Oh No!

[Amunet]

My poor Bluebell has gone and gotten herself stuck in the freaking CO2 bubble ladder again! But this time, it seems as though she was in there for a very long time.

I went into the living room b/c I wanted to look up some info on this ammonia removing stuff. I looked at the tank with a flashlight just to make sure all the fish were doing ok, and I didn't see the betta anywhere.
So thinking she was probably just sleeping.. I let it be.. until I remembered her getting stuck in the bubble ladder before. After the first incident.. I pushed the ladder down as far as I could so I thought she wouldn't be able to get into again.
Well.. I was wrong.
There she was.. stuck stuck stuck stuck stuck and her poor gills were working overtime for her.
I rushed to unsuction the ladder and she jetted for the surface for some air.

She is SO weak right now.. she even let me cradle her in my hand.
Her fins are clamped which is to be expected since it's obvious she was stuck in there for a while...
And she's also pretty weak. When she got out, she just sorta floated at the top and just let the current take her where it will.
She also has a little scrape on her back right after her dorsal.

But what's really worrying me is that she's going up for air very often now.
I've placed a breeder's net into the main tank and put her into it so she wouldn't have to go up very far to get air and so the current wouldn't move her around all over the place.
But I'm so worried about her.

Will she be ok?
I have no idea how long she was stuck for.. I'm just glad I checked on them when I did or I would've woken up tomorrow to a dead betta

I have no extra tanks right now. I have half gallon glass jars.. but I figured leaving her in a tank that's heated would be better than taking her out and putting her into something that I wouldn't be able to heat.
I might take the fish out of the Q tank and put her into it, but want to make sure that the fish in there are ok before I do that.....
SIGH..... I'm so worried..... I'm gonna go check on her again....

 

[jaarus]

Had to reply.

I found the same thing with the Nutrafin ladder - there is that small passage way up the back that has no exit - I rescued curious fancy guppys a few times before thinking enough is enough I removed it to see what I could do.

Tried pushing it into the substrate but the CO2 get stuck as well as at the same level so in the end I wedged in a piece of plastic to stop the silly buggers going up there! (I used a sawn in half pen cap) Just anything to block up the stupid path thing at the back.
Really is stupid to build something that a fish could swim into and not swim out of!



Regarding the betta - he has CO2 poisoning (from being trapped, freaked out and unable to get to the surface, dont forget as well thtat the water around the unit has a higher concentration of CO2 so being trapped in it is going to be not to pleasant for the fish) mixed with stress of confinement, depending on how long he was in there will depend on how severe but.... Turn off any current in the tank, maybe add an airstone to increase the O2 levels in the water, dim the lights and hope for the best.
The worst thing you can do is sit over him poking him.

Dont move him, dont do anything that can stress him ouit further

He might make it he might not, by your description he is pretty far gone.

Fingers crossed for you mate.

 

[Amunet]

The first time SHE got stuck in it she made it to the top of it somehow, but this time she was stuck in that little part that leads up.

She's breathing pretty rapidly right now and still going up alot. She's going up and then going straight back down to rest. She doesn't look like she's having any other problems though (no weird movements and such). Just looks really freaked out... least that's what I'm hoping for.

Her tailfin isn't clamped up anymore either.

I really hope she's fine.

I'm gonna have to find something to block that part as well. I'm sure there's something laying around here that I can stick up there so she won't feel the need to get herself stuck again!

 

[jaarus]

OOps!
Never had a girly Betta - so instictively call 'em all blokes!

Wishing her well!

The first time SHE got stuck in it she made it to the top of it somehow, but this time she was stuck in that little part that leads up.

She's breathing pretty rapidly right now and still going up alot. She's going up and then going straight back down to rest. She doesn't look like she's having any other problems though (no weird movements and such). Just looks really freaked out... least that's what I'm hoping for.

Her tailfin isn't clamped up anymore either.

I really hope she's fine.

I'm gonna have to find something to block that part as well. I'm sure there's something laying around here that I can stick up there so she won't feel the need to get herself stuck again!

 

[catherine896]

Aww,I hope she will be ok!

 

[jaarus]

any update?
Hows she doing?

 

[Amunet]

Well... before I went to bed, she was still resting at the bottom of the net and breathing heavily, but she wasn't going up for air as often.
Wake up, and as I'm approaching the tank, I see that she's still resting on the bottom so think she's still in bad shape.
NOPE... she back to herself it seems. She perked right up and tryed to force her way through the net when I put some flake food into the tank for the other fish
She's not breathing heavily and yeah.... seems to have forgotten last night's incident.

WHEW

 

[Jaded12]

Yay! glad to hear shes doing better!!

 

[jaarus]

Me too!

 

[crimsonxflamex3]

I'm glad to hear your girl is doing better! Thats such a releif!

 

[Amunet]

Thanks everyone!
She's still doing ok after her little incident heh.
I put a tube suction cup grabby thing up in that little spot so she or any of the other fish won't be able to get into it again.

But my other fish are trying to give me heartattacks now... freaking danios jumped out of the container that I had them in (was in the process of putting them back into the main tank).. and I didn't notice it until they had already gotten onto the floor. Bout scared the bejebus out of me!! DANG FISH!

 

[Amunet]

double post....

 

[liz2]

naughty girtl scaring her mommy. I have never had anything like that happen. years ago we had baby fish live in the space in the filter...you used to see eyes looking at you but they were quite happy in there...glad she is fine

 

[Amunet]

naughty girtl scaring her mommy. I have never had anything like that happen. years ago we had baby fish live in the space in the filter...you used to see eyes looking at you but they were quite happy in there...glad she is fine

Rofl.. tht would freak me out if I ever saw eyes staying back at me from the filter!