Oh! I dropped my goldfish!

[ChicknThief]

This is off topic, I know, but Kurt, bettas are fighter fish. They can't live with other fish, unless it is another betta of the opposite sex, and the male has already made a bubble nest for the female. They will fight to the death under any other circumstances. Just information for whenever you get another betta.

Chickbea, I am sure that your fist will be just fine. I as well have had "suicide jumpers" and have nver lost a fish to it.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

The main thing I would worry about would be a skin infection from rubbing on the floor (since they have that protective slime coat that can be rubbed off). I would just watch her for any sign of anything "not right" on her skin. If anything comes of it it could be easily treated with fishy meds.

I am sure she will be just fine. Trust me, I know how you feel about fish. Mine come to the side of the tank and tell me when it is time for dinner and know the difference in people. 5 second memory my foot!!!!

 

[Guitartists]

Goldfish are fancy carp, and carp are very hearty fish and can spend a long time out of water...for a fish. If the drop had done any damage... you'd most likely have seen it by now. I'm sure your fish will be fine.. you acted quickly

 

[talos321]

Ditto what luvmychicknkids said. Stop tempting me with pets I need goldfish/koi now!

 

[chicken_boy_Kurt]

Quote:
They can be kept with any fish as long as that fish won't bully them. They are actually quite docile and only fight with each other and many times not to the death, some ppl just breed them to fight to the death for shows (in Asia).

 

[ChicknThief]

Quote:
They can be kept with any fish as long as that fish won't bully them. They are actually quite docile and only fight with each other and many times not to the death, some ppl just breed them to fight to the death for shows (in Asia).

Really!? Hmm, well then I have been officially misinformed. I guess I get to go slap my fish guru friend now!

Thanks for setting me straight Kurt. So what kind of fish specifically can be housed with a fighter?

 

[patandchickens]

Yup, what everyone says - it happens, don't beat yourself up, and the fish will probably be fine anyhow.

If it should happen again and you worry about such things you could make sure to have a little bottle of that 'Stress Coat' stuff they sell on hand. I am NOT in general a big fan of it, or most of of the other little bottles o' stuff in aquarium stores, but there are some legitimate uses and a dropped fish is one of them. Just follow the directions (you would need to keep the fish in a small tank with it for half a day or so).

Good luck and fingers crossed for the fish who I bet will be fine,

Pat

 

[Equest94]

Quote:
They can be kept with any fish as long as that fish won't bully them. They are actually quite docile and only fight with each other and many times not to the death, some ppl just breed them to fight to the death for shows (in Asia).

Really!? Hmm, well then I have been officially misinformed. I guess I get to go slap my fish guru friend now!

Thanks for setting me straight Kurt. So what kind of fish specifically can be housed with a fighter?

Sorry, just had to add this in about Bettas: http://bettas.fishjunkies.com/tankmates.php

My Betta is very aggressive to everything in general, even to the "acceptable" tankmates, female bettas, and snails; however, he is very sweet to people and blows me bubble nests, lol.
^^^ yeah, he's a weirdo.

 

[kodiakchicken]

chickbea - sounds like your fish is going to be fine. I just had to throw in my "tough" fish story.

When I was in college I got a betta from Wal-mart for $2.50 since I couldn't have any other type of pet. A week after I got him the furnace went out for about 2 or 3 days. This was wintertime in Montana so it was freezing! I kept a light over his bowl, even though he hated it, because it was the only way I could keep him warm. He lived through that.

Four months later I moved in with three new roomates (all guys) and went home for a short weekend, leaving the betta in their care. When I came back his water was so filthy I couldn't even see through it. I don't know what the guys did but it was awful! I cleaned the bowl and he lived through that.

After I graduated I moved to Cheyenne with a friend. The only way I had to move the fish bowl was to put packing tape over the top and set it in the floor of the truck. All was fine until my friend whipped a sharp turn off the highway and the bowl went rolling end over end - rocks, plants and fishing tumbling around the bowl. This happened not once but twice. He lived through that.

A year later I got married and had my little betta buddy sitting in his bowl up on the fireplace mantle in our new house. The mantle was about 5 feet from the floor. A picture fell of the wall, bumped the fish bowl, knocked it off the mantle and it hit the brick fireplace surrounding, dumping my betta onto the carpet in a shower of rocks and glass. My husband scooped him up and threw him in a tupperware bowl with tap water where he lived for a week until I could get a new bowl. He lived through that!

That tough little betta lived for another couple years before finally succumbing to a skin disease that just wouldn't respond to treatment. I will never underestimate the strength of any animal after that little guy!

 

[chickbea]

You all are being so sweet! I knew this was the place to come for sympathy

.
I'm afraid it does look like she has some damage to her slime layer, so I'm keeping a close eye on that. To treat it I would have to take her out of the pond, and I'm not sure that is the best thing or not...also the male would really miss her - they are never far apart.
talos321 - of course you should get fish! Koi grow really fast, though. I had a gorgeous one but he got so big I had to find a new home for him.
luvmychicknkids - you are so right about fish and memory. They only come to the surface of the water for me (it hurts my husband's feelings when he feeds them

). Even when I'm on vacation they hide when the person feeds them and then eat when she leaves. Not only that, but I think Annie knows I dropped her - I swear she turns away from me since it happened!