My Betta Boy Died Today...i'm So Sad!

[wendyngd]

Hi all-

Betta Boy was awake and hanging out (though leaning on heater and a floating branch) this morning and still responding to me through the glass. I feared the worst might happen because he has not wanted to touch any food this whole week and he hasn't flared at me once either !!

I took a nap and woke up late afternoon and found him sort of curled up (dead) at the bottom of his bowl!! It doesn't matter if I anticipated it, it's such a loss for me! What a little pal! What is he a "holiday fish?" I got him on Halloween 2006 and now he dies on Easter 07!!

I couldn't bear to empty the bowl (after I'd removed him) so I asked my husband to do it. (WHich he did-he was wonderful. He was even glad that I woke him from his nap (we're two old 'farts" in our 50's who nap a lot!) to tell him that we'd lost Betta Boy and so I could cry in his warm arms...

This was my 3rd Betta--and the most friendly and personable. I could never wait to get home and see him--and sit next to his bowl playing with him a little each day. We still have our mollies and a funny orange catfish in another tank, but they're pretty stand-offish. We also lost one of our older homegrown females a few days ago. So it's been quite a week!

I have an odd question. What do you do with the remains of your beloved fish? I have a couple of ideas but I'd like to hear from others. A book on bettas I just downloaded off the net suggests returning it to a body of water rather than burying it where somebody's dog could dig it up. And I've read not to flush them down the toilet like we were all taught to do...

I plan to get another betta. I've ordered a better 3 gallon tank with a filter so maybe this will help...

Thank you all for your love and support. It meant so much to me that I had a sympathetic place where I could share this sad news. Now, if I could only just stop crying. (I will let myself grieve. I'm still in shock that he's not still handing out in his bowl in our bedroom waiting to play with me and gorge himself on food!)

Love to all,

(That's him to the left in my avatar, btw. At least I have a photo of him
Wendy fish.gif rip.gif fish.gif

 

[t.ropical_m.istx3]

he was lovely

 

[Amunet]

Oh my gosh.. I'm so sorry! *HUGS*
It sounds like he had a wonderful life and was loved so much when he was in your care. You should feel good about that.

RIP lil Betta Boy.


As for dead fish. I'd be a bit hesitant to put them into a body of water where there are other fish. If a fish died from an illness, I wouldn't want to pass that on to wild fish if they ate the body ya know?
I put our dead fish into my little flower garden.

 

[saphphx]

Twistedly, I have my husband plant them in the strawberry patch, then whenever we have strawberries we also have a bit of the fish (through the fish adding to the dirt to make it better for growing plants, not an actual part of the fish) to have with us as a part of us as we absorb the strawberries we eat that in turn absorbed the fish. Sounds weird, but makes me feel like they are always with me.

Part Native American, we do funny things.

Before that, I would bury them in some tank water, gravel and a little plant in a plastic box or in a bag then in a small box in a little park by the beach, but that was ages ago.

Very sorry to hear about your losses. -hugs-

 

[wendyngd]

Thank you both so much! I really appreciate the support and love.
-Wendy

 

[stang1]

I'm so sorry Wendy, I was really hoping he'd pull through.
Sending hugs your way.

 

[Jozlyn]

My sincerest comiserations to you, I know just how you feel, it's so easy to get attached to them. My boy Lawrence is not doing too well at the moment and I'm worried about him.

 

[lilfishie]

aw sorry to hear bout your lil guy *hugs*

 

[Jaded12]

Oh no wendy!! I'm so sorry He was such a gorgeous boy, And I know how much you loved him. Beautiful Boy