Terrible Times

[Styx]

%$#@ing dropsy! It’s come to claim ANOTHER of my favorite fish! The last fish died of it despite AP Plus meds and some others. Come on, need more ideas.

This time it’s Miltiades that’s fallen ill, red guy I got from Wuv. I dumped a bunch of meds in his tank that are for dropsy until I can find something else. These $#%^@# things don’t work. I don’t know what to do if he dies. I love that fish, and so does Livius. They’re my gay pair and I love them for that. Livius has never built a nest for a female, but he builds them for Miltiades, and they court each other. It’s so cute and funny. What will Livius do? Should I maybe look for another red PK to sort of trick him into thinking it’s Miltiades if he dies? I think he’d be wise to that however… >_>

This blows so much, because that’s not even the end of it.

One of the first PKs I got is in terrible shape. Zosimus, one of the first two PKs I ever got, the first copper, and the father of my first spawn. I’m really attached to him too. He jumped up until he hit his lid off his tank and jumped out. I had no idea he had so much power. Well, I found him in time to save him, but since then, he’s doing very badly. His left pectoral fin wasn’t working and stuck to his body, I just changed his water again and now the fin is totally gone. Finrot, unlcers, excess slime, and possible fungus plague him. His mouth is screwed up because of the dehydration. I wonder if it isn’t better if I were to just kill (put to sleep, whatever, same thing) him. But I can’t. What else is there that I can do for him? This happened about a week ago.

Those are my two biggest issues. The other fish that were sick, that are still alive, have little improvement despite treatment. Story of my life.

 

[jollysue]

This is a very sad thread

I'm sorry for all the troubles Styx

 

[Naughtygirlrlw]

I am so sorry for all the **** you are going through. When it rains, it pours or at least it seems like it.
I have never (fortunately) had to deal with dropsy so I don't really know how to direct you there, but with
Zosimus, I would give him some more time to heal. He sounds like he's got a lot of issues going on but it has only been a week and I bet with your love and care, and a little more time he could make a full recovery. Sometimes the best thing to do is just good, clean, frequent water changes, and a little salt.
I will keep you in my thoughts, please keep us posted on their progress. Good luck!

 

[lljdma06]

I'm so sorry Styx,

It seem that you've done more than enough for these little guys. Continue with your TLC and hopefully they'll come around.

Good luck to you, and I hope for the best.

 

[Styx]

Yeah, Zosimus means "likely to survive" so lets hope he lives up to his name sake- again.

It's getting cold here, so I cleared off my dresser and put all the sick fish on a heat pad on top of it, then I moved Livius to be by Miltiades. Most of the time, they even sleep together. They sleep in the corners of their tanks by each other.

 

[wuvmybetta]

awww, I'm sorry to hear this, Styx I hope he pulls through for you, but if not, and you decide you want another red, you know where to find me. Whatever you do, make sure you keep the sickies isolated so you don't have some crazy outbreak.

It's strange the bonds they form with each other. I have two who I refer to as the "BFF boys", they just can't stand to be away from each other. They have no interest in anyone else either, just one another. I would keep them near eachother even though one is sick, it's amazing sometimes how they can comfort the other.


A couple of years ago I had a male who had severe dropsy, it just would not go away. I managed to stop it from progressing- but it wouldn't heal. He had a female neighbor and they'd been hot for each other for some time. She sat and watched him and tried to perk him up until the very end. It was quite sad and heartbreaking, but heartwarming at the same time. I eventually covered his tank so he couldn't see her and he died right away, literally within minutes. I didn't want her to see that, so....ahh well, now I'm depressed too

I wish you and your boys the best.

 

[lljdma06]

Jesus, Wuv! Your making me cry!

I wish you all the best Styx, I really hope Zosimus pulls through. That is a beautiful name.

 

[wiltedlove88]

I just had a really odd and terrible out break of all my bettas, i had acquired 6 charile,bree,storm,lilo,wonka, and foxtrot.....lilo and storm being the oldest stayed with each other untill storm jumped to his death a week ago today, (he was my first) lilo was very healthy and he seemed to go into a depression like state...picking at his food and then not even finishing off his favorite blood worm snack....his tail started to disengrate i guess one could say, i went into the fish room fixed him up with some meds sunday and he passed on today, this being my little sisters favorite fish (a simple VT from the lps) she cried, i washed all 6 empty bowls out today thinking of charlie my ferocious lil trany who i bought as a female...actually a male, and bree who i kept in a soroity tank together never any spawn but what fun they were to watch :'( and then foxtrot a beautifull DT CT all the deaths seemed so weird all within a 3 week span.....
I have moved on sadly enough, i purchased a BEAUTIFULL black and red DT (spencer) and a Pastel pink DT (simplicity) i cannot wait untill i get more bettas..im going to start a soroity tank and possibly breed....i hate the lose of a pet
U will be in my thoughts!!

 

[Styx]

Wuv, I know, some of mine I make sure they stay together, because they love to hate each other or just love to be by each other. ;_; Poor Miltiades. I usually don't like reds, but he had such a cute face and was so adorable with Livius, plus his little pectorals are red (I love it when they have colored pectorals). Plus, I'd always say to the two, "Red fish, blue fish. One fish, two fish," because Livius is blue.

My poor fishes. ;_;

 

[JackDemp528]

What a terribly sad story! I hope they get better. Reminds me of my goldies. I had a comet and a shubunkin that thought that they were a mated pair. And followed eachother everywhere. Well something happened with my tank, that the female died, and the male layed on the bottom next to her as she was dying. He wouldn't leave her side. I took her out and put her in a cooler on the floor beneath the tank, and then he sat there as if he could see her. And stayed until she was gone.

 

[jollysue]

I have seen repeated evidence of fish showing attachment and may I say concern to comfort one another.

A clown loach stayed by the side of another as she lay dying. My common Goldie stayed by my little boy Blue_Rye's (a Blue Oranda/Rykun mix) side when he floated on his belly with gas until he recovered. Goldie has been a good nanny.

It is bitter-sweet, wuv.

Our pets involve us in intense emotions.

I am glad to learn that the betta develop attachments.

 

[Synirr]

So sorry to hear of your troubles Styx! Here's hoping the sickies improve soon!

Interesting story Wuv, my original imbellis pair definitely had a bond. They'd swim around together, and the way I found out the female had jumped out was that I saw the male acting strangely and he actually had vague breeding stripes... I have never seen that on him since. He moped around for days and days until I got him another female. He liked her at first, but apparently he doesn't get along with her nearly as well as the first female, since they have never attempted to spawn and don't share the same territory. I'm hoping one of his three children will be a daughter and he'll see something of his old mate in her and that will perk him up

 

[Andie]

Synirr, Freud would have a field day with that plan

Styx, I wish I didn't know so exactly where you're coming from . . . Galinda's dropsy got her for good tonight and I'm just devastated right now. I guess "clean the tank", valid though it is, will hardly a unique or brilliant suggestion by this point . . . "hug somebody" is what I have to offer in the way of sound advice right now

 

[jollysue]

OK
Group Hug
hug hug hug
Hug Styx!

 

[Styx]

Thanks everyone. ;_;

I just changed his water again a bit ago. He'd pretty cruddy looking, pretty puffy and pineconey. But I'm going to pick up some Maracyn as soon as I can get up to the petstore. Curses, wish it wasn't so far away and I had a car. *Shakes fist*

Zosimus wriggles in the water because of his missing fin. Can he grow that back? I hope so.