It’s been a few weeks since i put the tank together and threw in the plants. The new year saw the introduction of the fish: a (speckled) pleco and a Betta Splendens which a young cousin named Swimmy. Swimmy the Siamese Fighting Fish.. kinda has a nice ring to it. Sorry… had a nice ring to it. Yes, sadly he died about 3/4 days after entering its new home. It was strange, after sitting in a plastic bag at the shop it seemed quite happy in its new home.
He seemed to like resting next to the filter intake at the rear of the tank. I was a little worried that the suction was trapping him at first but he swam away just fine and kept returning – I assumed he enjoyed being able to stay there without effort.
Unfortuntely this was also where i found him dead one evening with a large fungal growth near his pectoral fins. It was hard disposing of him. Bettas’ personalities are just such that they are very easy to get attached to. Little cousin took the news better than i did when i told him the next day. He simply asked “Can we get a Shark now?”
I hope to come visit you in the great fish tank in the sky one day. R.I.P. Swimmy
