# SIP Pisces, Aries, Phoenix, Pluto, Venus, Eclipse and Nova! :(



## iSheree (Oct 23, 2014)

I have had a VERY difficult month in fish keeping. And I am completely heartbroken. Here is my story:

4 weeks ago, I began housesitting with my partner at my mum's house while she was away on holiday. My mum lives about 30 minutes away from my dad's house (where I currently live) and I could not afford to drive every day for an hour to feed my boys. So I gave my dad very strict instructions on how much to feed my boys. Unfortunately he did not listen or follow my instructions and overfed my boys. 

On day 2, he calls me up and says something is wrong with *Pisces*. I came over and took Pisces with me to treat him (I wasn't sure if it was contagious, or what was wrong with him) and noticed that *Phoenix* was very bloated with SBD. So I told dad not to feed them. I fed the ones that did not seem bloated that day. 

On day 3, dad calls me up again and says that *Aries* had died. I come over again to see my boys and to bury Aries. *Pisces *also died that day. *Phoenix* was looking very bad at this point but I decide to leave him in because it was SBD, not contagious. 

On day 4, I had to go home to check on *Phoenix* because I was worried he had died. And I was right. He had passed away. I buried him and told my dad not to feed any of my fish anymore. I told him to feed my bird and only turn lights on/off on my tanks. I decided that I would be coming to feed them every second day from that point.

About a week later, *Pluto* was very lethargic and sinking to the bottom or floating with tail down and head up. He had stress lines and a grey belly. I took him with me to treat him. He was suffering from dropsy and I had to euthanise him about 4 days after. I couldn't watch him suffer anymore. He was pine-coning badly and barely hanging on. 

A few days after euthanising Pluto, *Venus* passed away. He looked like he had dropsy too. 

A day after Venus died, I went out to buy *Eclipse*. From the moment I brought him home to the moment he died, he was lethargic and not eating. He was in a C-shape bend most of the time. He did get more active at one point and ate but suddenly he passed away. I believe it has something to do with the store placing water from another tank into the bag and then netting him in, sending him into shock.

A few days ago, *Nova* died suddenly. I do not know why.

Aries, Phoenix, Pluto, and Venus were all in the same tank, which is divided into 6. Comet and Taurus are the remaining survivors of that tank, and they don't look so good. I may lose them too. This tank was my newest tank and had not been cycled yet. I am completely heartbroken. I will post pictures soon.

SIP Pisces, Aries, Phoenix, Pluto, Venus, Eclipse and Nova. I will miss you guys as well as my first betta, Jupiter, and my first loss, Saturn.


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## iSheree (Oct 23, 2014)

Pisces - yellow, green, blue HM. He really loved his helmet. He was very shy and gentle. I buried the helmet with him because I knew he loved it so much.


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## iSheree (Oct 23, 2014)

Aries - red/white butterfly DT. He was only a baby. I saved him from an unfiltered, unheated, filthy tank that was on display in an aquarium store. He wasn't even for sale, but I demanded that I buy him. It's a shame I didn't have him for very long, but he did have a good life while he was with me.


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## iSheree (Oct 23, 2014)

Phoenix - yellow, orange, white CT. I got him when I got Aries, from the same store. Except, Phoenix was for sale. I was looking for a yellow betta but when I saw him I had to have him.


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## iSheree (Oct 23, 2014)

Pluto - blue VT. Pluto was my first VT and my sixth betta. He was super active and the biggest bubble nest maker. He never ceased to amaze me. I had never seen a bubble nest before. My first five bettas never made one. In this picture, this was his very first bubble nest a few days after getting him. I was so excited and watched him like a hawk while he was working on it.  In the other picture, is when I was acclimating him to the tank on his first day. He wanted out so bad! He was begging "can you let me go and explore pleaseeee?!"


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## iSheree (Oct 23, 2014)

Venus - black/dark blue super delta tail. He had the strangest tail, but was definitely not a tail biter. He looked gorgeous and was very laid back and non-agressive. He was such a gentle boy. He looked black but he is actually half black (head and half of body) and half dark blue (other half of body and tail).


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## iSheree (Oct 23, 2014)

Eclipse - yellow/white HM. I did not have this boy for long. He came to me and was very lethargic, and would not eat and would rest in a C-shape most of the time. I managed to get a couple of photos of him looking "normal". The other photos are too distressing. I believe he died because of shock due to the lack of acclimation done by the store (they just put him in a bag of water from another tank). A lot of bettas in the barracks (which were sharing water with him) were dying. So I should never have bought him. They would not refund me. I did everything I could to make his life more comfortable.


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## iSheree (Oct 23, 2014)

Nova - white/blue full moon DT. He was the biggest show off! Every time I was in the room or near the tanks, Nova would come up and spread out his fins to get attention. He would have been a great show betta I reckon... hehe. Sadly one day he stopped coming out to say hi and then he died... He was not showing any signs of illness so it must have been internal and too late to treat. I really don't know what happened to him. He was sharing a tank with 5 other bettas and they are fine. I am going to miss him heaps.


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## selah (Oct 14, 2014)

that is heartbreaking, I am so sorry for your losses. They were all beautiful..


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## Nyri (Sep 23, 2014)

I'm so sorry  You did what you could for them. SIP pretty boys.


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## Greenapp1es (Dec 4, 2014)

They were all beautiful. I'm so sorry.


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## iSheree (Oct 23, 2014)

Thanks guys. And yeah, I am very heartbroken to have lost my beautiful boys. Each time one died, I would beat myself up about it and say I don't deserve them. But really none of these deaths were my fault. My partner says I am a great fish mummy. I provide the best care I possibly can, and do heaps of research. I will heal, eventually. Right now I have to focus on my other boys and my new ones too. This helps me a lot.


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## lumiina (Dec 15, 2014)

I'm so sorry for your losses


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## CopperBell (Sep 14, 2014)

I am so sorry. They all seemed like great fish. You did what you could for them and they had great lives with you. S.I.P guys, you were greatly loved.


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