Betta Fish: A big thanks to all the experts on this sub

So, my stupid bleeding heart did a thing – on Sunday, my husband and I went to Petco for a cat litter scoop because ours just broke that morning. We both like to look at the fish tank wall, which we did, and then passed the sad wall of bettas in cups. My husband points at one and says, oh that's not good. This betta was completely stuck on his side and, when roused was unable to do more than move the front of his body a little. I almost thought he had a spinal deformity because his tail couldn't move at all. And I…just couldn't leave him to die. The associate there just let us take him because apparently he'd been there for months and otherwise he'd be "quarantined" in the back, which I read between the lines and figured out what she meant.

I jumped on reddit right there in the store and read the multiple highlighted posts about set up, fish-in cycling, tank size, etc. I bought a 10gal, heater, sponge filter, pH testers, water conditioner, sand, and a cool, smooth surface temple ruin for him to hide in. I figured I'd give him 48 hours and if he was still alive, I'd consider adding to his set up.

Well, he seems to be thriving. His color is already darkening a little and it's only been two days. He's eating consistently and super active now, and surprise! As of this morning, his tail and back end work just fine. So, I bought a couple hearty low light plants because I feel like I always kill plants, and a little hammock. He seems to love it, already is engaging with all of it, and used the hammock within minutes of it being in there.

I know I still have tons to learn but I think the collective expertise of this sub saved this little guy's life. So, I wanted to give everyone who has contributed to this knowledge a big thank you. I'm looking forward to seeing what he looks like in a few weeks. We wanted to give him a Thai-inspired name, given the species's origins. So, we're naming him Gavin, which in Thai is กวิน, which means handsome.