thing that cured the strange SBD was general cure +epsom salt.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

He is so adorable. I'll have to get a nice _big_ mossball...watch him get all depressed because it's not the same one. 

A little more cover might be just the thing. Imagine if you lived in a closet for your whole life, and then someone gave you a 1 bedroom apartment and windows with no curtains, lol. He's enough of a character he could concievably be overwhelmed. There have been a lot of changes in his life in the past couple of weeks.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Well... somehow his SBD cleared up overnight/through the day? I don't know what happened... I came back from work this evening and he was chilling at the bottom of his tank, swimming up to see me when I came over. Um... Phoenix, are you just messing with my head? wtf dude...


----------



## Bikeridinguckgirl14 (Oct 22, 2013)

Seki said:


> Well... somehow his SBD cleared up overnight/through the day? I don't know what happened... I came back from work this evening and he was chilling at the bottom of his tank, swimming up to see me when I came over. Um... Phoenix, are you just messing with my head? wtf dude...


Yaaaay! Maybe he was just gassy or something


----------



## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

What some fish will overcome to be able to get to their mossballs.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Veloran said:


> What some fish will overcome to be able to get to their mossballs.


Amusingly enough, he is resting by his moss ball hahahaha


----------



## Pippin (Apr 11, 2014)

Silly bettas.. Well, t least he's okay now. Though one of my bettas used to pretend to be ill so that I would drop food into his tank to see if he was just tired. 
Oh, and he isn't the only betta who plays with his moss ball! I was looking through ancient threads, and someone had a betta who pushed his moss ball over. http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=91461&page=0#post962579


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Phoenix certainly must be feeling better! Guess who gave me his VERY FIRST FLARE today?? ^_^ Looks like he has some dalmatian spots, too, how cool!


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Hooray! He's definitely feeling better


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

I still wanna fatten him up a little more before I ship him, but it's looking like that day is getting closer, hrutan! Depending on how far along his fins are when I end up sending him, do you have Triple Sulfa to treat him if he needs it? If not, I could probably send a packet along in his box for you. The box includes ten packets haha and each is for ten gallons. I'm not even through one packet yet!


----------



## SkyDye (Jun 29, 2014)

I'm glad he is feeling better! Imagine if it was gas and all you see is a little bubble come out of him and he's all better Cx


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

It's very possible that stress in an of itself caused his momentary lapse. You can see that happen with pretty much anything; swim bladder issues, fin biting, stress lines and even white stringy poop can be caused by purely stress of a big move or a completely and sudden diet change (happens in humans too).

That flare is absolutely adorable! If you've got him on the Epsom Salt, you can continue until the end of this round of T. Sulfa, I don't remember where you are in the round but you can go a few rounds with the T. Sulfa IF his fins are not looking any better. If they no longer look like they're melted but are starting to perk up a little bit then you can discontinue meds and just keep on with daily water changes to keep his water healthy ^_^ you know the drill! ;-)


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

omg look at that flare! He really is turning into one of the cutest bettas I've ever seen.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Seki said:


> I still wanna fatten him up a little more before I ship him, but it's looking like that day is getting closer, hrutan! Depending on how far along his fins are when I end up sending him, do you have Triple Sulfa to treat him if he needs it? If not, I could probably send a packet along in his box for you. The box includes ten packets haha and each is for ten gallons. I'm not even through one packet yet!


I don't, but let me see if I can find it in the next few days. It seems like a good idea to have meds on hand in general.

His tank is on the nitrite spike stage of cycling, and driving me nuts. Hopefully it'll be done soon, but I do have 3 gallon Kritter Keepers on hand to give him a nice temporary home if needed - all I need to do is buy another heater; everything else is good to go.


----------



## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

That flare doesn't look like he feels threatened, I bet he's just showing off.


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

I agree. I think he is just showing off.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Oh yes, he wasn't feeling threatened in the least. He would casually swim by the mirror and check himself out before deciding it was time to puff up a bit and show off haha. If he had seemed distressed, I would have put the mirror away immediately. But I think he enjoyed having a good flare.


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

I think he did too 

any moss ball movement? I think he has become so attached to it because he came from a boiling parking lot and once you got him into his first home he wanted something to lay on/make himself comfortable on. Its like his buddy now.


----------



## Jonthefish (Jun 16, 2014)

Agreed , this little guy must have a cool story to tell that moss ball xD


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Ahh sorry guys. I was out looking at cars yesterday haha. Yes, there has been a little moss ball movements, but it seems he's shoving it toward the front of the tank now haha. He still likes to lay next to it or on top of it. No more SBD! Thankfully that seems to have been a one time thing. Now he can spend all the time he wants with his beloved moss ball. Honestly, I'd ship it in his bag with him if I didn't think he could end up being crushed by it. But I know that would be possible, so I'm afraid he'll have to have a new moss ball at hrutan's hahaha.


----------



## BettaBeau (May 14, 2014)

Awww... you should ship the moss ball separately, after all, it belongs to him!


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

He'll have moss balls at his new owner's house ^_^. hrutan already said she was buying some for him. I don't think he'll know whether the moss ball is the same one or not after three days in a dark, sealed box hahaha.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

I special ordered some moss balls on Monday, along with some other stuff. The shop said they'd probably be in by Friday. =)


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Woooo! He'll be so excited!!


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

My ammonia levels dropped through the floor all of the sudden in the 10g. Nitrites are spiked and I'm starting to get nitrate readings, so his forever home should be ready for him soon!

There are also about a dozen still-translucent ramshorn snails. For some reason my roommate thinks they are adorable. Hopefully Phoenix won't mind them, lol.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Haha here's hoping he won't! I'm glad his tank is almost ready, I think I might be able to ship him out this coming Tuesday if he's looking alright. He's been plenty active, although his fins are not pristine yet. I think it'll take a while to get them perfect, though, so I'm okay with shipping him before his fins are absolutely perfect. At the very least, I think his fin melt has cleared up. His caudal is curled a bit like a corkscrew, though... I'm not sure if that's a defect or something he'll grow out of with time.

Regardless, he's doing very well and I'll grab some pics soon for his update. Haven't done one in a couple days! lol


----------



## Aquatail (Jun 29, 2012)

hrutan, are you going to take over updates on Phoenix's progress when you get him?


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

Awe 

I can't wait to see him!


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Yes absolutely. Although I'll probably be doing short videos rather than pictures, since my camera is not so good.


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

Yay!


----------



## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

Ok, on a serious note, if he starts rolling the ramshorn snails, I want some pre-warning as I'm literally going to be on the floor laughing. I wouldn't put it past him, he seems to just have that playful personality and would probably do it for the attention.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Seki said:


> Haha here's hoping he won't! I'm glad his tank is almost ready, I think I might be able to ship him out this coming Tuesday if he's looking alright. He's been plenty active, although his fins are not pristine yet. I think it'll take a while to get them perfect, though, so I'm okay with shipping him before his fins are absolutely perfect. At the very least, I think his fin melt has cleared up. His caudal is curled a bit like a corkscrew, though... I'm not sure if that's a defect or something he'll grow out of with time.
> 
> Regardless, he's doing very well and I'll grab some pics soon for his update. Haven't done one in a couple days! lol


That would be great. If the 10g is still cycling at that point (I think it'll be done, but ...) I'll have a 3g ready as a nice stopover for him. With moss balls. :lol:


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

He is going to be so happy to see those moss balls when get out the boxed he is being shipped in


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

hrutan said:


> That would be great. If the 10g is still cycling at that point (I think it'll be done, but ...) I'll have a 3g ready as a nice stopover for him. *With moss balls*. :lol:


The important thing is the moss balls hahahaha


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Picture update anyone? I'm so pleased with how much weight he's put on! It'll pain me to have to fast him before shipping! But I know he'll get plenty of food when he reaches his destination, of course.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

He's so funny, watching you like that. Looks like he's hoping for treats. ;-)

Do you think he'll need continued medication once he gets here?


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Haha he probably was. Or else he was making sure I didn't make any moves on his moss ball... hahaha

At the moment, I'm thinking not. I have ended his round of Triple Sulfa and I don't plan on starting another. I think I'll just keep changing his water daily and see if clean water isn't best for now for him. ^_^


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

I agree, just plain water changes will do him good now rather than the medication ^_^ He's so adorable!


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

lilnaugrim, what do you think of the twist in his caudal? Birth defect or something he'll recover from?


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Nah, it's pretty normal for VT's to have a twist like that. Because it's more flowy, it's more prone to just twisting over kind of like long hair on people; it generally ends up more curly (depending on your heritage) the longer it grows out, it may be straight some days but others it might curl some. Similar to what is happening with his fin, it's normal ;-)


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Mr. Kitty has a curl at the end of his caudal that looks like he was absently twirling it with a finger. It's cute and doesn't seem to bother him. I'd always figured it was raggedy because he's a closet tail biter (ARGH), but that makes sense, too.

Okay! Next question...

What exactly are you feeding him? Omega One pellets, some other brand, or frozen or live food? Do you recommend any kind of diet for a fish that is still recovering from that kind of massive trauma?

I'm currently feeding my boys Ocean Nutrition betta pellets which, according to the guaranteed analysis on the package, has the same protein content as Omega one, but a slightly different (higher) fat content. I have no idea if higher fat is good or bad. I can order stuff freely from my lps, so if there's something different he should have, it won't be a problem.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

lil - Oh good! I've been worried about that since I found him haha. Oddly, none of my VTs have ever had that twist, so I guess I assumed it was some sort of issue lol.

hrutan - I'm glad it doesn't bother you, 'cause you're about to have another betta with a curly tail! LOL

At the moment, his diet is varied between NLS, OO, and frozen bloodworms as treats (those are rare, he's only had them twice). He accepts NLS and OO readily, although I think he prefers the NLS. He isn't the biggest fan of bloodworms, weirdly enough... he doesn't quite seem to know what to do with them haha. Although once he gets one in his mouth he'll eat it. But then he ignored the second one I offered!

I tend to prefer NLS for fish I am trying to put weight on because I think they use more of the pellet because it's got less filler. But if someone else wants to chime in with their opinion, that'd be fine! ^_^


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

So! Shipping attempt will be Tuesday if everything works out right. Mr. Grumpy Gills is being fasted in preparation for his trip, and he is NOT happy about it in the least. He is still plenty active, though, which is awesome! I was worried fasting him might produce a negative response, but so far so good!

hrutan - we'll have to connect on shipping info, but if you're prepared for him, he'll be heading your way this week! ^_^


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Eeeek! I'm so excited!


----------



## Jonthefish (Jun 16, 2014)

I missed a lot ?! XD

Can someone fill me in for like the last five pages ?! XD


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Ahhh today is the day!! Running to the P.O. in a few to grab the box, coming home to get him bagged up, and then sending him on his way to Cali!


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

OMG im so excited!!!!!!


----------



## GreenEnvy (Apr 27, 2014)

Safe travels Phoenix! You're going to an awesome place.


----------



## SkyDye (Jun 29, 2014)

Good luck Pheonix! Safe Travels! If only the people who left you in that parking lot could look at you now


----------



## BettaBeau (May 14, 2014)

Safe travels, Phoenix!! Bon Voyage!!


----------



## Pippin (Apr 11, 2014)

Good luck, Phoenix!


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

I'm wiggling in my seat at work, haha. Can't wait to get off work and rush home, test the water for the tank, and then set up a very comfortable temporary home if the silly 10g _still _isn't done cycling...it's driving me mad, I swear...

Mr. Kitty is going to lose one or two of his moss balls, because the order I made hasn't come in yet. He won't mind - he ignores his, anyway. I've checked four pet stores, two of them specialty fish shops, and none of them had any.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

He is on his way!! I'm sure hrutan and I will be obsessively checking his tracking number haha. He is due to arrive Thursday!


----------



## BettaBeau (May 14, 2014)

If you were to post the tracking number, I imagine that we all might crash the USPS site, lol!


----------



## Aquatail (Jun 29, 2012)

Very true, BettaBeau, very true. 

Safe travels, Phoenix! ^_^ Please let us know when he arrives, hrutan!


----------



## SkyDye (Jun 29, 2014)

Thank you for the tracking number, now we all shall be crashing the USPS website


----------



## BettaBeau (May 14, 2014)

Yay! Thanks, Hrutan!


----------



## Aquatail (Jun 29, 2012)

Yes, thank you for the number! I'm going to be checking it so often. Left the post office! Go Phoenix!


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

I have a tab open to refresh every so often, haha.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Oh, Phoenix... I'm gonna miss you, little dude. I wish you all the best, and I'm sorry our last moments together were a bit stressful for you. I know you can't understand it, but it was all so you can have a better life with a loving person in a massive tank!


































I'm not gonna lie, I'm kinda tearing up now that he's gone and it's sinking in. His empty tank and his moss ball are kinda hard for me to look at right now...


----------



## Bikeridinguckgirl14 (Oct 22, 2013)

He third pic he's looking at you like "why the h am I in this bag human!" But I'm sure he will be fine, archy was ok being shipped to me. Maybe you should have sent the moss ball...


----------



## BambooTikiBettaGirl84 (Jun 29, 2014)

Awe look at his lil eyes looking out the bag. He looks so sad and prolly misses his moss ball. He'll be so happy to be released into a great big tank with plenty of space and moss balls though!


----------



## Bikeridinguckgirl14 (Oct 22, 2013)

If anyone here ever makes a fishy charity please name it "moss balls for pheonix"


----------



## Aquatail (Jun 29, 2012)

Aw, it's ok Seki. I'm sure he's missing you too. Even when he's spoiled rotten in his new home, you're the one who rescued him and nursed him back to health so he could go and stay in his new mansion with hrutan. Perhaps when you feel better you could have his moss ball framed or something.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

D'aww, his expression...

I will send pictures and videos. I promise. He'll have the best care that I can give...and soon you will rescue another fish that needs your help badly. It's hard to let go, even knowing they're going to a good home. :|


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Thanks guys. I'm a bit of an emotional wreck, but that comes with the territory of being bipolar. I wasn't expecting to be this upset, but in the end, I'm happy Phoenix is going to his new home.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Hopefully you will feel better once I send the message of his safe arrival.


----------



## SkyDye (Jun 29, 2014)

He's in transit to his destination! :-D


Awww Seki. It's ok, Pheonix will always have a special place for you in his heart. You saved his life and I doubt he could thank you enough if he could speak


----------



## Aquatail (Jun 29, 2012)

Yay! Departing sort facility! ^_^

Seki and hrutan, I feel a bit odd asking this for a package that isn't even mine, but can I put in my e-mail for e-mail updates on his travels? Would you two be opposed to that?


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

I'm not sure how much information is available from the post office, but I am uncomfortable having my home address being seen by others. It is a bit weird for me that everyone now knows the city I live in, considering how small it was. I had never posted my location on this website for a reason, actually...

Honestly, guys, I would really rather this shipping information stay between myself and hrutan. I understand everyone is invested in Phoenix, but I have personal reasons for wanting to keep my location to myself.


----------



## Aquatail (Jun 29, 2012)

Oh! Right, I hadn't thought of the fact that it may list your address. I can't remember if it does or not. Sorry, never mind, I certainly don't want to make you at all uncomfortable! If it makes you feel better though, the tracking page itself has the post office city, but I've never seen the original sent-from address listed in all the time I can remember obsessively tracking my own packages. hrutan, though, it may list their address when it's delivered. :-?

Anyway, sorry, I definitely don't want to make you uncomfortable, Seki! I just got a little caught up in all the excitement.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

It's alright, no big deal. As I said, I just have personal reasons for wanting to keep my location to myself.


----------



## Aquatail (Jun 29, 2012)

I totally understand, I feel bad for making you uncomfortable by asking. I checked the tracking of a package I received recently and the page only lists cities. So your full address isn't on there, thankfully, and when the package is delivered hrutan's shouldn't be either unless it suddenly changes format. Still, if you're really uncomfortable with it you could probably ask a mod to edit the post and take the number out. It'd be hard, especially considered my computer remembers the tracking page, but I'll stop checking on it if it'd make you feel better.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

It's alright. You can keep checking. It's not a big deal.


----------



## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

The heck, I go get some sleep and miss two pages of updates. That third picture is the memorable one. If only the UPS people knew of his journey and the precious little cargo they were shipping.

And what I wouldn't give for betta fish cam .. Phoenix's journey.


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

I'm so excited for him to arrive  He's going to be so happy in his new home!


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Well, now I'm thoroughly embarrassed. I didn't even think of the location issue...next time I'll ask. Seki's being all nice about it, but probably wants to strangle me in my sleep. :|


----------



## GreenEnvy (Apr 27, 2014)

Aww... that pitiful face in the bag! I can't even imagine how difficult it was to let Phoenix go. I think we'll all have trouble focusing tomorrow until he has arrived to hrutan safely.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Phoenix has arrived...safe, sound, and a DAY EARLY.


----------



## GreenEnvy (Apr 27, 2014)

hrutan said:


> Phoenix has arrived...safe, sound, and a DAY EARLY.


Yay! That is such wonderful news. Looking forward to your updates. :-D


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

I'm in panic mode because I was going to set up an extra tank tomorrow after the dentist, so it would be nice and warm and ready by the afternoon. Usually the mail comes at around 4 to my work. Nope, 10:20 AM, a day early. Plans: Out the window!

Guess I'm spending my lunch break at the pet store!

Here's Mr. Grumpyface!


----------



## BettaBeau (May 14, 2014)

Yaaaaayyyyyy! Woo hoo!!!!


----------



## Aquatail (Jun 29, 2012)

Go post office, that was really quick! Hope Phoenix is doing well.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

He looks excellent. His color is good, and he is active in his bag. The bag was warmer than the temperature in the library (which is good, it's freaking cold in here), so I snuggled him back up in his styrofoam to keep him warm. This is going to be a looooooong day at work.


----------



## Bikeridinguckgirl14 (Oct 22, 2013)

Alright pheonix! He must have made them hurry up so he could get to his new moss ball ASAP


----------



## Zuzu (Jun 24, 2014)




----------



## Aquatail (Jun 29, 2012)

That's awesome, Zuzu! I totally want to save it as a wallpaper or something! ^_^


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

That's what I'm going to do with it, lol.


----------



## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

Lol, I'm so saving that pic.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

The boss gave permission for me to toddle off on my lunch break to the pet store, so I'll be taking off in half an hour to get a new heater, decorations and temporary accommodations. Even if I can't get him set up until I get off work tonight, I'd like to have him floating in heated water ASAP for his safety. The AC is on full blast here, because it's nearly 100 out and we're a cooling center.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

OMG that was astoundingly fast! I'm so thrilled he made it there so quickly, wow!! And he looks healthy and grumpy as can be! I'm so excited, YAY!! Thank you for the pic, too, it totally.put my mind at ease lol. What an awesome thing to see on my lunch break!!


----------



## SkyDye (Jun 29, 2014)

Dang that was fast delivery! Pheonix made them hurry


----------



## Bikeridinguckgirl14 (Oct 22, 2013)

Well, have you given him a moss ball yet?


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Just got back from organizing myself after the pet store trip. Phoenix is floating in a temporary 5 gallon Kritter Keeper in the staff kitchen, getting slowly warmed up.


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

AWE this literally just made my day!


----------



## EvaJupiterSkies (Oct 25, 2013)

This makes me so happy!  I'm glad he made it safely!


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Phoenix is acclimating. I'm taking about 1/4 oz of water out of his bag at a time, and replacing it with tank water every five minutes. After dinner, he should be ready for release. I'll take a video.


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

I am literally so excited to see this video.


----------



## SkyDye (Jun 29, 2014)

Will he be getting released in the 10g or the temporary 5g?

Can't wait to see the video!


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Ahhh I'm so happy to come home and see that picture! And I can't believe he made it so quickly, that lady must have pulled strings and gotten him expedited or something. Whatever the case, I'm so grateful!!

Seeing him staring out of that bag makes me so happy I can hardly handle it. Phoenix, little buddy, I miss you a ton, but I'm beyond thrilled you're in the care of such an awesome person!! <3


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

The temporary 5g. The 10g still has sky high nitrite readings, to my frustration. Looks like Phoenix is enjoying his 5g though -- here's the video!



He ate 6 pellets. SIX. He'd have eaten more, but I don't want to cause him to bloat up...I did soak the pellets for five minutes first. One of my other boys has a sensitive tummy (what a _diva_), so I do that for all of them.

After dinner, he resumed zooming around. He's a very friendly fish! Much more friendly than Mr. Kitty, who bites if your finger gets near the water. Buttercup enjoys my company, but he won't chase my finger like Phoenix already will. 

I'll give him a frozen bloodworm before bed to celebrate his safe arrival.


----------



## BambooTikiBettaGirl84 (Jun 29, 2014)

Everything looked like food to him, and I heard someone say "What a goober". That made me giggle. The video was cute and hope he is looking forward to his new tank once its all done getting cycled.


----------



## LadyNightraven (Jun 30, 2013)

Yay Phoenix! It was so much fun watching him rush to check out everything. He's so darn cute! He's going to have a happy life with you for sure, hrutan. Between you and Seki, he is one lucky fish!


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Omg him lying on that IAL was literally the most heartwarming thing I've ever seen! Maybe the IAL is more interesting than the moss ball, who knows? Ahhh he looks amazing, he's even spreading his fins out right away for you, no clamping! little guy probably has no idea what to do with all that space. Enjoy it, Phoenix, you deserve it!! 

He has been a healthy eater ever since he started eating for me, so I'm hardly surprised by his appetite haha. He's been fasted for three days, after all!! He did have that little SBD issue before, which may have been due to overfeeding on my part, so just keep an eye on him for that. But he looks so awesome! I think he's still pretty young, too, from how small he is compared to some of my other males. Hopefully he'll get a bit bigger still!


----------



## Thothgirl (Jul 12, 2013)

That video was adorable! just adorable!


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Seki said:


> Omg him lying on that IAL was literally the most heartwarming thing I've ever seen! Maybe the IAL is more interesting than the moss ball, who knows? Ahhh he looks amazing, he's even spreading his fins out right away for you, no clamping! little guy probably has no idea what to do with all that space. Enjoy it, Phoenix, you deserve it!!
> 
> He has been a healthy eater ever since he started eating for me, so I'm hardly surprised by his appetite haha. He's been fasted for three days, after all!! He did have that little SBD issue before, which may have been due to overfeeding on my part, so just keep an eye on him for that. But he looks so awesome! I think he's still pretty young, too, from how small he is compared to some of my other males. Hopefully he'll get a bit bigger still!


He wasn't even clamping in the bag. This boy is just filled with high spirits!

He sure is teeny-tiny. Everyone was commenting on it. Hopefully time and a healthy diet will help him grow ... but if he doesn't, he'll be my "little fish" and it will all be okay.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Haha yeah, I really do think he'll grow a bit more. Probably quite a bit more, really lol. He looked about 2/3 the size of my other adult VT males, so I'm thinking he's either young, or he was stunted during fryhood from improper care. But let's just hope that he's a young'un!


----------



## myexplodingcat (Apr 9, 2014)

Awwwwwww! Phoenix jumping up on that IAL, straight out of the bag--just adorable!

"That's duckweed. ...Yeah, that's still duckweed."
LOL. My fish did the same thing when introduced to duckweed! I wonder how many of the little plants they've almost eaten before deciding they didn't taste that great.

I just love the fact that he's swimming around like a king in his little castle, with his fins all splayed out. Like he's saying--"They're finally recognizing that I'm royalty, and this is how I *deserve* to be treated." He's right, really! After what he's been through, he totally deserves hrutan's gentle, loving care for the rest of his life.

Long live Phoenix! XD


----------



## autojoy (Jun 16, 2014)

Aww, look at him! What a cutie! Seeing the video was very heart-warming, a happy new beginning for the little dude


----------



## Pandanke (Jun 16, 2014)

That IAL laying was *sooo* cute! What a little sweetheart he is, so high spirited! I can't wait to see how he feels about the 10g!


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

I literally "awed" so loudly when I saw him swim into the IAL (im at work btw hahaha).

Has he found the moss ball yet?


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

He hasn't as far as I know, but I have to be sneaky to watch him actually doing anything. Any time I get close to the tank, it's "race-race-race" until I'm away again, lol.

I've caught him looking at the Malaysian Trumpet snail I put in there as a little experiment. He does't seem to mind her, but he's curious when she moves. He's very fond of the almond leaf, just like the other two...it's going to be quite a shock when it finally sinks, lol.

Everything's in order this morning. He pooped. The poop looked good. I tried him on mysis shrimp, which he accepted, and then finished the meal with soaked pellets until his tum tum was very gently rounded. He seems to like the pellets more, but I'm convinced that a variety of frozen food will be better for him, so I'm supplementing his meals with shrimp and bloodworms. I hadn't heard of mysis shrimp before, but the guy working the plant and food section told me that they're high in protein and a little more nutritious than brine shrimp, so I bought them and looked it up to make sure they were safe for him before feeding time. I'll alternate between the two, plus pellets.

His color looks good this morning. Looks like the travel wasn't that big of a deal to him - which, after what he's been through, makes sense. Fish have very good memories, which is one of the reasons why I think fish that are rescues seem to be more reactive than those bought in good health. Teach a goldfish to run a maze once and it will remember months later...


----------



## Bikeridinguckgirl14 (Oct 22, 2013)

I gotta say not only does he look amazing but he is such a quirky little boy, whomever first left him behind is a moron! I had a boy who would sleep 1/2cm from the water line on the leaf so don't be surprised if you can't find him because he's right there.


----------



## BettaBeau (May 14, 2014)

So cute! The IAL will sink? Too bad you can't suction cup one up there....


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

hrutan said:


> He hasn't as far as I know, but I have to be sneaky to watch him actually doing anything. Any time I get close to the tank, it's "race-race-race" until I'm away again, lol.
> 
> I've caught him looking at the Malaysian Trumpet snail I put in there as a little experiment. He does't seem to mind her, but he's curious when she moves. He's very fond of the almond leaf, just like the other two...it's going to be quite a shock when it finally sinks, lol.
> 
> ...


He is definitely a show-off... taking pictures of him takes patience lol he loves to swim around for attention. Sometimes he'll pause for a mirror, sometimes he won't pay it any attention, so you could try that if you wanted. 

I have heard of mysis shrimp! I'm glad they stock them in your area, I could never find any around here! But I have to say, I'm not surprised he prefers the pellets. He was fed almost exclusively on pellets while he was with me. He did get frozen bloodworms a couple of times, but he never showed much interest in them.

Good to hear he's settling in and handling water movement well! He's never been exposed to any sort of current before, so I'm glad he can handle it! I was a teensy bit worried the water movement might overwhelm him, but it sounds like he's doing just fine!


----------



## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

Indian Almond Leaf, moss ball and more pellets than he can shake a stick at, no wonder cute, little Grumpyface is strutting like a king. And especially from where he started, he deserves every bit of it.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

I was worried about the water movement too, so I did a bit of fixing before putting Phoenix in. The sponge filter creates a very gentle current, but the bubbles at the top were creating quite a ruckus. My solution was to make a ring out of leftover tubing, and then fasten that around the tube for the air pump, floating it at the point the bubbles hit the surface. Then I anchored a piece of filter media to the ring. The bubbles spread out across the media, which calms the surface of the water enough that it only _sounds_ like a boiling cauldron, rather than looking like it, too.

Phoenix doesn't seem to mind, and there doesn't appear to be any meaningful drag on his delicate fins.


----------



## SkyDye (Jun 29, 2014)

Awww the video :-D

I laughed when you said "Yea that's duckweed, that's still duckweed bud."

Hungry little Pheonix


----------



## GreenEnvy (Apr 27, 2014)

That video is so adorable! I'm glad he's doing well.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Routine is getting established. Phoenix gets the mysis shrimp in the morning, and the bloodworms in the evening (along with pellets at both meals). He took the bloodworms tonight with way more enthusiasm than he did yesterday. I think he's catching on. My roommate wanted to feed him his pellets tonight, which he ate with equal excitement. Definitely not a picky boy.

We had guests over, like we usually do on Thursday. Of course I had to show him off, and everyone ooh'd and aah'd. One of the ladies asked to take a picture of the 10 gallon, while insisting that Phoenix was watching her the whole time and she'd never seen a fish do that. Phoenix was, of course, keeping quite a sharp eye on her. He's a real ladies' man. ;-)


----------



## TripleChrome (Jun 5, 2014)

He sounds like my betta, Leo. He is not a picky eater and he will watch everyone who comes into the same room as him. Glad Phoenix got there safely.


----------



## Jonthefish (Jun 16, 2014)

Awwww the video is so cute !! :-D


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Baby Pip would like to assure Phoenix that his moss ball is being well-guarded. 


















S/he kept circling around it and resting near it. I guess we can call it a hand-me-down moss ball now, huh?


----------



## BambooTikiBettaGirl84 (Jun 29, 2014)

Awe such a cutie! So tiny compared to that moss ball. LOL. All my girls don't even look at my mossball I have in their tank. Midnight actually got angry with it because I put it in the way of a passage under the driftwood she would go through. I found it pushed all the way into the corner of the tank and Midnight where it was.


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Hahahaha that's so cute! Phoenix used to push his moss ball around, too. It was the cutest thing ever!!

Baby Pip looks itty bitty because s/he is a petco baby betta. Probably around 1 month old, maybe? I'm not sure. Anyway, s/he got Phoenix's old tank, which means s/he inherited his moss ball for the time being! S/he seems to like it almost as much as he did!


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

There must be something special about that moss ball. It's good that it gets to comfort another fish in need. 

Photo update!

I tried to take some pictures of the lil' dude, with most of them coming out like this:


But I did get a couple good ones. The big trick seemed to be sticking my finger in the water. Phoenix would investigate it for food (he _nibbled _me!) and I'd snap a shot while he was off guard. PHOTO SPAM!!









He gave me a couple of teeny-tiny flares, but I never managed to catch one of those on film. :lol:


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Awwwww!!! He's looking awesome, and that's adorable that he nibbled you!! Those dalmatian spots are really coming in on his fins, huh? He looks so awesome, you're doing an amazing job with him, clearly!!


----------



## myexplodingcat (Apr 9, 2014)

hrutan said:


> I tried to take some pictures of the lil' dude, with most of them coming out like this:


But I thought all fish pictures came out like that. XD

Phoenix looks great!


----------



## Bailmint (Jun 15, 2013)

Can't believe I didn't find this thread till' now xD, this is bizzare .


----------



## Bailmint (Jun 15, 2013)

I'm in love with Pheonix xD. Honestly. I shall join his fanbase xD.


----------



## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

Hell of a transformation, little guy.


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

Bailmint - we are ALL in love with phoenix!

He is so adorable and seems to adjusting well to his new home!!!!


----------



## Bailmint (Jun 15, 2013)

Yus I know xD That's why I said: "I shall _join_ his fanbase"


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

glad to have you as part of his fan base!


----------



## Bailmint (Jun 15, 2013)

xD Yeyyyy thanks~~~


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Phoenix will chase my finger around in the water as long as I move it slowly, which was funny. I pranked my roommate with him today by showing her the trick...and then not warning her that if she lets him catch up, he'll bite! Her surprised shriek kept us both laughing for a while. :lol:


----------



## Bailmint (Jun 15, 2013)

Omg he's the cutest thing<33


----------



## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

But, I think the answer to the real question that us inquiring minds want to know, has there been moss ball movement?


----------



## Jonthefish (Jun 16, 2014)

Veloran said:


> But, I think the answer to the real question that us inquiring minds want to know, has there been moss ball movement?



Literally came to ask this . xD


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

He did discover the moss ball! But, I haven't seen any movement yet~ I did see him crash into it while he was swimming, which was pretty hilarious...so I waited across the room, watching. He didn't repeat the trick while I was in the room, darn it. It looked like a cartoon character running into a brick wall, so it's possible that particular moss ball is a bit heavy for him. Hmm. I might steal one of Mr. Kitty's small ones and see what happens. :lol:


----------



## BambooTikiBettaGirl84 (Jun 29, 2014)

hrutan said:


> He did discover the moss ball! But, I haven't seen any movement yet~ I did see him crash into it while he was swimming, which was pretty hilarious...so I waited across the room, watching. He didn't repeat the trick while I was in the room, darn it. It looked like a cartoon character running into a brick wall, so it's possible that particular moss ball is a bit heavy for him. Hmm. I might steal one of Mr. Kitty's small ones and see what happens. :lol:


It's like look what I can do! *crash* *looks around* No one saw that right? Okay good! *swims off casually*


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

Hahahaha poor baby!! He didn't have a lot of trouble moving the one he had with me, but the one you have might be denser or bigger. He usually stopped trying to move it if he noticed me! I only managed to get that one picture out of sheer luck hahaha. More often than not, he would just be lying on the moss ball or floating near it~

I'm glad he's held on to his interest in moss balls, though!!


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

Literally, he sounds like the cutest betta!


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Yes, I can confirm it: He's _definitely _trying to move that moss ball. But the moment he sees me, he stops and stares at me, and then goes back to doing normal fish things.

I SAW IT WITH MY OWN EYES. I _will _catch this on film. Somehow. Someday...


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

Put a smaller moss ball in his tank so that he can move it! It would make him so happy!


----------



## Jonthefish (Jun 16, 2014)

Haha ! Glad he is still doing fishy research on moss balls . xD


----------



## trichter (Jul 27, 2014)

As everyone else here I am in love with Phoenix. He has truly risen from the ashes. I have been stalking this thread but had to chime in  I am thinking we all need to get moss balls for our Betta Babies


----------



## BettaBeau (May 14, 2014)

I need to get a moss ball and remove the river rocks from my girl's tank!


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Moss balls are pretty awesome. They look like little green tribbles and are easy to care for. Phoenix loves his, but the other two don't care...which is fine, because they are still fun to look at.

Phoenix update:
His cave turned nasty and slimy, so I took it out and gave him a 100% water change last night...kept his filter wet and tucked in a plastic bag, in the hopes of preserving any bacteria present. He's got a cup for now, but my roommate made an AWESOME CASTLE out of craft mesh and aquarium sealant. OMG.

Here she is making it:


The sealant should be dry and ready for immersion tomorrow night. She'll trim off any rough edges - as a precaution, any edge of craft mesh that might scratch him has been coated with sealant to make it soft.

I leave for a trip tonight at midnight, and my roommate will be caring for Phoenix while I'm gone. She's a wonderful young lady; he's in good hands. My apologies, but I'll only be able to do updates if she sends me pictures. Unfortunate timing - I'd have liked to watch him for another couple of weeks before leaving, but the trip's been booked for months and has cost me a ton, so I can't cancel it, and since it's a convention, I can't reschedule.


----------



## VivianKJean (Aug 20, 2013)

The craft mesh house looks adorable!

If you trust your roommate with him, then so do i


----------



## Bailmint (Jun 15, 2013)

Cool 

I'm so getting a moss ball for some of my babies btw~


----------



## Seki (Jul 10, 2012)

See I'm sure he'll miss you while you're gone! But clearly hell be in capable hands! And just think of the wiggle dance hell do when you get back again!!!! Lol

On a side note, I totally agree that moss balls are awesome fish companions. I've never managed to kill one, and I have a real brown thumb! Plus, I feel like they provide so many benefits, like helping to absorb ammonia and helping the fish feel more relaxed and comfortable.


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

*Phoenix is moving today.*

Guess what I found when I got back from vacation? A cycled tank!! :-D

Phoenix will be moved into his new home tonight. I'll post a video update *here*, and then any further Phoenix shenanigans will be posted in my inaccurately named "75 gallon project tank" journal, along with the stories of the rest of my boys. I get off work at 8 PST, so his release will be posted between 9 and 10 PM my time. Thank you all for your emotional support for Seki, and later for myself. It's wonderful to know how many people care about a little, sick, hurt fish who needed loving care and a forever home.

Here's the link to my journal for those that wish to continue following: http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=422930


----------



## hrutan (Jun 25, 2014)

Well, I released him into the tank...and it's looking like my phone "forgot" the video. Either that, or my roommie accidentally didn't hit record. Either one is a distinct possibility, although I'm leaning more towards the phone failing than my roommate. She's perfectly capable of using a phone, after all, and my phone is old and prone to malfunction.

**sighs**

So sorry about that. I'll try to post a video update tomorrow in the other journal...


----------

