goodbye Red-Red, i love you!!!
on March 11, 2005 @ 11;55pm, i lost my Big Red.
Red-Red was my family's first betta, who we received at my cousin's wedding in 2003. it was because of him that we got more bettas, and then all our bettas became my babies.
Red-Red started off life with us in the tall vase he came in, but my parents received a 3 gallon tank for Christmas that year from Bay, so Red-Red got to share a home with Baby Blue.
Red-Red was agressive with Blue at times, but i know the two were best of pals. Red shared his side of the tank with Poker, our pleco who pasted ick to them both before parting ways with us 7 days after we bought him. Red was a tough survivor and beat ick. Blue, sadly, toughed it out but developed a secondary bacterial infection, and soon succumbed to popeye. Red was depressed for days.
soon after we got Aqua, who became Red's next door neighbor (rather than tankmate). they got along well and played/flared with each other. Red was the biggest fish out of the three, and he only grew bigger. a couple months later, Red's eye was starting to strech out; he was developing popeye. i gave him a different medication from what i used to treat Blue, and he quickly recovered and it was gone. Red beat it. with this, i dubbed my boy "the survivor." he was strong, and he could beat anything.
about 2 months later we lost our beautiful Aqua to constipation, and again, Red was alone. but not for too long, for a couple days later, my mom brought home Cobalt. he was reminiscent of Blue, but they looked nothing alike. Cobalt shared Red's feature of a big mouth; Blue's feature of his short body, and Aqua's feature of beautiful finnage (until he somehow managed to shred it up-- which is still in the process of healing). Cobalt resided by Red-Red's side until his dying day.
Red-Red passed away tonight from a fungus infection that was treated extremely too late. there was also something wrong with his stomach; it was huge. you would think it was constipation, but Red was extremely regular. he's always been big though, all his life since he started growing with us. i was so confused. i started to question maybe dropsy, but he showed no signs of the disease. then came the pineconing. at first it was only on his belly region, but as the days passed it spread to his body. i'm still unsure if it was dropsy or really constipation, and i guess i'll never know. to be on the same side, i'll have to discard all his personal belongings, like his favorite plants and toys, so as not to spread any diseases to any other possible resident's of his & Blue's tank. i wouldn't want other fishes to be in Red's stuff anyhow, so it's for the best.
Red-Red had so many nicknames from me. he was my "big fish", my "king fish", my "cute-cute" because he made this cute face when he would look at me at times. he was the best betta there ever was and such a wonderful boy. he was our longest living fish, because he was our "survivor", the one who could beat anything.
i had a feeling today might be the day. i was scared and worried all day at work and checked on his when i came home for lunch and at the end of the day. i constantly told him to be tough and not give up, and he didn't. i told him not to leave me yet, and not to leave me while i was gone. i told him each time how much i loved him. he'd always response to my presence by saying, "mom." he knew when i was there and when i wasn't. he was so smart and such a beauty.
i had to leave this evening to finish some errands, and i told him not to leave. i told him to please stay strong and that i loved him. all night he fought and fought to breathe and get air, no matter what. around 11:30 my mom called me to tell me he wasn't looking well at all, so after finishing up at the store i went home and took care of him.
when he saw me, he said, "mom." he waited for me to come home. and i helped him reach for air, and i held him up so he wouldn't fall, and he'd keep trying and trying to be strong and then just eventually...
he said "mom" one last time and left me to join Blue & Aqua.
and my heart broke, and i'm falling apart over my beloved fish; my oldest fish; my best fish ever.
and i'll always remember you and love you and miss you Big Red. i love you, baby. be safe and better now. i know Blue & Aqua are showing you the ropes.
RIP Big Red
July 5, 2003 - March 11, 2005
Red-Red was my family's first betta, who we received at my cousin's wedding in 2003. it was because of him that we got more bettas, and then all our bettas became my babies.
Red-Red started off life with us in the tall vase he came in, but my parents received a 3 gallon tank for Christmas that year from Bay, so Red-Red got to share a home with Baby Blue.
Red-Red was agressive with Blue at times, but i know the two were best of pals. Red shared his side of the tank with Poker, our pleco who pasted ick to them both before parting ways with us 7 days after we bought him. Red was a tough survivor and beat ick. Blue, sadly, toughed it out but developed a secondary bacterial infection, and soon succumbed to popeye. Red was depressed for days.
soon after we got Aqua, who became Red's next door neighbor (rather than tankmate). they got along well and played/flared with each other. Red was the biggest fish out of the three, and he only grew bigger. a couple months later, Red's eye was starting to strech out; he was developing popeye. i gave him a different medication from what i used to treat Blue, and he quickly recovered and it was gone. Red beat it. with this, i dubbed my boy "the survivor." he was strong, and he could beat anything.
about 2 months later we lost our beautiful Aqua to constipation, and again, Red was alone. but not for too long, for a couple days later, my mom brought home Cobalt. he was reminiscent of Blue, but they looked nothing alike. Cobalt shared Red's feature of a big mouth; Blue's feature of his short body, and Aqua's feature of beautiful finnage (until he somehow managed to shred it up-- which is still in the process of healing). Cobalt resided by Red-Red's side until his dying day.
Red-Red passed away tonight from a fungus infection that was treated extremely too late. there was also something wrong with his stomach; it was huge. you would think it was constipation, but Red was extremely regular. he's always been big though, all his life since he started growing with us. i was so confused. i started to question maybe dropsy, but he showed no signs of the disease. then came the pineconing. at first it was only on his belly region, but as the days passed it spread to his body. i'm still unsure if it was dropsy or really constipation, and i guess i'll never know. to be on the same side, i'll have to discard all his personal belongings, like his favorite plants and toys, so as not to spread any diseases to any other possible resident's of his & Blue's tank. i wouldn't want other fishes to be in Red's stuff anyhow, so it's for the best.
Red-Red had so many nicknames from me. he was my "big fish", my "king fish", my "cute-cute" because he made this cute face when he would look at me at times. he was the best betta there ever was and such a wonderful boy. he was our longest living fish, because he was our "survivor", the one who could beat anything.
i had a feeling today might be the day. i was scared and worried all day at work and checked on his when i came home for lunch and at the end of the day. i constantly told him to be tough and not give up, and he didn't. i told him not to leave me yet, and not to leave me while i was gone. i told him each time how much i loved him. he'd always response to my presence by saying, "mom." he knew when i was there and when i wasn't. he was so smart and such a beauty.
i had to leave this evening to finish some errands, and i told him not to leave. i told him to please stay strong and that i loved him. all night he fought and fought to breathe and get air, no matter what. around 11:30 my mom called me to tell me he wasn't looking well at all, so after finishing up at the store i went home and took care of him.
when he saw me, he said, "mom." he waited for me to come home. and i helped him reach for air, and i held him up so he wouldn't fall, and he'd keep trying and trying to be strong and then just eventually...
he said "mom" one last time and left me to join Blue & Aqua.
and my heart broke, and i'm falling apart over my beloved fish; my oldest fish; my best fish ever.
and i'll always remember you and love you and miss you Big Red. i love you, baby. be safe and better now. i know Blue & Aqua are showing you the ropes.
RIP Big Red
July 5, 2003 - March 11, 2005