VERY unhappy betta!!!

VivaLaVics

VivaLaVics

*blub bubble*
Oct 3, 2008
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Seattle, WA
www.myspace.com
This is a bit long but I really want to save this poor Betta! He could be really pretty....

Okay- So I love fish. I have a coworker who keeps a betta in a 2 gallon Betta setup. (poor guy !) Well it gets worse. The thing never gets fed on the weekends and the light is never turned off. On top of it the coworker travels all over for several weeks at a time. When they realized how much I love fish I somehow became the Betta keeper when he was away. After 2-3 months of this routine I couldnt take it anymore! I've brought the poor thing home.

I've been told he is going on 2 years in the small plastic tank but I am worried about his health. His "arm fins" as I call them are very stringy and his tail and anal and top fins are as well... I have a Betta and his condition is NOTHING simmilar to this... you can tell this poor guy looks uncomfortable.

He is very bloated in the front half of his body and his scales look just... ugh- I have never seen a Betta in this condition so I am looking for advice from avid Betta keepers.

Do they get this shape when they are older? Do their fins and scales deteriorate or is it due to this home? There was green stuff all over the tank- looks like its on his fins as well... :( The coworker also only uses distilled water for his waterchanges... WHEN he does them... is this good or bad for the poor guy?

As I have said I have confiscated the creature and I hope to bring him back to good health. His keeper is gone until end of next week so he wont notice the missing fish. HAHA. (I sent him an email though...)

Any help or advice is MUCH appreciated.
 
It could be due to fin rot from the tank, bettas are very hardy fish and can live in tap water and live! The bloated part of the betta means he is full, a betta can live ina 2 gallon tank but if no filter must do water changes every week with filter than once every 2 weeks, good job and keep it up!
 
Numbers.... I've never delt with Betta health issues- how would I treat the fin rot? I have cichlids and I add salt for 2-3 days when I see any nips or issues... should I add some sort of salt to the Betta tank? I like to avoid medication whenever possible...
 
i never used distilled water for betta , but the condition u described seem to me is cuz of lack of care to the poor guy , u keep the water super clean , ( daily WC ) if u can put him in a atleast 5g , and don use HOB filter or anything like that makes much current in the tank , bettas hate current , feed him high quality foods , and IMO 3 times a day , not that much that he can t handle , and cauz him stomach problem ,
and be sure to put somethin to hide ( like a cave ) in his tank and if u can add some plants ( bettas LOVE plants ) , don use any medication ,he ll be fine after a while on his own :)
wish u and the poor guy luck :)
 
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My poor betta was in poor health when I got back from vacation (1 1/2 months) and my roomate promised to take care of him... rigggght.

Just keep his area nice and clean and give him more room to swim around. Tell your coworker that he died... just put the little tank back on his desk.

Good luck
 
i wouldnt give the poor guy back too , neveeeeeeeeeer to that guy :lipssealedsmilie:
 
Thanks owl for the info. Thanks to everyone else. Its an office of 4 women and 3 sales managers- all the sales guys are out so I am SURE my fellow female friends (who have begged me to take it home for weeks now) would go into "cahoots" with me! hahaha. I think he needs to live in my 14 gallon tall (currently a hospital)... i want to make it a planted but have never had a planted tank. :) This por guy needs some TLC!!!

PS what is HOB and IMO??????????/
 
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