This poor little fish had no friends until about a month ago, and it was obvious.
The fish’s situation couldn’t have been worse: it was confined to a tiny cup of lukewarm water, hidden in the shadows in the back of a Walmart shop shelf below nicer betta fish. His sickly pale flesh was really rotting away and disintegrating in the bottom of the cup. It appeared as though his days were numbered.
However, the fish eventually found a kind individual.
When Victoria Schild went to the Walmart to purchase, she had no intention of purchasing any pets. However, when she happened to see this fish, she was devastated. Pieces of his tail fin drifted to the surface as she elevated the cup for a closer view. She was aware that action was required.
Schild told The Dodo, “I felt extremely sorry for the little guy and decided that I didn’t want him to die in there, just rotting away.” “I was 95% certain he would pass away that night.”
She then paid for his release from that depressing location in the hopes that he would find solace in a larger tank she owned during what seemed to be his last hours.
Things seemed grim at first for the fish, but Schild refused to give up on him — and things actually began to improve.
“When I got home, I started researching everything that I possibly could to help him recover, and probably within a week of clean warm water, medicine and basic care he started getting better!” Schild said.
The little fish’s spirits seemed to be bolstered. He began to swim around slowly with his healing fins, exploring his new home.
From there things only got better.
Schild changed her fish’s water daily and gave him medication to speed his recovery.
His tail began to regrow and his fins returned to normal — but even Schild had no idea just what a stunning fish he’d blossom into.
And sure enough, after around four weeks of that diligent care, the once-dying fish had completely changed.
Schild found it difficult to believe.
“I was really surprised,” Schild said. “I knew that, underneath it all, there was a beautiful little fish. But what won me over was his will to live and his spunk.”
The little fish had come a long way to reveal his true self. Schild named him Argo, an homage to his glorious, sail-like fins.
The way betta fish are sold in stores like Walmart can often give the impression that their lives are expendable or of little value. But there’s no doubt that Argo’s life has always meant the world to him — and his beautiful, healthier self is a way of saying thanks to the person who agreed to give him a chance to live.
“It’s unfortunate that people dismiss bettas,” Schild said. “With just basic care and a proper setup, they are great little pets to have. I hope Argo’s story can bring awareness to the plight of bettas and other fish in pet stores. We need to be their voices.”
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