Dead Fish
One of my bettas is dying... it's kind of sad.

I don't feel terribly responsible as he has lived for over two years with me and who knows how long at the pet store. The average betta lifespan is only 2 years. My other betta who often has air bladder problems that cause him to float funny (and who generally has more malaise) is doing just great, all dancy and happy. The healthy, beautiful betta is lying motionless at the bottom of his tank. He'll die soon because he won't come up to breathe.

He seemed to be doing OK before I changed his water the other day. Then again, the tanks were pretty dirty and they don't move much because they're cold. I treated him with antibiotics when I noticed he wasn't well the next day. All they seemed to do was dye the water green.

Sigh.

I hate it when pets die... but at least he's lived longer than any other betta in the family (except his "brother" who will outlive him); my sisters' bettas only lived one year and three months, respectively.

I guess I'll get another one after break when he's dead. I wouldn't want to put the empty bowl away and I already have everything I need to make a fish happy. I just need some more plants (real ones).

I wish I could keep my fish warmer, as I know they like it that way. Bettas are swamp/ rice paddy dwellers in temperate asian countries like Thailand. They like the water about 80 degrees or a little cooler. I'm afraid we keep the heat OFF at the house. I put the tanks in front of a window for light (and because I don't have anywhere else to put them) which results in them being pretty cold. No wonder my fish are so inactive. When I had them in the dorms they would get all excited and dance when I was going to feed them. Now they just... sit...

I wonder if I can get a mini-heater for a gallon bowl. Hum.

When I will get a new fish, I will have to name him. These fish never were named, as I got them both at once and it threw me off. All I could think of were stupid pair names like "Bonnie and Clyde." I wanted to name them Red fish and Blue fish but one was blue and the other green, so that didn't work. They just ended up being Fish and Fish. Living their lives in little gallon bowls with green and white gravel and some shells I gave them from the beach.

Alas, Fish, I have loved you well. (Well, not really, but you did provide some interesting decoration and I think you got by better than a lot of other bettas)