Hi everyone… Good day to you.
I have a problem with a Beta that is not going away.
I have a handicapped kid with OCD among many other problems.
One of them is thinking that he has to wash his hands a zillion times a day. We have to take all the handles off the faucets, lock up all the fridges and freezers and the like.
We believe he washed his hands with liquid soap in the tank. Now we have small pad locks on both ends of each tank.
Now the problem…
We have two small fish tanks. One five gallon and one ten. One morning when we got up, we noticed one tank had a LOT of a foamy substance on the top and all the fish in it were dead except for the one Beta we call Big Red.
However Big Red has some big problems now. BTW… this was three months ago now and he’s still kicking, or swimming if you will J
He has a buoyancy problem and a lump behind his gills on the lower half of his body.
I tried to take some pictures but not of my cameras will focus inside the tank.
I found one on the internet that looks pretty much except Big Red’s is a tad bit larger and a lighter in color. See it here: http://nippyfish.net/icecream/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/flex.jpg
He just lies around the bottom of the tank leaning against the side of it and only swims up for food. Once he stops putting forth an effort to swim, he sinks like a rock.
I have tried starving him for two days and feeding him fresh green peas and it has made no difference. I did this several times for at least four to five days at a time.
He does not seem to have a problem breathing or even swimming for that matter but you can tell he is putting forth extra effort to swim, especially when swimming from the bottom to the top.
I’ve had him for around two years and would hate to lose him. He really does not seem to be dying, he just has the bulge and cannot balance himself correctly.
Any thoughts from the masters? What do I do to help the little guy out?
Thank you for your time and consideration,
John
I have a problem with a Beta that is not going away.
I have a handicapped kid with OCD among many other problems.
One of them is thinking that he has to wash his hands a zillion times a day. We have to take all the handles off the faucets, lock up all the fridges and freezers and the like.
We believe he washed his hands with liquid soap in the tank. Now we have small pad locks on both ends of each tank.
Now the problem…
We have two small fish tanks. One five gallon and one ten. One morning when we got up, we noticed one tank had a LOT of a foamy substance on the top and all the fish in it were dead except for the one Beta we call Big Red.
However Big Red has some big problems now. BTW… this was three months ago now and he’s still kicking, or swimming if you will J
He has a buoyancy problem and a lump behind his gills on the lower half of his body.
I tried to take some pictures but not of my cameras will focus inside the tank.
I found one on the internet that looks pretty much except Big Red’s is a tad bit larger and a lighter in color. See it here: http://nippyfish.net/icecream/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/flex.jpg
He just lies around the bottom of the tank leaning against the side of it and only swims up for food. Once he stops putting forth an effort to swim, he sinks like a rock.
I have tried starving him for two days and feeding him fresh green peas and it has made no difference. I did this several times for at least four to five days at a time.
He does not seem to have a problem breathing or even swimming for that matter but you can tell he is putting forth extra effort to swim, especially when swimming from the bottom to the top.
I’ve had him for around two years and would hate to lose him. He really does not seem to be dying, he just has the bulge and cannot balance himself correctly.
Any thoughts from the masters? What do I do to help the little guy out?
Thank you for your time and consideration,
John
) 
