# Saving Samson



## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

So, I got Samson close to 7 months ago. He was a gorgeous red and white rose tail male. Young, to be sure. It was love at first sight and I knew I just had to had him. I tried my hardest to get him started right. I painstakingly cycled the tank, doing partial water change on his 2.5 gallon tank whenever I noticed a particularly large spike of ammonia. I researched the best food and did my best to provide him with everything that he needed. He was a happy, vibrant fish. I wish I had a picture of him from back then. 

Then, disaster struck. He ripped his beautiful red tail right off. I was heartbroken but, as always, proceeded with his best interest in mind. I cleaned his tank, chucked the two live plants that weren't looking so great and rehomed his snail buddy. Overall, I was confident that warm, clean water was all he needed to bounce back from this episode. 

Four months crept by and, much to my dismay, his conditioned worsened. I watched as he grew paler by the minute and his tail seemed to almost grow smaller! 

With heightened resolve, I have decided to start this journal to help keep me motivated to Samson's rehabilitation. I have upgraded his tank, tossed out his old media for fear of contaminatants, and have begun treating him with Stress Guard and Aquarium salt. I plan to do weekly water changes and am hopeful that the gentle current of his new filter will help him build muscle. 

So, yeah, to recap I thought it would be fun to document his, much hoped for, improvement. Wish me luck!

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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

- Day 1 -

Obviously there isn't much to report other than the aforementioned changes to his environment. I'm keeping him on his same diet, New Life Spectrum pellets, but I am planning on doing more controlled feedings. I'm hoping this will help me keep better track of his exact intake. I'm going to try and keep my posts brief and I plan on sharing pictures weekly to better document any changes he goes through. So, here is the first picture of many. Here is my sad, sad Sammy-boy.









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## SpazPlayzz (Sep 19, 2017)

I'm rooting for you and Sampson!


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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

I am so sorry that I haven't updated on Sammy's progress! It has been a hectic weekend. So, without further ado, here is yesterday and Today's updates.

- Day 2 -

Poor Samson was so stressed Friday! He barely swam around, hung near the bottom of the tank and hid every time I neared the tank.
It took all my time and patience to coax him to eat two pellets! That's all he would eat! Two pellets for the whole day! He seemed lethargic, disinterested. I was beginning to worry that he wasn't going to bounce back. I ended up having to alter the flow of the filter to the lowest setting and I baffled it a bit to make things easier on him while he's recovering. This was a stressful day, overall.

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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

- Day 3 -

Today was one day that I wish I had more time to observe sweet Sammy. Unfortunately I was working a wedding so I only had until 12 that day to briefly check on him. Overall, however, he is much improved! He is swimming happily and is far more interactive! Tonight when I got home and approached his tank to feed him he actually greeted me, just like he used to! I was half expecting to beg him to eat, but he gulped down three pellets! I am so relieved and I hope that his progress continues. 

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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

- Day 4 -

Samson continues to progress! He is swimming around, approaching the tank to beg for food. Although, feeding stillncontinies to be a challenge. He'll take the food from me, chew it for a bit but then he'll spit it out and loose it. It's super frustrating because I'm worried that his water quality will suffer. I've decided to clean his tank twice weekly to keep the water as clean as possible. Today I emptied 75% of his water due to him not eating his pellets. It took extra time for me to thoroughly clean his substrate. 

I've read about a supplement called Boost, to help promote appetite. I went on a search for it and ended up at Wal-Mart for other things. I picked up a new heater and some.extra plants. I wanted to provide him with more coverage to add some security. 

While I was there, I just had to peek at the bettas. Usually I don't because I hate to see them in such deplorable conditions. Already there were two dead. The water in their cups was completely orange! I took a quick peek at the others and two immediately caught my eye. At first I was tempted to take both of them but my funds just simply weren't there. 

Enter Jaime.

- Day 1 -

Jaime caught my eye because of the black specks on his body. My first thought was Ammonia poisoning. The only visible sign of distress on the other one was clamped fins. Jaime was clamped as well as extremely dull. I brought him home, set up Samson's old tank with a new HOB filter. It came with an internal filter that took up a good portion of the tank. Without it, the tank is much more open. I wanted to get him out of his cup as soon as possible. I put him in the tank and he immediately started exhibiting signs of ammonia poisoning. He started darting around the tank and I got a better look at the spots on his body. Poor guy. I'm keeping his water clean and warm. I'm half tempted to perform 25% changes daily until he is recovered. He is super skittish and hides every time I near the tank. 

I do think he is going to be red, although he does have blue tips on his ventral fins. Right now he is a dull orange color. His tail type is clearly veiltail. To me, his purchase was necessity over tail type preference. 

So, from now on, I will be posting updates on him daily beside Sammy's and weekly photos every Sunday. 

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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

I forgot a photo of Jaime.










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## SpazPlayzz (Sep 19, 2017)

Nice. Just make sure you keep up on his medications.


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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

SaveSamson said:


> I forgot a photo of Jaime.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank You! I have been keeping up with Sammy. He has improved so much! I am so pleased by his progress. Do I keep dosing him with the Stress Coat every day? I added another dose today after his water change today. Should I also add the proper amount for the water I am replacing or for the whole tank? Thanks so much for your help! I really appreciated it!


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## SpazPlayzz (Sep 19, 2017)

SaveSamson said:


> Thank You! I have been keeping up with Sammy. He has improved so much! I am so pleased by his progress. Do I keep dosing him with the Stress Coat every day? I added another dose today after his water change today. Should I also add the proper amount for the water I am replacing or for the whole tank? Thanks so much for your help! I really appreciated it!


I haven't used the API Stress coat. What do the directions say? The Seachem Stress Guard says to use every day until you see improvement in the tail, scales etc.


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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

- Day 5 -

I feel so bad for poor Samson. He does not handle stress well. I ended up having to return his brand new tank because the filtration on it randomly stopped working... :sigh:

Personally, I dislike Topfin products simply because you can't purchase replacement parts. So, I spent my entire afternoon switching his tank yet again. I hated having to do so and I tried to make it as quick and painless as possible. Unfortunately, he is acting stressed again. He is an amazing hider! Several times today I panicked when I couldn't find him thinking he had jumped (even though he has a hood) or got sucked into the filter. Both were highly unprobable and each time I found him nestled comfortable behind a leaf or something. I'm still waiting for my IAL to come in but as soon as they do, both boys will be getting one.

- Day 2 -

Jaime also got a tank upgrade. I never intended for him to stay in Samson's old tank forever. It just so happened that petco was still having an amazing sale. I bought them both two fluvals, I forget the name of the kit...

He reacted very well to the move. Didn't miss a beat. I've also noticed parts of his personality coming through. He is very aggressive, flaring at me anytime I approach his tank but he is also very interactive. If I put my finger in the water, he will swim right up and brush against my fingers. 

Overall, I'm happy with the boys' progress. I'm hoping that once Sammy gets resettled in he'll go back to swimming around. I'm not anticipating him being overly eager to eat again, though. I know Jaime will be ready the moment he sees me opening their food. 

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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

Today was a hectic day! Not so much on the fish front, but more on the kid front. My youngest is having some kind of adverse reaction to something so I spent the majority of my day tending to her. Meanwhile, my eldest took it upon herself to dump a whole bottle of food into Sam's tank. That resulted in an emergency clean up as well as a skipped feeding to hopefully prevent any issues. I was stunned. I gave her a very firm talking to and moved the fish food way out of her reach. Somehow, Jaime missed out on the feast and has been quite grumpy about that. 

Both boys are doing well. Sammy tolerated the Stress of his tank being cleaned phenomenally. Despite gorging himself earlier in the day, he still sat at the top of his tank in hopes that I had forgotten and would feed him again. No luck there buddy. He is still the master at hiding and always gives me minor heart attacks whenever I can't find him. 

Thanks so some of you all here on the forum, I have come to the conclusion that Jaime's fins are permanently curled. I'm not sure why this has happened, but I love him anyway. The more I study him the more I wonder what he is going to look like in time. He has one ventrical that is completely iridescent but has a blue tint to it. I can also see hints of some blue on his chin. I'm not sure what he is going to be. He certainly is flare happy, though. 

I am having an issue of Sammy not keeping his food down. I've noticed that shortly after feeding him, he regurgitates it back up. I'm thinking I'm going to have to switch him to a smaller pellet. He is much more petite than Jaime. I just don't think he can handle the size of the NLS as well as he used to. I have some hikari pellets I'm thinking about trying him on...

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## Fishingforcats (Mar 1, 2017)

I've read different things cause fin curling. I have a double tail with a dorsal fin that curls a little at the top. I also recently got a crowntail betta and some of the ends of his fins are starting to curl to curly qs. I've heard that pH, genetics, water conditions, and tail type have roles in fin curling. I'm not sure though. My tank pH is 8.1. I'm not sure if my crowntail had curling fins when I got him, I noticed a few days after I got thim. When I noticed him having curling fins, I noticed that my double tails fin also had a curl. I think that one is new since I don't remember him having a curl and it doesn't show in any pictures I have. From what I gather, fin curling doesn't mean they are ill and there isn't a whole lot you can do about it. 

As for the food, you can always frind up the pellets into smaller pieces. I feed my bettas Omega One Betta Buffet. I want to say they are a little bigger than Hikari Bio Gold and they don't look at big as NLS.


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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

Fishingforcats said:


> I've read different things cause fin curling. I have a double tail with a dorsal fin that curls a little at the top. I also recently got a crowntail betta and some of the ends of his fins are starting to curl to curly qs. I've heard that pH, genetics, water conditions, and tail type have roles in fin curling. I'm not sure though. My tank pH is 8.1. I'm not sure if my crowntail had curling fins when I got him, I noticed a few days after I got thim. When I noticed him having curling fins, I noticed that my double tails fin also had a curl. I think that one is new since I don't remember him having a curl and it doesn't show in any pictures I have. From what I gather, fin curling doesn't mean they are ill and there isn't a whole lot you can do about it.
> 
> As for the food, you can always frind up the pellets into smaller pieces. I feed my bettas Omega One Betta Buffet. I want to say they are a little bigger than Hikari Bio Gold and they don't look at big as NLS.


Yeah, I noticed his fins had curled at the store. That's one of the reasons I decided to take him home with me. I think it probably has something to do with his poor water quality as he is a veiltail. I don't expect his caudal to go back to the way it was before. I think this so just how he is now. And that's perfectly ok.

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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

Both boys are doing so amazingly well! Today was water change day, so that took a little while but both handled everything exceptionally well. Even Sammy remained his usual happy self. I was worried that he would get stressed out and go back to hiding, but nope. All day he has been interactive and swimming laps around his tank. I'm so happy to see him perking up again. He still hasn't given me a flare like he used to, but I'm hoping that is right around the corner. I also spent some time today estimating his age. I guess that he will be a year old in January. Jaime isnt far behind, to my assumption that he is close to eight months old. 

I finally got Sammy eating tonight! I tried the Hikari Betta gold pellets (I had a free sample that I got from somewhere) and he still spent much of his meal time spitting them out. I quickly realized that it isn't because he can't chew it (those pellets are drastically smaller than the NLS He was getting) it's because he's a picky little bugger. Tonight, I offered him the first food I'd ever purchased for him, Ocean Nutrition Betta Formula. Of course he gobbled it up like a happy little clam. :sigh: He would like the one that isn't the greatest nutritionally. 

In hopes of solving my feeding woes with Sammy, I ordered the New Life Spectrum Betta pellets. I'm hoping he will like those, plus it's better for him. I know Jaime will, more than likely, not have a single issue. He is a piggy! 

Jaime continues to do well. He is very active and patrols his tank multiple times throughout the day. He always flares at me when I approach (I'm sure he is hoping that I will find him impressive enough to feed him more food). Today while I was cleaning his tank he came up and brushed against my fingers, multiple times! I'm sure that's his way of saying thank you. 

My Indian Almond Leaves are supposed to arrive tomorrow. I am super excited! I'm hoping the yummy tannins will help speed along Sammy's recovery.

Ok, picture time! The top picture is of Jaime at the start of his recovery and the bottom is the one I took today. There's no improvement yet, but I plan on always presenting his progress like this in hopes that it will showcase his improvement as we go along. One week down! C'mon Sammy boy, you can do this!









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## Rainbo (Nov 23, 2015)

Actually I already see improvement with Sammy. His color is a lot better, and his caudal fin looks like it's already healing some.


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## DanielleFish1 (Sep 1, 2017)

Such a sweet boy. I hope that Samson heals up. It's awesome what you're doing with him and Jaime. 
Me and Shy Guy (my betta boy) are rooting for you guys.


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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

So, before I jump into this entry, I wanted to make a quick admission to you all. I haven't been completely honest and I'm a bit embarrassed to admit...we (my husband and I) decided to change the fishs' names. A couple of nights ago we both came to the agreement that the names I had chosen didn't quite reflect the boys' personalities. And, if I'm going to be super honest, Samson went unnamed for a ridiculously long time. Not because I didn't love him but because I just couldn't come up with a name that I felt suited him. So, from now on

Jaime = Samson

And

Sandor = Jaime.

I hope you all catch those references and maybe I'll elaborate on my husband's flawless logic in another post. But, anyway, onto the updates.

I'm going to start with Jaime (Samson) since Sandor's update will probably be a long one. Jaime is doing so much better! I got my Indian Almond Leaves in the mail yesterday and already his colors appear more vibrant and he seems so much more energetic! He is still eating the Ocean Nutrition Pellets but I'm hoping to try him on New Life Spectrum Betta pellets tonight. I also upgraded his heater, more on the main reason why in Sandor's update, so he is sitting at a consistent 80* now. I'm hoping this will continue to promote his healing process. Overall, he is doing amazing. Still no flaring but he seems so much more at ease now.

Sandor...where do I even begin? So, I was doing good. Ecstatic at the arrival of my IAL. I even dropped a few in his tank because, why Not? Then, as I'm sitting there observing them enjoying the newest additions to their tank I notice tell-tale signs of Ich sprinkled all over Sandor's body. Instant panic. That night I did some research and developed a game plan. It's because of this newest development that I invested in better heaters. With the cooler weather here those 15w heaters weren't doing jack. Now I am cleaning his tank daily in scalding hot water and cleaning everything that comes in contact with him. It's a chore. I disposed of his gravel so now his tank is bare bottom and I removed his filter media during the course of his treatment. So far so good. Poor buddy! He is still eating so I am confident he will recover. I should have known something like this was going to happen. Especially given his atrocious conditions...









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## DanielleFish1 (Sep 1, 2017)

So which one's which?? I'm so confused lol. 
Is "Jaime" the halfmoon that you had originally?
Is "Sandor" the orange veiltail from Walmart? 

I'm glad that Jaime is doing better! And I'm sorry that Sandor has ich! Hope he heals soon!!


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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

DanielleFish1 said:


> So which one's which?? I'm so confused lol.
> Is "Jaime" the halfmoon that you had originally?
> Is "Sandor" the orange veiltail from Walmart?
> 
> I'm glad that Jaime is doing better! And I'm sorry that Sandor has ich! Hope he heals soon!!


Sorry, I know it's confusing. Jaime is the original rose tail. 

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## DanielleFish1 (Sep 1, 2017)

Thanks! 
They're both beautiful boys and I'm so glad that you're doing what you can for them.
I've gotta say, though, (will you be mad at me for choosing a favorite?) Sandor is my favorite by a slight margin! I don't know why; he just has such an adorable little face...
Jaime is a sweetie too though.


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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

DanielleFish1 said:


> Thanks!
> They're both beautiful boys and I'm so glad that you're doing what you can for them.
> I've gotta say, though, (will you be mad at me for choosing a favorite?) Sandor is my favorite by a slight margin! I don't know why; he just has such an adorable little face...
> Jaime is a sweetie too though.


He definitely has a grumpy face. He is so animated too! Always flaring! 

Jaime is just a sweet boy. I can't help but feel bad for him!

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## DanielleFish1 (Sep 1, 2017)

Yeah, my heart definitely went out to Jaime (then Samson) when you posted the picture of him with his tail all torn up. :'(


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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

DanielleFish1 said:


> Yeah, my heart definitely went out to Jaime (then Samson) when you posted the picture of him with his tail all torn up. :'(


I feel so bad because I have no idea if him tearing his tail off is my fault or not. I had to fast him for three days while I was at the hospital giving birth and I think that stressed him out. He's never been the same since then... I tried treating him with warm clean water for 4 months and he is just now making improvements. But I added salt to his tank and stress coat and IAL so I'm sure it's a co combination of all those things making him feel better.

Wow, I did not mean for this reply to turn into a mini update. I guess that's what happens when I'm glued to my chair rocking my 4 month old to sleep...

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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

Both boys continue to do well! Sandor's treatment is coming along and I'm beginning to see the parasites become fewer and fewer. It's been a task, making sure that I'm doing everything I possibly can to treat his Ich. I'd say my biggest challenge has been making sure that the water temperature stays consistent. The temperature has really dropped where I live so the temp of my house fluctuates quite a bit. I've noticed that the temp in his tank drops almost every night. There has been a lot of back and forth on my end to make sure that everything is perfect. Sandor got quite a bit clamped two days ago and I was an instant mess of worry. Thankfully, his appetite is still going strong and he appears to be improving gradually. I'll post a picture later on today after water changes. 

Jaime, however, is making leaps toward his recovery and I couldn't be happier. He has really colored up over the past two days and I even think I'm beginning to see the start of new growth! Maybe there is hope after all! Last night, when I went to feed him, I could have cried with joy. My sweet, broken little Jaime had built his first bubblenest since his tail tore off. Those Indian Almond Leaves are no joke! I wish I had gotten a picture for you all! He even slept under it last night. Cute, right? He is still refusing everything but Ocean Nutrition, but my new NLS Betta pellets are supposed to be arriving tomorrow. I can't wait to see if he will like those better. I really want to get him on a better food to help him continue to heal. 

I will be taking some pictures today after my daily water changes. I promise I haven't forgotten about you all!

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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

As promised, here are some pictures of Sandor. While performing his water change I sat and observed him for a few minutes. He seems a little bit more sluggish than usual and he's still a bit clamped. I'm considering adding Paraguard to his tank. I noticed some holes in his caudal and I'm a little worried that he may be developing a secondary infection. Honestly, I expected this when I first got him but it's a little bothersome thinking that I may have to jump straight into treating something else. For now, I'm just going to keep a close eye on him and continue to treat the Ich. Looking at him this morning I can only see one or two little white specks still clinging to him so I'm hoping we are well on our way to erradicating this nasty parasite. 

On a more positive note, Jaime flared at me today while I was cleaning his tank. I'm so happy to be seeing his old self coming back! I've added an obligatory flare picture so you all can appreciate his cuteness.









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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

There isn't much to report on. The boys are still doing good. Performing daily water changes for Sandor has proven to be quite taxing. But it's worth it. The parasites seem to have disappeared. I'm still maintaining his tank temperature for ten days to ensure that they all die off completely. I moved some things around in the boys' tank. I got Jaime a new wood ornament and put his old log into Sandor's tank (after I cleaned it, of course). Unfortunately, I do believe that I have a tail biter in Sandor. His long beautiful tail has been nipped and it is heartbreaking to see it gradually growing shorter and shorter. At least, I'm hoping it's not fin rot...

Jaime is continuing to do amazingly. H es active, swimming around. I'm actually beginning to see new growth forming in his tail, which is encouraging. He genuinely seems so happy! 

As usual, the first picture is of him at the start of this journey and the rest is of him today. And, of course, I couldn't not share a picture of Jaime...he's too handsome!









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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

Oh, and I forgot to add that today I did some digging regarding some concerns I had about Jaime's eyes. When looking at the boys I noticed that Sandor did not have the same "eyelid" that Jaime has...So, I'm beginning to believe that Jaime's eyes are beginning to scale over. I noticed this a while back and just asumeed it was something he'd always had. But now I'm not quite sure. Poor buddy. 

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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

Hello everybody! I know that it has been a long time since I've posted Here! I'm really sorry about that, life kind of snatched me up and ran away! Lol anyway, here is your ling overdue update on both the boys.

Let's start with Sandor! In my last update, we were in the middle of battle Ich. Well, I'm happy to report that he is now 100% Ich free. He has shown no other symptoms of illness and is thriving! He is a tail biter though, grrr. I like to think that he is a little more bright orange than when I first got him, but otherwise there isn't much change in his appearance. He is still a super fun fish to watch and is a very aggressive water. Below is a picture from when I first got him and a picture of him today!

Jaime is doing amazing! I mean, wow, I can really see a major difference in him. He's active, he flairs all the time and he even has built me tons of bubble nests. Not only does he act like he's feeling better, but he looks like he is feeling better too! I'll let the picture do the talking. The top one is from when we first started this journey and the one below is from today!









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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

I feel like I am always starting my entries the same way lately. I know I haven't been posting here very often. But it's with a heavy heart that I write this update. 

Yesterday, as I was doing my regular water changes, I noticed that Sandor wasn't his usual perky self. That night, when I fed him, he refused to eat. Today, I performed an emergen y water change just in case he was battling another illness of some kind. As I worked, I watched as he limply floated around the tank to the current. My heart sank. Desperate, I stopped my work and attempted to feed him again to no avail. With a heavy heart I watched as his life slowly faded away. I can't help but feel like I did something wrong, even though I know I did the best that I could. 

I makes me sad to see his tank dark and empty, void of any signs of life. I'm heartbroken. Luckily, Jaime is still doing well though I am paranoid now that he is going to pass away as well. 

I know that his tank probably won't remain empty for long, but my head is still reeling. I wish I had happier news for you all.  

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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

I have good news and bad news. As some of you might already know, Jaime seems a bit out of sorts lately. He has stopped eating and has become increasingly more inactive, despite my best efforts. I'm hoping that he will snap out of it soon and go back to eating but I'm worried that he is just too weak. I don't know what spiraled him into this, but I am praying that there is still hope! 

On a happier note, as previously eluded too, I pleased to introduce you to Stark. He is in no way meant to be a replacement, but I couldn't stand to see Sandor's, or Sandy as I called him, tank remain empty when it could be home to another fish. Start was advertised as a butterfly, though that is yet to be seen as his coloring is obviously still coming in. I am fairly certain that he is a double tail. 

He is quite a bit shyer than Sandy or Jaime, for that matter. He enjoys peeking out at me from behind the leaves of his plants. For most of his first day, and yesterday, he kept to himself and didn't really come out of hiding a whole lot. Today, he seems a bit more settled. He even ate for the first time! Yay! 

I chose him, mostly because he was so Starkly (did you see what I did there?) Different from Sandy. There was a beautiful Koi plakat that I was immediately drawn to but I kept going back to Stark. Firstly, he Jas beautiful blue eyes and, secondly, blue is my husband's favorite color. Cheesy, I know. Anyway, he is beautiful and settling in nicely. I have high hopes for him!




















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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

Uhm, I swear this is the same fish...








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## Rainbo (Nov 23, 2015)

He's still starkly beautiful! Looks like someone marbled on you though LOL.


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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

Rainbo said:


> He's still starkly beautiful! Looks like someone marbled on you though LOL.


Totally, and this happened so quickly! I noticed a change in him a week or two after I brought him home. His head is still changing, but he is stunning. 

Also, I brought home a girlfriend (not really Cruz I thought she was a boy until tonight). I purchased Scarlet late Feb early March. I've had her for a bit and am only just now realizing that she is a girl. Whoops. Shes a cutie though.














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## SaveSamson (Nov 30, 2017)

*Updates and new fish...*

I think It's time for a long overdue update. So, as some of you may or may not know. Jaime has passed on. He contracted dropsy and died in the middle of treatment. I'm still not sure what caused him to turn so suddenly, but I suspect Culmanaris or something similar. I was heartbroken and it was a long day for me.

I've already introduced Thor. My stark 'white' betta that has, since, marbled on me. He is absolutely stunning and has been an absolute delight. He's quite big too. Although he is a bit of a biter, his tail is totally impressive which is why I recently decided to upgrade his tank! Yay! Thor now lives in a six gallon aquarium. Currently, he has a few tank mates, some tiger nerite snails and four cherry shrimp. The snails are temporary additions and lived with Thor in his smaller 2.6 before the move. I've kept them with Thor until I'm ready to move them into their permanent home. But more on that later. Thor holds a very special place in my heart. Maybe it's because he has completely transformed before my eyes or because he really has such a sweet personality. Unlike my previous fish, he isn't as aggressive. He takes change pretty hard and is currently sulking about his new home. He doesn't know what's good for him. I suspect in a few days he'll come around and agree that I do have a tiny idea of what I am doing. He's a silly boy.

Next is Scarlett. I haven't officially introduced her yet but I've had her for two months...a month and a half? I'm not exactly sure. I certainly hadn't expected to want another fish so quickly after Jaime's death, but do you remember that koi that I mentioned when I first brought Thor home? Well, this is the one. I went back to my petstore and 'he' was still there. Small and sad. I couldn't resist. I brought 'him' home. Well, Loki, as we called 'him' was suspected to be very young due to his size but...as time progressed I began noticing tiny details that told a different story. It wasn't until a few days ago that I came to the final conclusion that Loki was actually a Scarlett. So, yeah. Scarlett is a spunky girl and is a fan favorite. Without a heavy tail to drag her down she darts around her tank and is quite playful. She always swims up to her glass whenever I'm near, using her brown eyes to lure me into dropping more food. At first, she wasn't wholly convinced in her nerite friends and she spent a lot of time staring at them. I half-expected to find them murdered every time I checked in on them. But, no, she's accepted them and I think she enjoys following them around the tank as they clean.

Now for today...Today, as I upgraded Thor's dwelling, I came to realization that I would now have an empty tank. Every hobbyists dream! So....I may or may not have disinfected Thor's old tank and brought home a new buddy. Everyone, meet Drax! I didn't want to overwhelm him while he's settling in, so, for now, I'm keeping his snail buddies with Thor. After a couple of weeks I will pop them in with him.

So, prepare for some picture spam.


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