I am writing to this forum to share the sad experience my husband and I had yesterday with our dear betta fish.

As usual, I put our betta in a small plastic container so I could wash the bowl and change the water. The plastic container was on the sink in the bathroom; the half towards me was covered, while the other half towards the wall was uncovered. I had heard that betta fish can jump out of the containers, bowls, etc., that's why I covered one half, but since I had routinely changed the water and put the fish in this same plastic container the same way, I didn't suspect that leaving the other half (about 2x2 inches) open would lead to disaster.

When I change water in the bowl, I usually leave it sit there for a few hours (in addition to a full day of conditioning prior to water change), and the fish waits in the plastic container. Towards the evening yesterday, I walked to the living room (next to the bathroom), and I spotted this weird piece of garbage on the floor. I picked it up and it felt like rubber, it was "round", like wrapped around itself, I had no idea what it was. And then this thing moved - I freaked and dropped it on the carpet. Then I realized it was our betta fish. How did this fish end up in the living room??? I picked it up fast and put it into the water; it was still alive. But the fins were all shattered, and the fish was full of some white/gray stuff all over the body, I assume it was dust from the floor.

Then my husband and I watched it for a while, the fish even started to swim a little faster in the bowl, but the pain was obvious... We went to sleep, I woke up a few times to check how the fish was doing, it seemed OK at first, but around 4am it was already head down, still "breathing", well then I knew that the next time I check our betta would be dead... and it was.

Please let betta owners know about this and tell them not to take any chances with uncovered tanks/bowls/containers/cups, even if they do it on a regular basis and nothing happens. We've learned our lesson, and we definitely won't let this happen with our next betta fish.

Betty Franca Turin