Old Betta Questions

[little_mermaid]

My little sister has a male VT Betta (Marcus) of about 2 years, which I know in some cases is not very old, and he's lived in a bowl his whole life- I am not gonna lie, my little sister has not always done a good job at keeping it clean, and he's kept in the bathroom so who know's how much hair products and make-up dust has gotten into his home. Anyways, this Christmas I came home to him looking ginormous compared to my male Bettas...I know mine are still pretty young, but Marcus is huge. He even looks like he has some kind of growth under his chin (if fish even have chins?)...well one of the first things I did when I got home was clean his disgusting bowl. It had this nasty coating on top of the water and on the sides of the bowl and I thought it was just from it being dirty. Well about a day later, his bowl is starting to get that nasty film on top again...and he's making rather large bubbles. I am wondering if he is producing that film because he has a disease or something? He swims fine, we think he's blind to a certain extent (he doesn't even look like he has eyeballs anymore, just red spots)...and he doesn't eat. So how's he still living? You got me. We all feel bad for him and we don't know whether we should just put him out of his misery. Help?

 

[SharonCC]

The film on top of the water is because there is no surface agitation in the bowl. The film itself is not harmful to the fish. It does sound like he's not doing well. I don't suppose you could talk your sister into getting him a small tank with a filter and heater...

I put a fish down if I think there is no quality of life. It's a personal decision as to when that is...

 

[Syphoniera]

Hi, Little_Mermaid,
good on you for caring and trying to care for him.

I guess he's still being exposed to hairspray and other chemicals?
You have to remember whatever gets into his water is also in his eyes, and he can't even blink or close them.
There are also a lot of germs and mould/fungal spores in bathrooms - every time you flush the toilet, tons of microscopic bit of stuff you don't want to think about sprays into the air - and a fish-bowl is a warm, nutrient-rich Petrie dish for many of these nasties..
No bathroom is a healthy environment for fish - can he be moved somewhere safer?

And if he does need to be put down, I really hope you use use the anesthetic Clove Oil method - it's the only truly humane method available to us regular fish-keeping folk.
And it sounds as though the poor little guy's suffered enough without spending his final moments in even more terror and pain.