You Beta

[kittytehpirate]

Sweetheart,

I may be new to the forums, but i've kept alot of pets and they're difficult to keep up with. However, i've got 3 (lifeguard and two coaching positions) jobs in the summer and 1 (coaching) during school. I know for me here the legal age for work is 15 1/2. I've got one year left with my family before i go off to college and it has been so difficult to resist getting a lizard (which i'd love to have) and suggies (which i'm dying for!) but i know that its not possible for me to keep them when i'm moving half-way across the country. Having my molly-boys and Rascal and getting them across the country will be hard enough.

So my suggestion to you:
Slow down for a minute. Since you want to spawn so much, keep the three girls you've got now and commit yourself to setting up the perfect place to spawn. Get everything you need before hand. Heaters, test supplies, everything. Do your cycle. Then get a new fish. but then you need to wait again before you spawn. Make sure you're doingthis for the fish as much as you are for yourself. Have you considered getting a job at a petstore since you seem so attatched to animals? It may be tough if you can't drive, but talk to your parents about it. They usually are very open about it. (Well, at least my parents are.)

Best of luck to you my dear
And remember, animals are beings and they have feelings. respect that and love them.

Kate~

 

[roseK]

"I promise you guys I will not buy another fish until all my others die."

which without proper water and testing could be sooner than you think

 

[afishdude]

well at a death every 1-2 days. it wont be a week

 

[FBTgirl]

Who said they are going to keep dying!

 

[dmarie04]

Hon, I don't want to jump all over your or flame you are whatever, but you are not new to this. You have been coming on here for quite some time now asking advice for your fish and other animals. The problem is, you don't take any advice given! Just in the last week you've lost almost 30 fish! You claim absolutely no responsibility towards their deaths. You've lost several bettas and apparently you have another one with what might be open sores (or "slices" as you call them). You keep your fish in poor conditions, try to breed without being prepared, and then come on here and want to cry about it and then get mad when we question your animal keeping capabilities. You'd think that eventually all the good advice that you've been given would wear off on you and you'd start to listen. But no. You are just going to do what you are going to do and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. Despite what you're doing is obviously detrimental to the health of your animals! Fish die. It happens all the time. Fish get sick. Sometimes it's because of mistakes we've made. Soemtimes it's just nature taking it's course. But when you have sick fish after sick fish after sick fish and they are all dying for "no apparent reason" then...well. you need to start looking at what you might be doing wrong and taking some steps to stop all the sickness! I know you love your animals. But you don't take the best care of them. And until you start listening to what people here have to say, there's really no point in coming here crying about all the fish you are losing. Or the new fish you are buying. Or the fish taht are sick. Or the ones you are breeding. You will just get flamed each and every time! People here want you to do the right thing. That's all. We aren't trying to be mean or tell you what to do. We are just trying to help. The very first thing you need to do is get yourself a liquid freshwater test kit. Every single pet store sells them. If you can't find them on the shelf then ask an employee. If they are out ask them when their next shipment comes in. If you can order them online, then do that (it's cheaper that way, too).

 

[FBTgirl]

I do claim to take the blame for the goldfish because I did not put them into a big filtered/ cycled tank. But I went to the pet store a few days ago and I saw tons dead in the comet tank so I think they also had a parasite.
I will look more on wendsday when I go there.

 

[afishdude]

srry but 20 goldfish dont die in 2 days because of a parasite. they will never die all at once from an internal thing. the reason there are dead fish in the lfs is because they take horible care of there animals not becuase they are sick.

 

[SouthernCross]

Hon, I don't want to jump all over your or flame you are whatever, but you are not new to this. You have been coming on here for quite some time now asking advice for your fish and other animals. The problem is, you don't take any advice given! Just in the last week you've lost almost 30 fish! You claim absolutely no responsibility towards their deaths. You've lost several bettas and apparently you have another one with what might be open sores (or "slices" as you call them). You keep your fish in poor conditions, try to breed without being prepared, and then come on here and want to cry about it and then get mad when we question your animal keeping capabilities. You'd think that eventually all the good advice that you've been given would wear off on you and you'd start to listen. But no. You are just going to do what you are going to do and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. Despite what you're doing is obviously detrimental to the health of your animals! Fish die. It happens all the time. Fish get sick. Sometimes it's because of mistakes we've made. Soemtimes it's just nature taking it's course. But when you have sick fish after sick fish after sick fish and they are all dying for "no apparent reason" then...well. you need to start looking at what you might be doing wrong and taking some steps to stop all the sickness! I know you love your animals. But you don't take the best care of them. And until you start listening to what people here have to say, there's really no point in coming here crying about all the fish you are losing. Or the new fish you are buying. Or the fish taht are sick. Or the ones you are breeding. You will just get flamed each and every time! People here want you to do the right thing. That's all. We aren't trying to be mean or tell you what to do. We are just trying to help. The very first thing you need to do is get yourself a liquid freshwater test kit. Every single pet store sells them. If you can't find them on the shelf then ask an employee. If they are out ask them when their next shipment comes in. If you can order them online, then do that (it's cheaper that way, too).

I 100% agree with everything this post says. FBTgirl, you should really pay attention to what everyone is saying to you. People are getting frustrated because you don't seem to listen, and continue to make excuses for yourself.

I'm not going to touch on your obsession with spawning - you are obviously ill-equipped for this, what with your repeated failures. I will focus on the main issue at hand...

I'm going to make this clear - YOU MUST GET A TEST KIT BEFORE BUYING ANYTHING ELSE. You say all these recent fish deaths 'are not your fault' or blaming other things like parasites and infections. Remember - a huge percentage of fish diseases are directly caused by POOR WATER QUALITY and this is the sole responsibility of the fishkeeper. Fish kept in proper water rarely get sick. Someone on this board wrote something once - we are not fishkeepers, we are WATERKEEPERS. I.e. The work is involved in looking after the water. Look after the water and the fish look after themselves.

How do you know all these deaths aren't a result of your poor tank maintenance if you can't test the water to rule out ammonia poisoning, high nitrite or nitrate? That's right, you don't have a test kit, so you CAN'T. So, until you have the evidence, stop placing the blame elsewhere. You're deluding no one but yourself, especially on this board - we have a wealth of knowledge about this, and you won't listen to any of us.

Please, we're not yelling at you, we're trying to educate you so you don't lose anymore fish. Before you get these new 2.5 gallon tanks- get the test kit! Bigger tanks won't do them any good unless the water quality improves.

I hope you take our advice on board. Good luck.

 

[FBTgirl]

OK I will get one when I go to the petstore today.

 

[SouthernCross]

I'm glad to hear it

I should have mentioned as well don't get one of those cheap rubbish strip tests. Invest in a good liquid Master test kit with all the important ones - PH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. The one the majority of us on this board is the API Freshwater Master Test Kit - it contains all four of those. It will last ages too, its good value for your money.

Good luck again.

 

[kittytehpirate]

FBT dear,

You'll make a great breeder one day, i know that, but to do so, you need to set up a list and goals to get yourself there. I was thinking about that last night as i fed my molly-boys and Rascal. Why don't you set up a goal. Raise enough money to earn yourself a new tank. A larger one, maybe 20 gal or more. Earn the heater, the filter and everything to get it running. Of course, you'll need to be patient and let it cycle and everything but it should be well worth it.

I understand how breeding every once in a while is a great thing, because having your own spawn means you can keep some for your own, or sell them off to new homes. But do remember that spawning does reduce the lifespan of your fish drastically and that needs to be taken into consideration. I've had male bettas (non spawn) live for 6 years because of how well he was cared for and how much interaction he got from my family.

Also, have you checked out any betta books from the library? No joke, "The Freshwater Aquarium for Dummies" (that yellow book series, not the idiot's guide) was the best book i ever could have used because it helped me set my tank correctly and so far haskept my fish safe from harm. Try looking up some media in your local library to help you make these decisions.

Best of luck,
Kitty

 

[l.michelle]

I like the liquid test kits, because it makes me feel like a scientist when i am testing my water stats lol it makes me feel soooo smart

 

[FBTgirl]

thanks Kitty... I am going to get a liqiud one...

 

[lilfishie]

Sorry to hear about You Beta, i agree get yourself a test kit then chck your other tanks and post the results on here, hope the others will be ok

 

[SoCalMom]

Oi...this is what happens when someone has more pets then they can afford


I hope you guys know that she's just saying she's going to get a test kit so you'll leave her alone. She actually has no intention of doing so, otherwise it would have been done already...


Please stop getting rabbits and whatever else before you can properly take care of them


I'm sorry to hear of all the deaths. Poor fish