View Full Version : HM Rehab Journal!
xoparis
11-26-2008, 11:05 PM
Alrighty... So I recently purchased 4 halfmoon male bettas from Aquabid that were damaged fin-wise from breeding attempting with especially aggressive females. Bought them knowing that they'd need a lot of work to fix up, but I was totally up for the challenge. So this is my rehab journal!
Plan:
Daily or bi-daily water changed.
Doses of BettaFix.
POssible Melafix if Bettafix isnt working.
The Bettas:
November 26th:
Turqoise Butterfly HM
http://i36.tinypic.com/34f18w9.jpg
http://i34.tinypic.com/nq1v2r.jpg
Red Hm from Bettysplendens...This boy is the worst beat up one. :( He's currently in a small tupperwear container next to my bed until he can fully swim on his own:
http://i34.tinypic.com/jrwxol.jpg
http://i35.tinypic.com/280jjae.jpg
Red Dragon boy... This one isnt TOO bad...but still bad. lol.
http://i33.tinypic.com/15yqyr.jpg
Bettysplendens super red boy...again, not as bad as the first red boy:
http://i36.tinypic.com/2nhgkjm.jpg
http://i36.tinypic.com/z3395.jpg
http://i36.tinypic.com/29apgzm.jpg
And randomly, here's a goldy CT. :D
http://i33.tinypic.com/v4az2b.jpg
Sorry about how big the photos are! Will update soon!
Bettafix and melafix are the same medication, only bettafix is dilluted. There's anecdotal evidence showing full strength melafix can harm a betta's labrynth organ. If it were me, I would put them in as large volume of water as I could. If they can't swim properly go with shallow, but still a larger container. This would allow for more stable temps and water params.
xoparis
11-26-2008, 11:21 PM
Im going with the bettafix. Its what Ive used on everything else.
Virtuoso2K12
11-26-2008, 11:30 PM
Those are some beauties, can't wait til they are all healed and happy. Good luck with them :)
xoparis
11-26-2008, 11:34 PM
Thanks! Ash, got any idea what that tumor thing on the tail-less sad looking betta might be? Its on his left gill.
or anyone else?
Rbishop
11-27-2008, 7:44 AM
Hope all works well....
xoparis
11-27-2008, 3:15 PM
November 27
The most torn up boy is now swimming around and whatnot...still havent been able to get him to eat anything, so I'll be waiting a few days and then trying out some live foods.
All of the other boys are eating happily and seem quite content with where they are! The blue boy is a fiesty one and LOVES his pellets!
Oh, and that CT now has a bit of marbley color in his fins! Its actually a greyish navy blue. :D
http://i33.tinypic.com/8yt3kk.jpg
jpappy789
11-27-2008, 7:15 PM
Good luck on the recoveries!
waterbaby73
11-27-2008, 11:36 PM
Your white one and green lookng one are gorgeous!!!! I can't wait!!! Good luck with getting them back to health. :)
xoparis
11-27-2008, 11:53 PM
The really messed up red boy is FINALLY eating I think. I ended up giving him some de-shelled peas to try and clear out his bound issue and Im going to try pellets tomorrow
Neervana
11-28-2008, 4:25 AM
i think its lovely what you're doing! nice! that gold betta looks awesome!
xoparis
11-28-2008, 7:55 AM
Thanks! New photo updates for you guys! Im still having a hard time finding something the messed up red boy will eat...going to try and find some live foods today and work on the peas some more..I CANNOT for the life of me get photos of the turqoise BF hm! But I will soon I hope!
Messy boy: No name yet!
http://i34.tinypic.com/2uptrw6.jpg
You can REALLY se the extent of his fin damage in the next ones.
http://i35.tinypic.com/vhx8gn.jpg
http://i37.tinypic.com/v4ueyh.jpg
http://i35.tinypic.com/21njde1.jpg
And then moving onto the super red HM boy...so far he's in the best shape out of them all:
http://i34.tinypic.com/10zvipv.jpg
And then the dragon boy! Also in somewhat good shape :]
http://i37.tinypic.com/33uqr1y.jpg
My camera is terrible, can you tell??
Right now, besides the really torn up boy, Ive been working off Hikari foods, and they're LOVING it! They eat like horses and are extremely active in their hospital bowls!
Props... looking good. Camera work is not nearly as bad as you think :D
xoparis
11-28-2008, 8:25 AM
I FINALLY got photos of the turq. HM! I had to stick him in my barren 20g in order to let him roam, and then put some black cardstock behind it to show the white in his fins! This is one of the fiestiest fish I have EVER seen!
http://i33.tinypic.com/15zqykz.jpg
http://i34.tinypic.com/2hz4jdf.jpg
http://i33.tinypic.com/k1rng9.jpg
And even though the photos give him kind of an emerald/green body color, he's actually a VERY pretty turqoise.
Wyomingite
11-28-2008, 9:15 AM
Very pretty fish. I've always liked bettas, but kept 'em just long enough to breed 'em once, raise the fry and move on to the next challenge. Haven't kept one in 20 years. Anyways, good luck with the rehab project. Looking forward to seeing these boys healed, and BTW your pics aren't bad at all.
WYite
powerkit
11-28-2008, 9:21 AM
Nice Job!!! Cant wait to see them all healed up!
xoparis
11-28-2008, 9:23 AM
Thank you! Oh just for reference, this is what they ORIGINALLY looked like:
http://i33.tinypic.com/t0hjyx.jpg
http://i38.tinypic.com/9ib5dy.jpg
The one above is the badly torn up one.
http://i34.tinypic.com/29em4j5.jpg
The one above is the greenish looking turqoise boy in my other photos.
And the other red boy:
http://i36.tinypic.com/ibho3m.jpg
powerkit
11-28-2008, 9:28 AM
oh wow. they sure were nice lookin boys!
xoparis
11-28-2008, 9:31 AM
Until they got eaten up by their girlies!
xoparis
11-29-2008, 12:17 PM
Well, update on today.....
The really shreddedd up boy (Gimpy!) isnt eating at all really. I tried the pea method, and I believe he ate a pellet, but Im not positive. Im going to attempting some live foods today. Otherwise, Everyone else is doing great!
Neervana
11-29-2008, 6:57 PM
omg...you have taste!!! absolutely love the other bettas you just got..verrry nice!
xoparis
11-30-2008, 12:28 AM
Thank you!!
xoparis
11-30-2008, 1:36 AM
Well, an update on my girls...decided to transfer them to a planted tank and begin building a sorority!
xoparis
11-30-2008, 2:26 PM
Oh, and that was in the wrong spot! I meant to give an update on the boys....Gimpy still wont eat....Im waiting a bit to give him live food and we'll try that....
The thing is though, he's swimming around and ais livening up a bit! I gave him a bit of sunlight too, so that helps!
http://i36.tinypic.com/ilimue.jpg
xoparis
12-02-2008, 2:04 AM
Just a quick update! I transferred the red HM boy into a well heated 20g, and thn the gimpy boy is in a breeder net in the same 20g. I'll be dividing up the rest of it for the other 2 of them.
Photos!
http://i37.tinypic.com/ab74b8.jpg
http://i37.tinypic.com/6fz4op.jpg
As you can see in the image above, I'm floating the bowls of the other two boys in the tank (turqoise is missing cause I had to lower the water level to fit him in! Gotta do it because I cant heat all of the hospital bowls/tanks.
Virtuoso2K12
12-02-2008, 2:29 AM
So did he ate the live food?They seem to be doing good.
xoparis
12-02-2008, 2:19 PM
Ywp he ate the live food! Even though it smells rancid. Bleck.,
xoparis
12-04-2008, 10:10 AM
These boys are doing WONDERFUL. It seems that the one in the breeding net and the bigger HM have become buddies because the rd one spends QUITE a lot of time between the next and the glass taking peeks at him...Not even flaring! Just saring and then swimming around again and coming back....Or sometimes he even sits there for hours. I know its not cause he's stuck or resti because there's nothing to rest ON!
Redneck Woman
12-04-2008, 10:53 AM
Breeder net? Does'nt the net part go over the green frame instead of inside it? Seems like it would colapse on the fish the way you have it. Just checking!:)
Sounds like you are doing a good job!
Neervana
12-04-2008, 12:15 PM
i like the way you have set them up in the tank and how friendly/ lively they seem to be becoming! good work! can we have some close up pics please?!
xoparis
12-04-2008, 2:01 PM
Updates!
http://i37.tinypic.com/2ni36hf.jpg
http://i37.tinypic.com/2w4xjs4.jpg
http://i33.tinypic.com/2agmayr.jpg
http://i34.tinypic.com/2nbdm5w.jpg
http://i35.tinypic.com/2e2dtvl.jpg
http://i37.tinypic.com/1z55kbs.jpg
http://i34.tinypic.com/ipyyyr.jpg
So the housing situation...
Big red boy has been moved to the 10g (platys and tetras are leaving today!) along with his new CT friend, and a new HM...Gimpy is impossible to get photos of in his breeder net!
xoparis
12-04-2008, 2:18 PM
Breeder net? Does'nt the net part go over the green frame instead of inside it? Seems like it would colapse on the fish the way you have it. Just checking!:)
Sounds like you are doing a good job!
It was kinda confusing trying to figure out how to put it together (no instructions), but basically its a plastic frame that hangs on the edge of the tank. And then they give you a net bag-like thing that you fold over the top part of the frame and secure on with string ties. :]
I like how the current set up is as well. :D Thanks!
xoparis
12-06-2008, 2:27 PM
The wosrt of them all, the gimpy boy is doing absolutely AMAZING in his breeder net in the 20g...He's loving his pellets (finally un-bound him!!) and swimming around as well as flaring at his girlfriends in the tank around him. ;)
I need to put him in a solitary tank in order to get photos but I dont want to stress him out right now...Pics sometime soon of him!