The Life Of Riley

[PrairieSunflower]

Riley's chomped up tail. 
 


And one I just like. 
 

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I am pretty sure now that Riley didn't attack his own tail and that it did get sucked into the funny little gap in my filter when the two halves click together.  It has been blocked up with a tiny piece of cut sponge and his tail hasn't been caught again.
 
Riley's tail still looks ragged, compared to how it was originally, but it looks a bit less ragged than the picture above.  He has had the most minute bit of regrowth where it got broken off.  Actually, he seems to have had more growth on the very bottom of his tail where nothing had been ripped.  At first, as I've been watching him like a hawk, I feared it was the beginning of fin rot since it was such a light color... but no, he is just growing more bottom fin.  I hope the ragged bit catches up... I really like his smooth tail edges that he had before this accident.
 
I've also bought Indian Almond leaves and I have had a leaf floating in his tank.  The water doesn't look as tea light as I expected... it is more like the light in the water looks less bright than before.  My almond leaf also doesn't seem to want to sink... it is still floating really well.
 
I have found that Riley has a fondness for Bumble Bee the transformer... seems to be the most interesting thing he likes to look at.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Riley's tail is healing nicely.  He has had some nice growth and the edges are looking a lot more smooth now, a bit more growth needed to go for him to look like is old self.

 

[Blondielovesfish]

That's great news
Just hope it doesn't happen again.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I intended to take a picture of how well Riley's tail is growing back.... but... instead I got a lot of pictures like this....
 

 
I guess that means I don't bring the camera out often enough!  He doesn't normally hide at all!

 

[Blondielovesfish]

LOL that's so cute!
Another reason for more pics

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Riley has begun his first ever bubble nest!
 

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Aww, that's so cute!

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I had one of those "gasp oh no" moments I was warned about that would be nothing.
 
Riley has spent ages at the back of the tank doing what looked like hovering.... turned out his almond leaf had floated to the back and he is building a huge bubble nest under it. 

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I haven't said anything in awhile.  Riley is still doing great and is healthy.  Somehow he is missing half of one ventral fin (I think that is the name for it!) and I don't know how that might have happened.  I hope that is something that will grow back.  I am pretty sure he didn't catch it in the filter as I've had that stuffed with extra sponge ever since he caught so of his other fins in there... so there shouldn't be anywhere exposed.  Riley seems unbothered anyway.  He has lost a bit of his ventral fin that didn't grow straight (has always been that way).

 

[AlitaConejita]

Weird that he lost some of his fin but at least he seems OK otherwise . Did the spots go away?

 

[PrairieSunflower]

No, they are still there.  After a lot of reading I decided to try treating them with Esha Exit but that had no effect... so I guess they must be his coloring... I still think they look odd though.

 

[argoma]

Esha Exit works best with ich and velvet, have tried it before. If you wish you can use Esha 2000 that is sort of an "universal cure" for most fish and i have tried it in my betta for many reasons and as preventive measures and worked great. You can use it to clear the tank and decorations from bacteria and all. Also if it's nothing, just the fish's coloring, it won't harm the fish at all, which Esha Exit may do if not needed. Give it a try. Just personal experience and research.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Well, the Esha Exist said also for black spot and other parasite spot disease so that's why I tried that one.  I don't think I want to try another med at this time.  When I get some time I shall try to get better close up pictures of his spots so people can have a look and see what they think.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I haven't posted in quite some time.  Poor little Riley hasn't been living the good life lately as we've been battling various ailments despite good water quality.  He has one cloudy eye that has returned 3 times (same eye, same spot), he has what looks like fin rot on the bottom fins but that seems at a stand still currently neither getting worse nor better... but the concern is his dorsal fin that seems to be eroding and no longer expands at all.  He is eating, swimming and acting normally.
 
The usual fish meds have failed to fix him in the last so many months.  I am currently doing the mythelene blue baths, which instantly showed an improvement to his eye, it will be longer as to whether that improves his fins or not.  I have been trying to get antibiotics for him but so far have completely hit a wall with no one having a clue what to do with fish at the vets I've called (or being too far away).
 
This is what he looks like currently.