# The Wrigley and Gascon Chronicles



## fawx (Aug 21, 2013)

I wish I'd started a journal when I first got Wrigley, it would be great. I'll just have to start two weeks late. C; So, here lies a basic description of my finned fellows and then I'll keep posting like updates for them! I like my fish, and I like to write, so here 'ya go!

{{wrigley.}}
Wrigley is my first fish, my first betta, and really my first own pet that's really mine. He's got a crazy personality, man, and has a good taste in music. He's a red, blue, and light blue crowntail with an attitude as sharp as the fins look on his tail! I bought him like any other sophomoric wanna-be fish owner. At the local petstore. I took a trip to my local Petco, or as I like to call it, Betta Hell, but that's besides the point. I had picked out my decor, all the fancy tank stuff that you all know too well. I picked him out rather quickly. The other fish seemed to just be 'there'. He just caught my attention by swimming to the side, and the light hit his scales and boy he was too handsome to not buy. He's pretty much as healthy as a horse owned by a veterinarian. The only time I ever worried was when I made my first water change, and I forgot to distill the water for 24 hours... He was stunned and I thought we wasn't going to make it. (Can't you tell I'm new at this yet??) If Wrigley was a human, he'd probably be a buff, rude biker guy with a ton of tattoos, piercings, and a loud car that would wake you up at 3 o'clock in the morning. Oh, and he really likes Lana del Rey. I'm not kidding, he swims around so much faster and just perks up! I don't think he likes Justin Timberlake, though.

{{gascon.}}
Getting my second fish wasn't planned, and it sure wasn't pleasant either. My mom stopped to get some quick groceries, so naturally, I noticed the Petco near it, and had to explore. I looked at the tanked fish, the snails, the plants, the decorations, and then.. the bettas. Brown, dirty, clouded water with at least a dozen dead floating fish in their cups. It was a little obvious they hadn't been cleaned in quite some time. There was a couple fish that didn't seem a 100%. I was looking at a rather droopy halfmoon and then I saw a motionless body of black, blue, and grey. An exhausted veil tail hung down low, and the fish was on its side. I gave the cup a little jiggle to see if there was a sign of life left, and I saw only a flicker of the gills. Did I mention his water was on the verge of turning to a brown? I told an employee about the dead fish, and while she was taking out the dead ones, I swear I was sweating bullets hoping she wouldn't just flush the feeble fish. Right after she left, I took him to the counter. It was apparent that he had a swim bladder disorder. Oh, and it might be apparent that it was my first time dealing with such a thing. It was absolute torture for the first day. His body was bent up like he had decided to turn into the letter "s". He floated on his side, he didn't move. This was abnormally uncomfortable for me cause Wrigley is a little nosy spitfire who darts everywhere, so seeing no motion at all was appalling! I kept waking up in the middle of the night to check on him. His name is Gascon because I'm a French student, and googled names for him. I saw Gascon, and if you say it with a very angry French accent, it sounds like a tough name for a fighter! I added Epsom salts, did 100% daily water changes, kept him warm, fasted him, and finally, now, 8/27/13 around 7:30, I noticed he finally pooped. It's weird being so excited but he looks less bloated, his shape straightened out, and he's swimming and moving. The oddest thing I noticed about him so far was while he was really not 100%, he kept blowing bubbles, bigger than ones for a bubble nest, and he pushed them around occasionally. Tomorrow, I'm probably going to fast just to be safe and continue treatment, then the next day, normal fish treatment! He wasn't like an emergency rescue with severe fin rot, but for a new fish owner, who had never dealt with SBD before, it was a long few days... I'm so happy it's working out so far, I hope he stays healthy for a long time! Meanwhile, I'll just be looking forward to him not spinning rapidly in circles like a drunk torpedo. I really don't know what his personality is so far, because it's going on three days, and now is the first time he started moving around and functioning. It'll come soon!

That's all for today, folks. I'll probably be raving tomorrow!​


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## BettaLover1313 (Apr 15, 2013)

Your boys sound adorable! Glad you rescued Gascon!


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