care and support for rescued bettas

[dreamwave]

Today was just one of those days. I got a call from a friend about a guy who was busted for animal abuse - the worst part being he was breeding and selling them, and it all went down at his rental house. So, I ended up lending a hand in getting the animals out of there, and man, there were a ton of them. The variety was insane, and I'm pretty sure some of them aren't even supposed to be kept as pets around here.

I managed to rescue a bunch of young Betta from a 50-gallon tank - most of them were already gone, but I got five out alive. Only two are still kicking, and they're in rough shape. One's so messed up I'm not even sure what it is, but the other one might be a Butterfly, so I'm guessing the other one is too. Both of them have barely any fins left, it's heartbreaking. They don't look like they're gonna make it, but they seem to be doing okay now that they've got food and clean water. I really wish I could show you guys some pics, but I don't have a way to do that.

Does anyone have any advice on how to get these two back on track? I'd hate to lose them. I'll probably post updates on how they're doing here.

[goldminer]

Hi dreamwave,

Thanks for sharing this story, it's heartbreaking to hear about those poor animals. I totally agree with you, it's great that you were able to rescue some of them.

For the two betta fish, I think lots of clean water and a good quality pellet would be a great start. How are you housing them right now? Are they still in the same tank or have you separated them?

Also, I'm curious to see how they're doing, maybe you could take a photo with your phone and upload it here? I'd love to see their progress and offer any advice if I can.

[dreamwave]

Hi dreamwave,

Thanks for sharing this story, it's heartbreaking to hear about those poor animals. I totally agree with you, it's great that you were able to rescue some of them.

For the two betta fish, I think lots of clean water and a good quality pellet would be a great start. How are you housing them right now? Are they still in the same tank or have you separated them?

Also, I'm curious to see how they're doing, maybe you could take a photo with your phone and upload it here? I'd love to see their progress and offer any advice if I can.

Yeah, I'm definitely open to suggestions on a good quality pellet. I've been using one with my Crowntail, but the pieces might be a bit too big for these little guys, especially since one of them has some jaw issues. Do you have a brand you swear by? I'm all about giving them the best.

They're currently in two small tanks, a 2-gallon and a 1.5-gallon, but I'm planning to upgrade once I'm more confident they'll pull through. As for the photos, my laptop is a bit of a dinosaur, no ports to speak of, and my phone is an old-school flip phone, so that's not an option for now.

[goldminer]

Hi dreamwave,

Thanks for sharing this story, it's heartbreaking to hear about those poor animals. I totally agree with you, it's great that you were able to rescue some of them.

For the two betta fish, I think lots of clean water and a good quality pellet would be a great start. How are you housing them right now? Are they still in the same tank or have you separated them?

Also, I'm curious to see how they're doing, maybe you could take a photo with your phone and upload it here? I'd love to see their progress and offer any advice if I can.

I'm assuming these tanks aren't cycled, so you'll need to monitor water parameters closely and do daily 50% water changes - that's what I'd do in your shoes. Seachem prime is a good water conditioner to have on hand, I'd suggest using that. Do the tanks have heaters? And what about filters? If they do, just make sure the current is as weak as possible for these little guys.

[dreamwave]

Hi dreamwave,

Thanks for sharing this story, it's heartbreaking to hear about those poor animals. I totally agree with you, it's great that you were able to rescue some of them.

For the two betta fish, I think lots of clean water and a good quality pellet would be a great start. How are you housing them right now? Are they still in the same tank or have you separated them?

Also, I'm curious to see how they're doing, maybe you could take a photo with your phone and upload it here? I'd love to see their progress and offer any advice if I can.

No, they are not cycled, and I'll definitely be doing the water changes. I'm using Aqua Safe for now, but I can easily get my hands on Seachem Prime if needed. The tanks are heated, and I've got them set at 80F. I've decided not to use filters for the time being, figuring still water would be better for them while they recover.

[goldminer]

Hi dreamwave,

Thanks for sharing this story, it's heartbreaking to hear about those poor animals. I totally agree with you, it's great that you were able to rescue some of them.

For the two betta fish, I think lots of clean water and a good quality pellet would be a great start. How are you housing them right now? Are they still in the same tank or have you separated them?

Also, I'm curious to see how they're doing, maybe you could take a photo with your phone and upload it here? I'd love to see their progress and offer any advice if I can.

As long as you do daily water changes, the water should stay clean. Aqua Safe is a good water conditioner, so you can just stick with that.

[dreamwave]

Hi dreamwave,

Thanks for sharing this story, it's heartbreaking to hear about those poor animals. I totally agree with you, it's great that you were able to rescue some of them.

For the two betta fish, I think lots of clean water and a good quality pellet would be a great start. How are you housing them right now? Are they still in the same tank or have you separated them?

Also, I'm curious to see how they're doing, maybe you could take a photo with your phone and upload it here? I'd love to see their progress and offer any advice if I can.

Thanks so much for all the advice, I really appreciate it. I'll keep you updated on how they're doing, and hopefully I'll have some good news to share soon.

[dreamwave]

UPDATE. Both my little rescue Bettas are doing great, eating well and pretty active already. One of them's fin growth is coming along nicely, and I'm pretty sure it's a Butterfly - the colors are really starting to pop now, they're turning out to be gorgeous. My Vivid's getting a bit miffed, I think, all the attention's going to the newbies.

[goldminer]

Good to hear they're thriving. I'm still holding out for those photos, and I'm willing to wait - after all, it's the least you owe me for my expert advice, right? On a more serious note, I'm glad my suggestions were helpful. Also, please, drop the 'sir' - it's making me feel like I'm 100 years old, and I'm pretty sure you're not talking to my dad.

[dreamwave]

I'll definitely get some pics to you eventually, I just need to figure out how to get them off this old laptop of mine.

And don't worry, I'll stop with the "sir" thing, I can just imagine your dad now, haha.