Thank you both for your thoughts. I was very fond of Benjy it really upset me, Benjy was one of the special ones, even my OH shed a tear actually.

Anyway, some good news is that Brian seems fine - if a little confused maybe. We have bought him a friend to go in with him in a couple of weeks. This time I stayed away from pearlscales, even though I feel drawn to them. The new arrival is a calico fantail that we have called Twiglet he is about Brian's size too which is nice. I will post some pictures when they are in together (and I can find the flipping camera cable!).

Thank you again x

Sadly, Benjy died last night.

When I came home from work Benjy was still in the same spot he had been for the last 24 hours. However, he moved to the other side of the tank an hour ago and it seems now like he is starting to tentatively move around again - he looks slightly better in himself, but he does have two huge bubbles on his bum. I will put melafix in as they are obviously about to burst based on what happened to the last one that got that big.

It seems maybe the original advice from LHG to Suey might be working - fingers crossed.

Thanks Suey - I appreciate your advice. I agree with what you said and I will leave the two of them in peace tonight and see where we are in the morning. You never know a miracle could happen and he could take a turn for the better.

Thanks for what you said about Brian being OK as I was starting to wonder how he will be when Benjy goes. I will of course get him a buddy, but it will still mean a few weeks alone for him.

Thanks Suey - I do keep a spare tank for emergencies. Its not cycled, but I could use water and some of the sponge from the main tank to set it up tomorrow - I have epsom salts too as I used them on my last sick pearlscale.

I worry though that I could be stressing Benjy taking him from his home into another sterile place in his final moments - I have felt that before when I have lost other fish that I should have let them die in peace in their comfortable surroundings rather then hospitalise them in a strange tank for their final moments.

I have to say Brian is behaving very strangely - he has been nuzzling against Benjy (not nipping or eating slime scale just touching him with his body) and even wrapped himself under Benjy's fins (Brian is still titchy) and slept with him for ages - of course this broke my heart and made me cry! Never seen another of my fish act like this when one of the others is sick though. Sad for Brian, but it is a comfort I guess for Benjy.

I think I know that I have lost Benjy really - I have never seen a fish recover from conditions this bad. Its so frustrating not being able to help or having a vet to help like you do with other pets. Its all guess work on behalf of us owners so we never know if we are doing good or harm.

Benjy has completely gone downhill now and has pretty much been in the same spot for 24 hours. Is there anything I can do? I hate to see him like this. I am now worrying that I shouldn't have stopped the meds and should have tried another course, but of course its impossible to know :o(

You are 100% right, there is always one that catches my eye - often because I feel sorry for them like Fsh the blind pearlscale I had. I know he didn't have a long life - just under a year - but he was cared for in that time and given decent food and when he went into the main tank he always slept touching Bumbalina or Benjy so he had nice company too.

So, while I may say never again when I am upset, it never works out that way - and if the worst happens to Benjy(which it won't) then I don't want Brian to be alone so I will of course get him a buddy.

Thank you Suey. Sadly I also lost my Beta - again I did everything by the book, he had a 10 gallon tank with heater, no other fish, proper food, regular water changes etc., but he suddenly got dropsy and was gone within a week.

I even quarantine my plants before they go into the tanks just in case they have any baddies on them.

Each time I lose one I tell myself never again as it upsets me so much to watch them suffer.

Poor little blighters and in most cases they are just treated as a commodity by the suppliers too its awful really.

Thanks Suey. Good idea re hand feeding Brian - he is a bit of a dim wit compared to all the pearlies I've had, but I am sure we can get there :o) I have a dropper thingy I used to hand feed another of my fish once so perhaps if I use it to suck up some soaked pellets I can drop them in front of him when he is near the top and Benjy is snoozing. Certainly worth a go.

The diet they have been on is one based on suggestions from LGH a year or so ago and is a blend of three pellets that are soaked for 5 minutes before feeding. It makes me so miffed that I love and care for my fish so much I do absolutely everything I can to make sure I get it right and yet my friends with the biorb still have their first 3 fish, which they got 4 years ago and popped straight in with no cycling or anything even, while I have lost most of mine Grrrr!

Hi Suey,

Nice to see you.

I did have a memory that you had experienced this, but I couldn't find the post. Thank you for linking it for me.

Your story describes Benjy perfectly. I will hold off the meds and feed just the wheatbased soaked pellets and peas now - although I won't feed at all for a few days.

There is another fish in with Benjy, a small Black More called Brian - a real cutie. Brian has no symptoms at all which is good news. I hope he will cope with the non feeding though and a veggie diet as unlike pearlscales he is rather a lean looking fish.

I always think that I am careful not to overfeed them having lost my first two pearlscales to what seemed to be swimbladder problems. I am now thinking, just as you did, that when I look again maybe Benjy is a bit podgy so perhaps I should have cut back even more.

Heh ho, its so tricky getting the balance right for pearlscales it seems. I don't think I will get anymore it is too upsetting to be honest.

Fingers crossed.