Cutie Pie was a special little baby boy from day 1. He was so friendly and took to me instantly. About half way through his life when he was about 1 year old he got some kind of spinal desease that bent his spine such that he could no longer swim to the right. He could turn left ok but not make right turns.
He was still very active and playful and loved to swim around. One day I couldn't believe what I saw until I saw him do it again. He was swimming in his 20 gallon tank at the front against the glass moving from right side of the tank accross to the left side near the surface. Being against the glass with his left side he had no room to make a left turn. But he was smart. He had figured out that if he was upside down he could make right turns. It just like the airodynamics of an airplane. When you fly a plane upside down and you want to turn right, you move the alerons and rudder (fins of a fish) to the position for a left turn.
So suddenly, I see Cutie Pie dive down a bit and start a body roll till he got upside down, made the right turn, then continued to complete the body roll until he was upright again and continued to swim from the left side of the tank to the right side of the tank. He did this three times in a row for me as if to show off saying 'look what I can do'.
Well my jaw dropped when I saw this and I just couldn't believe it. I just stood there thinking, no way. He just got lucky but by the third time I had a big smile on my face realizing that Cutie Pie had found an engenial way to overcome his dissability. He was the other Betta that would sit in my hand and our love for each other was gigantic. He was a beautiful fish too. I'd like to share a few pictures of him on this board but I have to crop them down first as the file size is too large. His pictures are plastered all over my house and I can't tell you how long I cried when he finally died of old age at my cursed time of right at 2 years.
We all get hit so hard when our beloved Bettas go to Betta heaven and I have found the best way to releive that pain somewhat, is to run right out, and honor your Betta by saving another Betta from Shot Glass Hell.
He was still very active and playful and loved to swim around. One day I couldn't believe what I saw until I saw him do it again. He was swimming in his 20 gallon tank at the front against the glass moving from right side of the tank accross to the left side near the surface. Being against the glass with his left side he had no room to make a left turn. But he was smart. He had figured out that if he was upside down he could make right turns. It just like the airodynamics of an airplane. When you fly a plane upside down and you want to turn right, you move the alerons and rudder (fins of a fish) to the position for a left turn.
So suddenly, I see Cutie Pie dive down a bit and start a body roll till he got upside down, made the right turn, then continued to complete the body roll until he was upright again and continued to swim from the left side of the tank to the right side of the tank. He did this three times in a row for me as if to show off saying 'look what I can do'.
Well my jaw dropped when I saw this and I just couldn't believe it. I just stood there thinking, no way. He just got lucky but by the third time I had a big smile on my face realizing that Cutie Pie had found an engenial way to overcome his dissability. He was the other Betta that would sit in my hand and our love for each other was gigantic. He was a beautiful fish too. I'd like to share a few pictures of him on this board but I have to crop them down first as the file size is too large. His pictures are plastered all over my house and I can't tell you how long I cried when he finally died of old age at my cursed time of right at 2 years.
We all get hit so hard when our beloved Bettas go to Betta heaven and I have found the best way to releive that pain somewhat, is to run right out, and honor your Betta by saving another Betta from Shot Glass Hell.
