The change that a loving, caring home can do for pets is amazing – even with pets like fish! Reddit user Astilaroth was at her local pet store when she noticed that the betta fish for sale were living in horrible conditions. One of these fish in particular seemed practically dead.
He was floating and barely moving in the back of the tank, but when the glass was tapped, he moved, indicating that he was alive – or half-alive, at least.
Furious with their inhumane treatment, Astilaroth walked up to the owner of the pet store and demanded to adopt the fish, refusing to pay for it as the store had abused its animals so badly.
She was allowed to take the fish home, as there seemed to be little hope in its survival anyway.
Astilaroth repeatedly found herself wondering if she had been too late to save the fish.
She placed him in a tank with salt solution to help cure the fin rot he had, but it wasn’t working.
For one and a half weeks, the fish refused to eat and didn’t show signs of improvements. His fins continued to slowly drop off. It got so bad that Astilaroth considered putting the fish down humanely.
But then, nearly two weeks into adopting this fish, the little guy began to eat! He regained energy from eating, and Astilaroth transferred him into a nice, bigger thank with leaves and rocks and other places for him to hide behind and explore.
Once in his new tank, the fish’s fins regrew quickly.
Flash forward to a month later, and the fish is doing wonderfully! He beautiful fins are well-grown and he is happy and eating well, and he’s so brightly-colored, unlike his formal pale self.
Hats off to Astilaroth for doing her best to nurse this fish back to health and succeeding!
Share away, people.
