I recently had a "bog garden" added next to my fishpond--AKA, a 50 gal animal trough bought at a farm depot, sunk into the ground next to the pond, filled to the brim with water and a little over half way with "muck," and then planted with a 60 dollar lotus (with only 3 small leaves at the moment).
Anyway, over the past few weeks, the little bog has been teeming with tiny underwater "bugs." So, seeing as it would be a natural habitat for it anyway, I decided to buy a betta to put in it. I went to the lfs--which is really terrible, by the way--and finally settled on a somewhat pretty (if rather sorry looking at the moment) pale blue male betta. When I put him in the bog, he was freaked out for the first couple of minutes, but when he finally found all the little bugs, he was like a kid in a candy shop!!! I figure he should really color up and become healthy on his diet of live foods and sunshine. He seems just as happy as could be!!!
When the weather cools down too much for him, I'll take him inside and put him in my 25 gal tank with my goldfish, Bubbles. Normally, I wouldn't trust a goldfish--or many fish at all, for that matter--with a betta, what with those long, pretty fins, but Bubbles...well, Bubbles is different. She's a female Oranda I rescued from a goldfish bowl who has now grown to be fairly large. She's so sweet and mild, though, I have literally raised broods of livebearer fry with her without having to worry about a single one of them being eaten. She could inhale them without even realizing it, but she never does. So I figure the Betta--I think I'll call him Lazuli--should be safe with her until he can spend the next summer in the bog garden.
Anyway, I just had to tell you guys about it. I was wondering what you think of the idea of a betta in a bog garden? Good? Bad? Both?
Anyway, over the past few weeks, the little bog has been teeming with tiny underwater "bugs." So, seeing as it would be a natural habitat for it anyway, I decided to buy a betta to put in it. I went to the lfs--which is really terrible, by the way--and finally settled on a somewhat pretty (if rather sorry looking at the moment) pale blue male betta. When I put him in the bog, he was freaked out for the first couple of minutes, but when he finally found all the little bugs, he was like a kid in a candy shop!!! I figure he should really color up and become healthy on his diet of live foods and sunshine. He seems just as happy as could be!!!
When the weather cools down too much for him, I'll take him inside and put him in my 25 gal tank with my goldfish, Bubbles. Normally, I wouldn't trust a goldfish--or many fish at all, for that matter--with a betta, what with those long, pretty fins, but Bubbles...well, Bubbles is different. She's a female Oranda I rescued from a goldfish bowl who has now grown to be fairly large. She's so sweet and mild, though, I have literally raised broods of livebearer fry with her without having to worry about a single one of them being eaten. She could inhale them without even realizing it, but she never does. So I figure the Betta--I think I'll call him Lazuli--should be safe with her until he can spend the next summer in the bog garden.
Anyway, I just had to tell you guys about it. I was wondering what you think of the idea of a betta in a bog garden? Good? Bad? Both?
)
and like stated above, the betta/goldfish combo may not work, but then again, it may, i guess when it comes to that, you'll have to just watch, huh? 
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