MisssMarie
Fish Addict
So, I figured it's time for me to post pics and information on all the bettas I've had and I'll update it as I get new ones - as I know I will!
We start my journey with Kitchi, the little betta that started it all for me. I picked his name because it meant Brave, and I believe he was so very brave
I had been asking my mother for a pet for years. I was running out of things to ask for. I'd tried a horse, then a dog, then a cat, then a snake, hamster, mouse, rat, lizard, bearded dragon, gecko, bird, frog, chinchilla, rabbit, everything. I was running out of things to ask for. I hadn't had a fish in about 8 years. My last one having been a goldfish I won when I was 8... I made the poor thing live in 2 cups of water until it died a couple of days later. She was out of town and I begged her for a fish finally. She was in a meeting, and just agreed. At that point, I knew I had to act fast - before she got back and retracted her statement. The next day, before she got back, I went to Petco. I was trying to hurry, as the person who had driven me, had done so on their lunch break. How could you rush something like this though? Finally a dark blue guy caught my eye, he kind of looked like a pair of Levi's. I was debating between him and another guy for a while, but, I saw something in Kitchi that made me know he was mine. I got him home, and settled him into a vase. Soon, I questioned my sanity. Why was I so excited to get a fish? Something that couldn't interact with me, and just floated around all day? But, the more I watched him, the more I realized he had a personality of his own! Before long, I was researching bettas, and relying on Yahoo! Answers for help! I realized I needed a bigger tank and a heater. I was saving up for his tank, when I made a stupid mistake. I replaced his cold water with hot water, not steaming, but warm to my hand. The hot water killed him, and I felt so bad. He now rests behind my house.
After Kitchi, I waited a while before getting a new betta. I did all my research, someone on Yahoo Answers pointed me towards this site, and I owe them a great debt. After browsing this site a while I got a 10 gallon tank, a heater, and a filter. I cycled my filter, got 2 apple snails, and made 2 dividers. I spent hours every day researching bettas, until I felt like I understood enough to not kill off my new fish. I researched everything from breeding to diseases to tail types. I was the "betta hospital" for my neighbors who often brought all their sick fish for me to heal. I had tons of medicines, and, I managed to heal 3 of the 4. The other had pinecone scales when they brought it to me.
My Snail, Speed Racer
My snail, Escargo
I found a breeder I wanted to order some bettas from, and my plan of getting 3 males went down the toilet. I ended up buying 3 males and 3 females. I hurriedly set up 3 smaller tanks, and I waited anxiously for the weather to get better. They arrived quickly, and they were so much smaller than I had expected. I wondered what would happen if I put the three females in together. So, I set up the biggest tank on the kitchen counter, pulled up a chair, acclimated them, and released them. In the beginning, there was some nipping and fighting, but now, they get along. Some times they school, other times they're patrolling their territories. I had been worried one of my girls would be picked one, as she was a lot smaller than the rest, and I sat ready to separate them if it came down to it. Surprisingly, the smallest female became the dominant one. She now rules the tank! They have broken the tank into three parts - the wine glass, the green plant, and the rocks.
Here is the boy's 10 gallon tank:
On the left, we have Elan. His name is friendly, because, he is always so friendly
In the middle, we have Bob. He's a little character, and loves to swim between the thermometer and the wall. He loves to patrol his territory
On the right, we have Sakima. His name means King. He's a little pig, and he was the smallest of the males. With the warm water, and good diet, he's grown so much larger in the time I've had him.
Here's the girls tank:
First, we have Winema. Her name means Chief. She's just as pretty as flower in my opinion. She's a darling girl, such a sweet looking girl, yet, she rules the tank! She's only about 3/4 of the others size, yet she's a force to be reckoned with!
Second, we have Aiyana. She's second in command, and her name means eternal blossom, because she resembles a blossom that is always in bloom. She has some brilliant light coloring, and one of her gills is in fact red! She's a quick little girl, and is almost always sharing her company with Winema.
Third, we have Leotie. She's a darling, her name means flower of the prairie! Her sister is Aiyana. She's on the bottom of the totem pole, but, I don't think she cares so much!
Mom wasn't to pleased with the idea of having 6 bettas, but thanks to Bob and the girls, she's growing to love them. In fact, she's going to help me design the girls 10 gallon they'll be getting in 1-3 months. I went ahead and picked 4 suitable tank mates, and I'm going to let her pick which one she'd like, and have her help me pick plants and a theme, and all that fun stuff! She's really enjoying getting involved with it, and sometimes I'll catch her watching them, and if I do, she denies it to no end, but I know she loves them as much as I do!
I have one more betta on the way, a girl we think. She's a true rescue, coming from a horrible household where she is poked with a spoon, fed goldfish flakes, and living in the same container she came in with daily water changes, hot water poured in, and no water conditioner. I'll post pictures tomorrow!
So, needless to say, this is just the beginning. already these bettas have taught me so much, they're my teachers, friends, confidants, and the few things I can rely on. As skeptical as I was when I first got into this hobby, I'm now glad I stuck with it, and I feel it's something that will stay with me my whole life.
We start my journey with Kitchi, the little betta that started it all for me. I picked his name because it meant Brave, and I believe he was so very brave
I had been asking my mother for a pet for years. I was running out of things to ask for. I'd tried a horse, then a dog, then a cat, then a snake, hamster, mouse, rat, lizard, bearded dragon, gecko, bird, frog, chinchilla, rabbit, everything. I was running out of things to ask for. I hadn't had a fish in about 8 years. My last one having been a goldfish I won when I was 8... I made the poor thing live in 2 cups of water until it died a couple of days later. She was out of town and I begged her for a fish finally. She was in a meeting, and just agreed. At that point, I knew I had to act fast - before she got back and retracted her statement. The next day, before she got back, I went to Petco. I was trying to hurry, as the person who had driven me, had done so on their lunch break. How could you rush something like this though? Finally a dark blue guy caught my eye, he kind of looked like a pair of Levi's. I was debating between him and another guy for a while, but, I saw something in Kitchi that made me know he was mine. I got him home, and settled him into a vase. Soon, I questioned my sanity. Why was I so excited to get a fish? Something that couldn't interact with me, and just floated around all day? But, the more I watched him, the more I realized he had a personality of his own! Before long, I was researching bettas, and relying on Yahoo! Answers for help! I realized I needed a bigger tank and a heater. I was saving up for his tank, when I made a stupid mistake. I replaced his cold water with hot water, not steaming, but warm to my hand. The hot water killed him, and I felt so bad. He now rests behind my house.
After Kitchi, I waited a while before getting a new betta. I did all my research, someone on Yahoo Answers pointed me towards this site, and I owe them a great debt. After browsing this site a while I got a 10 gallon tank, a heater, and a filter. I cycled my filter, got 2 apple snails, and made 2 dividers. I spent hours every day researching bettas, until I felt like I understood enough to not kill off my new fish. I researched everything from breeding to diseases to tail types. I was the "betta hospital" for my neighbors who often brought all their sick fish for me to heal. I had tons of medicines, and, I managed to heal 3 of the 4. The other had pinecone scales when they brought it to me.
My Snail, Speed Racer
My snail, Escargo
I found a breeder I wanted to order some bettas from, and my plan of getting 3 males went down the toilet. I ended up buying 3 males and 3 females. I hurriedly set up 3 smaller tanks, and I waited anxiously for the weather to get better. They arrived quickly, and they were so much smaller than I had expected. I wondered what would happen if I put the three females in together. So, I set up the biggest tank on the kitchen counter, pulled up a chair, acclimated them, and released them. In the beginning, there was some nipping and fighting, but now, they get along. Some times they school, other times they're patrolling their territories. I had been worried one of my girls would be picked one, as she was a lot smaller than the rest, and I sat ready to separate them if it came down to it. Surprisingly, the smallest female became the dominant one. She now rules the tank! They have broken the tank into three parts - the wine glass, the green plant, and the rocks.
Here is the boy's 10 gallon tank:
On the left, we have Elan. His name is friendly, because, he is always so friendly
In the middle, we have Bob. He's a little character, and loves to swim between the thermometer and the wall. He loves to patrol his territory
On the right, we have Sakima. His name means King. He's a little pig, and he was the smallest of the males. With the warm water, and good diet, he's grown so much larger in the time I've had him.
Here's the girls tank:
First, we have Winema. Her name means Chief. She's just as pretty as flower in my opinion. She's a darling girl, such a sweet looking girl, yet, she rules the tank! She's only about 3/4 of the others size, yet she's a force to be reckoned with!
Second, we have Aiyana. She's second in command, and her name means eternal blossom, because she resembles a blossom that is always in bloom. She has some brilliant light coloring, and one of her gills is in fact red! She's a quick little girl, and is almost always sharing her company with Winema.
Third, we have Leotie. She's a darling, her name means flower of the prairie! Her sister is Aiyana. She's on the bottom of the totem pole, but, I don't think she cares so much!
Mom wasn't to pleased with the idea of having 6 bettas, but thanks to Bob and the girls, she's growing to love them. In fact, she's going to help me design the girls 10 gallon they'll be getting in 1-3 months. I went ahead and picked 4 suitable tank mates, and I'm going to let her pick which one she'd like, and have her help me pick plants and a theme, and all that fun stuff! She's really enjoying getting involved with it, and sometimes I'll catch her watching them, and if I do, she denies it to no end, but I know she loves them as much as I do!
I have one more betta on the way, a girl we think. She's a true rescue, coming from a horrible household where she is poked with a spoon, fed goldfish flakes, and living in the same container she came in with daily water changes, hot water poured in, and no water conditioner. I'll post pictures tomorrow!
So, needless to say, this is just the beginning. already these bettas have taught me so much, they're my teachers, friends, confidants, and the few things I can rely on. As skeptical as I was when I first got into this hobby, I'm now glad I stuck with it, and I feel it's something that will stay with me my whole life.
