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Rescue betta..

831 views 15 replies 7 participants last post by  JBonez423 
#1 ·
I just want to start by saying my brother is an ass. He bought a male betta awhile back, and then convinced himself that he wanted another so he could fight them. Well, I guess at the store he had decided he wanted a chance of breeding them, so he bought a female and plopped her into his male's bowl.

I'm sure anyone reading this is cringing by now...

The poor girl. The male wouldn't leave her alone. He was more interested in attacking her than mating with her. Now her fins are ripped to shreds. Yesterday I went down to check on her and found her just floating. The male would go after her and she'd lay on her side and play dead. She would literally just float up for air and then back down to hide. Needless to say, I was MAD. I told him I was taking her and he had no choice in the matter. He was slightly reluctant to give her up, but maybe he felt bad for her. I know I do...

So I stopped at Walmart and bought a good sized critter keeper and a log for her to hide in. It's not huge, but I was more or less going with security. She's still freaked out and is constantly hiding. I'll transfer her to something larger when she can swim a little better. I'm going to PetCo sometime today to pick up some things to help her heal, and a couple treats. Can y'all recommend something to help her fins, as well as a vitamin supplement? I don't think the male has been letting her eat all that much. All and any advice is welcome!

And now for some pictures that will break your heart. :-?


Fish Fish Tail Organism Electric blue


Blue Water Fish Feeder fish Fish


Water Organism Macro photography Fish


Aquarium decor Feeder fish Aquarium Aquatic plant Freshwater aquarium
 
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#2 ·
Oops, forgot to add a couple things. Well, first of all, her stress stripes are pretty much completely gone, although her color is still way washed out. I did just notice these red marks, though, are they ammonia burns I've heard so much about or just regular betta markings?

Fish Fish Feeder fish Organism Tail


Sorry about the quality, kritter keepers do not make for good pictures. Also, her name is Dresden, for the Dresden Dolls, because I'm hoping to toughen her up just like the Dresden Dolls!! ;] She's so small... definitely needs to grow!




 
#3 ·
They do look like ammonia burns. Best thing for her right now is clean water. Stress coat helps with regrowing fins and with slime coat, although if you use Seachem Prime you don't need to add anything else. Aq salt also helps with fin regrowth.
 
#4 ·
Poor dear! She owes her life to you. Don't get stuff for fin rot, it's shredded not rotted. Get Stress Coat by API, it has aloe to help restore fins and health.
 
#5 ·
I don't have any suggestions that you haven't already been given, but I just wanted to say that what you did for her is truly amazing. You are such a great example of standing up against abuse and doing the right thing. :)
 
#6 ·
Thank you all for your kind words! =] I feel guilty that I didn't take her when he had gotten her in the first place, but all I can do now is help her heal and give her a better life! I got the API stress coat, I just did a water change and added it to her water. She seems a whole lot more active this afternoon! I got a 1.75 gallon critter keeper and moved her in with her plants and she's coloring up more and more by the hour! She's also eating great, I doubt the male ever really let her eat so I bet she's happy she won't have to fight for her meals.

I gave my brother a good smack upside the head today. He's young and lazy, and it doesn't excuse his cruel behavior but all I can do there is try and steer him in the right direction. =\ thank you guys so much for your advice and encouragement!! =]
 
#7 ·
Keep an eye on his male. Who knows what might happen. We had two slip through a divider once, not to bad. Shredded fins and a few missing scales but not that bad. However, they were only at it for about 5-10 minutes, in a small bowl overnight, one would die from injuries.
 
#9 ·
The male is alright. I've been cleaning out the bowl whenever I'm there, so he gets cleaned and has a gallon+ bowl and is kept warm and fed. He's already talking about giving it to me, although I can't say I really have the room at the moment lol. Maybe I'll make him buy me a 10 gallon first and I can divide it and put my males in that.

I just changed the divider today because I realized the water level was a little over a spot and my shrimp were hopping fence back and forth. Figured I'd fix it before my fish learned! =P
 
#10 ·
Here's some updated pictures. =] She doesn't look loads better, but as far as a fish goes, I think she's acting much more relaxed and comfortable. It's amazing how big those kritter keepers look! 11 dollars well spent indeed.

Poor girl's fins are absolutely chewed off. =[ Her tail especially. I don't know how fast fins heal, but for her sake I hope she heals up quickly.

Fish Marine biology Fish Organism Electric blue

Fish Blue Fish Marine biology Water

Fish Fish Water Marine biology Organism

Aquarium Freshwater aquarium Majorelle blue Feeder fish Plastic


Thanks again for all your kind words, advice and encouragement!
 
#12 ·
Thank you! ^.^ Hopefully he learns his lesson... He told me today that he didn't think bettas were "his thing"... -.-" Wish he could have figured that out before buying two bettas.
 
#13 ·
Don't worry - I've seen fins that look much worse grow back wonderfully. She seems like a tough girl to live through all that, so she should heal up well!

As for the red markings, they look like sores from being attacked to me. One of my girls had a similar red slash on her gills after challenging my alpha (and losing). As with the tail, it will heal just fine in clean warm water. :)

Naturally, if you can get IAL, that will help. If not, making a little blackwater extract of your own with some decaf roiboos tea would be a lovely treat for her. :)
StressCoat, of course, will always help. :)
 
#14 ·
Good that the red marks aren't ammonia burns! =] I couldn't find any sign of what they looked like on the internet. I thought for sure they were when my brother informed me that he hadn't changed his bowl in two weeks... -.-" So now I've been cleaning it to make sure his male stays healthy.

I don't have IAL around here, and I have no idea how to find it, but there is an herb shop by me that will at least have the roiboos tea, if not the IAL.

This morning she seems much more at ease with her surroundings (as far as I can tell with a fish =P). Her stress stripes are pretty much gone and she's less interested in finding a hiding spot and more interested in checking out her surroundings. She'll approach her reflection and won't even flare, just watches the "other fish" quietly. I think she'll make a good addition to the sorority I would love to put together, when I get my 10g. =]
 
#16 ·
Last night, my family stopped by for a visit. My brother came in my room and asked me where Dres was. I pointed at the Kritter Keeper, and he squinted inside for a full minute before going, "Nuh uh."

"What?"

"That's not my fish. It's gotta be one of them," he was pointing to my babies. "My fish wasn't that big."

I don't know if she actually grew or if she was just unfurled, relaxed and not shrinking from the male, but I took it as a compliment. She does look like a completely different fish. She still looks a little ragged, and her head is still pale from stress, but otherwise she's looking much better. And she's feisty! This morning I fed her and she snapped up the food like a little shark! She's so curious about her reflection, too. She'll just stare at herself while swimming back and forth. She never flares, though. I think she'll make a good sorority sister! :-D

Enough of my yammering. Pics or it didn't happen! ;-)

Fish Fish Cobalt blue Blue Electric blue

Leaf Organism Plant Plant stem

Fish Fish Organism Tail Electric blue

Fish Blue Fish Freshwater aquarium Cobalt blue
 
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