The Chronicle of the Betta

[GotGait]

[QUOTE=Milocalwinnings;]

What other fish (or other critters) are good to house with a betta? [/QUOTE]

Well, not shrimp! Heh
If you have a big enough tank - like a 10 gal on up - you can have a school of smaller fish like Tetras and Rasboras. Corys are good too. I think the rule for Corys is 5+, but I have to look them up again. They are cute little fish.
For my big tank, I’m thinking about Glowlight Rasboras and Corys. I was also going to have Crystal Red Shrimp but not now!

Im sorry about your fishy. I hope he feels better soon.

[threedogpack]

I was back at Walmart today, had some things to buy.

I looked at, but managed to resist the Bettas.

this thread is not helping! Glad your guy is doing better GG!

[concreteblond]

Glad your boy is feeling better!

Which breeder have you been emailing? I am interested in an OHM, preferably from Hopdiggity. She is near enough that I can drive to get it! Yeah!

I am seriously thinking about getting one now!

[MunchingonHay]

all this talk of fish make me want to run out and buy a tank, plants, and lots and lots of FISHIES!!!

I just dont have the space for a tank…thank god, thats the only thing holding me back.

[GotGait]

[QUOTE=concreteblond;6154210]
Glad your boy is feeling better!

Which breeder have you been emailing? I am interested in an OHM, preferably from Hopdiggity. She is near enough that I can drive to get it! Yeah!

I am seriously thinking about getting one now![/QUOTE]

This lady: http://www.freewebs.com/quicksilverchihuahuas/mybettasplendens.htm

She’s got a mint green and white HM that is just awesome. You can see him on that link.

[Bacardi1]

@Milocalwinnings;6154104

What other fish (or other critters) are good to house with a betta? Years ago when I was a kid my brother and I had a betta (Jeffery) and a goldfish together. I know that technically there are temperature differences, but honestly that betta lived the longest out of any of the several I have owned. He and the goldfish lived together for over 5 years and both survived a move from NY to VA :yes:

Here’s a very basic compatibility chart for freshwater fish:

http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/fwcompatibility_chart.cfm

[GotGait]

[QUOTE=MunchingonHay;6154220]
all this talk of fish make me want to run out and buy a tank, plants, and lots and lots of FISHIES!!!

I just dont have the space for a tank…thank god, thats the only thing holding me back.[/QUOTE]

I have my 6 gallon on a dresser. It doesn’t take up much room at all.

[threedogpack]

so what is the diff between Deltas and Bettas?

[GotGait]

[QUOTE=threedogpack;6154553]
so what is the diff between Deltas and Bettas?[/QUOTE]

It’s just a tail type. A Delta is a Betta with a triangle shaped tail.

More on tail types: http://bettysplendens.com/articles/page.imp?articleid=1641

[GotGait]

Mr. Piggy is up and begging for food. My remaining ghost shrimp made it through the night without getting chomped.
This shrimp is the smaller one and he doesn’t move around as much as the snack shrimp did. The snack shrimp would tear around the tank like he was on crack. He would even swim around near the top which is where Bettas like to eat most. Maybe the remaining shrimp will keep a low profile and not turn into lunch.

[CrazyGuineaPigLady]

@GotGait;6154061

He would lay on his leaf, fins fanning furiously and then list off of it and float tail down, fins clamped. A couple times I caught him laying on his side on the bottom of the tank wedged under my micro sword. He even looked sad.

Have you checked ammonia levels? Those sound like extreme symptoms from just over eating. I agree not to feed him for a couple days, though.

My girl Bettas were fat little pigs every time one of the Platys had babies. :lol: I had one male and two females and not one of those 1000 babies over the years made it to adulthood, which was fine by me. After I lost the Betta girls, the Platy population started to grow and I got a Blue Gourami to take care of the third generation. They are really neat fish, too! Very similar to Bettas but swim faster. Mine was all over the tank looking for attention whenever he saw a human. If you are getting a 39 gallon tank, think about them.

@threedogpack;6154553

so what is the diff between Deltas and Bettas?

I think you are asking because of how the categories show up on Aquabid? The formatting is off but that line should say Deltas/Super Deltas with no line break.

The kids saw me looking at Aquabid the other day and they are asking for a new Betta. I don’t think I’m going to get the break from fish keeping that I’d planned on. We have a designated spot in the kitchen for our next Betta but the lengthy DIY remodel is not yet complete. Might as well set up the 30 G in the basement for him. :winkgrin:

[GotGait]

[QUOTE=CrazyGuineaPigLady;6154991]
Have you checked ammonia levels? Those sound like extreme symptoms from just over eating. I agree not to feed him for a couple days, though.

My girl Bettas were fat little pigs every time one of the Platys had babies. :lol: I had one male and two females and not one of those 1000 babies over the years made it to adulthood, which was fine by me. After I lost the Betta girls, the Platy population started to grow and I got a Blue Gourami to take care of the third generation. They are really neat fish, too! Very similar to Bettas but swim faster. Mine was all over the tank looking for attention whenever he saw a human. If you are getting a 39 gallon tank, think about them.

I think you are asking because of how the categories show up on Aquabid? The formatting is off but that line should say Deltas/Super Deltas with no line break.

The kids saw me looking at Aquabid the other day and they are asking for a new Betta. I don’t think I’m going to get the break from fish keeping that I’d planned on. We have a designated spot in the kitchen for our next Betta but the lengthy DIY remodel is not yet complete. Might as well set up the 30 G in the basement for him. :winkgrin:[/QUOTE]

Yep, you need one. Also, poor Platys!

I tested my water yesterday, but ammonia was 0. He really looked like he was going to die, and since it happened immediately after I gave him his “2nd” breakfast, I can only assume that over eating was the cause. He was almost back to normal within a few hours. It was scary because he had all the signs of a bloated Betta.
My husband did a 30% water change after he was acting himself again - just in case. He looks and acts fine today.

I did a little aquascaping today in prep for some new plants I bought. He gets really interested in what I’m doing and follows my hand as I rearrange his palace. He also flared at the chopstick I use to push the substrate around.

[MunchingonHay]

[QUOTE=GotGait;6154234]
I have my 6 gallon on a dresser. It doesn’t take up much room at all. :D[/QUOTE]

enabler! Do I have to keep the light on at night? I like it to be totally dark in my room to sleep.

[Bacardi1]

[QUOTE=MunchingonHay;6155922]
enabler! Do I have to keep the light on at night? I like it to be totally dark in my room to sleep.[/QUOTE]

Definitely not. Fish like/need “down time”, just like they get in nature.

[TimeBandit]

Curse Walmart

Went there yesterday to get keys made, and what do I find? A small plastic container sitting on the corner of the counter, with a big puddle of water under it!

Picked it up - yep 1/2 the water is gone through the crack in the side, and in there was the saddest looking betta ever.
That irked me to no end, and then the guy behind the counter told me that he couldn’t make the keys for me, AND “just leave the fish there, we’ll take care of it later”, I lost it!!

$165 later, George is happily swimming in his new 10 gallon home, with a fake log to hide in, bubbler, heater, filter, live plant and a variety of foods to please any self respecting betta.

I’m sorry I can’t post pictures on here. George has a cream colored body, and purple fins.

He is a handsome fella. :yes:

[GotGait]

Awesome TimeBandit! I guess it was meant to be.
I’m sure he appreciates being saved. I know mine was beside himself when he got out of that little cup.

If you upload your pics somewhere like Photobucket or the like, you can link the URL here.

Good luck with your new friend!

[GotGait]

Here are some tanks to inspire you!
Many people even make nano tanks like this. They are incredible!
I won some petrified rock on eBay today, and I’m going to incorporate it into my bigger tank.

Here is one with petrified rock:
http://www.miyabi-aqua.com/wp-content/gallery/iaplc-2011-top-20/0015w.jpg

This is a “moss” tree:
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lst21p8Q1J1qbl9z1o1_500.jpg

Here’s a how-to. Simple right?
http://www.projectaquarium.com/plantedAquarium_ValleytotheEast.aspx

More eye-candy:
http://www.miyabi-aqua.com/album?album=all&gallery=2

I used to think that no freshie tank could compete with the beauty of a reef tank. I have certainly changed my mind.

I can’t get enough of them, so here are some more.
http://www.blueaquarium.org/2008/10/ada-contest-2007-world-ranking-no1-27/

[thathorse]

@TimeBandit-times like this wish CoTH had a like button like FB! Yay!

[thathorse]

@GotGait–loved the pix of your saltwater guys! I used to raise seahorses, then life became complicated enough that I figured the saltwater tank needed to be retired for a more auspicious time… Really enjoyed your pix!

[GotGait]

[QUOTE=thathorse;6156480]
@GotGait–loved the pix of your saltwater guys! I used to raise seahorses, then life became complicated enough that I figured the saltwater tank needed to be retired for a more auspicious time… Really enjoyed your pix![/QUOTE]

Seahorses are so cool, but I was too afraid to try keeping them. At one of the reef shops around here, they had a pair in a smaller coral tank - nothing else but the 'horses. I loved watching them.

Not much happened today here. My new aquatic plants came in the mail, and they were gorgeous and high quality. I got them from Dr. Foster and Smith of all places. Seriously nice plants - so nice I ordered a few more.

Now there are more places for Snack to hide, but he appears to be an extrovert because he rarely hides. He didn’t even hide while I was doing some “remodeling”. I’m fairly convinced now that shrimp #1 was the victim of a molt gone wrong. Basically, he got caught with his proverbial pants down, and my sweet little Betta took advantage of his vulnerability. In any case, the only thing left was his shell. There were a few things about the shell that bolster my theory, but they are gross, so I won’t get into it. :dead:
in any case, Chips seems to have gone back to ignoring Snack so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Things like this happened a lot in my reef tank. If the shrimp and hermits didn’t pick a good hiding place, they got picked part. My larger shrimp would completely disappear into the live rock tunnels, and I would never see them until after their new shell had hardened. The one time I witnessed a molt, my fish waited until he was almost done and then obliterated him.