starrynightxxi
Fish Herder
Well, I haven't kept any of these guys in quite a while, but I caved two days ago at work. I work at Petco and when I went in for my interview, there were two bettas that caught my eye. Almost a month later and they are still in the store. Most of the bettas do okay, they aren't crazy about their life, but most keep pretty healthy. This guy is in pretty rough shape though. He's a white delta, and for the last week or two he's just been sitting in his cup looking ready to die. Most of the cups are clean, but his was scummy, I don't know how often the fish are fed, but he definitely was not eating. The bottom of the cup is scummy and he's downright emaciated.
I really don't have room for him, but isn't that how it always goes? He's got a touch of red in his fins that I'm keeping an eye on as I think it's a touch of finrot and not his coloring, but things are looking up. I pulled him off the shelf when I opened the store Tuesday morning, changed his water during break. I actually thought I had killed him at first because I underestimated the state he was in and the stress messed up his swim bladder for an hour or so, but he righted himself after some time on the dark shelf under the register.
He spent an extra day in his cup while I figured out what I was going to do with him, and has been scarfing bloodworms like nobody's business. He's incredibly hungry, he hasn't refused food once since I brought him home, even while he was still in the cup, so I suspect he's rather sensitive because although faded, none of the other bettas are particularly thin. I don't think he would have ever sold though. People who buy bettas from Petco usually want colorful fish, because otherwise what's the point. (No, seriously, we had to have the manager come flat out REFUSE to sell some guy the fish he wanted because he was determined to buy a betta and an African cichlid of some variety. Said he didn't care if they fought
)
Anywayz, without further ado, pictures!
I really don't have room for him, but isn't that how it always goes? He's got a touch of red in his fins that I'm keeping an eye on as I think it's a touch of finrot and not his coloring, but things are looking up. I pulled him off the shelf when I opened the store Tuesday morning, changed his water during break. I actually thought I had killed him at first because I underestimated the state he was in and the stress messed up his swim bladder for an hour or so, but he righted himself after some time on the dark shelf under the register.
He spent an extra day in his cup while I figured out what I was going to do with him, and has been scarfing bloodworms like nobody's business. He's incredibly hungry, he hasn't refused food once since I brought him home, even while he was still in the cup, so I suspect he's rather sensitive because although faded, none of the other bettas are particularly thin. I don't think he would have ever sold though. People who buy bettas from Petco usually want colorful fish, because otherwise what's the point. (No, seriously, we had to have the manager come flat out REFUSE to sell some guy the fish he wanted because he was determined to buy a betta and an African cichlid of some variety. Said he didn't care if they fought
)Anywayz, without further ado, pictures!
Definitely keep a very close eye on him for a good few weeks to make sure he is not ill. Good on you for saving him
