New Betta Fish

[Immortalbeloved0]

Hello everyone,
I just got back from the pet store with my first Betta fish(I am fairly sure its a male.) and at first he was quite lively, when i walked by he would swim away to the other side of his home and hide behind a large(tall not really wide) plastic plant arrangement.Now however he's staying at the bottom. I can see he's still alive and such. Is he just getting used to me and the new environment? It's only been about..an hour maybe a little more since I got him home and wanted to make sure he was doing well. Yesterday my mother and I went to the local fair(we just moved into town and needed something to do bedside's sitting around all day!) and of course they had the game where you can win a gold fish. I did, it was clearly sick. There was one side of it's face where scales where missing and it's tail was lined with black. I got pictures of it alive about 5 minutes before the poor little fish died! I had JUST gotten it inside the house before he went to the big fish bowl in the sky. It was clearly sick and a typical 'Carniefish' as I call it. I've owned a goldfish before( and 3 frogs but thats a different story..) who lived almost 4 years and was won from a fair. So feeling quite bad about my now dead 5 dollar game Carniefish my mother let me get this lovely Betta fish. So please excuse me if I am over reacting. He is kept in a large vase, very wide around the middle getting smaller at the bottom.But has lots of room(It looks small in the picture taken with my cellphone) and we used fresh spring water from a bottle we let get to room temperature over night.

The first two pictures are of Walter the Carniefish. He came in a small(very small) plastic bowl and we had the large vase out getting room temperature...then it died before we even got it in there.


This is a picture of the clear spot on his face(near his gills?) where some scales where missing down to the flesh.Maybe another fish hurt him?


As you can see there was a good chunk of his back and sides that was almost white in color and semi transparent.


This is my new fish(any name ideas? or can someone tell if it is a boy or girl?) who was mid swim near the top.

'He' seems to be moving slowly about his home again. So if anyone can tell me what he was/is doing it would help loads! I haven't yet fed him today, i will feed him at night. The workers told me one pellet in the morning and one at night so I wont over feed him. the docks at the bottom are not sharp and where recommended by the worker as was the food(you can see in the corner along with my Phantom of the Opera figurines XD) On top of the tank I took the lid off my pet mice's(two named Hannibal and Mischa) carry cage(cleaned of course) it has the little handle on it and slits on the lid for air as someone told me it may jump out of the top if it gets spooked but still has plenty of air.

After my Carniefish's demise I am a bit paranoid now I guess and just want to make sure he(or she?) is going to be alright.

This is the top of the vase with my finger(dont laugh) for height.Could he jump out of that?



And this is my fishie! Looking quite sad indeed. Is he just getting used to my home? It isn't really cold in my home.I doubt it will be we've just moved to Shreveport Louisiana...I don't think it gets all that cold down here anyway.

Thank you to anyone who can help me!

Emily
(if it helps your advice at all I am 18 years old. So I am not loaded with cash or something)

 

[*Fishkies*]

If there's an opening a betta will find it to jump through sometimes. So it is best to take a precaution then to regret later about not putting a top on.

He may still be stressed from the journey home from the pet store. He may also not eat for a few days as this will be part of his adjustment. Give him some quiet time and he should be fine, by tomorrow or so. He should eat in about 2 days if he doesn't eat tonight. Some bettas are little piggies others are just not as hungry....

Good Luck!

 

[Immortalbeloved0]

Thank you for your help! I was worried he/she might be ill like my..clearly diseased Carniefish.

I am going to start a poll here on the topic of having animals as fair prizes. It seems to me the conditions the fish at the fair where kept in was quite sad. Kept in a drink cooler! Poor little guys! And when I went to the pet store they had the Betta fish either in tiny plastic cups that looked like 'sample' cups at a physical. Or in small wooden boxes filled with water and glass on one side to see them.They couldn't even turn around! So if anyone can take the time I'd like to see what you all think my little poll.