Rescue Bettas - Long story...no real point but there are pics
Just thought I'd share the story of my temporary rescue bettas. I recently started a 56 gallon tall aquarium and decided that I needed a quarantine tank. A 10 gallon would do. I looked on craigslist and found that someone was selling a 10 gallon with hood, light, filter, decor, and two bettas for $25. Yes, the bettas, both male, were housed together with no divider. However, in the post the seller made a point to say that he knew they shouldn't be together but these two seemed to get along.
So I contacted the seller and made arrangements to pick them up. I got there and was shocked to find that the water was yellow, the surface of the water had maybe 5 pinches of betta pellets floating on it, and the filter had no media in it even though it was running! :thud: The poor little guys were in there looking wilted with fins all closed and barely floating...thankfully upright. I didn't bother to explain the horrible situation these guys were in to the seemingly 18 yr old because he had no other fish or aquariums.
I rushed them home and put them in clean water together and then emptied the awful smelling 10 gallon. Once in clean water, they started to perk up...and flaring at each other. Hmmm...I thought he said they got along great. I seperated them.
By the next day, they were more comfortable. They were swimming and eating and opening their fins.
Again I was sad to find out that they, in fact, did not get along when he put them together and both fish had ripped up fins. Thankfully neither have damage to their bodies nor apparent illnesses. But below are the pictures of them now in my care. I don't plan to keep them. I will be giving them away to willing coworkers, but wanted to keep them for a bit to make sure they were fine. Their fins seem to be growing back now and they seem to be active, begging for food, flaring at their reflections and other fish, eating, and making bubble nests :y220e:
Just thought I'd share the story of my temporary rescue bettas. I recently started a 56 gallon tall aquarium and decided that I needed a quarantine tank. A 10 gallon would do. I looked on craigslist and found that someone was selling a 10 gallon with hood, light, filter, decor, and two bettas for $25. Yes, the bettas, both male, were housed together with no divider. However, in the post the seller made a point to say that he knew they shouldn't be together but these two seemed to get along.
So I contacted the seller and made arrangements to pick them up. I got there and was shocked to find that the water was yellow, the surface of the water had maybe 5 pinches of betta pellets floating on it, and the filter had no media in it even though it was running! :thud: The poor little guys were in there looking wilted with fins all closed and barely floating...thankfully upright. I didn't bother to explain the horrible situation these guys were in to the seemingly 18 yr old because he had no other fish or aquariums.
I rushed them home and put them in clean water together and then emptied the awful smelling 10 gallon. Once in clean water, they started to perk up...and flaring at each other. Hmmm...I thought he said they got along great. I seperated them.
By the next day, they were more comfortable. They were swimming and eating and opening their fins.
Again I was sad to find out that they, in fact, did not get along when he put them together and both fish had ripped up fins. Thankfully neither have damage to their bodies nor apparent illnesses. But below are the pictures of them now in my care. I don't plan to keep them. I will be giving them away to willing coworkers, but wanted to keep them for a bit to make sure they were fine. Their fins seem to be growing back now and they seem to be active, begging for food, flaring at their reflections and other fish, eating, and making bubble nests :y220e:
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