# Odysseus the Betta Fish



## Anniecat42 (Mar 29, 2015)

So I thought I would start a journal if only for me to see how far I have come.  Basically I have had Bettas for the past year almost, and absolutely love them! I have three male bettas in a divided 15 gal. 

The first boy and the betta I've had the longest is Odysseus, who is the inspiration for this Journal's name. He's a DT, and I think that he may be a feather tail but i'm not sure. He has been biting his fins a bit so at the moment he looks a little raggedy but I'll try and attach a picture anyway at the end. He was one of the most active betta's I have but he was getting a bit lethargic. He's much better now as his mood was due to a bad decoration in his section. He's slowly getting back to his old self:-D

My second betta is Moby! I got him earlier this September. He is also a DT but his tail is much longer. He got into another divider so both him and my other boy are still regrowing their tails but I'll describe that traumatizing tale another time. Moby has a bit of trouble eating so I have to give him flakes instead of pellets but he's worth it. He is one of the more chilled bettas I have but also is the one who beat up my other betta so... his mood is weird... But adorable.

My final betta is Quartz, a HM although his fins have never quite reached 180˚. He is the most jittery betta I have and is also one of the most personable. He loves swimming toward me as soon as I feed them in the morning and if I sit near the tank without feeding him he'll give me this impatient look and act grumpy unless I feed him. I got him around November and has since proven himself to be the craziest betta I've ever had, always with one problem or another... Either he rips his fins, or he has a gill problem, or he gets in a fight. Even though he has a bad history, he is actually one of the healthier bettas at the moment.

I also have three otto cats (one in each section) that I got a few days ago. They have all settled in extremely well which is a huge relief because I was SO worried about them! All of the boys were extremely confused as to why these little creatures were not challenging them and eventually got bored with them and left them alone, Thankfully!!! I also have a Java fern, a banana plant, and an Anubias.

Finally, Here's for the pictures I've promised :-D

The first Pic is Ody/Odysseus:
The otto cat is on the top right... and I know that Ody's fins are super torn up but they're healing now  Hopefully you can see this...

Then there's Moby... Again his fins are a bit messed up but they're healing... I hope I put the file in the right place.. :lol: (middle pic)

And finally there's Quartz.(bottom pic.)


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## Anniecat42 (Mar 29, 2015)

Ok, so firstly, I just realized how much Ody has changed since I got him a year ago! If you look at the picture of him and then at my profile picture you can see the true difference that he has gone through! 

Secondly I thought I would explain some of the backstory of the most memorable... memories... that I have gone through during my 'short' experience with betta fish. (STORY TIME!!!) <3 

First off, when I first got Odysseus, he was in 2.5 plastic tank with a mini filter and no heater... I did however have my 15 gal and was going to put him in it soon after... I just had to wait for it to cycle. Then I went on vacation over summer... so he stayed in that tank for longer than planned. At the beginning of this year I put him in his new home and he absolutely loved it! About a week after I got Moby. About two weeks after that (one week for quarantine then 1 week to get used to new tank) I got Quartz!

Quartz had to stay in his QT tank for longer because he was sicker than everyone else... But he also wins the most improved award :-D

About 4 months ago, I did a WC, nothing special, but following that water change, a horrible, tragic, and traumatizing event occurred. When I put the water back into the tank, it displaced some gravel and a small corner between Moby and Quartz's section was opened. I still don't know how Moby got through such a small opening but that is the drawback of the divided tank. Anyway, I found them both breathing heavily and missing some fin but otherwise unharmed. I feel entirely luck that nothing worse happened to them! I guess there are always mistakes with fish keeping but at least it's a learning experience. 

I've just gotten my first plants and I'm really excited to see them grow. My favorite is the banana plant :lol:

I'm thinking about getting a glass 2.5 as a hospital tank because my plastic tank is looking a little dismal... I guess it does the job though. I also want more betta fish so maybe i'll get a 5 gal but I don't know if I could get another one :-( 

I wanted to ask anyone about my bettas Moby and Ody... They seem to sink if they stop swimming or do not rest on anything. It seems like their tales are pulling them down. They've been like this ever since I got them and it doesn't seem to bother them too much. They can eat and swim like normal it's just when they stop that they seem to drift. They are both my double tails so I don't know if that has anything to do with it... Thanks!


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## Anniecat42 (Mar 29, 2015)

I've been trying to get some pictures in of my boys that aren't sideways so here goes nothing 

Here's a picture of the whole tank... I know the water level's a bit low but I'm a bit of a worry wort and I worry about them getting over the dividers...


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## Anniecat42 (Mar 29, 2015)

Here's some better pictures of the boys! I've been thinking I should put Odysseus in the QT tank until his fins heal but I don't have a heater for that tank yet. It's a 2.5 (I think... it might be a 2 gal) and I don't know if there are heaters small enough for that size. I also would like anyone's input as to if he is biting his fins or if it is something else... I don't think it is fin rot especially because none of the other boys have shown any symptoms or anything. It may be that he's laying on the gravel and it pulls at his fins... I've been thinking about switching to sand. Let me know if that is a good idea or not. I've only ever had gravel as a substrate and I don't know a lot about sand. I don't know how to post pictures in the actual message but I'm working on it :-D Anyway here are some pictures!


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## Anniecat42 (Mar 29, 2015)

Hey! I think I might be getting a new betta soon but I'm not sure. I really want one but I don't want anything to take away from my boys I have now. any advise? Anyway, I am going to order some sand, but I don't know what brand to start with... any suggestions? I also want a heater for my QT tank but again I don't know if there's one that has a small enough wattage. I've been trying to post in this journal with updates everyday but now I've realized how boring my days are! I go to school, come back to do homework, and then go on the internet! Well, I won't be able to post for a while because I'm going away for spring break (finally something interesting and fun to do!) Don't worry I'm leaving the bettas in good hands. (plus I'm giving detailed instructions with pictures and arrows!) :lol:

The funniest thing happened the other day. I came up to the tank and noticed that Quartz was not up at the front like he usually is. I looked down and he was siting IN his plant. Not on it, not by it, but IN it. He's the funniest little guy! He scared me too because at first I thought he was stuck down there! I tried to get some pictures but they're a bit blurry and you can't really tell what's going on but I'll try and post them.


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## Anniecat42 (Mar 29, 2015)

*New Plants!*

Today I got 2 new plants for my tank!!! slowly but surely adding on to the planted tank. I only added plants into Moby and Ody's section, but the next batch of plants I get will go to Quartz. One of the plants is a Bacopa, and the other one is a Telanthera. They look so cool in the tank although now ody's section looks a little green and bland. I think I'll get another Telanthera for his side later. I also think I'll try and get some water sprite or something like it. I've heard that's a really good beginners plant. I eventually want to replace all of my decoration with live plants or at least natural decorations. I only want to do it like two plants at a time though because I want to slowly get me and my fish used to them! :-D 

Pictures of the new plants!
(By the way I don't know what happened with the sizing but the pic on the left is of the telanthera and the right is the Bacopa)


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## Anniecat42 (Mar 29, 2015)

*Fin rot and infections *

Hey!
Unfortunately we have had a bad bout of fin rot going on.  I will not give any excuses for not catching it earlier, but I noticed signs before going away for spring break and when I got back, he was in terrible shape. I immediately quarantined him in a 2.5 gal aquarium. The next day I was changing the water in the 15 gal and I noticed a white bulge under Moby's gill. He is also in a QT 2.5 gal. Unfortunately, I have gone on vacation again so I am away from them again! Luckily, I have someone experienced to look after them. He is changing their water every day, at least 50%, and I'm putting them on a high protein diet, with them getting freeze dried bloodworms in addition to their food every other day. 

Also, as an update on the plants, my banana plant has started sprouting up to the top of the tank, and my telanthera is doing well, however my bacopa has been eaten by the intake tube of my filter. This degraded the water quality in Ody's tank especially and I think it was what sparked the immense decrease in his condition. :sob:


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## Anniecat42 (Mar 29, 2015)

*Sick Bettas *

My boys have gotten even worse. I'm hoping they're just getting worse before they get better but I'm not sure. Ody still has fin rot, and it's a pretty bad case. It's terrifying how so much can change when you aren't there to check in on them. Moby has been getting worse; his coloring has been getting more dull and his fungal infection (I'm pretty much sure that's what it is now) is getting even worse. I got home 3 days ago, and immediately ran to the pet store and got Fungal guard by jungle to try and help. He's in a 2.5 gal. tank so I've been using a 1/4 tablet per water change, and changing the water every day. 

Ody has not been getting worse but not been getting better. He's gotten worse a eating but he seems to be a bit bloated so I'm not too worried about it because my gut tells me I should be fasting him. I've also been told that I should be keeping him on a high protein diet however, so I've been giving him freeze-dried bloodworms every other day or so but I'm not sure it's helping. I've been adding a tsp. of AQ salt per gal for him and it seems to have stopped the progression of the fin rot but I'm not sure where to go from here. 

On the bright side, Quartz is doing really well and now has the full 15 gal. tank to himself. I took out the dividers and he is enjoying the extra space until the boys get better and can go back in the tank. While I don't have the dividers I'm going to be adding even more live plants (getting closer to my dream of a fully planted tank ) :lol:

Wish me luck :-?


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## Anniecat42 (Mar 29, 2015)

*Finally Getting Better!*

Finally! The boys are getting better! Ody has some regrowth starting in his fins, and although I can tell it will take a while, at least there is some noticeable change. However, unfortunately it seems like Ody has the beginnings of a fungal infection. It's not as bad as Moby's was but it's still pretty bad. I just put him on the Fungal Clear and kept him on the AQ salt even though it has been more than 10 days because it seems to be helping. I will transition him out of it for a break but I'd like to not change too much at once. 

Moby also seems better, although you can still see the fungal infection it seems to have gotten smaller. I have recently taken him off of the Fungus Clear by Jungle, because he had been on it for 10 days. I have put him on AQ salt because he seems to have some fins missing and I'd like him to gain more of an immune system in case I need to put him back on the Fungal Clear. 

Here's the 2.5 QT tanks:


Quartz is doing AMAZING in the 15 gal. I recently added some watersprite, floating plants, and another that I can't quite remember the name of. I'll insert a picture, and if anyone can let me know what it is that'd be great. I think it starts with an a and has a v in there somewhere. 

Here's the plant: 

And here's the whole tank:

PS: I finally learned how to put photos into the actual post :lol:

Ok maybe not... oops, well you can guess which one's which, and if anyone would like to let me know how to post the pics in the actual post please let me know!!!


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## Anniecat42 (Mar 29, 2015)

*I don't know what to do.*

He was getting better. He had regrowth in his fins, he was active, he had an appetite, and he was getting back to normal. Within 3 days, he went from bad, to worse, to horrible. The first day, he just acted less active, nothing odd. The second day he started sinking whenever he wasn't swimming, today he just lies on his side. His fins are pineconing, and he can't swim without sinking. He is constantly gasping with his gills moving heavily. When he does swim, it's sideways or even upsidedown. My mom says we should euthanize him, she says his in too much pain. I don't know what to do. I don't want to give up on him, but at the same time I don't think I can fix him, and I know he's in such pain now. Odysseus is dying... and I don't know what to do.


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## Witchipoo (Dec 13, 2015)

Honey, please post in the disease and emergency section, fill out the form and try to post some pics of him.
I think there will be someone that can help your little one. I just happened across this, no one else knows you need help.


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## Anniecat42 (Mar 29, 2015)

*He's gone*

I'm so so so sad to say that my darling Odysseus has passed away. Thank you to Witchipoo for helping me. I was so worried I wasn't thinking clearly and didn't even think to ask for help. I just couldn't contain myself and went into the journal. I can't believe he's gone. He was my first betta fish. The one who flourished after I got him. He was the one who people would say "wow, look at him!". I feel like I'm to blame. Maybe if i'd done a different treatment, maybe if I posted on the disease section sooner, maybe if I knew more... It all just happened so quickly. One day he was quickly improving, the next he was laying at the bottom of the tank. I'm so sorry Ody... S.I.P


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## Witchipoo (Dec 13, 2015)

Oh sweety. Don't beat yourself up. The time he had was so good. He had a great home and lots of love. No one could want more.
SIP Ody.


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## Anniecat42 (Mar 29, 2015)

Thanks so much! I really needed to hear that.


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