Think Fish Keepers Daily News. [2016-2019]

I'd been humming-and-hawing about whether to move my female tetra into the QT with her male partner (see post #1267). However, the decision was taken out of my hands today - she was completely on her side and really struggling to get upright and maintain buoyancy. She and cloudy-eyed partner have spent today in the QT with eSHa 2000. I don't have much hope for her as one pectoral fin looks inflamed/over-used from attempting to maintain buoyancy, a darkish line is running from the protruding part of the flank along her side/underside, and she shows the "delirious eyes" that dead fish sometimes have. Thus, I'm prepared for the worst, but do need to give her a chance with this treatment, and she looks reasonably content in there with her male partner chumming up to her and attempting to keep her upright, which is of some consolation. Meanwhile, the two remaining male tetras look like they don't know what to do with themselves - no female to compete for and thus all is uncharacteristically harmonious between them.

Therefore, I'm extra, extra delighted to read of the positive developments on here - Matt's two projects (the first is something I've been considering lately myself - a story for another time) and especially the pond one (given my massive soft spot for goldfish), and TC's beautiful flowering plants and lovely snails and fish. 

Thinking of you & your fish @fcmf

Ah, Bless her.

At last she doesn't appear to be suffering?

Sending good vibes! 

The two fish are on Day 5 in the QT, still being dosed with eSHa 2000. I don't plan to extend the dosage any further. I'm minded just to keep them in the QT for a few more days (+/- Epsom salt bath for the obese female) as it doesn't seem to be adversely affecting them and they seem very perky. However, if I were to return them to the main tank, I expect that she'd gorb - so it's giving the others an opportunity to eat and her an opportunity not to.

On a separate note, everything in the household seems to be breaking down of late. Mr FCMF was not amused at my suggestion of this as a replacement for the current piece of bathroom equipment https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3374909/Fish-tank-toilet-will-cut-water-use.html

Both tetras returned to main tank, following 5 days' treatment with eSHa 2000 and an extra day of diluting the water and replenishing it with main tank water prior to their return to main tank in the evening.

No sooner had this been done than:
* the male tetra got into a spat with another male tetra, resulting in two having a cloudy eye each. 
* the female seemed to lose buoyancy in the greater water volume but all 3 males set off in hot pursuit of her almost immediately and it seems as though an all-night orgy took place (I went in at dawn to check if she was still alive, only to witness this behaviour) which continues - female gets the occasional opportunity to rest from her clockwise-direction swimming/pursuit by the males by tilting completely over on one side a couple of inches above the sand but doesn't seem to be unduly perturbed by this continued inability to be upright when not swimming.

I am heartbroken  My new betta is dead 

He was fine till a few days ago, swimming round his tank, dashing over whenever he saw a human, dancing round at the sight of his food tub. Then at the beginning of the week I noticed his body was slightly swollen. He ate lunch happily yesterday, then didn't want to know at dinner time and spent the evening lying on the bottom of the tank under a piece of wood or suspended in the pennywort. He was the same all day today and I've just gone into the kitchen to find him dead.
I've been treating the tank with eSHa 2000 for a couple of days but I think his body just couldn't cope with whatever it was. I am now beginning to wonder if there is a reason there were hardly any bettas in the LFS in the rank of tanks that all share the same water.....

Oh, Sue, what dreadfully sad news.    He was lovely and seemed so promising a new acquisition. All I can say is that at least his very short life seemed to be very happy in his new home (so well done on that), and you administered treatment promptly on seeing his slightly swollen body (so at least that may be of consolation ie no regrets on that front), but it seems that whatever was wrong was completely outside your control in the vein you're suggesting. My sincere condolences.

Sorry to hear your news Sue... 

What sad news sue, sorry for your loss.