Introduction . . .

[Kierana]

It's all my sister's fault.

She left me Betta sitting while she went to Daytona for the race and I decided that having a Betta again (had the last one nearly 15 years ago) would be nice company. I did a lot of research and much lurking on this and other forums.

So last Thursday I set up a lovely 2.5 gallon Mini-Bow and let it percoate overnight before heading off to the new Pet Partners - not a single Betta that "called" to me. Then I went off to W-M just to see what they had by way of fishy equipment. I hit pay dirt there.

That night I got Bart, a sweet, if somewhat manic, pineapple VT and his cup-by-cup mate, Cleo, a RWB VT female. She looked so sad when I picked him up and took him away that I had to go back and get her. That necessiated picking up a 1.7 gallon AquaView for her. Since she had to wait overnight in her cup before acclimating and going in her new home, Bart got to wait too. They did at least get enough aged and declor-ed water that they weren't sitting on the bottom on the cups.

Now, they are both happy, healthy and swimming around in their new homes. They have survived water changes and Bart has finished his BettaFix regimen for his somewhat shredded anal and caudal fins. Talk about chow hounds. If it moves in the current, it gets eaten - Bio-Gold, freeze dried bloodworms, even flakes!

Now onto the new guy, as of yesterday. On a quick swing by W-M for last minute Easter supplies, I found that they had a new shipment of Bettas. How I ended up in the fish department from the Easter aisle, I'll never know. I picked up Dash :sigh: and another 1.7 gallon tank. He has a dark blue body and yellow fins tipped with turquoise. Dash seems very happy in his tank. He's actively swimming and investigating his silk plants and doesn't seem to mind the airstone bubbles. In fact, he blows bubbles at me! I am concerned that he hasn't eaten yet. The other two pounced on the pellets after they had been in their new homes for only a couple of hours. Nothing tempts Dash. Should I wait him out? He will eventually eat, won't he?

Oh, and as for me, I am SWF, 40 yo in Southwest Virginia, USA, who really doesn't need a new hobby or the sudden onset of MTS!

Kierana

 

[Kiarra]

Give Dash a few days, offering him food whenever you wish. Some Bettas just take longer before they're willing to accept food in their new environment. It took one of mine slightly less than two weeks before he cracked and ate...and I was offering him live worms.

 

[Skylar]

Dash is just getting used to his new and less cramped surroundings. Some bettas eat as soon as they placed in their new tank, others don't. He is probably a little bit stressed and wary of this suddenly larger space so don't be worried about him. Try and keep his tank dark for a bit and tempt him with some lovely bloodworms.

That's awesome that he is blowing bubbles at you. He might start making a bubblenest. They are so cute when they do that!

-Skylar-

 

[Kierana]

Thanks Kiarra and Skylar! Looks like we'll be having a contest to see who can hold out the longest. I may make a trip to PetPartners tomorrow to see if they have some frozen bloodworms so I'll have them on hand when he finally cracks.

Somehow I'm going to have to figure out a way to get pictures of my guys and gal. I knew that I should have asked for a digital cam for Christmas.

Kierana

 

[BettaMomma]

Sounds like you're hooked on betta kiddos just like we all are.


Congrats on the new finds!!

 

[Kierana]

Thanks BettaMomma. They just have such wonderful personalities!

I keep following with bated breath Lucky's progress toward tail regrowth.

 

[BettaMomma]

Aren't their personalities incredible?
It amazes me every day how each little guy I have has his very own little qwirks. They're the coolest pets ever.

(I'll NEVER tell my guinea pigs I said that, cuz well - I love those little guys too. heh)

I can't wait to go see how much tail has grown back tomorrow!!!
I will have to keep that tank super sparkly for that little boy. YIkes!

 

[Kierana]

I guess that Dash had just given up eating for Lent, he had a terrible appetite Sunday morning! Now everyone is finally on the same page, and eating the same things.

 

[Kiarra]

Good! I knew he'd crack! They pretty well ALWAYS do. What food finally tempted him enough to eat?

 

[Kierana]

He was up there begging with Bart and Cleo when they got their freeze-dried bloodworms. He snarfed his up almost before they hit the water. Now he's finally figured out pellets, too, though he does occasionally mouth them and spit them out before finally crunching down.

Whew! Big sigh of relief.

 

[Kiarra]

Him mouthing them and then spitting them out is just him softening them so he can eat them. That's not be worried about unless the food doesn't ever go in the mouth and STAY there.

 

[BettaMomma]

thank goodness for you! I can imagine your relief...
I have a little girl who's going on day #9 without eating a THING.


Let's hope I have success tonight with her!

 

[Kierana]

Is it Liza that still isn't eating? :sigh:

I'd love to have an all female tank but don't have the guts to try it. My little Cleo has grown so much just in the 10 days that I've had her. She's starting to color up some too, as she started out with a very pale body but is now getting more blue on her body. Her dorsal and anal fins are all blue and her caudal is blue and red. Guess all those colors would make her even more of a "mutt" than VT's are usually considered to be - but I still love her!

 

[Kiarra]

All female tanks aren't actually that hard, as long as you're ready to separate any troublemakers. I have 4 different all-female tanks, and there is complete and utter peace in each and every one. Of course, getting to that complete and utter peace sometimes took a little creativity, but it was worth it. I only have one troublemaker, who will fight with any and all of the other girls, so she has to live alone. But she's just hyper-aggressive, as she even fought with a Plakat male (all other males she has, however, deferred to).

 

[AlexsDaddy]

Sounds like MTS is setting in early for you. I have 5 tanks and 10 bettas. Female tanks are awesome. I have 4 females in a 10 gal. and have not had a single nipped fin in the last couple months. It's been up and running for about 4 months now. Just do some searching around on here to get some good info and peoples experience with them before you do it if you decide to do it. Good luck with your new kids!