Almost Killed My Best Male!

[Ethos]

Totally almost killed my favorite male betta, smokey
I was doing a 75% water change in his 1.5G bowl, when I left the room to run and shut the water off in the bathroom (from my 55G water change), when I ran back into my room, my betta was stuck in the siphion!
It was crazy...I kinda paniked, which was bad because then it took me longer how to get him out!
He's laying on the bottom, breathjing slowly...I added a bit of stress coat to his bowl...I think he'll be fine, just a little shake up..

 

[woodie]

hope he pulls round

 

[wuvmybetta]

They're horrible about doing that.
Fun tip~ Use cheap poly-fil pillow fluff to stuff in the syphon as you let it drain.

 

[b.c.f.c]

hope hes ok, that sounds prittty bad and unlucky as i said hope he pulls through.

 

[BrookeLea]

You're using a syphon in a 1.5 gallon bowl? Seems like more trouble than it's worth! I just take my fish out and wash their bowls and the gravel in the sink. It seems like it would get much cleaner that way than with a syphon.

Anyway, I hope your guy is ok!

 

[nino]

My bettas never leave the syphon alone when I clean their tanks. They go crazy if I'm vacuuming the gravel and they see bits of things being sucked up. They think it's food
I've actually accidently sucked up on betta but I realized right away and she was fine, just a little shook up- she avoided the syphon for the rest of the water change. I'm especially careful now. Hope your little guy is doing better.

 

[Durbkat]

How could the betta get stuck in the syphon if it wasn't sucking up any water? Or did you leave it to keep draining the water while you went to go turn the water off in the bathroom?

 

[Ethos]

Yeah, I ran off, just for a few seconds.
I mean literally, the bathroom is 4 feet from my bedroom door, and it takes what, a secdond if your running to rach it, walk another foot, hit the nob on the tub, the take a few more seconds to get back.
It was almost the instant I wasn't looking something went wrong.
Funny how things happen that way...

I'm going to a new LFS today, going to look for some nice looking bettas, might even grab one!
He's doing good.
He swimming around the bowl more....

You're using a syphon in a 1.5 gallon bowl? Seems like more trouble than it's worth! I just take my fish out and wash their bowls and the gravel in the sink. It seems like it would get much cleaner that way than with a syphon.

Actually, its really easy. I have 1/5 pound of gravel in there (estimating) so it is a bit of gravel.
Plus its fine gravel, so its hard to get out..