very disabled betta fish

[Luimeril]

went to walmart today. had a feeling something would happen, and i was right. i was horrified to see they had bettas again! Dx checked them out, saw a long-dead CT(pretty thing, too. white/purple/light blue body, with deep red fins. D:), and saw one that grabbed my heart. he's a normal VT, but has almost no tail left at all! i think it's a combo of being put in another betta's cup, and fin rot. after dwelling on it all day, i went back and got him, along with a Tetra 1.5 gallon and some aquarium salt(my main reason for going back, actually). i've been calling him "Gimpy", but that will change if he makes it through the night.

i've NEVER seen a betta in as bad a shape as poor Gimpy. he's only got a thin strip of tail left, so he obviously has issues swimming. he's very pale, and i've never personally seen stress stripes on a male, until i met him. he wiggles his little "butt stub" around, trying to explore his new tank, but gives up and floats at the top, swimming with only his peccy fins. he's also got a nasty dip in his head, but that doesn't matter to me, he's still a very beautiful boy(common blue with red wash on the fins.). i only have a single plant in there right now(didn't have time to dig through the plants there, and they only really had plastic anyways). i wish i'd gotten him a heater, but he'll have to do with the light on the tank till i can get to the pet store. my biggest worry is, he won't make i till tomorrow.

he seems VERY curious of his new surroundings, but hasn't payed much mind to me yet. it breaks my heart when he wiggles his butt stump, trying to swim around. i think he may have SB issues, too, since he can't really swim DOWN very well, without popping back up to the top and giving up. i do hope the little guy makes it. no rocks, in case he poops, i can see if he has parasites. i think his issues are just walmart neglect, though, and human cruelty. :/ i don't regret my choice, in getting him. if i hadn't, he'd have died there, on those shelves, in his own poops, uneaten food, and fungus, because no one wants a gimpy fish like him. >.> except us.

pics will come soon, so you all can see WHY i had to get him.

anyone have any tips to help him out?

[Sweeda88]

Frozen food may help his fins grow back faster due to it having more protein than pellets. I wouldn't suggest live food due to his inability to swim, though.

[Luimeril]

i have New Life Spectrum Grow pellets, which are supposed to be high in protein. and, they float easy, and sink slowly. i'm gonna fast him for a few days, though, since he bobs right back up to the top and may be bloated. i've grown fond of this little guy, and have only owned him for an hour or so.

[fleetfish]

Lower his water a bit, just to help with air exchange and his SBD. He might be floating because there's no weight on his butt ... or it could be a permanent thing. If you have a shallow container, even better because it would give him room to move more. I swear by BWE and salt to cure fins. If you have BWE or almond leaves on hand you can darken the water for him to reduce stress. Pellets would be best since they float and it might be easier for him, and frozen to add protein. Just keep an eye on him and if he eats, better chances are that he'll survive.

Best of luck for the poor guy!

[Luimeril]

thanks. i acutally do have lots of IAL, i'll add one to his tank. i still have his cup, so should i float him in it? he's having fun, swimming around his tank, and i see him wiggling his butt stump as best he can to move faster. <3

[Luimeril]

finally got pics of the little guy(affectionately called "Gimpy" for now.)

[Sweeda88]

That looks more like tailbiting than fin rot to me. I'm saying that because I don't see black or brown edges.

[Luimeril]

i think he was put in another betta's cup, and he does have fin rot, i just couldn't get good pics of up close. didn't wanna stress him out with a photo shoot. x_X i noticed a chunk of his anal fin missing, and both peccy fins have a good bit of them missing, too.

[Bettaluver4evr]

Wow, he is pretty! No bettas are common. They all have personalities and slightly different fins and colors! He does look a little bloated, I agree with the fasting. I think that, with clean water and TLC, he will recover! It sounds like he is fighting, exploring as best he can and trying to swim. My HM very badly tore his fins on that filter though, so please be careful if you use it! I kept him in the same 1.5 gallon tetra for a few weeks and the filter just completely ripped his fins... not to be mean at all, I did like this tank, but I don't want the same thing to happen to him!
In the first pic, you see that little tiny clear bit of fin at the edge of his torn part? That looks like what my HM had on his tail a few days after the rip... healing. It isn't much, but it is progress! Stay hopeful and keep his water extra clean, and he should recover very nicely! God bless you for rescuing him!

[Luimeril]

i don't know if that's healing, or what. sometimes, it looks a tad fuzzy. either way, i have aquarium salt that i'm adding to his tank slowly, so that'll help it out alot. added an IAL, and he has a silk plant he can rest on if he gets tired.