Jasper came to me a few weeks ago with severe dropsy. Petco employees took one look at him and pronounced him mine, no $ at all because of his state and I didn't even have to wager with them (petsmart is usually the one to give them for free) There was truly no hope (his scales were sticking out VERY far, his fins torn, and red splotches that should not have been there were all around him), but he still had alot of spunk in him, so I my goal was to give him the best life possible in the days that he had left. I placed him in my empty 12g tank with plenty of plants and lovely caves to explore. Because I was the supplier of sea monkeys and other fun things (follow the finger, floating pink pong balls, ect) every time I came into the room he wiggled his body all over and came to meet me. He was fed baby sea monkeys and other rich, tasty foods every dat=y instead of those boring little pellets. His tank has a couple tablespoons of aquarium salt, and a bit of mela fix in it. It was changed 50% daily, and about a week ago I checked on him and his scales has somehow began to look less like a pine cone.... I thought it was just my eyes, and the fact that I so baldy wanted him to live. But every day since then e has been HEALING! now his scales are pretty close to a normal and his fins how grown back a ton! He is still a sickly looking fish, but if you had seen him before and after it is just amazing the change he has gone through. Never before have a been able to cure dropsy in any type of fish, but this guy is different!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just can't beleive it! Jasper is truly a fish who defies all the odds against him.
I know they need a stable diet, and he is on one now, but as I thought he was going to die, he had only the tasty foods.. but now that I know he is maybe gonna pull through, he is on betta pellets most days, bloodworms and baby brine shrimp (sea monkeys) occasionally. Sadly he might have to move back to a 4g for a couple of days (pleco was a ding dong fish for a friend, and she had no idea what to do with him so he might move to the 12g and Jasper back to the 4g until the pleco is adopted......) Wait, just got an idea, pleco guy can move in with jasper!!!!! :) (until he gets adopted of course, I wouldn't permanently keep him in the 12g cuz plecos get huge)
I think it's ok to feed them rich foods while they are recovering from illness. He'll just have to get used to pellets again after he's recovered. It sounds like you've done a great job with him, Veganchick. It's amazing what a little love can do!
Thanks! Yah I am really surprised! I hate it when I look at customer reveiws for those TINY (like 1 pint to a quart) betta tanks and there are people who say, "and my betta lived 7 months, which is really long for a betta" lol.. well just goes to show you, there is a cure for dropsy!!!!Now that jasper has all of (or most of) his normal colering back, I am noticing he looks ALOT like my old favorite fish, Alfred.... Jasper is definently NOT going up for adoption. He is staying with me :)
^o^ Yay! That's great :') It's nice to hear when a betta recovers from dropsy!
It's upsetting when people just condemn them to death whenever one gets it )': I think we should always hope and pray for their recovery, regardless of the odds because you never know!
Thanks! Yah maybe! lol. He is doing GREAT and its now time for some lovely new aquascaping and caves for jasper. He will be my only fish that does not live in the fish room in the basement, or in my bedroom. I'm aloud to have one display tank, and he is going with his 12g into the living room all by himself! The center of attention! He is so sweet! I have been finding more and more scttered bubbles, maybe someday there will be a lovely little bubble nest in there!
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