A COLOSSAL IDIOT walks into a pet store....(an illustrated tail - intentional misspelling- of woe)

[Colu]

The coloration on the sides could be caused by the  internal bloating I think it would be worth doing Epsom salt baths on the red crown tail as he's still having trouble swimming that coupled with the kanaplex you should hopefully start to see some improvement @xXInkedPhoenixX

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Ok! We are now officially a week and a day into this "Betta Rescue" saga. I'm happy to report- all are still with me! Here are their individual updates for today:

We'll start with red Crowntail male. He's on day 2 of Epsom soaks- I've only been doing them for 10 minutes, I am cautiously optimistic they are helping some. Today while doing his 50% water change he was in his soak which is where today's pictures will come from. He was quite mad at me and likely stressed from being moved and put in saltwater but hopefully it's for his own good. I hand catch him and place him. Anyway, waterchange and dose 2 of Kanaplex along with Aquarium salt and a new piece of IAL as well as the usual IAL tea. He ate his bloodworm with enthusiasm today- still can't stay upright but he sure tries. 

Purple Dumbo girl still doing great. She got her 50% water change today, dose 2 of Kanaplex, new IAL piece and aquarium salt. She is a good little eater. She is so pretty- wish she would stay still for pics! 

White Twintail Halfmoon boy is getting better about swimming normally- he does spend a decent sum of time on the top of the tank but I catch him swimming normally without struggle in the middle and bottom of the tank occasionally too. This is a great improvement to what he was when I brought him home. He ate his bloodworm easily today and got his 50% water change, dose 2 of Kanaplex, new IAL piece and aquarium salt like the others. 

Last but not least little GloBetta girl- last night I was able to swing by the big box and get another, larger critter keeper for her. Now she's in a 3 gallon keeper but in about 2 gallons of water as opposed to 1 gallon before. Purple girl next to her is in a 2 gallon keeper now the smallest of the 4 containers as the other 3 are the 3 gallon type- but since she's the tiniest I feel ok about that for now and all 4 fish are in the same amount of water. So this morning her water change consisted of a total habitat swap, more water volume, a new piece of IAL (but kept an old piece for the BB to the new tank), dose 2 of Kanaplex, aquarium salt as per the others. She was pretty active last night up through today- I think she's feeling better- hoping that Kanaplex is indeed helping all of them. She ate well off the bottom of the tank this morning (pieces of bloodworm) and has been acting more normal- exploring her tank. Hopefully her red coloring will come back a bit more now. Her tank water is a bit lighter in color than the others because of the tank swap right now.  

I'm hoping for continued improvement of all of them. Having this level of improvement in a week I think is pretty good. 

Edited October 7, 2022 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[TheSwissAquarist]

It great seeing such mistreated fish being given a great life, Good Work!

[PineSong]

Hooray that they are still with you and improving🥰🥰🥰

[Odd Duck]

I definitely think you’re on the right track. With crown tail boy I would probably go ahead with the metronidazole as long as you think he is able to handle it. I would try a single treatment to start and see what that does for him.

If he does well with the metron treatment, then suspend the Epsom salt soaks for a few days. If you don’t see improvement fairly fast (in a couple days) with the metron treatment then restart the Epsom soaks.

Good for you for getting these kiddos this far and hoping things continue to progress!

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Everyone is still with me as of this morning. Everyone eating. Here's the latest update:

Red Crowntail male had a at least another Epsom soak before @Odd Duck gave advice on medications. So he got a dose of Metroplex before I realized I was going to redose Kanaplex the next day after a water change. So last night I just did the water change and redosed both meds (slightly less of Metro). Both meds will be redosed tomorrow. He still eats really good (I have to target feed him, last night he ate his daphnia fine but I guide it to him with my finger and he gets fed bloodworms from a tweezer) but doesn't seem to be improving from his current baseline so far but it's hard to say- he might be a little less bloated. I think it's more important to have super clean water so besides the meds the water changes continue. Here is last night's pictures:

White Twintail Halfmoon's condition is about the same. He swims around a decent bit. I catch him stuck (on purpose I think) in the guppy grass in his tank on a semi regular basis. I see that sometimes he lists to one side (floats up) when he's in one spot- so I think he appreciates when something like the guppy grass holds him upright. The 2 boys have a harder time staying upright as was their condition when I brought them home- however Twintail here has greatly improved from when he was only able to lay on his side. He eats totally fine- though I also target feed him his bloodworm he's pretty capable of eating the floating daphnia but I help him too- just not as much as the red Crowntail. Yesterday he got his 50% water change and I decided to treat him with Metro and Kanaplex like the Crowntail. Does he look a little "bent" to you all? I can't really tell- sometimes he seems like it and other times he does not....

Happy to report that GloBetta girl seems to have come out of her slump. Since changing her tank and dosing Kanaplex she's more active and interactive. She eats better too. I don't see her sitting on the bottom of the tank- she's mostly out and about. This is all a great improvement to a few days ago prior to the tank change. She's got super translucent fins that are harder to see especially with the IAL tea water- but you may be able to see she's not nearly as clamped as she was when i first got her, dare I say she has gotten some of her red fin coloring back- I'm most happy about her rear fin being spread whereas if you look at her first pictures they were completely closed- and she looked like a little neon worm. She's got a great personality. I did her 50% water change and dosed her 2nd of Kanaplex. 

Purple girl doing great, she's also on her 2nd dose of Kanaplex after a 50% water change. She takes her food rather violently- pretty sure if I cared to I could train this one to jump out of the water to get her food but I don't tend to encourage jumpers lol. I love her little Dumbo fins- they don't seem to slow her down!

So really hoping for some improvement on the boys since starting Metroplex. I want this to be a win for all of them, though I often wake up or come home wondering if I'm going to find that either of the boys have passed but always pleasantly surprised they are such fighters. 

Edited October 10, 2022 by xXInkedPhoenixX
rearranging...

[TheSwissAquarist]

It’s great to see them doing so much better than before! Good work !

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

I did want to share a collage of the GloBetta girl, top 2 pics are from yesterday. She looks loads better compared to day one pic at the bottom. 

[TheSwissAquarist]

Massive Improvement!

[Minanora]

What an adventure. I will be keeping up with this saga. You're amazing. 💚

[nabokovfan87]

On 9/29/2022 at 3:48 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

I looked at all the other fish and there were a couple more with similar states. Because girls are usually last picked ESPECIALLY when they are sick I thought about my home situation. Could I care for them properly in QT? And if they both made it, did I have somewhere they could permanently go? The answer ultimately was yes. I have plenty of QT tanks, and if they both made it, one could stay with me in my Flex9 with Guppies and Endlers. The other could go to my Mum's tank- and she would likely gladly take her in- whichever she was. So I picked them up and took them to the counter. 

It was easy enough to get a discount on them- for 50% off after asking nicely. I could have pushed it but I'd rather them go home with me and cost than stay there. So because I had time I ran home and set them up in QT then ran back out for lunch. 

Honestly, it sounds like a very particular store that I'm too familiar with.  I wonder if there was some way to advise them, show them better setups that do a better job for the fish and their care. Something like what KGT or ACO has in their videos as well as other stores that keep them a bit better.

I hate to see the glo style fish making more waves.  The most disgusting thing I saw was a glo-corydoras.

On 10/10/2022 at 8:20 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Can't explain why. This one reminds me of a Raphael.

[Odd Duck]

Keep it up!  Even slow progress is a big improvement when you start with such sick kiddos.  The 2 boys aren’t out of the woods, yet, but even a tiny improvement is steps in the right direction.  Girls are looking good!

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Sorry no pics for this short update but I'll be doing water changes and dosing meds tonight -so hopefully pics tomorrow. However just wanted to note a few good things:

Last night's feeding of Daphnia was a little comical with GloBetta girl. She's been grabbing them off the surface fine- which is good on its own- but one of the pieces was rather large and she grabbed that first. I was watching her try to eat it for several minutes shaking her body back and forth into a U shape and thought maybe she had it jammed in her mouth and could not chew or swallow it. I took the tweezers and tried to follow her around and gently knock it out but like a doggie with a treat they don't want to give up she would turn the other direction which made me think she had it handled but it still wouldn't go away. Finally I decided to hand catch her and remove it if I had to- she let me pretty easily catch her and I was bringing her up towards the surface and the food came out. I grabbed that piece and gave her a few more small ones. Seriously she has some personality that one. 

This morning during bloodworm breakfast the white Twintail was swimming very, very well. He's acting more and more like a normal fish. I had dropped a piece of bloodworm and he was easily able to go to the bottom and eat it. 

No changes with the Crowntail or Dumbo today- though I have to say Crowntail does enthusiastically come to the front corner to be fed if he was in a different corner. He's a good little boy, I hope he makes it through this. 

Edited October 11, 2022 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Matilyn]

They are all looking SO much better. Love what you are doing! Keep it up! 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

@xXInkedPhoenixX this is a lovely thing you are doing for them.  😍  One big box store near me does a poor job with their betta section.  Another big box has each betta in a glass container with NO lid, each with a nice-sized piece of hornwort.  The ones in the glass with the live plant, although it's the same size container, appear MUCH healthier than the tupperware ones.

On 10/11/2022 at 1:27 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

I hate to see the glo style fish making more waves.

Agreed. My least favorite fishes, @nabokovfan87.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

I usually avoid discussions like this especially on sites like this- like everything else with fish keeping- everyone has an opinion on how to keep aquariums all the way up to fish ethics (how to keep, breed, wild caught or tank bred, cull and etc). I understand that some on this site don't really like (and this is TOTALLY OK) the GloFish brand (meaning there is a company that oversees them- and as far as I know there are no others)- but the fact of the matter is the brand has been in existence since 2003- that's 19 years. I bring this up because it's not likely to go away- and clearly enough people like it that they haven't stopped- only expanded to other species.

I too at first had a negative opinion of the brand- one because neon colored fish aren't really my thing- but also because I'd heard rumblings when they first started about "color injection" which apparently did happen in some instances (with start-ups that were trying to copy GloFish) but I haven't looked much into that. What I can say is when I rescued my first GloBetta, Spark not all that long ago, I had her at the counter at the box store and even the employee turned up her nose- well I wondered- what is the deal REALLY? So I did some research. Fact of the matter is- these fish now have a gene where they are BORN in neon colors. Yes they used bio-luminescence from jelly fish- and it was originally a scientific experiment to try and find a way fish can react to water polution with color (which to me is a useful even noble purpose). It was actually pretty interesting. So this accidental discovery became a copyrighted fish- that the public is not supposed to breed or try to reproduce. You can still like or hate that- that's ok- we are all entitled to our opinions- BUT-

....The fact of the matter is, these are living creatures- however they came to be created by human beings they deserve care, and proper homes- and being an animal lover I will never turn down an animal I can help and if in the future I come across any other GloFish that need my help and I can- I will. Just think of it this way- this is no different than French Bulldogs, or Persian cats, (Bloodparrots and types of goldfish are also a little controversial- but GloFish are only bright colors and have no deformities or other genetic issues I can see beyond that) or other kinds of pets that humans have bred for their own reasons, pleasure and aesthetics. I have found GloBettas to be just as enjoyable as the "regular" (also very overbred) kinds of Bettas you find out in the world. In fact I can say IME they have so far been more interactive, intelligent and fun than some other Betta fish I have kept. 

Anyway, this thread isn't really about all that- it's only about animals in need. 

Edited October 11, 2022 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

@xXInkedPhoenixX I've seen something called a betta leaf.  It's a fake leaf with a suction cup on it and it is for bettas that need to rest at the top of the tank (or middle, or wherever - off the bottom).  Maybe the ones that have swimming difficulty could benefit from a betta leaf.  They are super cheap. https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Laboratories-AZMBL20-Hammock/dp/B0027IZ6KW

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea oh yes, I love those plastic things, I have a few, the GloBetta girl has one in her tank and she was using it. The guppy grass has actually helped the other Bettas when they want to relax. The Crowntail floats so as of right now he doesn't need one (unfortunately). I only have a few so I'm just waiting for a need for now. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 10/11/2022 at 2:21 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

I usually avoid discussions like this especially on sites like this- like everything else with fish keeping- everyone has an opinion on how to keep aquariums all the way up to fish ethics (how to keep, breed, wild caught or tank bred, cull and etc). I understand that some on this site don't really like the GloFish brand (meaning there is a company that oversees them- and as far as I know there are no others)- but the fact of the matter is the brand has been in existence since 2003- that's 19 years. I bring this up because it's not likely to go away- and clearly enough people like it that they haven't stopped- only expanded to other species.

I too at first had a negative opinion of the brand- one because neon colored fish aren't really my thing- but also because I'd heard rumblings when they first started about "color injection" which apparently did happen in some instances but I haven't looked much into that. What I can say is when I rescued my first GloBetta, Spark not all that long ago, I had her at the counter at the box store and even the employee turned up her nose- well I wondered- what is the deal REALLY? Fact of the matter is- these fish now have a gene where they are BORN in neon colors. Yes they used bio-luminescence from jelly fish- and it was originally a scientific experiment to try and find a way fish can react to water polution with color. It was actually pretty interesting. So this accidental discovery became a copyrighted fish- that the public is not supposed to breed or try to reproduce. You can still like or hate that- that's ok- we are all entitled to our opinions- BUT-

....The fact of the matter is, these are living creatures- however they came to be created by human beings they deserve care, and proper homes- and being an animal lover I will never turn down an animal I can help and if in the future I come across any other GloFish that need my help and I can- I will. Just think of it this way- this is no different than French Bulldogs, or Persian cats, (Bloodparrots and types of goldfish are also a little controversial- but GloFish are only bright colors and have no deformities or other genetic issues I can see beyond that) or other kinds of pets that humans have bred for their own reasons, pleasure and aesthetics. I have found GloBettas to be just as enjoyable as the "regular" (also very overbred) kinds of Bettas you find out in the world. In fact I can say IME they have so far been more interactive, intelligent and fun than some other Betta fish I have kept. 

Anyway, this thread isn't really about all that- it's only about animals in need. 

I love that you said this @xXInkedPhoenixX.  You have a really big heart.

[nabokovfan87]

On 10/11/2022 at 11:27 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

@xXInkedPhoenixX I've seen something called a betta leaf.  It's a fake leaf with a suction cup on it and it is for bettas that need to rest at the top of the tank (or middle, or wherever - off the bottom).  Maybe the ones that have swimming difficulty could benefit from a betta leaf.  They are super cheap. https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Laboratories-AZMBL20-Hammock/dp/B0027IZ6KW

Totally.  That leaf is very similar to Anubias Nangi as well.  Coffeefolia/Barteri, Gold coin, Hastifolia, normal plain anubias, and others in that size category would do well also!

[A3M0N]

On 10/11/2022 at 1:21 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

I'd heard rumblings when they first started about "color injection" which apparently did happen in some instances

I hate to perpetuate the negative aspects, sorry. I worked at small pet store in my early college days (1999-2000) and the store sold glow tetras, not the brand name GloFish though. My understanding is those fish were injected with a pigment that made a colored stripe and would end up fading over time. That was a few years ago, so I'm sure my memory of them may not be the best.

I also love your attitude, none of those animals chose to be injected or modified and don't deserve to be neglected for it. 

 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@A3M0N you're right though- I believe those are the ones that were competing with GloFish and that's what I heard and even saw evidence of that in the pet stores when those fish were available- you could see even then the colors were not nearly as bright as the GloFish brand and could see weird patterns and fading. There was a clear difference between the 2. I'm pretty sure they're not trying that anymore because it's probably been over a decade since I've seen them. 

And yes, they didn't choose their state- so I always side with them. 

Edited October 11, 2022 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Minanora]

I love this little community and all of the friends in it! I'm glad you made this little rescue journal. Looking forward to updated photos soon!

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 10/11/2022 at 8:21 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

first started about "color injection" which apparently did happen in some instances

A couple of unscrupulous companies in Asia and Eastern Europe take an average tetra (or glass catfish) and inject it with neon colours into its back and belly muscles. About 15% die after this, and the colours fade away (absorbed by the body) after around 7-8 months. 

I think the only reason why it's done is because the 8yo newbie to the hobby loves the look of 'Disco Tetras'.

Alternatively you can just play around with fish pics on a laptop!:

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Alllll about the fishes!

So last night I got home after shift to the task of water changes and redosing meds on my four patients. We'll start with the girls: 

Purple Dumbo girl- she's golden- ate her evening daphnia. Still super friendly, rolls up to the front of the tank to see what's going on. She totally reminds me of Falcor the Luck Dragon the way her dumbo fins move and how she swims through the water. She is SUPER fast. She got her 50% water change and a dose of Kanaplex and some aquarium salt. I've pulled the IAL piece from all the tanks to lighten the water up some so I can start to see their coloring better- the water changes will still have the tea- it just won't be as dark. 

GloBetta girl also doing well. She is so casual about her movements in the tank- very calculated. She eats so much better now- ate her daphnia off the surface fine. I did her 50% water change, dosed the Kanaplex and salt and I threw in some floating plants from my Aquatop- her guppy grass was looking pretty sad and it's a very small piece. 

White Twintail Halfmoon is improving little by little- I'm not seeing anymore listing to one side. Now I say this but I don't have a lot of time to observe so he could still be doing it occassionally but during the evening and this morning's feeding I did not observe anything bad at all- he's seemingly swimming totally normal. His fins are SO huge every time he stops they kind of just fold over- I feel bad for the little guy- seems like they hold him back some. Anyway, he eats very well- got his 50% water change with his dose of Kanaplex and Metroplex and salt. 

Red Crowntail still not out of the woods. Poor little guy. He does still eat well (even a bit violently). I've seen him scoot fast across the tank (especially during a water change when it's moving him about)- so he can get around- but he still lists to one side and floats up if he's not got the benefit of sitting in the corner of the tank. I've yet to see him come off the top surface. 😞 He got his 50% water change, doses of Kanaplex and Metroplex. Today during bloodworm breakfast he didn't come to the front corner as he usually does but he still ate fine. 

I'm hoping lightening the water will give me more insight as to what is going on with Crowntail- and help me to observe the others a little better. As I said though, from this point their water will still have IAL tea in it, just won't be as dark as when I put pieces of the leaf in the water. If I have to re-up the leaf I will but I just want to try and see them all a little better.