She's gone... but that wasn't the worst part

[nmb7895]

So today I went to feed my fish and noticed my female betta didn't come right to the top to eat.

So something was up. I did a check all over the aquarium and couldn't find her. I was so confused. She had been sluggish the last few weeks and I figured her time was coming (her early life was very stressful and she is... was a year and a half old).

Then I picked up the Java Moss some cories were hanging out in and her pale, dead body fell out, her fins already eaten by the bottom feeders.


It... it was traumatizing seeing my favorite fish in this state. She hadn't been there long I just saw her this morning... they must have smelled the dying animal and lunged at her when she went to die.
Sigh... I can't blame them though. That's their job.

I just wish I could have caught her earlier so she didn't have to succumb to being the dinner for some cories.


And with that, the last fish of my inexperienced days of an overstocked 10 gallon passes, and the last remains of those times is now gone.

[Cyberra]

I'm sorry for your loss...:scry:

[nmb7895]

well I checked my levels and everything seems fine, so she must not have been dead very long at all.

Should I still do a large water change anyway?

[cer]

Sorry about your loss. A big water change can never hurt.

[DylanisHawttt]

Sorry about your loss :scry:

[Tyspot1000]

Sorry about your loss, my condolences :(
A water change would be good, I do one every time a fish dies whether or not the parameters are safe or not.

[ekfishlover2011]

My condolences as well. On the upside, at least she had a good life for last while before she died. :) I always try to make people feel better by saying what i find a s upside to story. RIP betta. :'(

[nmb7895]

My condolences as well. On the upside, at least she had a good life for last while before she died. :) I always try to make people feel better by saying what i find a s upside to story. RIP betta. :'(
well, she had a great late life (the last year or so)

Her early life was living through 3 cycles, and then living for 4 months in an overstocked 10gal aquarium so cloudy you couldn't see her and in the process getting Ich twice.

It wasn't until the start of the new year that I began to "get" fish keeping and doing everything a lot better. She then lived in a modestly stocked 25 gallon with live plants, properly regulated and fully cycled.

But I think that early stress must have hurt her lifespan.

[ekfishlover2011]

yea, probably. :( My first betta had stress reduced life too. I had him in community tank til he attacked and killed a danio. Then locked him in a little 1 gallon tank and sank it to bottom, not knowing he needed air, then i didnt know he needed heat. I got him a bigger, heated tank, and then the last straw was a heat wave and he died from overheating in a unairconditioned room. Ive made all those mistakes and have a healthy young guy now. Well sounds like yours was really happy this last year, mine would love a 25 gallon! And now that u "get" fish keeping, you wont have to worry about all that as much anymore. She sounds like she was a survivor! My fish got ich once and the survivors only lived about 2 months after. :(

[~Col~]

Sorry for your loss!