Betta escaped! (cautionary tale)

On Sunday, my favorite and first betta - the one in my avatar - didn't rush to the front of his tank for food when I turned on the light. I panicked immediately and searched his tank, thinking he had died in there.

He's in a 5 gal minibow with the internal Whisper filter. There is a tiny space next to the filter and he somehow jumped out through it! I finally found him behind the tank, lying on the counter. OMG! Threw him back in, where he sank to the bottom, gasping and clamped.

Put him in a Kritter Keeper with fresh water and he slowly revived. I promised him if he survived, he was getting a 10 gal tank, so the next day I went and got it!

In the meantime, I got plastic craft sheets and cut it to fit over every single opening in every tank, no matter how small. So even if you think your fish can't fit through a hole, cover it anyway!

However, his accident certainly didn't change or improve his temperament, and this is what I got the day after when I was checking on him.

 

I'm glad that you found him in time!! Thank Goodness!!
I hope he likes his new home! He looks great in the pic.

 

OMGosh! I just read this out loud to my family (they're watching the hockey game) and we all said whew! What a good item to use for closing up holes, that's a great tip for us all. I just love his flare pic! So glad about a happy ending! Thanks for the thrilling story...but just glad it's the last one

 

I'm glad he's ok! That would be so scary. Love the pic of him! That plastic mesh stuff is great for covering holes.

 

I"m so relieved!

I do have lots of that plastic mesh stuff, but honestly I never thought such a large fish could get out through such a small opening. Wrong!

Last night I tore my 20 gal apart, looking for my baby albino BN. Finally found him - in the filter! Another lesson learned..

I think my fish are trying to give me ulcers.

 

Sorry bout that discovery so soon after your betta incident. I didn't mean to be a jinx in my reply postim

 

On Sunday, my favorite and first betta - the one in my avatar - didn't rush to the front of his tank for food when I turned on the light. I panicked immediately and searched his tank, thinking he had died in there.

He's in a 5 gal minibow with the internal Whisper filter. There is a tiny space next to the filter and he somehow jumped out through it! I finally found him behind the tank, lying on the counter. OMG! Threw him back in, where he sank to the bottom, gasping and clamped.

Put him in a Kritter Keeper with fresh water and he slowly revived. I promised him if he survived, he was getting a 10 gal tank, so the next day I went and got it!

In the meantime, I got plastic craft sheets and cut it to fit over every single opening in every tank, no matter how small. So even if you think your fish can't fit through a hole, cover it anyway!

However, his accident certainly didn't change or improve his temperament, and this is what I got the day after when I was checking on him.

Sorry to hear this but not shocked. as I said in another post my new boy 'Kismet' looks like your boy. My boy is a jumper too!! The little buggers will take us to an early grave!!!!

 

He's in a 5 gal minibow with the internal Whisper filter. There is a tiny space next to the filter and he somehow jumped out through it! I finally found him behind the tank, lying on the counter.

However, his accident certainly didn't change or improve his temperament, and this is what I got the day after when I was checking on him.

In the picture, it looks like he's throwing you a kiss-kiss for saving him, or more likely for all our applause. He could be saying, "Thank you, thank you, Dahlings. Now for the next number." It also looks like he's wearing pink lipstick. And black mascara around his gorgeous but mischievous eyes. What might seem to be flaring gills could be an elaborate headdress. Then, there are the long purple to red fins. Perfect colors for a flowing gown for a drag queen.

I suspect he *is* a drag queen. They can be snobby and temperamental, but gorgeous with all their makeup and other amusing show tricks. Getting out of the tank was quite a trick that would pit him against the best of the human queens. Like all healthy bettas, I know he can dance. But can he sing?

Seriously, I'm glad it seems you saved him so far and that he looks good. Hope nothing bad develops as a result, and thank you for the warning. Who would have guessed?

 

Well, the only experience with fish getting into my filter, ended up deadly. Did your baby BN survive?

 

OMG...heart attack. My tank isn't covered at all. But I keep the water level down...I think I'll be putting a canopy of some sort on there today. Mine jump but only at me or my bf.

 

Did your baby BN survive?

Yes, he did! He went in by the outflow and not the intake tube.

My tank isn't covered at all. But I keep the water level down

I'm glad you're putting a cover on. My guy never jumped, or tried to jump, until the night he DID. It's not worth taking the chance with no cover. You'll hate yourself if you come home and find a dead fish. I feel guilty enough and DO have a cover.

it looks like he's throwing you a kiss-kiss for saving him,

LOL, that's his "Stop watching me!" flare.

 

Wow! We're so glad he survived his jump!

 

Yikes. close call. Like you I would never have thought of them jumping through a smaller hole on the lid - I have those also. So glad you found him and he is ok....he sounds like a showman..and he is beautiful. I really like those betas with a personality.

thanks for the tip, How did you secure the plastic mesh???

Val:;sman

 

I cut a slot in the plastic canvas for the filter cord, then attached it to the cord with a twist tie.

 

HI Barbrella
I am so happy that you found your guy in time! ;D that is great news indeed.
I love the photo of him above.. and the lil guy shouldnt be flaring at you lol... doesn't he realize you saved his life? He must be a happy camper in his new home! I'm so glad this ended with a happy ending ;D

~ kate

 

Wow. Amazing that you went to check precisely as he'd just jumped out. That fish is a lucky soul!

 

I didn't check precisely when he jumped out. I have no idea how long he was lying there.

I'm just lucky I found him before he died.

the lil guy shouldnt be flaring at you lol

He's a total brat - flares in my face all the time and bites me too! What a character!

 

LOL.. But would you change that, if you could?

He's a total brat - flares in my face all the time and bites me too! What a character!

 

But would you change that, if you could?

Of course not! I adore his major 'tude. I have a soft spot for difficult pets!

 

LOL, me too. I love when they act so tough or are stinkers. It's just so funny how BIG they think they are!

Of course not! I adore his major 'tude. I have a soft spot for difficult pets!

 

Barbrella, I love that you too love total brats and difficult pets!! Me too. My late rabbit ' Bugsy Malone' would tell me to ' GO AWAY' with a strong flick of his back feet then come back a few minutes later to jump on my knee and lick my hands or face. My horse is a WELL KNOWN brat!! Does something she KNOWS is naughty, drops her head and bats her long eyelashes to say 'what?'!!! The wench!! My mums boy Betta, Flame, flares if he doesn't like my music or if the calculator is near the tank!!! Love these creatures.

 

your fish is beautiful! my brother has two betas named harry potter and hermine (from the harry potter movies) one is about the color of yours but a lighter pink and his are females. one day hermine didnt come to the tank for feeding and we thought she jumpd out and searched everywhere around the tank but had no luck.... we didnt think they could get into the filter but somehow she managed but we foud her ok.....

 

My boy just jumped out of the tank !' I found him on the floor,
I was in the middle of changing the gravel and I had him in a jar, stupid me forgot to put a lid on it !! I was out of the room for about 5 minutes and when I came back he was gone, in a massive rush I slid my whole bed over and found him on the floor, I grabbed him and he was flipping in my hand and I put him straight back into the tank, he is covered in dust, can that be bad for him ?, other then that he has lost a bit of his colour bit is swimming around as usual like nothing happened, I have not been that scared in years !!!!

 

Bet your heart was racing.Hopefully he was only out just before you got back not the full 5 minutes.I left my feeding flap open for couple of hours last night and panicked when I didnt spot my betta for a few seconds.Hope hes ok.

 

He seems fine thank god !! He was a present off of my girlfriend and he cost 50dollars she would have murdered me,
My heart is still racing I don't think I have ever panicked that much !!!!
That poor boy
I don't see why they jump out to their death, are they trying to find a new pond or something ?
Now I am just worried about the dust all over him ? Will he get it off himself or should I get it off for him ? It is so tempting to wipe it off for him but he is probably already so stressed !

 

$50! Phew... wouldn't mind seeing a photo of this little guy!

He should be OK. I don't know about cleaning him up or not. Fish get dirty in the wild, it should wash/wear off I hope.

I think a lot of fish don't realise they are in a tank, so they jump out looking for food or new territory or to get around an obstacle.

 

That is the best photo I have of him he is very quick, the photo does not do justice for his size he is massive !! And he looks like such a predator !

This is what I almost lost his life for
From this


To this


What do you think ?

 

Hello Joel sorry to hear of your near heart attack I swear sometimes fish are sent to test us.
Thankfully I've not had a jumper yet well sometimes Mordin gets too excited at breakfast time and jumps for his food but he's not made it out of the tank yet thankfully.

I wouldn't worry about wiping the dust off it will come off by itself what water conditioner are you using? If you have something like apI stress coat pop a bit of that in to help his slime coat regenerate and he should be fine but do keep an eye on your little escape artist.

He is very beautiful and I do like how you have re done his tank it looks so much better

 

All the dust has washed off of his body, he has got all of his colour back and eating like a beast again !
Thank god !
Defiantly a partial heart attack moment, I think it took about 5 years off of my life

 

I think he jumped out as it appears you have Justin Biebier on your Tele hehehe even fish are starting to get annoyed! I do hope he is ok though he looks stunning.
I really like the new set up too it looks much crisper if you know what I mean. I love them stones.

 

Good point, why'd you torture the boy with even a mentioning of The Beaver?

 

Hahaha I was not watching that pre-pubescent hair ball I promise !! Must have been an ad and I had bad timing ! I knew someone would pick up on it

 

So my betta, Drizzt, somehow got out of the tank. It is covered, but has a small finger sized hole up front and of course the filter.
I don't know how long he was out.

It's possible he jumped when I was fixing the light. When the cats jump on the lid it pops out of the clamps.

Anyways I put him in his bowl he came in with some of his tank water. Gave him a slime coat bath with stress coat. Got the cat hair rinsed off of him. Let him rest. Put him in the tank once he was swimming and not looking so stressed and added some salt to help his gill function.
He tore a bottom fin. Right now he seems to be resting hangs out on the coontail at the top or by the cave at the bottom. Not swimming around like his usual self.

Anyone else go through this? Will he recover okay? Ive included a before (spongebobs) and after (cave)

 

There's really not much more you can do. Cross your fingers and hope.

 

There's really not much more you can do. Cross your fingers and hope.

That's what I feared. If he makes it through the night I'll have to give him a treat. Poor guy. He's only about five months.

 

Fish are more resilient then we give them credit for. So chances are good he will make it.

 

Hope your little guys makes out ok, I am glad that you found him while he still has a chance. One of my bettas jumped out of his mostly covered tank and I did not find him in time. Taught me a hard lesson about how far they can jump. My hubby used screen to cover the little opening in my cover so that won't happen again. Good luck!!

 

Hope your little guys makes out ok, I am glad that you found him while he still has a chance. One of my bettas jumped out of his mostly covered tank and I did not find him in time. Taught me a hard lesson about how far they can jump. My hubby used screen to cover the little opening in my cover so that won't happen again. Good luck!!

He seems to be good. Been swimming around the last hour. Flaring at his mirror. For now I put some tape there.

It was luck that found him. I looked at his tank and was like hmmm he didn't say hi. Then went about cleaning. Looked again 30 mins later still no Drizzt. Got down to look closer around the plants and caves didnt see him. I just happened to look over to my left when I saw what I thought was trash, go to grab it and its sticky and then jumped. Then it was an oh **** moment. Found him on the floor between the cabinet and stand leg. It's dark and he blended there.

 

Wow that is amazing! So fortunate that you happen to see him! Glad to hear he is doing well, he is a beauty!

 

Just in case anybody cared. Drizzt seems to be on the up n up. Swimming around this morning. Greeted me when I turned on his light. Happily ate two bloodworms. Back to his full on blue.
I'm happy as I only got him in November 2018. He was marked as a baby female at Petco. I got him as a replacement when I lost my old man Frank. He went across country (ID to NC) with me and lasted a year n half in NC. Overall he was about 5 years when he passed.