|
|
Post by siobhan on Dec 4, 2019 14:49:47 GMT -5
I've had Gomer more than a year now and he was an adult betta when I brought him home. He's lived the longest of any betta I've ever had, even my first one (who lived about a month past 1 year with me). Over the last few days, he's spending a lot of time on the bottom of his tank, and last night was even leaning over like he couldn't even sit upright. I was convinced he wasn't going to be with us this morning, but this morning, he came to the surface for his breakfast, ate hearty, and was swimming around as usual when I left for work. So many bettas get treated roughly in stores and so many people seem to think a tiny container is plenty big enough for one (Gomer has a five-gallon tank to himself) that I never expect one to live long when I bring him home, and they usually don't. I've lost so many to dropsy or other fish diseases. Yet there he is, doing just fine. Maybe he was just sleepy last night. Bettas actually go to sleep at night instead of just sort of dozing as other fish do, and I did keep him up late along with the small parrots, because I worked late. It was past their bedtime when I finally turned off the lights.
|
|
|
|
Post by Caseysmom on Dec 4, 2019 22:54:59 GMT -5
Glad he seemed to have revived. Many of mine seem to live 4-5 years. They used to slow down in the winter but once i put a heater in their tank they did better. I got two small girls once, they didn’t last long. My last one was an older girl made it to 4. I have a variety of food but I think the bug bites are a favourite I have a friend who feeds his bettas mosquito larvae in the summer. I’ve been debating about getting another or just concentrating bigger tank.
|
|
|
|
Post by siobhan on Dec 5, 2019 14:04:44 GMT -5
I get mine from Walmart or Petsmart and I've seen how they treat them. Walmart has stopped carrying live fish. It's probably a wonder they live long enough to get home based on what I've seen. My guppies, on the other hand, live forever and make babies. My four "feeder" goldfish (that's what they were destined to be until I brought them home) are happy and energetic and thriving. They chase each other around, they eat like pigs and they have regular staff meetings (all four will gather together in a clump, facing each other, and just sit like that for a while, LOL). I keep swearing I'm going to downsize to fewer tanks (four at the moment, one each for the bettas, one for guppies, one for goldies) as fish naturally go to their final reward, but I always find another betta who wants to come home with me. I haven't had to buy guppies for a couple of years, though, since the ones I have thoughtfully reproduce.
|
|
|
|
Post by biteybird on Dec 10, 2019 23:15:24 GMT -5
I know nothing about caring for fish - but here's rooting for Gomer! Hope he continues to thrive.  |
|
|
|
Post by siobhan on Dec 11, 2019 11:00:56 GMT -5
He wants to go to bed earlier now and will sit on the bottom snoozing until I get the hint and turn off his tank light, but in the morning and when I come home from work, he sees me coming and swims right up to the top for his meals and is fairly active (for a betta, LOL) until around 7 or so in the evening. I think he's okay. I've looked him over carefully and he doesn't have any visible signs of anything wrong. No swelling. No white spots. I've had so many bettas that I've seen just about every betta disease that I know of and he doesn't appear to have any. One of the goldfish has a white swelling on his side but of course, he's in a different tank and he's just as active and eats just as much as ever. None of the other goldfish has any sign. I looked that up online and it could be very serious and it could be a harmless cyst. Thanks for being definitive, Google. As long as he's active and eating, I won't worry too much. He's had that spot for weeks and it hasn't grown or changed.
|
|
