# Fishlets' Chronicles



## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

My beautiful blue with redwash HM, that I got from PetSmart a week ago, died last night, possible from the "Mystery Disease." 

I wasn't going to get a new one.  "_Two is enough_," I said.... But I went back to Petsmart to show them the one that had died. They sent me to talk to an employee, who was standing right next to the Bettas.... I pretended I didn't see them. 

The employee asked, _"Do you want a replacement?"_ and waved at the line of Bettas behind me, "_or a refund?_"

I couldn't resist turning around.... And there he was. Looking at me. Flaring his little green, red and white fins. I couldn't help thinking, _"He'd be PERFECT for the Christmas Betta Contest!"_ :smile:

These pictures were taken while he was floating in his icky-cup, acclimating. (He's a little darker than the first picture... His coloring is more like the 2nd picture.) There's also white along the edges of his fins, but it doesn't show up well in these photos.

I think his name is going to be "Cayman Fire."


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Of course, you also need to meet my other two fish!

FIJI FISHLETS - My first betta! Adopted from PetSmart on Oct. 9th, 2012. (This picture was taken on Dec 2, 2012).


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

TAHITI BUBBLES - My second Betta! Adopted from PetSmart on Nov. 13th, 2012. (Picture taken Dec 2, 2012)


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

And my poor Little Fishie. I only had him a week, and he never fully acclimated. Two people thought he may have succumbed to the "Mystery Disease" that's being discussed in the Emergency & Diseases forum. Poor little guy. I never even gave him a real name, because he just never adapted here. :-(

Little Fishie - Adopted from PetSmart on Nov 29th, 2012. Died on Dec. 7th, 2012. SIP little guy. :-(


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

And now you've meet the threesome: Fiji Fishlets, Tahiti Bubbles, and Cayman Fire.

Can you tell that I really want to live on a nice tropical island? 

And yes, I'd bring my fishies.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

I'm learning. Or maybe I just think I am. 

I've put Cayman Fire's one-gallon quarantine tank into what will become his three-gallon home, and turned on the heater. This will allow the temp to rise more slowly than if I put the heater directly into the smaller 1-gal tank. 

I'm also keeping the tank half-covered with a towel to reduce light and distractions. (Especially the distraction caused by the hyperactive female who will be living next door to him! She already knows "_something is happening_" next to her, and she's been glass-surfing the side of her tank in an effort to see what, or who, is next to her.)

Someone once told me, _"Fish are boring."_ Well, I bet they didn't have bettas!


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Cayman Fire flared for me today. It was a nice 180 degree spread. That means he's officially a HM. 

He also has a nice white border around the edges of his fins. Does that make him a butterfly HM? Yay! 

But.... my 'dream betta' is a blue butterfly HM, and Cayman isn't blue. :/ Then again, he's here. And I like him. So maybe I need to revise my opinion of my 'dream betta.' LOL

And, of course, I can't discriminate against Fiji and Tahiti. So now, I guess I have three favorite bettas: Fiji, Tahiti, and Cayman. They've all got their unique personalities.

Heh, and I sure wouldn't mind visiting any of their namesake islands.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Cayman is building his very first bubble nest! Ooooo! Pretty! :-D

I needed to be careful of it while I was scooping out the poop this morning with a turkey baster. :lol:

I thought that the males liked to build bubble nests UNDER things, but both of my guys build them in the open areas of the tank. Go figure.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Cayman is sick!  

He was swimming happily yesterday morning. By the evening, he was on the bottom, tilted on his side.... I treated him with some Epsom salt, and covered his tank with a towel to keep it dark.

This morning, I lifted up the towel, and he was floating on the surface. I was sure he was dead.    

I tried to scoop him into his cup, and he swam away! Yay, he was alive! Sick maybe, but still alive.

I did a partial water change, again using Epsom salt.... Tonight, he still hasn't pooped, though. I'm still fasting him, and peeking in through the towel. He seems to have trouble with his buoyancy.  

But at least, he's still alive. So there's hope.... I'll keep up with the Epsom salt treatment, and keep on hoping....

My other guys, Fiji and Tahiti, are oblivious to what's going on in the other tank. They watch each other through the sides of their tanks and flirt.  I'm really glad that they're still healthy. 

I think my 3rd tank is jinxed.... Or maybe it's contaminated. I'd washed it with bleach solution after Little Fishie died. But based on what I read today about the 'blue betta mystery disease,' it may be a form of Mycobacteria, and bleach may not be enough.... 

I've just washed my 1 gallon tank with bleach, then sprayed it with Lysol, per the Mycobacterium cleaning protocol. Tomorrow, I'll wash it with 70% alcohol, then rinse well and let it air dry. Once I know it's clean and free of bleach, Lysol and alcohol, I'll transfer Cayman to it. (Notice that I'm assuming he'll still be alive!) Then, I'll take his 3 gallon tank through the same cleaning protocol. I'm considering tossing out his silk plants and decorations, and buying new.... (I prefer not to consider that his illness may be due to Mycobacteria. There's no cure for it.... His symptoms are different from what LittleFishie had though, so I'm remaining optimistic...)


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## Little Leaf (Jul 7, 2012)

LittleBlueFishlets said:


> Of course, you also need to meet my other two fish!
> 
> FIJI FISHLETS - My first betta! Adopted from PetSmart on Oct. 9th, 2012. (This picture was taken on Dec 2, 2012).



You took the pic on my b-day!


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Little Leaf said:


> You took the pic on my b-day!


I guess I did. 

I wasn't a member here yet, though. After I joined, I saw that I'd missed your birthday, so I sent you a Happy Birthday message. :-D

How is King Dedede doing?


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Cayman pooped today! Yay! LOL

Yes, I know. It's really bizarre to get worked up about poop, much less cheer when it happens.  

But Cayman was constipated, and looked bloated. So I put him into an Epsom salt bath on Thursday.... On Friday morning, he looked like he was dead. I went to cup him, and he swam away! (I think both of us screamed. LOL).... On Saturday morning, he was doing barrel rolls in his tank, which freaked me out!... Today, he looked better though. Shellieca recommended feeding him a pellet. I did, and he pooped! Yay!  I've removed him from the salt treatment, and he's back in his regular water now. He doesn't look overly happy. But hey, at least he's not doing barrel rolls, or giving me his best "play dead" act. So I'll take it.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

I bought some Omega One Betta pellets today. Maybe it'll help keep Cayman from being constipated. :squint: I fed each fish one pellet to see how they liked and tolerated it.

Fiji attacked, gulped, swallowed, and pretended she hadn't eaten in a month.

Cayman attacked, gulped, swallowed, and asked politely for more.

Tahiti attacked, gulped, and spit it out.... I tried again.... "_No way_," he replied.

*Sigh* Can't make 'em all happy at once, I guess. LOL


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## rubinthebetta (Oct 9, 2012)

Congrats on Cayman! By Christmas Betta Contest, do you mean the one I just so happened to start? :lol:


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Yes! I'd been reading about that contest. When I saw Cayman, he had a green body with red and white fins - and all I could think about was that he'd be perfect for that contest. 

Of course, then he got sick and bloated, which made him pale and clamped. For awhile, he ended up looking more like a wilted lettuce leaf than a bright Christmas fish.

And now, he looks MUCH better, but his fins are all tattered looking. (It's not fin rot.) I think it's just from the stress and bloat. I'm hoping that he's not biting his pretty fins off! 

Maybe I need to run a web cam on him 24/7 to see if he's tail biting.... :dunno:


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Tahiti won't eat. BUT he's still active. He swims all over the place, meanders through his pipes and pots, and flirts with the girl next door (Fiji). But he either spits out or ignores his pellets. Eventually, the pellets sink and get yuky looking, and I scoop them out and throw them away.....

I've put a barrier up between his tank and Fiji's. I think he's a little too obsessed with her. Hopefully, if he sees her a little less, he'll remember to eat occasionally. :roll:

Maybe I need to change my sig line to _"If it's not one thing, it's another."_ LOL


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

The barrier between Tahiti's and Fiji's tanks had the desired effect. Tahiti ate his pellets today. 

Then again, maybe he just wasn't hungry yesterday. Who knows.... *shrug* We need to teach our fish to talk, so they can tell us how they're feeling. LOL

I adjusted the barrier so they can see each other a little, but not all the time. I think it'll be better that way.

All three are doing fine today. Yay! Finally, no one is sick, or floating upside down, or doing barrel rolls. (I sure hope I didn't just jinx myself here.) :|

Cayman's fins are still looking ragged. They're clean though, and he's been getting loads of water changes. (Ammonia is at 0.) So either they were affected by his recent submersion on Epsom salts, or he's biting them off. I keep sneaking over to look at him, to make sure he's not chewing on his tail. But he invariably sees me coming, and stares at his food container while doing a little Happy Dance. LOL


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Tahiti not only ate his pellets today, but he built a bubble nest. :blueyay:

Cayman is DEFINITELY chewing off his pretty fins. :-( Maybe he needs more cover in his tank? I have to remind myself that he's been here for LESS than two weeks, so everything is still new - and maybe a bit overwhelming for him.... I bought some more silk plants for him today. Hopefully, it'll make him more comfy in his new tank, and solve the tail biting issue. Silly fish... :roll:

And Fiji is, well, just like always - she's happy and hungry. LOL :nicefish:


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

So I added new silk plants to Cayman's tank. And I covered up the sides at night to give him added privacy.

This morning, he was sound asleep - but there were bits of fin scattered all over the bottom of his tank. :roll:

He's a mess today. The missing fins parts make it look like he's a "wanna-be-crowntail." :sigh: 

In other news, Tahiti has added to his bubblenest, and Fiji is her usual ADHD self.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Cayman is my high-maintenance fish. Or maybe he just wants to be a crown-tail. :roll: For his tail biting, I've now tried:


warmer water temp (81F) / cooler water temp (78F)
increased light / decreased light
more exposure to my other bettas (especially the female) / less exposure to my other bettas
more privacy / less privacy
more decorations / fewer decorations
more silk plants / less silk plants
more mirror time for flaring (which has helped the constipation! LOL)

Photo 1: 12/8/12 - I had just brought him home, and he was acclimating in his cup:









Photo 2: 12/23/12 - Today: Amazing color change - but chomped fins:


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Well, I thought Cayman just did tail biting at night. But it seems he's doing it during the day, too. There were little bits of colorful 'confetti' at the bottom of his tank this afternoon. My little 'crowntail wannabe'....

Gave everyone a partial water change just now. Three tanks is more than enough to deal with. LOL


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Chomp, chomp, chomp. There were bits of turquoise colored confetti at the bottom of Cayman's tank again this morning.

Tail fins must taste good, because Cayman sure seems to like eating his. :roll:


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Peeked in on the fishies at 1am. 

Fiji and Tahiti came right over. _"Food?"_ they asked, _"Yay!"_

_"Sleep,"_ I replied, _"Don't you two ever sleep?"_

But where was Cayman? No signs of him, anywhere.... 

Oh, there he is. Little guy is tucked under his heater, sound asleep.

He's so cute when he's not chewing on his fins.

I wonder when Fiji and Tahiti will decide to sleep. When they do, she likes her hammock and he likes his silk plant.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

*Happy New Year!*

Cayman is still eating his fins. I found bits in his poop this morning. :shock:

Fiji and Tahiti are just fine. THEY don't chew their fins, and they seem happy and healthy. :greenyay:
*
Happy New Year, everyone!*


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

Cayman's tailbiting has led to a major infection. :-(

Tried to treat with Aquarium salt, but it made his buoyancy issues worse. So I switched him to Epsom salt. 

Callistra recommended some antibiotics, but Petsmart either didn't stock them, or else was completely sold out! So I went with Maracyn (eryrithromycin). It's for gram-positive bacteria, and Callistra's recommendations were all for treating gram-negative, but.... I'll give it a try. Who KNOWS what the little guy has picked up.

I did notice two things:
a) The medications cost more than the fish originally did.
b) There was a reallllllly cute blue butterfly delta tail there. And I realllllly wanted to bring him home. But I didn't. Because I have no more room. And I already have my hands full with Cayman.

Note to self: do not return to Petsmart until the cute little blue butterfly DeT has been sold.

In happier news, Fiji is just fine, and Tahiti has been building really impressive bubble nests.  

I guess Fiji and Tahiti are my low-maintenance fish, and Cayman has enough issues to keep me busy 24/7. 

Poor little Cayman. I think the Epsom salt is working though. He pooped tonight! :blueyay: So I fed him a single pellet. He was hungry. (Which is a good sign.) He has almost no fins (anal or caudal) left though. It makes him swim funny. :demented:

Will do a full WC for everyone this weekend, and retreat Cayman with his Epsom salt and Maracyn mixture. I think he needs to be on it for 5 days. (Need to check the box!) I may have to go in search of someplace that has other meds this weekend, too.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

OK, Cayman is now swimming in his meds. Found some furan-compounds, which is for gram-negative bacteria. So now he's getting antibiotics for both types of bacteria. And I also added a small amount of Epsom salt, for his tail-up floaty act.

Felt badly about destroying Tahiti's bubblenest. Again..... But it was water-change day. Checked him a little while ago, and it looks like he's rebuilding. 

And Fiji, she's happy as always.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I hope Cayman gets better.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

dramaqueen said:


> I hope Cayman gets better.


Thank you! :-D

He is doing better now! He's finished with all the meds, and is back in regular (conditioned) water again.

He has a stubby little caudal fin, and a tattered anal fin. But the infection seems to have cleared up. He's active in his tank, and is acting OK. I'm hoping that he leaves his fins alone, and that they grow back.

My little problem fish.... :roll: LOL


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

The anacharis experiment is not going well.

I can't get it to grow in the tanks with the fish. And I can't get it to grow in an uninhabited 1 gallon tank with lots of natural light, either.

I've tried floating it. I've tried putting it in gravel. But nooooo. There are a couple of little green shoots, but the majority is a pale, limp mess.

I pulled it from the three tanks, and dumped all of it into the 1 gallon tank.

Then I put the pothos back into the guy's tanks. (With the leaves above water.) At least I can grown pothos. :roll:

If the anacharis experiment continues to fail, I'll try a Marimo moss ball next. Either that, or I'll create a nice pothos jungle. LOL


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

The anacharis looks even worse today, if that's possible. :-( The pothos that I put into the tanks looks good, however. 

Fiji has a new 'game.' She usually hangs out on top of the thermometer suction cup. But now, she's been shoving her body between the thermometer and the glass. She stays there until Tahiti looks towards her, then she flies over to see him. They flirt for a few minutes, then go their separate ways again. Eventually, she shoves herself between the thermometer and glass again, and lies in wait....

Tahiti has been building a new bubble nest today.

And Cayman.... well, I can't tell if he's been chewing on his fins. They're so short already that I can't decide if they're getting shorter or holding steady. He's active and seem healthy, so that's a good sign. He's also been attacking his pellets, so I guess his appetite is good again, too.


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

I think I need to join Petsmart Addicts Anonymous....

I went in there today because..... well, there was no real reason I needed to go. Except that it's Thursday..... 

And on Thursdays, they get their new shipments of Bettas.... So, you know.... I just *had* to go there today.....

AND there was this REALLY CUTE little guy! As in ADORABLY CUTE! 

And, um.... I really don't need another fish.

So I wandered the aisles, until I got far away from the fish.... And then I ran out of the store, and refused to look back.

BUT I know he's still there. In his cup. Did I mention that he's REALLY CUTE?

Ugh. Someone please talk me out of going back there tomorrow to get him.... 

I did mention that he's absolutely ADORABLE, right? And if I get him, I'd just need another tank, heater, a couple of plants and decorations....

I. really. don't. need. another. fish.

But he's just ABSOLUTE CUTENESS!

Gah. I need help. :shock:


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## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

The fishies are fine. 

Fiji is flirting with Tahiti.

Tahiti is making a bubble nest. (I destroyed his old one when I did a water change last night.)

Cayman is flirting with his thermometer. (Some things cannot be explained. But I'd much rather he occupies himself with his thermometer than deciding to snack on his fins.) 

(And so far, I've restrained myself from getting the cute little EE that I saw at Petsmart on Thursday.....)

Life is good when the fishies are fine.


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