# MISSING: My only marble betta



## reaper0325

This Monday, I placed my male Piebald Marble betta in an outdoor grow-out basin to eliminate the plentiful mosquito larva in it. When I checked for him today, he was gone. I am devastated. :-(
Here is the pic of the heavily planted basin. 








He is my only marble betta and I was supposed to breed him this month. This is not a photo of him but he looks like this.








Oh marble betta, where did you go? :BIGweepy:


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## Bettaluver4evr

Oh dear!!! That's so sad! I hope you can find him or I hope he was just hiding under a plant... He was gorgeous...


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## Alex09

He could be hiding somewhere. Seems like there are plenty of spots to hide. Worst case scenario is that he got taken by a cat or racoon or something


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## fishmansam

so sad it not safe to put them out side


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## reaper0325

I dismantled the entire setup to find him. I removed every single plant in the basin. Still, no sign of him. He can't jump out because he needs to clear 3 inches of the basin to get out. Maybe the stray cats discovered my basin. 

What a waste of good fish.


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## reaper0325

Sorry, it was not 3 inches, more like 5 or six.. A betta can't jump that high.


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## Bettaluver4evr

I am so sorry, he was gorgeous!  I'm very sorry... But it definitely won't happen again now! And you can find another gorgeous betta for breeding, I'm sure.


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## reaper0325

Yep.. Still, I feel so bad. 

And another problem. Dragonfly and damselfly larvae are invading my basins. Fry casualties are rising. Arrrgggh


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## wallywestisthebest333

Hmmmm..... maybe you could put screen door material over your basins in the future to prevent parent entry and prevent larva from being lain.

I have no idea how you'd eradicate them though. :[ I'm so sorry about your lost boy! <3 And your babies! <3

Is there any way you can get most of them out of the basin and into a tank where you can see and remove the attacking larvae?


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## reaper0325

wallywestisthebest333 said:


> Hmmmm..... maybe you could put screen door material over your basins in the future to prevent parent entry and prevent larva from being lain.
> 
> I have no idea how you'd eradicate them though. :[ I'm so sorry about your lost boy! <3 And your babies! <3
> 
> Is there any way you can get most of them out of the basin and into a tank where you can see and remove the attacking larvae?


I tried to remove all the predators with an asepto syringe (photo below) and added a screen on the tubs.. But I fear that there are still some of them hiding in the water and just waiting to grow. 








I also covered all the tubs with nets this afternoon..


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## dramaqueen

Aww, I'm sorry about your fish!


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