Alien Anna
Fish Gatherer
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2002
- Messages
- 2,087
- Reaction score
- 2
Hi Everyone,
Sumo died last week after a fairly long illness. He'd been battling ill health since a few months ago when he got accidently poisoned by some rotten bogwood. I suspect the over-feeding and sky high temperatures are what finally did him in, when I was away on holiday. He lasted a few days afterwards in the hospital tank but it all got too much. I don't actually know how old he was so maybe he was elderly.
Anyway, sadness over, I set up a new tank with his old tankmates (established filter and gravel and all that, so it's fully cycled) and they were just crying out for a new betta. So I went to our LFS.
Unfortunately, they only had one on sale: A dark blue veiltail male who'd been got-at by his tank-mates. He was in a rather sorry state, but it was obvious his tail was healing up well (they wouldn't have sold him if there was any doubt). The only spare tank they had for him was right next to another betta and the poor thing was displaying his little heart out (I have a difference of opinion with the LFS owner, who feels this is good for a betta. I think it stresses them. But then my betta was dead and this guy bred them!).
To cut a long story short, I bought him at a discount price and now he's happily swimming about his new home. I've put some Melafix in the water, just in case. At first his tankmates were quite intimidated (they're elderly black neon tetras), and wouldn't even eat the brineshrimps I gave them because it meant getting near to the betta, but gradually everyone seems to have relaxed. It's an 12 gal tank, so quite spacious for 8 little tetras and a betta. I also bought him some crypts, as well as the dwarf anubias and Java fern, and a lovely three-pronged piece of Mobani (sp?) wood, so there are plenty of places to hide.
If I can borrow a digital camera, I'll send you a picture of him. He needs a name. I was thinking of calling him Bruce, after Bruce Lee. What do you think?
Sumo died last week after a fairly long illness. He'd been battling ill health since a few months ago when he got accidently poisoned by some rotten bogwood. I suspect the over-feeding and sky high temperatures are what finally did him in, when I was away on holiday. He lasted a few days afterwards in the hospital tank but it all got too much. I don't actually know how old he was so maybe he was elderly.
Anyway, sadness over, I set up a new tank with his old tankmates (established filter and gravel and all that, so it's fully cycled) and they were just crying out for a new betta. So I went to our LFS.
Unfortunately, they only had one on sale: A dark blue veiltail male who'd been got-at by his tank-mates. He was in a rather sorry state, but it was obvious his tail was healing up well (they wouldn't have sold him if there was any doubt). The only spare tank they had for him was right next to another betta and the poor thing was displaying his little heart out (I have a difference of opinion with the LFS owner, who feels this is good for a betta. I think it stresses them. But then my betta was dead and this guy bred them!).
To cut a long story short, I bought him at a discount price and now he's happily swimming about his new home. I've put some Melafix in the water, just in case. At first his tankmates were quite intimidated (they're elderly black neon tetras), and wouldn't even eat the brineshrimps I gave them because it meant getting near to the betta, but gradually everyone seems to have relaxed. It's an 12 gal tank, so quite spacious for 8 little tetras and a betta. I also bought him some crypts, as well as the dwarf anubias and Java fern, and a lovely three-pronged piece of Mobani (sp?) wood, so there are plenty of places to hide.
If I can borrow a digital camera, I'll send you a picture of him. He needs a name. I was thinking of calling him Bruce, after Bruce Lee. What do you think?
