[True Indigo]

So I check my local Petco for their new shipments every week and they missed a betta in a bag in the corner of a tank when they were doing King Bettas. I spotted him--He was a Halfmoon King Betta. He was pretty, but not ideal for me. It took me a long time though to decide I wasn't going to get him. They hid him amongst the VTs till the next day to see if I changed my mind. The next day I hadn't and moved him toward the rest of the more "showy" crowd in the front display instead of the side display.

Over the past week and a half, he's managed to stay there and has been looking worse and worse. He's bigger than other Kings and the last few visits, he always looks lethargic until you get close.

Today his water was terribly dirty and had stuff floating in it all the time. He was tilted upwards and was listless, even when I got close. He only started to move when I came close. This guy is a 20 dollar fish that isn't my ideal (I was hoping to get a Crowntail that day that I had my eye on for a while). They said the person who was meant to do water changes today got caught up and they weren't going to be able to do any till tomorrow afternoon. I didn't have much money but felt I was obligated to get him.

So now he's in a hospital tank on the deathwatch currently. He has fresh water, ate a few pellets, but tends to stay near the surface in a corner.

So we'll see what happens. In all honesty, I don't plan on keeping him and hope I can give it to someone who wouldn't mind and who I trust. But if not, I won't mind having him in the end.

Just hope he makes it okay.

 

[LinkLover]

You sound like me! I do hope he makes it, and if so I hope you find him a great forever home.

 

[True Indigo]

Thanks. I can't wait till the summer so I know I can make purchases I can better afford though to be honest. I want to make it so that I don't have more than three bettas at a time, you know? I just added a heater so that'll even be better for him.

 

[MyRainbowBettaFish]

I hope he makes it. Kudos to you for saving the poor finned fellow!

 

[ZubinBetta]

True Indigo, since you are at your local Petco every week and are now aware that their maintenance of the betta cups is less than ideal, would you be willing to intervene on their behalf? That is, could you approach the "fish person" at Petco and volunteer to change the water in the betta cups? (This might not be practicable for all sorts of reasons, and they will probably say no, but it might be a way to improve the lives of the fishes you love without swelling your own collection of fishes by having to buy every hapless fish that you know is going to die otherwise. And it could be good, i.e., profitable, for the fish store not to have "the dead and dying" taking up shelf space better devoted to fishes more likely to be adopted.)

 

[True Indigo]

Thanks everyone. And they're usually not this bad at all. I've been to this place for almost two years and their fish have almost ALWAYS had prestine water. It just so happened that they missed today and the water quality was awful.

 

[Bethydan]

Awww... I have a soft spot for Kings. Here's to hoping he gets a good forever home.

 

[LinkLover]

I know what you mean! For the past month, I have had at least two at once (Link and a rescue to be rehomed) and every time I get three, my stress level seems to skyrocket. So I definitely feel you there. Haha. I just wish more people were interested in these little guys! For me, having a permanent home for them to go to is the biggest stressor. And good for your local Petco! I'm glad to hear it's unusual to have dirty betta cups there. Mine ALWAYS has nasty stuff, and at least one dead one. Like today there were two. :/

 

[True Indigo]

Yeah this isn't common. I wanted to wait till summer to get another betta because I don't have a complete tank for a betta but I have a very bad habit of checking out their new shipments, always keeping out an eye for "that one fish". But today was just a terrible day for me to go in terms of seeing all of the nasty water. It made me upset and I'll admit. It hurt my wallet since he's a 20 dollar fish. But because of that fact, he'd likely just die because no one would buy him. So I feel I did the right thing in the end.

I'm sure I'll find a home for him and I'll make up the money over work so I'll try not to bug myself about it.

 

[Bethydan]

My Petco typically has 5-8 dead on any given day. And most of the others are obviously ill. The employees give out horrible, dated advice. They just don't train their employees in any way.

 

[KadenJames]

What a betta-hero you are! I bet he's immensely grateful. Once he gets strong enough to ship, you are more than welcome to send him to me for a loving forever home. All of my bettas are kept in top "conditioning" conditions, so I can promise he will be very happy, healthy and loved very much. =)

 

[laoshun]

Hearing your petco stories, It is unfortunate that your petcos don't keep good care of their bettas :/

 

[True Indigo]

Bethydan, it seems that more than half of the aquarium staff know what they're doing (including the fish manager) and have admitted to me that the training they receive is terrible and minimal at best. The reason they probably do better than other petcos is because they actually have fish of their own and look up all these things on their own time. So I'm thankful for that. It's rare to see a dead Betta. Maybe Once a week, two at most, but never much.

Kaden, you're more free than to do so once I'm convinced he's doing well and no one local can take him in. The only thing I'd probably ask for is the cost of shipping. His color has improved since last night, especially with the heater. He didn't eat this morning but I'll see if his appetite improves later in the day. He's a wicked shy and nervous fish.

Iaoshun, I'm saddened by it too. I wish there were more stories of the opposite.

 

[True Indigo]

Update! He's less timid and shy. He doesn't swim away frantically when my hand comes near to drop his pellets anymore and he ate plenty for the day, so I'm happy.

Best of all? He made a bubble nest by the heater! I think it's the happiest he's been for a while. Haha. Really glad he's showing remarkable signs of improvements. His color has deepened too.

 

[LinkLover]

Oh that's great! I'm so happy to hear he has improved. And a bubblenest? Even better! My guy hasn't even done that yet. This is wonderful news.

 

[True Indigo]

He's doing so much better. I'm really happy. He's swimming around more so instead of hiding all the time. He now even approaches me and eats greedily. It's amazing what one day in some heated water can do.

I also have a potential local taker. She doesn't have a heater though but says she had a betta before. She's asking a lot of questions about what she should get if she can't afford a heater right now so that makes me hopeful that if she does decide to get him, she'll take good care of him. We'll see.

 

[LinkLover]

Well that was fast! Haha. Lucky you have local people interested, that makes it a lot easier. And the fact that she is asking questions is great, normally people just say they know what they're doing, even if they don't.

 

[True Indigo]

Uh-oh. I accidentally gave him a name. x_x Gill. Starting to become fond of him but know I can't keep him, not yet anyway. Hopefully this interested person gets him before I change my mind. XD

And yeah, I'm wicked glad she's asking all these questions. I'd rather someone badger me with questions than take the fish assuming they know all they need to do and plop them in a tiny bowl with nothing in it.