What a few weeks can do

[Meggie6347]

Hey all! Just thought I'd share what a few weeks in a healthy environment can do to a betta. This guy is no longer with me (I have learned my lesson), but I wanted to share anyway

I originally wanted to get a really pretty betta, but when I saw him I knew that I had to get him..especially because he was the only betta I had ever seen that watched me everywhere I went...he always was looking at me head on from his cup..And he didn't try to flare like the others, he kind of just sat there in his tiny little cup like he knew he wasn't pretty. His body was like a pale yellowish color (not a good color) and his fins were almost gray and a little ragged...But I got him anyway..A giant (king) betta in the same cup as the smaller bettas with very little water. He could barely move.

Anyway, I took him home and after I acclimatized him, I went to go let him out into his new home (5.5 gallon with sand substrate, all live plants with driftwood) and before he swam out of his cup, he tilted his head up to look at me (because my head was over the tank) and I nodded at him...then he swam out...This was him about a day or two after being in his new tank...so by then his colors and fins had improved a little, but he still was very homely looking...


He improved very quickly over the next few weeks. He had one little spot in between all the plants on the driftwood that he would sit...like this one little gap where no plants were (very small) and he would just sit there looking straight out of the tank. Whenever someone came up to the tank, he would dart out, swim right up to the front, and just stare at them head on, never flaring. Every Saturday I would give him a water change and feed him live food (bloodworms/brine shrimp) and he would build me a HUGE bubblenest the next morning. Like it wrapped around the front and side of the tank and came out from the wall about 1.5-2 inches. And whenever I lifted up the lid and put my head over the tank, he would start doing little jumps out of the water like he was excited

He was a very calm betta, but whenever I looked at my sister's betta in the tank right to the right of his, he would swim all the way over to the right of his tank and spaz out to get my attention..Of course once I started looking at him again he would immediately calm down and just stare at me head on again..

Anyway, this is what he started looking like after just a few weeks in a healthy and happy environment: (this was the only time I ever got him to flare...I had to hold a mirror up to get these pictures )








This was his tank: (ignore the toothbrush, I was using it for cleaning the tanks that day)


So his colors improved a lot, his fins grew and healed very quickly, and he developed the cutest character...And a white beard on his face He also had a couple red/pink/blue scales on his body..just randomly..

He will be missed, but I was able to rescue another king and put him into Kroll's old tank. So now there are two happy bettas.

Thanks for reading everyone! Just thought I'd share!

[Johnificent]

Omg so inspiring :) Now I just want to adopt every single betta in the petstore and restore them back to their glory and health xD
And im sorry for your loss ): he will truly be missed.

[lelei]

Aww what a beautiful story..but what happened to him? you don't have him anymore..that is sad..because you can tell when they get so used to us - like our own children, and wait for the approval to show them, Yes, it's ok, I am here for you~
My betta is doing that now that I have saved him as well, he was such a dull and drab gray and I brought him home and did a 3 day salt treatment, and now my Sapphire is "jumping for joy" litterally..everytime I go to feed him, he looks at me like I love you, and just jumps, and he had no energy to do that before.. A healthy enviornment does Wonders!!!

[Meggie6347]

Thanks everyone...and after having him for about a month and a half I came down stairs and I knew something was wrong because he didn't immediately come up to the front to see me...I ended up finding him dried up on the floor. Apparently he found the one little hole in the lid (which was open because I changed the hob filter to an internal and that was where it used to hang)...I didn't have the netting I needed to cover the hole, but I blocked it with all the live plants and internal filter and heater and wood and somehow he still made it out...actually I found him a few feet from the tank. It's a miracle my cats didn't find him...

And John, I know!!, XD I always try to find the worst looking bettas and get them! No longer the gorgeous ones hehe I waited a long time to get another betta because I was looking for another betta who looked at me and was aware of what went on outside the tank....I ended up finding one in a Pet store 16 hour drive away...so I got him! Haha I actually bought one of those betta keepers so he didn't have to ride all the way home in a tiny cup...I bought water conditioner and gave him about 3-4 water changes in the span of two days (I bought him a day before we left) and a high protein food...I'll try to post pictures of him in a minute...I just got him a few weeks ago

[Catfish Billy]

I don't understand why people keep bettas in small, horrid cups. Surely they must have a conscience!

[Meggie6347]

Catfish Billy, I know! At least, if not for all the bettas, at least give the king bettas a bit BIGGER cup...if it's too hard for them to use anything else. The kings are stuck in the same tiny cups with an inch or two of water...they can barely move!

Alright, and this is the new guy, Walter. (I named him that because my dad told me that one of the characters in "Grumpy Old Men" is named Walter...and my fish looks like a grumpy old man


As soon as I can get my camera to charge, I will snap a few recent pictures of him (as this one was taken when I first got him a few weeks ago) and I will post them for you to see As you can see in this picture, his colors are very dull and his left ventral fin is torn and he is very clamped with stress stripes...I got him because, like I said, he seemed aware of what was going on outside the cup and he never flares

I think Giant/King bettas are my favorite so far...for whatever reason, they don't spend all day flaring at their own reflection or other bettas and they pay more attention to you

[lelei]

And I think those are the ones that need rescuing becuz of being confined in those small cups..its horrible..i wish I culd take all rhe Kings out of there!!

[Knitterly]

They are both great looking fish! I can't wait to see how Walter colors up. You make me want to go buy the king females our Walmart has sitting in 1" of water and bring them home. Too bad my husband is against that. LOL.

[RainbowSocks]

Wow. The difference in his coloring and fins is astonishing. Such a pretty boy... Sounds like you guys enjoyed each others' company!

[Jessie1990]

I love king bettas!(I have 3) Your new guy looks very similar to one of mine :D Other two are HMs