Germanshepherd72
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- Jun 8, 2019
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Hello. Yesterday I noticed my Betta, Penelope, appeared to be bloated/swollen. She wasn't her normal fiesty self, but was hovering closer to the bottom of the tank. Penelope would eat anything she could get her mouth around. She was in a 10 gallon tank with 6 pygmy cities and one mystery snail. When I'd feed her, I'd then throw in an algae wafer for the cories, and nearly every day she'd ram it, trying to eat off chunks of algae. I tried feeding the cories at night, but nothing would stop her from eating anything she possibly could. I often thought to myself "She'd eat herself to death if you'd let her." I was always careful when feeding the tank because of this.
Tonight, I arrived home to check on her. She was on her side, and you could see something discolored in her stomach. It had gotten even larger. Her breathing was normal. I tapped the top glass and her eyes shot up to the sound. I tried to think what she might have eaten, but could not. I had just fasted her 2 weeks ago for getting down 2 entire shrimp pellets after her 2 Betta pellets! I crushed them and stirred them for the cories but she still somehow managed to follow the school of feeding cories and actually take in mouthfuls of sand substrate, swish it around, swallow the bits, then spit our only the sand. Tonight she was on one side, stomach so full of something you could see inside her - she was a brilliant pearlescent white so you could see this brown mass in her belly. I could only observe her for about 20 minutes before I noticed this outcropping of 4 tiny snails in my tank. I had 2 mystery snails in my tank but no eggs. Tonight there were baby snails. The other mystery snail died at least 4 months ago. I really believe that Penelope picked baby snails off of the glass and fed on them until she nearly ruptured inside. I tapped the glass and her left fin shot her up an inch off of the bottom. She was so full that you could see her scales starting to stand up. I made the painful decision to euthanize her.
I had to put my much beloved 10 year old Belgian Malinois companion Ginger to sleep 10 days ago after a long battle with arthritis. I've been an emotional mess since. I laid her to rest in a Raku ceramic urn last night and sealed it. It's been nothing but tears since. Having to see Penelope in pain and put her down after Ginger... I feel so lost right now. I love my cories and lone male Betta Raphael in his own 10 gallon tank. But I had to put down my 2 girls in one week.
I'm bawling as I type, but could that mystery snail have laid fertilized eggs 4 months after mating? Is it possible that Penelope ate herself to death on snails? They would easily fit in her mouth. Judging by her stomach it looked like she would have eaten at least 8 to 10 snails. I'd just like to know - I'd hate to think I did something wrong with her and made her sick. Thank you in advance.
Tonight, I arrived home to check on her. She was on her side, and you could see something discolored in her stomach. It had gotten even larger. Her breathing was normal. I tapped the top glass and her eyes shot up to the sound. I tried to think what she might have eaten, but could not. I had just fasted her 2 weeks ago for getting down 2 entire shrimp pellets after her 2 Betta pellets! I crushed them and stirred them for the cories but she still somehow managed to follow the school of feeding cories and actually take in mouthfuls of sand substrate, swish it around, swallow the bits, then spit our only the sand. Tonight she was on one side, stomach so full of something you could see inside her - she was a brilliant pearlescent white so you could see this brown mass in her belly. I could only observe her for about 20 minutes before I noticed this outcropping of 4 tiny snails in my tank. I had 2 mystery snails in my tank but no eggs. Tonight there were baby snails. The other mystery snail died at least 4 months ago. I really believe that Penelope picked baby snails off of the glass and fed on them until she nearly ruptured inside. I tapped the glass and her left fin shot her up an inch off of the bottom. She was so full that you could see her scales starting to stand up. I made the painful decision to euthanize her.
I had to put my much beloved 10 year old Belgian Malinois companion Ginger to sleep 10 days ago after a long battle with arthritis. I've been an emotional mess since. I laid her to rest in a Raku ceramic urn last night and sealed it. It's been nothing but tears since. Having to see Penelope in pain and put her down after Ginger... I feel so lost right now. I love my cories and lone male Betta Raphael in his own 10 gallon tank. But I had to put down my 2 girls in one week.
I'm bawling as I type, but could that mystery snail have laid fertilized eggs 4 months after mating? Is it possible that Penelope ate herself to death on snails? They would easily fit in her mouth. Judging by her stomach it looked like she would have eaten at least 8 to 10 snails. I'd just like to know - I'd hate to think I did something wrong with her and made her sick. Thank you in advance.
