# I Got a New Betta!



## Goldmoon (May 4, 2021)

I have a pretty funny story behind my new betta that I wanted to share. I went to my local Petsmart to pick up some dog food and of course had to take a quick look at the bettas while I was there… as you probably know, stories like this usually have only one way of ending…

There were a lot of red and blues, mostly delta tails, crowntails and veiltails, like usual. I was about to leave when this cup in the bottom corner of the shelf caught my eye. His cup was almost hiding, and he was resting on the bottom, obviously not the most healthy fish. The label on the cup was red, meaning it is the “standard” betta (whatever that means, I guess it’s just the store’s way of pricing them) and only cost $3.99. The label on top of his cup says “female veiltail”… but it is definitely not a female OR a veiltail… it’s a plakat male! And it looks to be a galaxy koi! I couldn’t believe it! Needless to say, I snatched him up pretty quick… I guess it’s a good thing I kept that extra 5.5 gallon tank set up… lol.

I am a bit worried about him because he looks pretty thin. Not to mention, there were some uneaten pellets floating in the cup that had clearly been there for a while. Since he’s so small, I’m thinking maybe they were just too big for him? Anyways, I’m going to get him into some clean water and hope I can help nurse him back to health. Fingers crossed he will start doing better with some clean water and TLC!

Anyways, it’s just a fun story that I thought I’d share because I’m pretty excited about this find! Usually the plakat males will be priced around $19.99 at my local pet stores, sometimes more if they have koi patterns. So I think it was pretty lucky of me to be able to find him! I’ll post more pictures once he gets settled into his new tank… but in the mean time, here’s one of him still in his cup!









He has some fin damage but other than that, he looks to be in pretty good health! (He looks a little funny in this pic because the roundness of the cup distorts the camera).


----------



## FishandBirdLover (May 5, 2021)

Awwww! What great story! So glad that you rescued him! He is a beauty and I'm looking forward for his colors to deepen!


----------



## Eridanus (Jul 1, 2021)

Such a beautiful boy!! 

Have you found a name yet?


----------



## Goldmoon (May 4, 2021)

FishandBirdLover said:


> Awwww! What great story! So glad that you rescued him! He is a beauty and I'm looking forward for his colors to deepen!


Thank you so much! I still can’t believe I found him… it was really a lucky find. Since he’s been acclimating to the new tank, his colors have already begun to deepen a little bit… I’m planning on updating this thread as he adjusts to his new home so I can show his color or pattern changes (if he has any)


----------



## Goldmoon (May 4, 2021)

Eridanus said:


> Such a beautiful boy!!
> 
> Have you found a name yet?


Thank you so much! I don’t have a name picked out yet… since this was such a last minute buy (I really wasn’t expecting to come home with a fish today, lol) I didn’t really get a chance to think about names yet. I’m definitely open to name suggestions though!


----------



## betta4ever! (Oct 5, 2021)

Wow what cute boy! So glad you rescued him! I'm waiting for updates!


----------



## Goldmoon (May 4, 2021)

He’s been in his tank for about a half hour now and his colors have darkened a little bit. His fins are still looking clamped (and his anal fin clearly has some damage) but he’s swimming around pretty well! I’m planning on giving him some frozen bloodworms tonight… he looks a little skinny and I’m sure he’s hungry. I want him to settle in a bit before I give him any food, though. 

Anyways, here’s a quick picture I got of him:


----------



## Goldmoon (May 4, 2021)

I’m actually getting a bit worried about this little guy… I tried to feed him last night and this morning and he didn’t eat either time. He’s hanging out near the surface of the water, but I don’t think it’s a swim bladder issue because when he does swim down he seems to be able to balance himself well. I put Stress Coat and Melafix (both API products) in the water when I brought him home, knowing his fins were pretty damaged and thinking that would help. There are also Indian almond leaves in the tank.

Since his fins are still clamped and he’s acting lethargic, should I be worried? The water in his cup was clearly not kept very clean, there were uneaten pellets and other waste in it when I got him. I didn’t think much of the uneaten pellets… I assumed they were just too big for him because he is definitely a little guy. But he refused frozen bloodworms, live blackworms AND flakes, which I tried feeding both yesterday and today.

If you think this is a problem, does anyone have any idea what it might be (and how I might be able to help him)? Also, I know this isn’t the right part of the forum to be asking this, so should I start a new thread in diseases/emergencies as well?


----------



## betta4ever! (Oct 5, 2021)

Oh no! Maybe try soaking the pellets in garlic juice? Or maybe he is just stressed??


----------



## Goldmoon (May 4, 2021)

betta4ever! said:


> Oh no! Maybe try soaking the pellets in garlic juice? Or maybe he is just stressed??


I thought it might be stress related, but I would have thought he’d perk up by now (it’s almost been 24 hrs since I got him). I’m keeping the lights in the room off in hopes he’ll feel safer in the dark. I’ll try soaking some food in garlic juice tonight and hope he takes it. It has me a bit concerned because even the pickiest bettas won’t turn down a live blackworm in my experience. But maybe this little one is just having a hard time adjusting, I’ll definitely give him time, I’m thinking he’s probably very stressed out (I just wish he’d eat something, lol!). But I’m hoping something else isn’t going on…


----------



## Rose of sharon (May 23, 2020)

Hope he perks up soon! What a sweet looking little betta!!! 

I would not use melafix as it can interfere with the betta's laybrinth organ. I know that it is sold by most fish stores, and it is ok for other fish, but not so great for labyrinth fish. Instead, try some aquarium salt. It will help with his osmoregulation, and help with that caudal fin, too.

I have also been told by various betta owners that sometimes it can take a couple of days for new bettas to settle in. I think the garlic juice is a good idea. 

I hope he eats soon!!!!


----------



## Goldmoon (May 4, 2021)

Rose of sharon said:


> Hope he perks up soon! What a sweet looking little betta!!!
> 
> I would not use melafix as it can interfere with the betta's laybrinth organ. I know that it is sold by most fish stores, and it is ok for other fish, but not so great for labyrinth fish. Instead, try some aquarium salt. It will help with his osmoregulation, and help with that caudal fin, too.
> 
> ...


I have actually heard that Melafix isn’t the best for labyrinth fish as well, and I usually use half of the regular dose because of this. Do you think that is okay, or would it be better to avoid it altogether? In my personal experience, I haven’t seen any issues with using half of the dose but maybe it is causing issues I’m just not realizing? I only really use it when my betta are showing illnesses or have injuries/torn fins/nipped fins, so each betta may only get dosed with it a couple of times over the course of their lives. But if you think it may cause more issues, I’ll definitely stop using it.

I ended up using the last of the aquarium salt to help fix a recent ich outbreak and I haven’t been able to run out and get more (which was bad planning on my part). Unfortunately, only some pet stores in my area actually carry it so I have to make a special trip to get more. I’m wishing I would have had some on hand because it probably would have helped this little boy.

Unfortunately, he still wasn’t taking any food and was obviously sicker than he initially looked. He was hanging out at the top a lot, and he was pretty thin. He passed away today 😢. I’ll definitely miss him, he was a surprise find and was certainly a unique betta. I loved his colors and I wish I got to know his personality before he passed. I really just wish there was more I could do for him…


----------



## Goldmoon (May 4, 2021)

To anyone who might have been watching this thread and/or those who left feedback on it: unfortunately, my little betta passed away today. He was not eating anything, he was very thin and he was hanging out at the top of the tank since I got him. He was more active in the little pet store cup than he ever was in his new tank.

I kept my room dim/dark for him, hoping it would help with stress. I made sure his temperature was constant, and added Indian almond leaves to the tank to help him heal (as well as stress coat and some Melafix). It was not enough. Either he was incredibly stressed from his time in the pet store, or he had an underlying illness/issue that just happened to progressively become worse after I took him home. Either way, he did not make it and I’m sad I couldn’t have done more to help him.

Swim in peace, little one… you will be missed.


----------



## Eridanus (Jul 1, 2021)

Oh no! I'm so sorry. 

S.I.P little guy.


----------



## FishandBirdLover (May 5, 2021)

I am so sorry! He was a sweet little thing. He will be missed. You are lucky for the time you had with him. SIP, little guy.


----------



## Rose of sharon (May 23, 2020)

I am so, so sorry for your loss!!!!!  It sounds like you did everything that you could to help him. He was a rescue, and I am sure that there was really nothing that you could have done other than what you tried. You did your best!!!

SIP pretty boy!!!!

About Mealfix - I tired it myself, and never saw anything come of it. I think it is highly recommended at all stores that sell pet supplies. 

They sell a product called Bettafix, which is the same as melafix, but half the strength and is maybe even more expensive. I used it also, and saw no change in my fish. Then I found out about what tea tree oil can do to their labyrinth organs.

Just do a little research about it, and do what you think is best for your fish in the future. 

About aquarium salt - you can substitute kosher salt, or rock salt, instead of aquarium salt (which is rock salt) if you have any of that around the house in a pinch.

Again, I am so sorry for your loss!!!!


----------



## betta4ever! (Oct 5, 2021)

So sorry for your loss!! He was beautiful, and you were lucky to have him, even for those few days... You did your best to help him, and thats what counts the most... SIP little boy.... 😭


----------



## Rose of sharon (May 23, 2020)

At least he didn't die in that small little cup on a store shelf!


----------



## Goldmoon (May 4, 2021)

Rose of sharon said:


> I am so, so sorry for your loss!!!!!  It sounds like you did everything that you could to help him. He was a rescue, and I am sure that there was really nothing that you could have done other than what you tried. You did your best!!!
> 
> SIP pretty boy!!!!
> 
> ...


Thank you… I’ve seen bettafix but never tried it. Melafix seems to work well for fin tears/bites but I will use aquarium salt instead, whenever I can. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to see this message until now (tech issues) but knowing the salt substitutes is helpful in case I find myself in a similar situation in the future. I was able to order the aquarium salt online and got it within a few days. I’ll continue looking into the effects of Melafix on bettas, but I’ll steer clear. Thanks again!


----------



## Goldmoon (May 4, 2021)

Eridanus said:


> Oh no! I'm so sorry.
> 
> S.I.P little guy.





FishandBirdLover said:


> I am so sorry! He was a sweet little thing. He will be missed. You are lucky for the time you had with him. SIP, little guy.





betta4ever! said:


> So sorry for your loss!! He was beautiful, and you were lucky to have him, even for those few days... You did your best to help him, and thats what counts the most... SIP little boy.... 😭





Rose of sharon said:


> At least he didn't die in that small little cup on a store shelf!


Thank you all for the kind words. Unfortunately, recently I’m starting to see how common it is to lose pet store fish. I think they’re just so weak, they can’t handle the transition into a bigger tank/cleaner water. Either that, or they’re genetically weak or sick. I feel bad I couldn’t have saved him, but it gives me some peace of mind to know he lives out his last days in a 5.5 gallon tank with live plants and hides. He will be missed…

P.S. Sorry I didn’t respond to this thread until now… I was having some tech issues


----------

