# This is what happens when you work at petsmart... 4 new rescues!



## MoonShadow (Feb 29, 2012)

So at work today I was looking through the new betta fish and I saw a female who looked like she had body rot, most of her anal fin and part of her under side is missing. So I asked my manager if I could adopt her. My manager looked at her and said that I could and asked me if I would also like to adopt the other three sick betta fish that were in the back. I couldn't say no so now I have not one but four new rescues.

I'll give you guys more info when they're home and settled in


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## fawx (Aug 21, 2013)

that's amazing for you to do that! are you planning on returning them after they're healed, or keeping them? i'd get too attached. :|


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## MoonShadow (Feb 29, 2012)

fawx said:


> that's amazing for you to do that! are you planning on returning them after they're healed, or keeping them? i'd get too attached. :|


No I'll be keeping them and then adopting them out when they are healthy again. :-D


Here is a little more info on them now that they are settled in. 

First is Bay, she is missing most of her anal fin and part of her under side, she looks like she had some nasty fin/body rot at some point, but she's active and happy so we'll see how she does.





Next is Solo, he is quite skinny and his fins are clamped and "sticky". He was flat out on his side earlier but now he's sitting upright on his log, I think he's going to come back and be ok.





Then we have Toby, he is super skinny, he sort of spins when he tries to swim, I'm worried that he isn't going to make it through the night.




And last we have Emmett. He has fin rot and swim bladder issues, I've been treating him at work for awhile, when he came in there were chunks of fin sitting at the bottom of his cup, I'm so happy to finally have him home where I can really take care of him!


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## ashleylyn (Mar 30, 2013)

I would love to adopt the girl and add her to my sorority eventually!


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## MichelleA (Jun 25, 2013)

Poor Toby, that just breaks my heart : (


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## jesssan2442 (Feb 19, 2013)

I'm so glad you are rescuing again! I always love seeing how you heal them! I hope they all make it threw the night!

I'd be interested in adopting any one of them when their ready! Are you gonna have the same kind of thread as before?


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## sbrit94 (Aug 1, 2013)

Aww Emmett is so pretty!!! Do you know what fin type of betta exactly?


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## MoonShadow (Feb 29, 2012)

ashleylyn said:


> I would love to adopt the girl and add her to my sorority eventually!


I will be happy to let you know when she is available! 



MichelleA said:


> Poor Toby, that just breaks my heart : (


He made it through the night, so that is a good sign, hopefully I will be able to get him to eat something yummy today!



jesssan2442 said:


> I'm so glad you are rescuing again! I always love seeing how you heal them! I hope they all make it threw the night!
> 
> I'd be interested in adopting any one of them when their ready! Are you gonna have the same kind of thread as before?


I will be making a new thread when they are available, and I will be updating my journal too which will be more detailed then my other posts.



sbrit94 said:


> Aww Emmett is so pretty!!! Do you know what fin type of betta exactly?


Emmett is a plakat, whether or not he is a halfmoon plakat I won't know until his fins begin to grow


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## sbrit94 (Aug 1, 2013)

Oh cool I've been wanting a plakat. Wish I could get him :/


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## MoonShadow (Feb 29, 2012)

Unfortunately Toby did not make it. SIP pretty boy! I'm sorry I couldn't save you


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## ashleylyn (Mar 30, 2013)

Aw, SIP sweetie.  At least he passed being loved and taken care of!


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## MichelleA (Jun 25, 2013)

Awe sip toby. Atleast he didnt die in a dirty cup


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## sbrit94 (Aug 1, 2013)

Aww SIP Toby


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## JayM (Aug 4, 2013)

Sorry to hear about Toby. :-(


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## Deanna01 (Apr 22, 2013)

MoonShadow, with Emmett, how can you tell that he has fin rot, rather than fin biting? I have a girl with red fins who looks (or did, before the condition progressed) just like him for a while. Because there was no black or gray edge, I thought she was biting her fins, but there's simply no possible way she could still be doing that. I have a large sorority, so I am anxious to learn to tell the difference.


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## sbrit94 (Aug 1, 2013)

True, they don't look like they have black edges


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## MoonShadow (Feb 29, 2012)

Emmett currently is healing from rot. When he was shipped to the store pieces of his fins were all over the bottom of his cup. Is it possible that the other girls in your tank are nipping this particular girls fin


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## Deanna01 (Apr 22, 2013)

Since I've QT'd her, though, MoonShadow, she is continuing to have her fins degrade every day.  It can't be her or the other fish, and yet there is no discoloration that I can see.


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## MoonShadow (Feb 29, 2012)

Hmmmm well feel free to PM me and I'll see if I can help you! If you could send me a picture that would help a lot!!


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## sbrit94 (Aug 1, 2013)

Are you going to adopt out Emmett?


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## MoonShadow (Feb 29, 2012)

sbrit94 said:


> Are you going to adopt out Emmett?


Yes he will eventually be available for adoption, probably not for another month or 2.


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## Deanna01 (Apr 22, 2013)

I can't send pictures by PM, so I'll post one here, even though I'm honestly ashamed that the girl has progressed to this point. She had some tail damage when I got her, and I honestly assumed it was tail-biting from the shipping, since she's a Thailand import. She had _extremely_ long fins--the longest I've ever seen on a female. I had been treating her with Stresscoat, as though it was a fin-biting issue, but there is no way it could be, at this point.

This is an extremely high-res, zoomed image, and I can see a little discoloration with this pic that is not visible to the naked eye. But even with this, it isn't the level of discoloration I associate with fin rot.

I really want to help her, and I appreciate any advice you can offer me. I'm treating her with 1 TBSP per gallon of aquarium salt, with full water changes daily, now.


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## sbrit94 (Aug 1, 2013)

ok thanks..


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## MoonShadow (Feb 29, 2012)

Deanna01 said:


> I can't send pictures by PM, so I'll post one here, even though I'm honestly ashamed that the girl has progressed to this point. She had some tail damage when I got her, and I honestly assumed it was tail-biting from the shipping, since she's a Thailand import. She had _extremely_ long fins--the longest I've ever seen on a female. I had been treating her with Stresscoat, as though it was a fin-biting issue, but there is no way it could be, at this point.
> 
> This is an extremely high-res, zoomed image, and I can see a little discoloration with this pic that is not visible to the naked eye. But even with this, it isn't the level of discoloration I associate with fin rot.
> 
> I really want to help her, and I appreciate any advice you can offer me. I'm treating her with 1 TBSP per gallon of aquarium salt, with full water changes daily, now.


I definitely see some rot going on there. Poor girl! Must be some nasty rot to be holding out this long. What temp is her tank at? Rot is bacterial so lowering the water temp a bit will slow down the spread of the bacterial infection. Salt and stresscoat are good, you might want to try treating her with a broad spectrum antibiotic too like tetracycline or erythromycin.


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## MoonShadow (Feb 29, 2012)

And some updated pictures!! 

Emmett






Solo


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## sbrit94 (Aug 1, 2013)

Emmett and Solo are looking great!!!!


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## Catw0man (Jan 24, 2013)

Deanna01 said:


> MoonShadow, with Emmett, how can you tell that he has fin rot, rather than fin biting? I have a girl with red fins who looks (or did, before the condition progressed) just like him for a while. Because there was no black or gray edge, I thought she was biting her fins, but there's simply no possible way she could still be doing that. I have a large sorority, so I am anxious to learn to tell the difference.


@Moonshadow: Glad to see you rescuing again! Best of luck!!!!

@Deanna, as I have (sadly...) quite a lot of experience with half moons and their tail issues, including fin rot, I thought I'd mention what I've observed. I think, personally, that at least half of what people assume is biting is actually fin rot. Fin rot does not always have a black or darkened edge....that dark edge is quite common in fish that are darker colors, like blue. However, lighter colored fish will not have that dark edge, but may simply look ragged with or without some bloody ends. Generally, if you observe chunks of the tail in the bottom of the shipping bag or container/tank, that means the tail has been bitten. But some fish bite, then eat those chunks, so they are not always there to provide proof of biting vs. fin rot. And, to complicate matters further, there are different types of fin rot...e.g. slow-moving where the tail gradually erodes (sounds like your female may have this) vs. fast-moving where half the tail is shredded over night. I also look for "dead" tissue at the fin's edge....tiny bits of the fin that dangle abnormally.

Sorry to hijack your thread, Moonshadow....hope you don't mind!


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## MoonShadow (Feb 29, 2012)

Catw0man said:


> Sorry to hijack your thread, Moonshadow....hope you don't mind!


No worries hun!!

Emmet, Bay and Solo had their first taste of bloodworms today! Emmet and Bay gobbled them up! Solo had no idea what to do with them, but eventually nommed on one! Silly fish!


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## ashleylyn (Mar 30, 2013)

They look great and they sound very happy in your care! Definitely keep us all updated on their progress.


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## JustinieBeanie (Apr 22, 2013)

Wow they all look great! Also your petsmart's betta containers are quite a bit bigger than the ones they use at my local pet stores. Do alll Petsmart stores use those? Since you work there you might know, are those containers specially made for Petsmart, or can you buy them somewhere? Because if you can buy them somewhere, maybe I'll buy some and try to convince some of these pet stores to switch to the bigger cups by telling them Petsmart has better cups than they do..


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## Torla (Aug 15, 2013)

They look so much better! I love how vibrant Solo is.


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