Wedge

[jedicat]

Wedge was a big-bum fish. And I mean huge. He was voraciously hungry, would gobble up his 4 pellets, and then beg for more. He had an attitude problem. He hated other fish. He didn't flare much, but just the very sight of another fish would make him swim around his tank rapidly, as if to declare "This is MY territory!" He was gigantic compared to the other guys. They practically looked like brine shrimp in comparison with his big, blue, bold self.

He was an old fish, about 3 1/2 years old. He was calmer in his later years, but he always knew when to beg for food. And oh man, did he beg. And during water changes, when that big bad Cup was chasing him around, he knew how to hide.

He was the first betta to steal my heart, and the first fish I ever really learned to respect. He started the betta obsession for me. He was there with me when I had no housing, he was with my mom when I was in the hospital and sulked until he saw me again. He made it through a lot of my beginner's mistakes, and would even sit in my hand at times.

He was always there....and now he's not...

RIP, Wedge. I love you.

[notaquitter2003]

Sorry about Wedges death.... 3.5 years wow! and sitting in your hand...two of my boys are still freaked out when i feed them Hopefully in time they will "warm" up Again sorry for your loss.

[BettaBGood]

jedicat,

So sorry about Wedge.

3 1/2 years is a good, long, betta life. I'm sure he enjoyed every minute of it, too!

[Rachel - old]

It sounds as though Wedge lived a wonderful life. Rest in peace 'big' guy..

[jedicat]

Thanks, guys.

It was all so sudden...I mean, he was ok one week, and then I noticed he was sluggish...so I was keeping an extra eye on his ammonia, pH, and temperature, and it was good and stable.

And then he just got progressively worse, stopped showing interest in food and then stopped eating, tummy swelled up, fins and scales were ragged (it looked like he stopped producing his slime coat), and three days after I noticed the first symptom, he was gone. The vet I brought him to said it was old age, but I don't know if old age would kill that quickly. It really did look like his body was shutting down while he was still alive. I suspected flex, but I had added Kanacyn on the 1st day (for the swelling), and was in the process of lowering the temperature. (I was trying to do it gradually, about 2 degrees/day.) There were no stringy patches of "fungus" or anything like that...no "culprits" visible with a magnifying lens and flashlight. He wouldn't eat, so I couldn't give him medicated food.

I threw everything I used in his tank out, because I don't know if what he had is contagious.

[Emerson]

Aw, I'm reallly sorry about Wedge. What a great friend he obviously was to you, and you to him. 3 1/2 years is a long life for a Betta, so take comfort in the fact that he lived out his many days under your loving care and was happy because of it.

RIP, Wedge old boy.

sef