RIP, Puck! T___T

[mybabieshavefins]

Well, my veiltail, Puck, passed away around 9:35 this evening

A couple of days ago I noticed he was starting to lose a chunk of his tail, so I moved him to a large glass and began treating him with aquarium salt. After some observation, yup, it was fin rot. So I started treating him with salt dips and constant water changes, and he seemed to be doing ok. He was still eating and quite active.

This evening I heard him bump against his glass, so I got up and checked on him. To my horror his water had suddenly gone a murky brown, and just as I got to him he flopped over. I rushed to the kitchen and prepared some fresh (and treated with water conditioner and stresscoat) water and dropped him in it. I performed a little betta cpr that I read up here on the forum a while ago, and he started to rouse a little, but it was too late. He puffed up, dead and colorless as a doornail. I feel horrible... I must have done something wrong for this to happen. The thought of him dying from my neglect is just awful.

Rest in Peace, Puck! You were a wonderful fish and I will miss you terribly. God bless your little cupped fishy soul.

He was my favorite fish. He always said good morning to me and was friendly, vain, and energetic. I really will miss him

If anyone has any ideas as to what made this happen, I'd greatly appreciate it. I'd rather not make the same mistake again!

 

[afireinside]

i am sorry to hear this. puck. i am like the grim reaper, i always have to give the rest in peace thing.

 

[OrkyBetta]

So sorry to hear about your fish. I lost my first and favorite betta to columnaris about a month ago, and it was horrible.

Would you mind telling us a little more? What kind and size of tank was he in? Any tankmates? I have no idea what that could have been...

edited for typos

 

[mybabieshavefins]

Thank you, people. I'm sure little Puck's soul is happy with your well-wishes!

Puck was in a 2 gallon tank with silk plants and glass disks for gravel. He had no tank mates, and had seemed to be doing fantastic! When I noticed his tail (which was before the piece of it even fell off, I'm a paranoid mother and check my children constantly) I moved him to a half-gallon glass with nothing else in it, just because I wanted to be careful with treating his fin rot. He was only in that cup three days, with water changes twice a day. I was keeping a constant watch on him, and he was perfectly fine! Then like I said, I heard him swimming frantically, then found his water to be BROWN after I'd changed it only about six hours prior, and he just flopped over...

 

[OrkyBetta]

Hmm, if his water was brown, it could have been...hmm...could anything have gotten in there? A chemical? Cleaning product? Or maybe it was algae? Or, parts of his tail rotted off, making the water brown? You have me utterly stumped.

 

[mybabieshavefins]

I had just used water conditioner, stress coat and a bit of aquarium salt, so I doubt it was a chemical... I had fed him some pellets, but he ate them all up, like the greedy little bugger he was. And since I had started his treatment, he hadn't lost any more of his tail...

I'm stumped too! Poor little guy... he was so beautiful and loveable...

 

[OrkyBetta]

Is there any way something could have fallen into the water to discolor it? That is so bizzare...

 

[mybabieshavefins]

I don't think so... I'm so paranoid a mother that I always keep my bettas covered, in the unlikely event of a jump. His glass was covered with a piece of white foamcore with a hole the size of a quarter cut into it for circulation, and he was on my drafting desk, away from my other fish and any other harrassing elements to help his recovery...

 

[OrkyBetta]

Well, it sounds like he might have had some other stuff wrong with him then. Do not feel guilty as it sounds like you did all you could and the fish probably knew that. Maybe when someone like bettamomma comes on, they could tell you what they think went on, but you have me dumbfounded. Maybe this is a new fish ailment?

 

[mybabieshavefins]

Thank you so much for taking the time to think about it! I hope that maybe one of the veterans (like you said) might have some ideas.

Yeah, I agree with you that there must have been something else wrong with him as well. The way he pounded into the glass before he passed... He suddenly just went nuts and then died. There simply must have been something else wrong.

Thank you for your reassurance! I hate to think that I'm a bad mother... I really did the best I could!

 

[OrkyBetta]

You're welcome. You are most certainly not a bad mother. Just caring enough to post a memorial on his behalf would prove you cared for him. And you definitely did everything you could. Sometimes, a person can do everything right, and still lose a fish.

 

[Mariah]

little one

 

[fishykisses]

When i got my little Zorro from petcetera there were 2 dead fish in cups with brown water, all the other fish had fairly clean water...not at all like the dead ones. It could be from some sort of disease. I'm just guessing but i've seen it before. I'm sure it was nothing you did!

 

[mybabieshavefins]

Thank you, Mariah and fishy.

Huh, so there IS some evidence that something like this might have happened before. I really do wish I know what it is... I'm so worried that it might happen to one of my other fishies, now! All three of the others have been in the same conditions Puck was in, and they seem just fine. Most odd...

 

[tacofrano]

awah RIP you boy will be in fishie heven with mine too
i bet puck and spot are having fun togeter up there!