hazyvonne
New Member
Hello everyone,
Some of you might have seen my post a couple of weeks ago about Sam, my first almost-dead-cup-Betta. Unfortunately, Sam didn't make it and it was devastating. After staring at his empty tank for a few days I went back to my local big box store. I talked to the same manager as before who had let me have Sam for free and he told me he had another guy in the back who he didnāt think would survive much longer. I agreed to take him and the manager brought a white opal male from the back. Apart from the fin rot he was floating at the top of the cup on his side.
Since heās white and Iām a) a millennial and b) not very creative, I named him Albus. As soon as I got home I moved him into his 10g tank and read up all I could about swim bladder disease. The most common cause seems to be feeding issues/bloating but he didnāt look bloated to me. If anything he looked very thin. I figured Iād just let him be for a day, let him enjoy some clean, cycled water, and see what happens. After 24 hours he was still floating on top of the tank at all times but no longer on his side. At least he was now the right side up. I started feeding him very small portions of frozen daphnia a few times a day. That was a learning experience all by itself as the stupid daphnia kept sinking and then of course he couldnāt reach it
. But we figured it out eventually. After 48 hours he perked up a little more but the floating on top hadnāt got any better. I decided to follow aquarium coopās guide on aquarium salt treatments (link here). Iāve treated fish with it before and I figured if nothing else itāll help his fins heal and if he did have some kind of bacterial infection it would help with that as well. We did the level 1 treatment and weāre now 2 days into it.
Then this morning I freaked out a little - I could not find him. I scanned the entire surface. The lid was on so he could not have jumped. Suddenly he showed up - and thatās when I learned that he is now able to swim down into the tank. He is not able to stay there by himself, but will immediately float up again. But he has figured out that the leaves of the plants will hold him down! So heāll use all his might to get down below a plant leaf and let that keep him there. I am so impressed! What a smart little guy! Weāve now also added frozen blood worms and freshly hatched baby brine shrimp to his diet and he seems to really love both of those.
I have no clue whether the salt did anything or not, but Iām just thrilled heās doing better. Please send all your positive energy to my boy Albus so that maybe soon heāll be swimming all over the tank!
Albus floating in his stupid little cup
After 24 hours, no longer on his side
The S shape his body made, that I read was a clear sign of swim bladder disease
Albus using a leaf to hold him under water
Some of you might have seen my post a couple of weeks ago about Sam, my first almost-dead-cup-Betta. Unfortunately, Sam didn't make it and it was devastating. After staring at his empty tank for a few days I went back to my local big box store. I talked to the same manager as before who had let me have Sam for free and he told me he had another guy in the back who he didnāt think would survive much longer. I agreed to take him and the manager brought a white opal male from the back. Apart from the fin rot he was floating at the top of the cup on his side.
Since heās white and Iām a) a millennial and b) not very creative, I named him Albus. As soon as I got home I moved him into his 10g tank and read up all I could about swim bladder disease. The most common cause seems to be feeding issues/bloating but he didnāt look bloated to me. If anything he looked very thin. I figured Iād just let him be for a day, let him enjoy some clean, cycled water, and see what happens. After 24 hours he was still floating on top of the tank at all times but no longer on his side. At least he was now the right side up. I started feeding him very small portions of frozen daphnia a few times a day. That was a learning experience all by itself as the stupid daphnia kept sinking and then of course he couldnāt reach it
. But we figured it out eventually. After 48 hours he perked up a little more but the floating on top hadnāt got any better. I decided to follow aquarium coopās guide on aquarium salt treatments (link here). Iāve treated fish with it before and I figured if nothing else itāll help his fins heal and if he did have some kind of bacterial infection it would help with that as well. We did the level 1 treatment and weāre now 2 days into it.Then this morning I freaked out a little - I could not find him. I scanned the entire surface. The lid was on so he could not have jumped. Suddenly he showed up - and thatās when I learned that he is now able to swim down into the tank. He is not able to stay there by himself, but will immediately float up again. But he has figured out that the leaves of the plants will hold him down! So heāll use all his might to get down below a plant leaf and let that keep him there. I am so impressed! What a smart little guy! Weāve now also added frozen blood worms and freshly hatched baby brine shrimp to his diet and he seems to really love both of those.
I have no clue whether the salt did anything or not, but Iām just thrilled heās doing better. Please send all your positive energy to my boy Albus so that maybe soon heāll be swimming all over the tank!
Albus floating in his stupid little cup
After 24 hours, no longer on his side
The S shape his body made, that I read was a clear sign of swim bladder disease
Albus using a leaf to hold him under water
! Thank you from someone who knows the joy of rescue.
He is swimming all over the tank, no more issues with his swim bladder. His fins have healed beautifully as well. There is now absolutely no doubt in my mind anymore that this boy is a fail - a foster fail. He has found his forever home and will move into his new 10g planted tank at some point next week. This will also leave the "rescue tank" ready for a new inhabitant - although the fact that Albus is now staying is setting a bad precedent and I'm not sure I'm cut out for rescue and adopt out missions 
