# Shark Baits rescue blog



## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

*Shark Bait - The pint sized pet store rescue.*

Well I've never been one to feel the need to save all the bettas in the Petsmart cups.
I have a thing for colour and big fins. Halfmoons are my thing. Sadly we don't have a great selection around here and I've seriously been contemplating purchasing from Ebay USA and having one shipped to me in Washington then driving it across the border myself.
I was at the Petsmart in a neighbouring large city and didn't feel any need to rescue any of their fish, especially considering their entire selection either had ich, fin rot, or both.

But when I stopped in at a local fish store in the small town next door on Monday to see if they had any half moons I was severely disappointed at their current selection as they've previously had some decent looking fish.

I then spotted this toothpick of a half eaten blue betta staring at me from his debris filled jar.
I sent some photos to a friend while I was at the store to see if any of the fish seemed remotely worthy of bringing home but I knew none were.
But something made me feel really bad for this little blue fish.
Not sure if it was his half eaten tail, or the fact that his head looked massive on his emaciated little body, or that he struggled to swim with his nubs, or that he was half the size of any other betta there, but the little dude still had spunk.










My friend decided to name him shark, and I seriously considered bringing him home but firmly said I only have room for 1 more display fish, I cant keep a rescue fish and that she should drive down and come get him (that would never happen.) So I left with the owners phone number so I could call and see when their next shipments coming in.

Well my annoying friend sent me a posting of somebody who rescued an ugly little petsmart fish, and I felt insanely bad for the little blue fish again.
I think it bugged me all night. 

So of coarse I made my way over to the store this morning to see if the little bugger was even still alive. And so he was.
I asked the owner if she would let him go a bit cheaper since he was in such rough shape, and she just bagged him and let me take him for free.

So minus a bumpy ride home, shark bait is now sitting in my bathroom ready to start a new journey. Hes definitely a bit stressed, I don't even get to see his blue colours since hes being Mr grumpy stripey pants right now.

https://youtu.be/4FbIpHUzh4g

So I've got the little bugger in a kritter keeper half filled, still in his old water, for now slowly acclimating to my bathroom temperature with buckets of clean water waiting. I will then start adding in clean water slowly over the course of the entire day. Perhaps I will start salt treatment on the weekend once hes a bit more chilled.

He swims and sometimes move a little odd, almost like he has a 'tick' not sure if that's a neuro thing or from his toothpick caudal. You can see it around the 34 second mark of that first video.

Added some prime and just for giggles I crunched up some flake food for him and he went great guns!

https://youtu.be/dPd2d1d8BAI

So I guess lets see what happens with some clean water, salt in a day or so, and real food!
Taking name suggestions as well, I'm liking Shark Bait, Chovy (Anchovy), and names of that sort :roll:

Any idea how old we think this guy is? I've NEVER owned a betta this small, pet stores here NEVER have in young or "baby" bettas this size. Their all always your standard petsmart size.


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## Tealight03 (Nov 15, 2014)

I'm glad you brought him home! Clean, warm water does wonders for them. He looks like he needs a few big meals. Poor guy. I personally like Shark Bait.


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

yup hes a total fish *stick*. Its hard to get a perfect photo that isn't on a very slight angle making him look fatter then he really is haha.

He really seems to hate it every time I add a small cup of the clean new water to his kritter keeper.


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

He swims so odd sometimes. Like his fins have no flex to them so hes gotta move his body almost side to side because his dorsal is firm.... or something. Like he was trying so hard to get food this morning but had to keep swimming past and try at different angles to get it. 

http://youtu.be/ZrCVoCD_8qc

http://youtu.be/m5QOOx2We8I


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Aww, he doesn't have much of a tail going for him. Poor fella. I had a VT with fin melt when I bought him and he kind of swam the swam the same way. The fin grew out and "broke" the pinned together pieces and he was fine. 

He will fill in just fine when he gets better


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## Tree (Sep 29, 2013)

oh wow. never seen a fish that bad in shape at any store near me. normally they are dead sadly but he looks like a fighter. I mean look how interested he is, looking all around.


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## Romad (Jun 28, 2009)

Subscribing to follow Shark Bait's progress. I'm really rooting for the little guy. I've brought back fish with way less fins than that but never one that emaciated.

Kudos to you for giving him a chance :yourock:


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## ShadeSlayer (Jul 20, 2015)

Aww, I hope he lives! resuces are so easy to take home! Shark Bait is a cute name, since his fins look like they have had a couple bites out of them. My fish gets irritated when I add or take water form his tank, too. I hope everything works out good with him! he seems like a little fighter, and thats all they need to make it.


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

Well hes still alive.
Come home to a little poop. Hurroh that means he ate right!?! Lol
Tried out mini bloodworms.
Might need a second opinion on this video, did he actually eat anything or did he spit it all out?

http://youtu.be/cM7Ab9xVQJY

Tried offering micro pellets and flake after and he went for it then spit it all back out.... over and over again....
Urgh.
He definitely has difficulties eating though regardless if he even swallows what he puts in his mouth.


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## Tree (Sep 29, 2013)

Looks like he ate a lot to me. Like at least five or so. what a sweetheart! Look at that wiggle. Poor thing.


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## Tealight03 (Nov 15, 2014)

You could also try cutting the pellets either with a knife or soaking them and your nail will do it. Glad to see he's still alive. What a fighter!


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

Tealight03 said:


> You could also try cutting the pellets either with a knife or soaking them and your nail will do it. Glad to see he's still alive. What a fighter!


Their the Omega one micro pellets so their all ready pretty small, some smaller then others. And thats no excuse for the flakes being spit out. Little turd. Hope hes just being picky. Though thats a pain in the butt as well.

Hes back in his bucket. Might try leaving it full to the 1gallon mark tonight. Last night i lowered the water to make sure he could get to the surface okay if he was feeling off after his stressful new trip.


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## Tree (Sep 29, 2013)

could you make him a IAL hammock? that is what I do for my hospital tank when there is nothing in there for them to rest on.


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

I dont own any IALs. Never have actually.
Dont have any fake plants either.
Im waiting for the anacharis that i bought, bleached, and killed to grow a bit more. Its got a whole whack of new growth but all the new off shoots are barley an inch and he showed too much interest in trying to taste it and knowing my luck he would get something stuck.... so when that grows a bit more ill add a few chunks to his bucket.

If he survives the night (and tomorrow) i will make him a betta hammock with craft mesh tomorrow evening after work.


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## BettaLover1313 (Apr 15, 2013)

I really hope the little guy pulls through.


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## ShadeSlayer (Jul 20, 2015)

Glad he’s still going.


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

Still alive this morning.
Going to start adding salt tonight and see how he does. Buckets all ready waiting beside him with it disolving.
Hes definitely only active when im bugging otherwise he just sits there and does nothing and makes me think hes dead. Uggh what a turd.
Ugh so hot in my bathroom with the heat cranked in that room for him. Cant wait for him to feel better so i can get him a proper house and stop sweating to death in that room.


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## Tree (Sep 29, 2013)

Haha Blood sweat and tears make bettas feel better.


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## hgual22 (Jul 18, 2014)

He is SO cute! I hope he makes it!


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

May I ask why you have never used IAL? I have only had positive results as a naturalistic remedy, nursing sick bettas back to health and using them long term for strengthening scales and regrowing fins. 

My betta medicine cabinet is salt + IAL water. With the exception of columnaris it has helped external problems!


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

Laki said:


> May I ask why you have never used IAL? I have only had positive results as a naturalistic remedy, nursing sick bettas back to health and using them long term for strengthening scales and regrowing fins.
> 
> My betta medicine cabinet is salt + IAL water. With the exception of columnaris it has helped external problems!



I just never have. Never felt any need or want to even look into them honestly. Plus I think I would feel silly ordering dead leaves on the internet....
I grew up with fish tanks and had never even heard of them, and when I finally did I just thought people were bizarre for purposely putting something dead in their tanks :lol:


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## Tree (Sep 29, 2013)

Haha that is quite funny to think about eh? 
But I always say lakes rivers and ponds have dead leaves sitting in the bottom of them so It's a natural thing to do adding IALs into the tanks. But you don't have to buy them. I never knew they were a thing until I looked up healing meds for fin rot.


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

Still alive.
He didnt even attempt to eat the flake i left in there this morning.
So tried some bloodworms when i got home just now and i think he ate a few..... this is going to be a lengthy process with a lot of wasted food. 
I will be transfering him to the other bucket that has salt and prazi in it. I poored a little into his current bucket to slowly get him used to the salt and icky prazi. 
Will transfer him after my shower. Give him a few more minuites to decide if he wants any more bloodworms.
I might stop by petsmart monday and grab a air pump. Cant for the life of me figure out where mine is.... it might help save the little dude a few trips to the surface which he obviously struggles with. 
Got the plastic clip from my siphon in there so he can rest on or in it. Will be keeping his water level nice and low. So hes ending up in approx half a gallon or so. 

He really does suck at swimming. And eating. And being a fish.
Poor dude.

http://youtu.be/G1a71zRYVMc
Tonights video.


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## Tealight03 (Nov 15, 2014)

Poor baby. He may make a good recovery still. Killian swims better now than he did when I first got him. Still pulling for little Shark Bait.


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

Still alive.

I have to wonder if hes got some kind of wicked bacterial or parasitic infection with the way he swims, the darting or flashing or whatever, and sometimes when he swims he like panics because hes not getting enough air or something and rushes to the surface and misses and panics even more and does the biggest attack ever at the water surface for his breath then hes fine....

At least at the pet store he was swimming around, here he just chills on the bottom. Maybe it was timing? Not sure. I don't think he has SBD or anything like that but he does struggle when he swims. But not in a floaty or sinky way.

So yeah definitely going to look at getting him a bubbler on Monday from petsmart to see if that makes it easier on him. Because I can always return it.

Will just stick to frozen foods for now, seems he wants nothing to do with my flake or pellet the little turd head. But that means waiting until im home from work again.


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## artemis35 (Jul 11, 2014)

> He really does suck at swimming. And eating. And being a fish.
> Poor dude.


Yes, but _you_ *definitely* _do not _suck as an owner.

It makes my heart feel good to see what you are doing. Even if he doesn't make it, you still will have done a wonderful kindness for another living creature. And that, in and of itself, is important.

His color looks way, way better in your latest video. He certainly isn't perky, but he did eat a few bloodworms. I take those two factors together as a reason for guarded optimism. I will definitely be looking forward to updates.


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

His colour is way better in the bucket, But I also have the light on my phone on for his bucket video. The moment I put him in the kritter keeper he goes back to his pale colours, but if I take a photo with the flash it shows his blue/pink again.
So I think that's more a trick with the light. That and when I bug him.


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

*OMGGG WORLDS PICKIEST FISH!*

It has to be the perfect piece of food, the perfect size, in the perfect position, and it must be floating. 

I swear I just spent half an hour in the bathroom sweating to death trying to feed this bloody fish! 27degrees is way too warm for a bathroom or any other room of the house! Im happy at like 15... Heck I don't even turn my heaters past 10 in the winter just so I can actually use my blankets.

He's not afraid of my fingers or my tweezers, I had been dabbing the food on my fingers and trying to get it to float that way, but I tried grabbing some larger pieces of frozen and squishing the juice out of them with my tweezer and getting them stuck to one side, and he would try it right off the tweezers at the water surface. So I could re-attempt food that previously sunk. Might save me on some food waste!

Tonights food of choice was...
Pacifica Plankton!!!
http://www.midjerseypetsupply.com/cubes/pacifica-plankton
Nice and meaty.
He does not like brine shrimp apparently.
And while I only got him to eat I think 1 or 2 blood worms, I managed to get him to eat a few decent sized pieces of plankton. Hurroh!


https://youtu.be/mnusieXENBM
Tonights video is enjoying a nice meaty piece of plankton that wasn't good enough the first time he saw it....


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

Little dudes doing quite well today. Once I woke him up this morning so I could feed him, I think hes been up hanging out ever since. Every time I went back in there to take a look he was out hovering (not worth calling swimming) rather then laying on the bottom or hiding under the blue thing. He still cant swim properly...

I haven't noticed any darting or flashing (or whatever that weird panic behaviour was) today. Haven't observed any of the twitching either.

He actually ate some pellets this morning. Still has serious aim issues and takes 10 tries just to get the same piece of food, then misses but still bumps into it, so it sinks, so he has to try for a different piece....
Not sure if he will ever be able to eat food in a tank with a filter and moving water but we shall see.

Today is day 3 of salt and prazi. Continuing with 100% daily water changes.
Still keeping him in half a gallon of water in the buckets so the surface is nice and close for him to gain access.


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

Wow, I apologize for how crappy all these videos are. I swear they look good on my phone until youtube dumbs them down :-(

Todays video is the fact that we really can swim!
https://youtu.be/BObct-7i2JQ

And we've spent almost all day out and about and actually moving or hovering and not hiding under our blue thing or in the very edge of the bucket.
and we ate even more pellets.
and were being less of a turd.
and were not flailing around and twitching.
and we like to play in bubbles!


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## BettaLover1313 (Apr 15, 2013)

That is too cute! He looked so indignant when you took the bubbles away lol.


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## artemis35 (Jul 11, 2014)

He's definitely looking better - good job!

The thing I notice the most in your latest video is how much better his "balance" seems. Before, he was having trouble staying level when not trying to swim (he always seemed on the verge of tipping over). Now, he seems much steadier.


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## Tree (Sep 29, 2013)

Poor little shark bait. you can make it boy!


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

Okay
Biggest pig ever!
He actually looks like hes starting to get fat!
He is just destroying his pellets and gets so excited when I feed him. Never seen a gimpy fish try so hard to devour his food that quickly.
Still have to help him out buy guiding pellets within his sight (like an inch away), and if he misses and the pellets wander away, I've got to bring them back towards him. He still takes a few shots to get it sometimes but his aim is getting much better. He still bumps them awkwardly sometimes and they sink, or hes at the surface and its stuck on top of his head and he cant figure out where it's gone....

Day 4 of salt and prazi today.

And yes you can totally see a difference between that last video I posted yesterday.
https://youtu.be/BObct-7i2JQ

and his first in bucket bloodworm feeding video
https://youtu.be/G1a71zRYVMc
The first 10 seconds of that video basicly sums up all he would do all day long (unless I put him in the kritter keeper or annoyed him into eating)

Totally different fish.
And honestly I didn't expect him to survive the first 2-3 days with how he was acting, never mind perk up this quickly. I know he's not totally out of the woods and he has a lot of healing to do but still....

No video today.
I will try and get a video tomorrow of him inhaling his pellets before I do his water change.

PICTURES INSTEAD!


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## Tealight03 (Nov 15, 2014)

Don't feel bad, Shark Bait. Just about all of my healthy bettas sometimes can't find the pellet either.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

He's looking so much better


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## Tree (Sep 29, 2013)

wow look at the change!


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

Well I admit I got pretty lazy yesterday and actually slept past 11.... oh it was awesome! Anyway between being that lazy and having a night shift that evening, I didn't bother to do a video or update.

I'm so used to looking at this little toothpick of a fish that when I come back into my room and look at Red, whos impatiently waiting for my to feed him, he looks like a monster fish! Like jeeze when did you get so fat! Red looks MASSIVE compared to looking at Shark Bait. I swear I could cram 4-5 shark baits, at least, into Reds body space, or more LOL


https://youtu.be/1cLqZZXT00M
Hes getting better at finding the pellets.


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## artemis35 (Jul 11, 2014)

He definitely is WAY better at getting those pellets now! His ability to make tight turns and maneuver is looking good, too. I hope that he continues to progress well.


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

*Photo day! - PHOTO WARNING*

Day 7 of Salt and Prazi today. (first 4 days of prazi at regular strength, last 4 will be double)
I got him on what... the 13th and started the salt/prazi on the 15th I think... So I've only had him 9 days.
I still expect to look into his bucket and find him dead for some unknown reason, especially given what he looked like and acted like when I brought him home... 
Again still no twitching since the first day or 2. And no panic episodes trying to find air since his beginning few.

Still eating like a vacuum cleaner.

Getting much better with his aim. Still swims odd, I think its the stiff dorsal too that doesn't help. No where near ready for a real tank yet. Though I think he's about ready to handle a full gallon of water since I can trust him to swim to the surface now with out flipping out and almost drowning. 

I'm undecided at this point if I want to do a round of antibiotics to make sure anything he has is knocked out completely. And then which antibiotic I should choose.... I wish I had access to my supply of meds from the vet, way easier to dose when I can pick the individual antibiotics and crush them myself. Especially for 1 gallon dosing. (way cheaper too at a few cents a pill lol)

I cant tell if I see ANY healing with his fins yet.
And I could swear I kept seeing something on his chin every time I looked into his bucket and he looked up at me like "ARE YOU FEEDING [email protected][email protected]!"

So I decided to pop him into the kritter keeper (while I gave his bucket a wipe down) for some photos to try and get a better look at his chin and to see if he had any surface issues I should be treating.
He is very photogenic in a sense he actually sits still for photos!
Too bad hes a funny looking little fish. He just a blue minnow lol all bumpy, no shape, like a sad McDonalds French fry. Poor dude.
He has personality and that's what counts right? :lol:

*Let me know if you guys see anything in these photos I should be treating.* 
I apologize for the crap in the photos, most of it is just scratches and scuffs on the kritter keeper.

And just for fun I've included a few photos of Red. HOLY CRAP HES A FATTY!
A fatty that cant sit still for photos either.... I don't think I'll ever get a nice photo of him side on flaring because hes just a big turd LOL


Day1












I think this first photo sums up how he feels about this photo shoot and being stuck in the kritter keeper....


















































































































































































































































































And Red the big fat head.
He thinks I don't feed him, not sure who's worse... him or my dog...
and OMG he totally looks morbidly obese in these photos after looking at Shark Bait photos..... :shock: You can definitely fit 5+ shark baits into reds body space.... its almost embarrassing LOL


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## Tree (Sep 29, 2013)

oh wow! what a change on color. And eeep Red will have a twin brother. =D


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

Watermelons said:


> Day 7 of Salt and Prazi today. (first 4 days of prazi at regular strength, last 4 will be double)
> I got him on what... the 13th and started the salt/prazi on the 15th I think... So I've only had him 9 days.
> I still expect to look into his bucket and find him dead for some unknown reason, especially given what he looked like and acted like when I brought him home...
> Again still no twitching since the first day or 2. And no panic episodes trying to find air since his beginning few.
> ...



Hahah aww I don't really want him to be Reds twin.... especially since reds a fatty....

Even his very first photo I took before I brought him home at the pet store...
His red colours have really come out in comparison.
And to be fair he was pretty stressed after his ride home and being dumped in that kritter keeper. The fish room where the bettas are at that fish store has no lights. So he went from a dark room in stinky water to bumpy car ride, to a blindingly bright bathroom with some freak bugging him.


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

I might be a terrible person for doing this but I really wanted to try and get photos of red flaring, and a comparison shot of how bit that fatty is compared to Shark Bait.... Neither were too pleased about being in Kritter Keepers but whatever, they will get over it.

Red immediately went full flare and wanted to go eat shark bait, meanwhile shark baits like .... dum de dum... couldn't care less about a crabby fish next to him.


https://youtu.be/Kl-6PIbqiCE


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## ShadeSlayer (Jul 20, 2015)

AWWW! My god they are cute!!!!!!! Red looks HUGE next to Shark bait. He’s probably used to sitting next to other males after the petstore he was in. I’m so glad he’s coming along.


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## Guppie luver (Feb 2, 2011)

Wow he is looking so good! The progress is amazing!


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## Betta44 (Aug 9, 2015)

I think it's awesome you are giving this little guy a chance. I hope he makes a full recover and thrives. It's sickening to see the way bettas are treated in the chain pet stores. Those little cups should be banned.


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

I have been following this, Sharkbait's recovery. Wow- that video of Red beside Sharkbait..! Soooo...I can't help but wonder if you have mercy on little Sharkbait because you could see an abused version of Red in him. Their colors do look similar. Red is gorgeous, such proud finnage!

And...you were right in your discription of Sharkbait's shape being like a "french fry". Aww. I hope he fattens up soon. He eats so much for such a little guy.


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## ShadeSlayer (Jul 20, 2015)

I’m in love with Shark Bait.


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

Shark bait looked nothing like red at the pet store. Just an all blue French fry. Never expected the red/pink colouring I saw when he lost his colour during his car ride home and the stressful time in the kritter keeper before the bucket.

I hope he starts gaining some normal fish shape as he gets older.... And I hope hes not just a stunted little fish. 
Again ive never had a "baby" betta before so im not sure if shark bait is just that, a baby or if hes stunted small, and how long it takes for him to be normal betta sized like Red.
Would seem strange for a pet store to be sent 1 random baby when all the others they get in are adult sized.
anyway...

my poor bathroom has been once again taken over by fish stuff, *sigh* a girl needs her counter space!


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## Isabella15 (Feb 23, 2015)

Can't wait to see how shark bait will progress as time passes!:yourock:


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## Tealight03 (Nov 15, 2014)

Yay Shark Bait! Hope he keeps doing well. 

Red is beautiful! He could eat little Shark Bait.


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

Well hes finished 10 full days of salt and prazi
Hes now in plain water!

I decided that when I did his WC last night I would try bumping him up to 1 full gallon of water.
He sort of had a panic moment initially not realising the water level was higher. Ahhh wheres the surface!!!
He did okay after that, but I rigged up a plastic coat hanger and some craft mesh to make a hammock for him.
Will see how he is when I get home from work.
I still turn the bubbles off at night, he still has issues with moving water. Bahaha gimp!

Heres a video before I added the hanger and hammock lol
https://youtu.be/CAlIIa_lWLw


Its only 1 gallon but he looks so lost!!!

And some crappy cell phone photos.


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## Tree (Sep 29, 2013)

Hahaha love the fast acting hammock. He looks like he is swimming a bit better too. Like his body does not look kinked as much. Though it could just be me.


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

There is still something seriously off with how he swims but I just cant put my finger on exactly what it is... It almost seems like the back half of his body doesn't bed well? like the caudal fin sort of wiggles, and he bends right in the middle of his body but that section of his tail/body just doesn't move much? is it supposed to? Maybe Im just used to red who is like part acrobat looking like a total idiot crumpled in a ball when hes stuck under a plant chasing shrimp... maybe im just used to a psychotic fish?
The word rigid sticks in my mind for him.
He does get his food much better... though sometimes goes too intense on it and hamsters it, then grabs 1 piece too many and spits them all out then goes all sad for a few moments that he just lost all his food, until he sees another floating piece.


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## Tree (Sep 29, 2013)

No, I think he is swimming funny as well. Like he can't bend right. But his movement looks much better than when you first got him. =)


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## Tealight03 (Nov 15, 2014)

I'm amused by the thought of Red ending up in a ball of fin after chasing shrimp. Does he eat them or just chase?


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

I will have to get a video of it one day.
Hes been with them for months now. He did eat some initially but i think the first bunch I got were dumb and didnt now how to run away, and now that its much more heavily planted the shrimp can get away with ease. They know he cant catch them. And he has learnt he cant catch them but will bug them out of spite sometimes. I havent seen any new babies in awhile so he might still eat those since they havent learnt to run away yet.... last time i had babies I was on vacay and red came with me so the shrimp had 2 weeks to grow with no fish.
Unlike shark Bait... red will eat food no matter where it is so when i drop food in a spot so heavily planted only the shrimp can get it he tries to chase the shrimp away from the food and gets stuck in the plants sideways then wiggles slightly to reach the last cm to get that pellet..... you can see the glare of hate in his eyes when the shrimp walk past him to eat the pellet he was going for.
He is one of those fish that would fall in the "if they cant live with a male guppy they cant live with anyone" hes a perma turd.
Heck when i bought him all he was doing was flaring at the other bettas that were more then 8" away.


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

"the glare of hate"- LOL! I love how grumpy bettas are at other fish...yet they love their humans so much. It is funny to me.

...and Sharkbait in the black bucket with the bubbles looks like a boiling pot on the stove. Eeeh! Dear little Sharkbait.


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## ShadeSlayer (Jul 20, 2015)

Watermelons said:


> There is still something seriously off with how he swims but I just cant put my finger on exactly what it is... It almost seems like the back half of his body doesn't bed well? like the caudal fin sort of wiggles, and he bends right in the middle of his body but that section of his tail/body just doesn't move much? is it supposed to? Maybe Im just used to red who is like part acrobat looking like a total idiot crumpled in a ball when hes stuck under a plant chasing shrimp... maybe im just used to a psychotic fish?
> The word rigid sticks in my mind for him.
> He does get his food much better... though sometimes goes too intense on it and hamsters it, then grabs 1 piece too many and spits them all out then goes all sad for a few moments that he just lost all his food, until he sees another floating piece.


My betta has the same swimming style as Shark Bait and he was a rescue and came with multiple problems.


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

Hahahaha Poor shark bait for sure 
I'm waiting until I can trust him up to the 2 gallon mark in the bucket and I will do a round of antibiotics, maybe start Monday or something? Then I don't have to worry about doing my 100% daily changes during the antibiotics so I can do proper dosing. How many people have to worry about having their fish drown... jeeze....

I will try and break out my good camera for a video of his swimming one day. But im honestly too lazy most of the time, at least with the phone I can upload everything from there, I don't have to try and figure out where I put my card reader, and my memory cards and impatiently wait as the massive photos upload... I'm just lazy honestly... haha. But perhaps when I finally do that, everyone can get a better view and guesstimate what they think his swimming issue actually is. Definitely no swim bladder issues thankfully, but its something else....


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

And for those discussing Red and his stupidities, heres a video for you
https://youtu.be/IS4CveTcEIo
You can see him get himself into a stupid position around the 1 min mark shortly after glaring at the shrimp eating on the ground. 
Though this isn't nearly as bad as he normally is, usually hes almost bent in half stuck looking like a total turd. (and as I look up at his tank while typing this, guess whos stuck in the java fern again....)


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## Tealight03 (Nov 15, 2014)

Love it! I want shrimp. But none of my tanks are heavily planted enough.


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## Tree (Sep 29, 2013)

Buahahahaha I don't know why, but Red's eye reminds me of a pugs Hahaha


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

Red. You cutie. That is a lot of fins! Wow. He has to work hard. I do not have any bettas with such full finnage so it is a treat to see.
I really want to get shrimp once my plants get thicker. Do you gravel vac? I was wondering if they make vaccuuming the gravel difficult- or are they good at getting out of the way?


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

BettaSplendid said:


> Red. You cutie. That is a lot of fins! Wow. He has to work hard. I do not have any bettas with such full finnage so it is a treat to see.
> I really want to get shrimp once my plants get thicker. Do you gravel vac? I was wondering if they make vaccuuming the gravel difficult- or are they good at getting out of the way?


Nope, I use fluval substrate. 
The only time I move the substrate is when I'm trying to replant something, and as you can see from the video, I've sort of given up, half my plants are just floating LOL.
Even when I didn't have shrimp I didn't gravel vac. The plants sort of get in the way and I don't want to uproot them, plus everything sort of... decomposes in the substrate and nourishes the plants. I never get a nitrate buildup in this tank, the only real reason I do water changes is when the evaporation causes the water level to drop low enough I can see the light from the side of the tank and it starts to annoy me.... So I just remove just under 2 gallons and replace just over to account for evaporation.
The fluval substrate is also very soft and doesn't tolerate vacuuming. Its almost like little dirt balls and when you squish one between your fingers it just falls apart. 
This is still actually the same substrate I used like 5 YEARS ago. The fish I had in this tank died a few years back, then I got really lazy.... especially since I moved out.... and just left the tank on the mini fridge in my room at my parents house, all the water eventually evaporated, plants dead, etc etc.
So earlier this year I decided I wanted a Betta again because My goldfish and Saltwater tank weren't enough (they live at my parents anyway) So I rinsed the substrate and peeled the remains of dead plant and snail shells out of this one, wiped it out, gave the bio media a bleach and a boil, and wouldn't ya know it still works fine!
I'm hoping my Aqueon Evolve 8 will work the same, however I ended up using Seachem substrate which is much more rock like, so I may not be able to get away with not gravel vacuuming. If it becomes irritating enough I will switch it to the fluval substrate. I still really want a nice showy betta like red with big flowy fins for that tank. Don't think Shark Bait will ever be suited to a tank like that, he can barley swim properly with bubbles and I have a knot tied in the airline tubing! 

But in short if you nudge them out of the way first the shrimp should be fine with gravel cleaning, I would be more worried about uprooting your plants.










Reds tank back in March.
Probably the day I put him in the tank just after buying him.









After planting
This wasn't enough plants to keep the shrimp safe from Red. HAHA but keep in mind Red is slightly psychotic, so your betta might not be as bad with less plants vs shrimp?
But I did end up adding way more, as you can see in the video, and the shrimp are happy and safe and Red knows he cant catch them so there is no point in chasing.


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## Tealight03 (Nov 15, 2014)

What kind of plants do you have? I would love to do live plants. Although I'm afraid I'll kill them. I can keep 4 bettas alive but plants die left and right.


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

Well all my Windelov java fern is basically dead but my normal java fern is growing fine.
My sword plant has 1 leaf growing almost a foot above the water surface.
Moneywort is doing well, but the pieces I had floating I cant get to stay down so I just leave it to float, the stuff that is in the substrate has some pretty intense roots.
Java moss is kind of meh.... Its not dying but its not growing a lot for me.
and my cabomba is actually doing well just floating oddly enough...
Theres a small bit of subwassertang in there that's growing slow and steady
I have one of those CF 10,000k/Actinic Marina (I think) bulbs from petsmart.... again like the substrate the bulbs a few years old... LOL way over due for replacing!

I don't have any Anacharis in there, but that plant seems pretty indestructible considering youre not supposed to bleach it to disinfect and I did... and killed it.... but I left the dead bunch in a bucket with an inch of water and sure enough within a week I could see new little buds coming off the melted mess of NASTY. Then I forgot about the bucket which was in my overheated bathroom and the water all dried up, I finally rememberd to check it last night and whoops! plucked off the live chunks and flushed the dead stuff and I still have more then a dozen 1" stems.


In the aqueon evolve 8 I have... 
Marsilea crenata 
Tropica Potted Hygrophila 'Siamensis 53B' 
Limnophila sessiliflora 
Ludwigia palustris 
Rotala rotundifolia 


IMO its about getting a proper substrate and a decent light. I don't think plants do as well with plain sand or aquarium gravel. I've always bought plant substrate. Though my goldfish tank has a carpet of Java fern, the gravel is sort of... not flat and most of the roots aren't below the gravel, it feeds great off their dirty water. But the sand its in is also mixed with some of that fluval substrate.


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## Tealight03 (Nov 15, 2014)

Thanks for the detail. I almost killed an anubias. I think it was a combo of no light and not enough nutrients. I'm slowly working my way back up to live again.


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## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

Your tanks look great! Thank you for all the pictures and info. Sharkbait lucked out and landed in an awesome home. I really do think he will recover. It will just be slow and steady progress. He went through a lot of neglect to get where he was and it takes a lot of love to help him. I wrote about Hatzalla, a crowntail, in my journal. He had a veeeeery similar journey as Sharkbait. Hatzie is doing great now, but his body will always he stunted I believe. His fins are big and he can swim great now. Sharkbait reminds me of him, I guess that is why I am rooting for him so hard. But, I know they are all different...still...hoping for the best for Sharkie.

I have eco-complete and flora-max substrates, but I cover them with a layer of "regular" gravel. Most of my plants are babies and no where NEAR what you have got goin on! I am looking forward to my tanks looking like yours. Like jungles! Little underwater jungle-betta-paradise. It just takes time. I use Seachem root tabs, have good enough bulbs, I think...just must be patient now.


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

This aqueon tank is really starting to piss me off. Water evaporates from it so quick and in a matter of 2 days the back sump portion of it is halfway empty and my poor heater isn't even in water. Uggh. I'm not going to enjoy having to replenish water every day on this stupid thing. I might just nix the whole tank for something different if it keeps this up....

Started Shark Bait on some erythromyacin last night. Hes in a full 6 quarts of water! Holy! Poor little fish looks so lost in that full bucket. Just want to make sure I knock out anything else hes got brewing. When that's done I might give him a few days break, then do 1 last round of salt and prazi. Then I have no idea what I'm going to do with him LOL especially if he cant swim like a normal fish he wont be able to handle the current in the aqueon tank. I've ordered a sponge filter that has room for bio media (one of those corner clear plastic ones) but that's being sent to my parents house so I wont get it until end of October. Hmmm cant decide what im going to do with this little dude.... Kritter keepers are kinda ugly and make it hard to add good light for live plants. I mean their not a bad price.... but ... ugh no clue.

Perhaps some photos after work tonight.


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

Night 2 on the antibiotics.
Still too lazy for a proper swimming video.
I work the next 2 weeks straight i think....
No idea where im going to put this dude when im done all his treatment because i really want my bathroom back lol
He looks so tiny and lost in 1 gallon of water.... never mind 1.5
Hes just so small!!!!
Hes not pleased at all.... like i can feel the hate..... ive cut back his feeding while doing the antibiotic treatment since i cant do 100% daily changes with it until its done. And since hes gotten used to it raining food twice a day....

Quick video
http://youtu.be/gCPRr8Mo5Cg


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## ShadeSlayer (Jul 20, 2015)

Awww! So cute! Do you think he will grpw more or is he done and just going to be a dwarf for the rest of his life.


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## micheemak (Aug 8, 2015)

Love this thread. But it makes me want to watch 'Finding Nemo'.


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

Im not sure if he will grow anymore.... he very well might be stunted its hard to say. I still say its weird for a pet store to end up with such a tiny fish as their all usually almost adult size when they arrive here. We dont have places that stock babies like petco.

Omg..... i totally forgot about that scene in nemo! Ahhh haha thats fantastic.

Little dudes actually doing really well in the full bucket. Im very impressed. 

Huge power outages back at my parents place. That means my reef tank and goldfish went the night with no power  had to decide that the battery powered air pump be removed from the goldfish and donated to the reef overnight incase their battery backup for the 3w powerhead died.... still trying to find out from them if i have any casualties . May not get power back for hours still....


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## ShadeSlayer (Jul 20, 2015)

Hmm. Hope the power comes back soon for you. All the crazy weather we’ve had here in washington is a rainstorm right now.... Glad for the end of the summer drought. 

How long is Shark Bait, inches-wise?

Loved the nemo pic, micheemak. Made my day!


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

I dont know if i have a ruler or tape measure in my house LOL. But photos on the first page of him next to a penny...
Ill see if i can find one after work tonight

No power at my parents place until tomorrow morning at the earlist..... crap..... hope the fish make it

Shadeslayer you should hire your address out for aquabid fish for BCers... ;-) ;-) would cost canadians like $50 less haha


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

So I forgot to fill a container with water before I left for work this morning, oops! Tried to temp match as best I could with my fingers and will leave it out for a bit beside his bucket until I've showered and will do his "25% water change" later.
Which will make tonight his 3rd dose of antibiotics.

Found a tape measure. He was pretty pissed I put him in his little cup for longer then 5 seconds, then kept accidentally tapping the cup in the video. This is one angry shark bait.
https://youtu.be/PONoU-83RR0
I think its all a matter of perspective, because he looks way bigger in that video then some of the photos. 

Heres Red just to start us out, being a turd as usual. I stood at the tank therefor I must be there to feed him....

























And shark bait


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

I'm very impressed with this little dude. He totally has his bucket conquered. We had a momentary lapse last night where it almost seemed like he couldn't see his food at all, but quickly got over that and hes getting better at catching it with the bubbles on.
If I can figure out how to prevent this stupid Aqueon from losing so much water so quickly, I might stick him in there until I decide what I can do with him. I would love to get a 20gal long tank and put Red and a nicer colony of shrimp in that up by my window where his current tank is, then move this proper 5gal where the aqueon is and tell that tank to suck it. My friend offered me her 10 gallon, but shes a 2.5 hour drive away and I don't feel like driving that far for a tank, and shes not coming my way any time soon... hmm


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## Tree (Sep 29, 2013)

aww what a little trooper! and Reds like, "Yeah I know look how large I am now give me food!" lol


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

Well that's 10 days of salt and prazi.
Followed by a full course of erythromycin
I think his fins are slowly growing back. His sword tail doesn't look so pronounced and "sharp". Not sure if the very top broke off, but it looks thicker.... I think lol
He is doing really well with catching his food with the bubbles going. His swimming is so much better! But still weird, and he has issues with really sharp corners.
Here is his video for tonight.

https://youtu.be/cLM5YPzurDY

Damn fish is just as bad as Red, "Oh you're looking at me? FEED ME!!!!!!!!"
Can't even go pee with out a fish demanding me to feed him... Jeeze....


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

This little turd is much harder to take photos of with me phone, kinda like red, never stops moving. damn fish.
His ability to swim has vastly improved. Still the odd issue every now and then but just look at the difference in the videos and you will see.

Lets flash back to day 1 when shark bait came home.

**** https://youtu.be/4FbIpHUzh4g

And just to try and match that video, I made sure not to use the light on my phone so his shine didn't hide his "stress" colours. Or pissed off shark bait colours.... "Put me back in my ******* bucket!!!"


**** https://youtu.be/UYwdAa7v5GA




Again Day 1.


















And today


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## Tealight03 (Nov 15, 2014)

He looks so much better! It looks like he's really filling out. Can't wait to watch the video at work.


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## Betta44 (Aug 9, 2015)

Wow! Shark bait looks 100% better! He is beautiful. This has really been inspirational- to see what dedication and TLC can do. Amazing work!


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## ShadeSlayer (Jul 20, 2015)

Aww! I am so glade he is looking good! His fins are finally coming in!


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## micheemak (Aug 8, 2015)

Sharkbait is looking good.

Go Sharkbait - I am cheering for you:


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## ShadeSlayer (Jul 20, 2015)

That pic again--LOL!


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## Zegor22 (Sep 7, 2015)

I've been stalking this journal for a bit and I just want to saw OMG that is great change from the first day!


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## Watermelons (Jul 21, 2015)

Okay so I've had this little turdlet for a month and a half now... really that's it? Feels like much longer. Anyway.... Felt like I should update those of you that were following the French fry.

His fins are growing back nicely. You can actually tell there is new growth.
Eats with no issue. I do have to feed him about 2 small bits 4+ times per day because he will hamster it if I offer him a good pinch, then spits it all out when he realises he cant swallow it, then looks oh so depressed as he tries to chase after the now sinking food he just spit out.
No swimming issues either, that or I'm used to how he swims... But he doesn't seem to appear as "odd" as his first swimming issues....
Hes getting more of a fish shape to his body I think... Less limpy French fry? HES GETTING FAT! (he is still a tiny shrimplet of a fish compared to Red)

I ended up giving him 2 trimmings from my 1 plant, and he LOVES playing in them. Even sleeps inbetween the leaves some nights. The plants are doing quite well with nothing but my bathroom light 5ft above it that I occasionally remember to leave on lol.

Save for the 4 days I did the antibiotic treatment, he has had a 100% water change, every single day. So for those nay sayers that poopoo all over 100% daily changes, this is the kind of good stuff it does for fish!

He doesn't sit still for photos with my phone anymore. He's too quick. 

Heres a refresher of Day1
** https://youtu.be/4FbIpHUzh4g


And today.
With flash.
** https://youtu.be/7MAR5tq2Xfw


With out flash - better colour comparison with his day 1 video (so same lighting)
** https://youtu.be/M3QN78odU80



Well I tried to get photos, their a little lacking but you get the idea.


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## Guppie luver (Feb 2, 2011)

He has so much fin now! Oh my god! He looks so good!!


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## Tealight03 (Nov 15, 2014)

He looks great! He is swimming much better! Any idea what tail type he is?


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## Isabella15 (Feb 23, 2015)

I'm so glad u took him in, he looks great now!


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## Betta44 (Aug 9, 2015)

Wow! SO much better. Great to see his progress!


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## micheemak (Aug 8, 2015)

Good for him and good for you - that's an amazing improvement. Just imaging what he'll look like in another 6 weeks!


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## BubblesTheBlueBetta (Jul 15, 2015)

He looks so good now!! I'm so glad you rescued him!


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