First thing is that normally I do not reccommend buying a sick betta from a store. It’s just setting up for heartbreak. Especially if you’re not equipped to handle the care of a very sick betta and if you’re not prepared to deal with possibly losing a sick betta. I always try to pick out relatively healthy bettas. I have bought some with fin rot before but never anything seriously wrong. Until Monday that is…
So I went to Petco because my shitty tetra airpump finally gave up on me after having taken apart and tinkering with it more times than I care to admit. I had heard good things about petco brand airpumps so went with that. While I was there I stopped by and checked out the bettas. I was just admiring the colors and feeling sorry for some of them when I noticed a very sick veiltail. He was so skinny and weak all he could do was rest at the bottom of his cup breathing heavily through his gills. He was completely clamped up and looked more like a matchstick than a fish. I told myself to leave him, I didn’t need another betta. I wandered around the store arguing with my brain telling me about the empty emergency 2.5, extra heaters, and meds. Kept telling my brain to shut up. Then I realized I had spent well over 30 minutes wandering around thinking about the same fish…I was doomed. Let’s face it I never had a chance.
I want to clarify that I did NOT rescue him. I meekly and quietly took him to the counter and paid for him(lol at me and being a coward.) To rescue a betta means you talked to the manager about why this is completely inappropriate, I did not do that. This betta was really freaking weak. He could hardly swim and even a half filled 2.5 was too much for him. So he went into a breeders box floating in said 2.5
I wasn’t holding onto much hope but thought I’d at least try. I began doing 1 hour paraguard baths in a .5 gallon betta cube every day. His half filled 2.5 was dosed with stresscoat and paraguard as well as some aq salt to aid gill function. I couldn’t get him to eat and as he was already thin I just wasn’t expecting the best…the on the third day during his bath he ate some bloodworms! After that he continued to get better!
He is now on Day 5 and today was his last hour long bath. His 2.5 still isn’t completely filled but is more than halfway. He is still very skinny but eats 3x’s a day. He is getting better at swimming but still needs to occasionally rest and catch his breath. I love this little guy so much. @oliviner decided on the perfect name for him. Not only am I a huge D.C. nerd but it’s also very fitting given his situation. Everyone meet Mister Miracle!
His tank is pretty freaking bare right now, but once he’s strong enough I’m going to make it a Halloween Themed tank.
Again, I did not rescue MM I bought him. I happened to have most of his necessities(ignore the hidious DIY filter shhh it’s invisible you can’t see it) and I happened to have necessary meds already stocked. However 9/10 times I do NOT reccommend taking a sick betta home. It’s a lot of stress that can easily lead to heartbreak. I don’t know how to explain it, but I could not leave him I was drawn to him. I know it doesn’t make sense but anyway I love Mister Miracle and I hope he’s around for a long time. We’re still fighting.
Gay Hell 