I went to PetsMart last night and looked at the Betta’s there. Pretty little guys. The Fluval Edge was on sale, $69 off. I still managed to resist…but I keep thinking about them. I’m sure I’d go with one of the $4 (or were they $5) fish as they seem to be the most expendable to the stores and I’m sure to each little fish…his life is as important to him as mine is to me.
[QUOTE=threedogpack;6184813]
I went to PetsMart last night and looked at the Betta’s there. Pretty little guys. The Fluval Edge was on sale, $69 off. I still managed to resist…but I keep thinking about them. I’m sure I’d go with one of the $4 (or were they $5) fish as they seem to be the most expendable to the stores and I’m sure to each little fish…his life is as important to him as mine is to me.[/QUOTE]
If you are looking for an enabler, here I am. 
I have had fish for decades, and I don’t think any fishy thing has made me smile like my Petsmart Betta thriving in my Fluval Edge. The fish is so cheery, greets me every time I walk in the room, and has blossomed from a kind of wistful, plain fellow into a gorgeous guy. And as far as just being good looking, the Edge, planted and decorated with my flashy fish, gets more compliments than our newly redecorated kitchen.
[QUOTE=GotGait;6141878]
I look at this site all the time. There are some gorgeous fish on there. I think next time I will order one from there because I love the ones they call Mustard Gas. Then there is this one:
http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.cgi?fwbettashm&1329340192
I told my husband it was a “Steelers” fish. He wants it. LOL[/QUOTE]
I just told my SO that we’re going to get a red and blue one and it will be our Giants fish, named Eli. Now he wants one.
…And thanks to the COTH enablers, here’s what I got today: http://smithratliff.com/2012/03/09/a-new-addition/
Blue and red half-moon.
He’s from PetSmart, but their selection was surprisingly good. They were still in the crappy blue water cups, but all the fish were healthy, bright and active. Lots of colors and labeled varieties.
This guy won out though as he flared up at me when I walked up! :winkgrin: He’s in a 1.75 gallon bowl with some rocks and an anacharis, but I think I will get him a few more plants; PetSmart’s selection just wasn’t that great.
Anyway, he’s definitely not shy and I’m thrilled to have another betta! 
[QUOTE=Tha Ridge;6186120]
…And thanks to the COTH enablers, here’s what I got today: http://smithratliff.com/2012/03/09/a-new-addition/
Blue and red half-moon. [/QUOTE]
Pretty!
[QUOTE=threedogpack;6184813]
I went to PetsMart last night and looked at the Betta’s there. Pretty little guys. The Fluval Edge was on sale, $69 off. I still managed to resist…but I keep thinking about them. I’m sure I’d go with one of the $4 (or were they $5) fish as they seem to be the most expendable to the stores and I’m sure to each little fish…his life is as important to him as mine is to me.[/QUOTE]
Oh my gosh! I was in WalMart yesterday and decided to “browse” through the fish section. I promptly found myself wanting 4 or 5 of the gorgeous bettas there! It was only when I started adding up the costs that I decided I should probably wait until my personal life settles a bit more before I add another life, and spend more $$. I’m really thinking I’m going to take mine to work though!
Betta-gurus…what do you think if I got one in a 3-gallon tank? I have had fish before, so understand cycling the tank, testing, etc…do you think 3 gallons would be enough for the little guy?
Grrr…and I SWORE I was done with fish…
lol
A three gallon is large enough for a single betta. It seems the recommended is 1 gallon minimum but more is better. It’s also good to have at least one plant (preferably more) but be cautious when choosing one as a plant with sharp edges may tear the betta’s fins. When it comes to the tank, a lid is good because they can jump and have been known to jump out.
I absolutely hate these things: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753229 They’re much too small for even one fish without the divider and two is just ridiculous. The fish can also see each other which stresses them. It’s just a terrible setup. I was given one and I just use it to hold the fish while the tank is being cleaned.
I always regret “browsing” the fish at Wal-Mart. I just want to take all of the bettas home with me.
Hi there, I haven’t abandoned this thread. I’m just a bit more under the weather than usual so I’d just been reading, not posting. Congrats to everyone who’s dived into the world of Bettas!
I got a Nerite snail, but today I noticed some baby Apple snail eggs must have hitched a ride on a plant, so now I have about 5 baby snails. I’m not sure what I want to do with them yet. They’re still very small, but Apples don’t live very long so I really didn’t want any of them.
Oh, and spotteddrafter, 3 gallons is great.
Those tiny little tanks the pet stores have set up around their Bettas are terrible. Poor little guys can’t even swim.
Hope you feel better soon!
Thanks to this thread, I have become totally fascinated with Bettas in a whole new way. I had them growing up thanks to an uncle…I never knew any better. Small bowl, 1/2 gallon or less. Most of my fish lived 2 years or so. Never received great care…just more or less neglected. I feel terrible about my lack of knowledge.
This time, I vowed to do better. I read, studied, and became more knowlegable. I finally found a container that I like a lot.
It is a two gallon glass jar with a glass lid. The next step was to find the rest of the accoutrements for the perfect jar!!!
I went to see my parents this weekend and stopped by a local pet store looking for a dog toy that I hoped they would have…didn’t have toy, but they had the most pathetic bettas I had ever seen…out of 14 cups, 5 fish were long since dead…very sad and pathetic. Several bettas were surviving deplorable conditions. One fish really caught my eye and my heart. If it survived the next several days, it is going to be a beautiful fish…I kept telling myself this as I knew I would have to immediately change its water and place it in a bigger container at my parents…then place it back in its travel container…then set up glass jar…oy vey! What was I thinking!
My mom and I went shopping in Macon. Of course I had to go to the local Petsmart. I picked out natural sand for substrate. I got a moss ball, java fern, and an anubias as live plants. I like sand, just looks cool. The plants can root themselves in the sand. I plan on doing frequent partial water changes to keep Mr Betta happy and healthy.
So far, the sand is messier than I thought. It will take a couple of days for me to get it as clear as I want…Yes, several partial water changes already tonight…much more clear!
No, betta isn’t in the large jar yet. I had him in a glass pitcher at my parent’s. I didn’t expect him to survive as he was so very pale. I do mean PALE! Upon returning from Macon, he transformed into a deep lavender purple with paling to the edges of his fins. He is gorgeous. He was upset he had to go back into his small cup to travel home in…he is now in a 1/2 gal glass jar until the large jar finishes its settling.
He is already eating anything I place in his tank. He is getting fat already…his midsection is filling in. He is flaring at the mirror after being in his smaller jar only an hour. He likes his new life…that is for certain!
His name…you might wonder…Pitcher. In honor of his first home away from the craptastic cup he was forced to reside in…
Sorry for the long-winded post. I am just soo proud to give a fish that had no hope of surviving the weekend another chance at life…He is one handsome boy!
Pitcher will make his photo debut later this week. He wants to wait for his larger home to be completed before he smiles for the camera!
Haha! I thought I was the only wacko that rescued bettas from Petsmart! I’ve just gotten a lovely new fellow. Tell me what you all feed? My new guy is not interested in the flakes at all and the small pellets seem too hard when he tries to eat them. Ideas?
Nemo, my Petsmart betta, loves his little betta pellets and also brine shrimp, which I give him a few of every day.
I just saw $200 for a betta on that Aquabid site… WOW perdy fish though:yes:
So has anyone else ever had a Betta who seems to enjoy being touched? I know it sounds weird, but my boyfriend has never had a Betta and is fascinated with how personable ours is.
He was putting his finger near the top of the bowl and the fish would swim up. Now, if you touch the water or dip a finger in, the Betta will come up and rub himself against your finger! Strange and funny. :lol:
Cee Lo has gone from no personality to wild boy. He not only comes up to the side of the tank when we come around, but “trots the fence” like a horse that you are way late to bring in for dinner. :lol:
He is still a bit thin and has odd poops so I need to treat him for parasites. It’s been a long time but I used to use a fizzing tablet in the water instead of food and I can’t remember what it was. Does that ring a bell for anyone? Jungle brand sounds familiar but I can’t seem to find what I used before.
His color is definitely expanding. Probably a third of his fins are green now but there is new white around his body, where the green used to be. I’m almost sure he’s a baby so I’m curious to see if his little bit of color changes to something more or just grows off his fins and disappears.
Ok, I now have two bettas thanks to this board! One is sitting in my living room in a glass one gallon jar. He is a youngster and he will be upgraded as he gets older. He is a gorgeous dragon plakat. Very handsome markings and should only improve with age. He has rocks at the bottom of his jar and two moss balls to keep him company.
My other betta is flourishing in his two gallon glass jar and plants and sand.
All in all, I am very happy to have bettas again. I will upgrade each betta habitat as time and change allow. They are both surviving and are starting to thrive. It is exciting!
Haha, I think it’s cool how many of you have them now. Chips is in quarantine for one more day. He grew really fast after I put him in his tank and one day I noticed little pin holes in his tail fin. Next day he blew them out flaring and his tail was in tatters.
He’s been in a 1/2 gallon container hanging inside our big tank. I didn’t have anything to put him in the first day so he spent the night in a bowl tucked into my fuzzy winter hat on top of my husband’s computer to keep him warm. There’s a little salt in the water and I change it every day. He’s almost ready to go home. He’s been sulking the whole time.
Certainly hope he continues his improvement and can return home soon. Poor guy! It sucks when they get sick!
I have a pets supplies plus rescue crowntail they advertised him as dragon but he’s not, aneca rescue petsmart dragon scale he’s mustard color with black outlined around his fins ajd metallic White face.
GotGait I did laugh but that is just so lovely that your mum cared so much.
Anyone in central KY want a cool orange veiltail? Got one who’s been at work for a couple of weeks and is ready to go home and have his own tank to patrol! Large and healthy qnd flairing at all the new arrivals today 
