He's blind as a bat...

[BettaMomma]

So - Needless to say, I went back to PetSmart today to get little ol' blind boy. He was patiently waiting there for me to come back for him. I asked the guy in the department to bag him for me. It was pretty amazing - the first thing the little guy did after he got dumped into the bag was to take a swim around the bag with his right cheek pressed up against the bag to get a feel for his new boundaries.

He's a gorgeous boy - his body is metallic white and his fins are deep red.
I'm sorry I don't have pics to post - but I will for sure have some tomorrow.
I forgot the cord at work! Aaargh

I'm sterilizing Harvey's old tank right now while he waits patiently for me to get him into his new home already (gosh darnit!)!
I got him some nice smooth polished stones for the floor of the tank, and I got him some hornwort plant. I think that's all I will put into the tank as he doesn't need extra things to swim around and bump into.

He looks like he's pretty healthy, except he's got a white hunk of something just in front of one of his eyes. I can't tell if that's from him rubbing his cheek up against the sides of whatever it is that he's in, or if it's something else... maybe the closeup pics when he's in his new home will reveal something.
The next challenge is to try to figure out how the heck to get him to eat.


Pics to come tomorrow!

 

[Mr Miagi]

Sorry if i missed the original post, but why is he blinned? Poor little chap!

 

[BettaMomma]

Oh yeah - sorry.
I keep forgetting that people can't read my mind. lol

I went to PetSmart last night and saw a boy there that had eyes that looked odd - they were peach in the middle - and it was obvious that he is blind. We tried putting our finger on the cup, waving at him, even putting him next to the biggest, baddest flaring machine on the shelf and got absolutely no reaction.

He's blind allright. I thought about him all night last night, and all day today and of COURSE had to go and get him.

I'm a sucker for poor little fellas in need of some extra TLC who might not get it elsewhere.

 

[red_fish_blue_fish]

I knew u would go get him! Maybe he can smell his food? Try tapping on the side of the u put food on...see if that helps. Good luck there blind betta momma!

 

[BettaMomma]

Yeah.
I figure there will be some way to get him to eat.
He didn't get to be this far into his life by not eating!

 

[Dart]

So does that mean you'll be getting 2 more fish to go on your signature so it's a nice box again

 

[BettaMomma]

Probably!

 

[red_fish_blue_fish]

Just found my glasses ( toddler hid them )...try tapping the side of the cage you put the food on and see itf that helps..My eyes are so bad...lol. I will be watching for the pics tomorrow.

 

[Mr Miagi]

When u say peach colour is it on the internal area of the eye or externally covering it? Maybe you could do something for him?

 

[50000_tears]

haha when i saw you type your getting him on YIM i was like "dun da dun TO THE BETTA BUS!!",i have too much time on my hands

 

[BettaMomma]

The whole middle circle of both of his eyes is completely peach colored - almost like human flesh color.

The more I have been watching him, the more my heart breaks.
All of you, think of what makes your betta happiest - seeing something, right?
Now imagine what it must be like to be this guy. He is just still a lot. I wish there was something I could do to entertain him. I suppose I could ask my boyfriend to play guitar.

Apparently along the way he's figured out to go toward sounds, because as I had him on the counter by me still in his bag, if I would bump the counter or rip off a paper towel, he'd swim over to whichever direction the sound came from.

He's floating in his bag right now - and I did a little test.
I lightly tapped on the class with my fingernail. He immediately swam up to the top with his nose resting at the top of the water. Apparently he knows when it's feeding time. I can't wait to get him acclimated so I can see how he does in the new tank and see if he likes to eat what I have to give him

 

[Haiku]

Only you would happen upon a blind betta, BettaMomma . He sounds adorable. I can't wait to see him! You should be known as the guardian angel of bettas

 

[BettaMomma]

I should be known as the seeker of freaks of nature.
lol

I know - what are the odds that I would find BOTH a tail-less betta and a blind one?

 

[Haiku]

This is kind of off-topic, but I tonight at one of the pet stores I went to, I saw a beautiful black and white butterfly boy. I shouldn't have even looked but I couldn't help it. It was all I could do to leave without him. Even after I left I kept contemplating going back but I fought myself down. I'd have had to buy a new tank and on top of no place to really put another one, I just can't take on any more right now for various reasons. It was so hard though, I still can't stop thinking about him. At least I didn't see any that looked like they were dying. That would have been too much.

 

[Kiarra]

There is another way you can interact with him.

Most of mine are trained to interact with my hands. Some nibble. Others come and rest in my cupped hand, or brush up against my fingertips. You could try interacting with him that way...by touch, instead of by sight.