OH NO!!

[SRC]

Just got my shipment of fish in and to my excited, yet horrified, sight...what did I behold?

Not 1, not 2 but 3, yes all 3 with fin damage!!!

They have thrashed themselves silly it seems while being shipped.

The Black/Green Crowntail has broken 3 rays on his dorsal...they just flop over.

Both the red and green butterfly Halfmoon's have a complete section missing from each of their tails (oddly enough..it's in teh same exact spot on both).

Poor fishies...does this cause them any pain?

What should I do for this? I've never had a fish with a damaged fin like this (except fin rot, which this is clearly not) and I don't want any infections or problems.

HeeeeeeLLLLP!!!

 

[sylvia]

Clean water and a little salt. Add a little bettafix/half-dose melafix if you wish.

 

[sylvia]

Also keep them warm with no temperature or water fluctuations or anything that'll cause stress (that means no mirrors or view of other bettas either).

 

[SRC]

I already had some salt in the water I had waiting for them (1/4 tsp per 1 gal water), and the bag water and bowl water were the same (80*).

Is that enough salt?

 

[sylvia]

It'll do.

 

[Texaswoman]

I just add some Melafix to my bettas water for fin damage. When they have made a long journey make sure they stay in a darker than normal enviornment and it is not noisy. If you can't put them in another area, I normally put a sheet over them for a few days until they aclimate and regain their strength. The darkness helps because they have been inside a box for a while and the light is bright and doesn't feel good to them. Also keep them carded for a while so they don't get more tired than they are already. My new imports wanted to just flare happy when they got here and I had to put the cards up so they wouldn't hurt themselves. I don't know anything about the salt, sorry. I don't use it.

 

[SRC]

the Red Butterfly HM

the Green Butterfly OHM

The Black/Green CT

They've all ate, although not very enthusiastically..it was more a ..hey look..there's some food *tumbleweed blows by* well I guess I could mosey over there *another tumbleweed blows by* yeah well, looks ok..*bite*.

I know they are groggy and all..and there coloring will take a while to come around (I have some that were shipped last week that still lose their color rapidly if you startle them)...but bless these guys hearts...if they don't just look pitiful/miserable .

 

[Texaswoman]

They still look beautiful. Hope they get to feeling better.

 

[WILDER]

What an ordeal for them, hope they are back to full health soon, lovely looking fish.

 

[SRC]

Thanks, hopefully they'll be no worse for wear in a week or two. Not a good first experience for my friend in the workd of ordering fish over the intranet. She was almost beside herself.