Betta dried up out of tank, lived.

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Onikun

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Jun 25, 2005
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I came home the other day and sat around a bit before i noticed my betta wasn't in his tank. I checked behind the tank and sure enough he somehow jumped out. He was all dry and crusty looking like a cracker or cookie of some sort. I thought for sure he'd be dead. Instead when i touched him he started flapping around like any fish would. I put him back in his tank and its been 2 days and hes doing fine. at first his fins seemed to be glued together but now they seem fine. i guess that air breathing organ he has saved him because I don't know how long he was out for.
 

JinxXx0085

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Jun 12, 2005
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Onikun said:
I came home the other day and sat around a bit before i noticed my betta wasn't in his tank. I checked behind the tank and sure enough he somehow jumped out. He was all dry and crusty looking like a cracker or cookie of some sort. I thought for sure he'd be dead. Instead when i touched him he started flapping around like any fish would. I put him back in his tank and its been 2 days and hes doing fine. at first his fins seemed to be glued together but now they seem fine. i guess that air breathing organ he has saved him because I don't know how long he was out for.
WHOA! Thats freaky. I don't want to come home to a betta like that! I have plastic lids on those tanks so no problem for me lol.
Man, its still freaky though! Hes one lucky betta!
 

beautifulfish

Fishies are cool!
Aug 17, 2005
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Troms?,Norway
:eek:
 

ChileRelleno

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Feb 10, 2005
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Not surprising at all...
Bettas are in the Belontiidae family and are known for something really neat...
Bettas have what is called a labyrinth organ which enables them to breathe air directly from the atmosphere, as well as normal gill respiration.
There are numerous accounts of Bettas surviving in nothing more than a damp spot. Bettas are anabantoids and gill respirstion alone cannot satisfy their needs, if prevented from surfacing for air can actually suffocate.
This is why the Betta, like other anabantoids, can survive in water with extremely poor oxygen content.

That puts your fishes reason(s) for surviving in a nutshell.
 

sumoschro

Gold Thunder
Aug 16, 2003
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Yeah....that's happened to me with crabs, frogs, snails, AND fish.... Finding them out of my aquarium crusty on the floor....ughh.

At one time I found one of my crabs downstairs in the living room under the couch dead...I live upstairs in the opposite corner of the house.
 

FishFreak101

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Jul 1, 2005
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WOW thats amazing! i hope he'll be ok!
 

Leopardess

Everything's eventual.
Aug 13, 2003
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Yep. Had that happen to me. I suggest a tight fitting lid of some sort! I know what you mean about the fins being glued together - same thing with mine. They never looked "great" again, but they healed up alright.

Glad he's doing okay.
 
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