My new unusual Betta...reminds me of a killie

[Colin_BC]

I've had a 2.5G tank on my PC desktop for a couple months now. It's cycled and I have been housing at different times pulcher fry (FKA Krib's) and platy fry in it until I found something nice to take up permanent residence. I went to a LFS to see their south american cichlid shipment that was supposed to arrive containing many nice apisto's, but it was delayed. While there I looked at all the tanks (as usual) and for some reason I decided to stop and check out the betta's too. One betta in particular caught my eye. It reminded me more a couple panchax killie's I once had in terms of body shape. The fins remdinded me of a nicer australe killie i briefly had from an auction. It was the only betta there like it, and I don't think I've seen one like this before.

Does anyone have any idea what type of betta this is? He certainly has personality!

Colin

 

[cation]

I believe it's a splendens - your basic pet store/betta show betta. The coloration really couldn't be anything else. He's got an oddish body shape, but he looks like a veiltail to me. He's a cutie, I love marbles! Enjoy him, congrats.

 

[GuppyDude]

wow ur right he does look like a killie, congrats, he looks young

 

[Opcn]

Bettas and killies fil the same ecological niche Liveing in ditches marshes and bogs, Good looking fellow. And cool snail aswell

 

[Colin_BC]

Thanks for the compliments all! The body shape is what really struck me as odd. He's happily exploring my 2.5G, picking at the oaccasional baby snail. After a few days he already comes flying to the top (hoping for food) if I come near the tank. I've never had any luck with bettas in the past, but the last time I tried keeping one was a year ago before I really had any tanks. This is the first time I've tried keeping one in solitary in a cycled/heated/filtered/planted tank. Hopefully my luck has improved with my knowledge over the last year!

Colin

 

[cometcattle]

He's very cool! Great little tank, also.

 

[Colin_BC]

Thanks cometcattle! I've got to replant the 2.5G soon. The plants that are in there now were just temporary to add a bit of live decor when I initially set it up. I want corkscrew val's along the back. I'll keep the hygro in the middle and possibly the banana plant, but would like to get some riccia or glosso for the front, as well a small piece of wood.

Colin

 

[AlexsDaddy]

I love his coloring. The body shape is different though. Most bettas backs slope down right behind their dorsal fin. His is pretty straight all the way to the tail fin. He does look young though cause his tail is soooooo short. Either that or just getting over a major case of fin rot and it just hasn't grown back yet. I have ended up having to take the snails out of my betta tanks though cause the bettas harrass them too much.........

Edited to add: How many baby snails do you have in there. You might want to watch your levels if there's too many in there. A 2.5 isn't too much room for a betta and a bunch of snails.....

 

[Colin_BC]

There are about 3 baby snails in there, each between 2-5mm in size. They were hand picked from my fry tank when I first setup the 2.5G in the beginning of November. The large snail has been in there a few weeks. I'll keep a watch on the levels, although it hasn't been a problem yet. I do a 50-75% water change every week using (treated) dechlorinated water.

I suspect he is very young as when I was comparing him to every other betta they had, he was much smaller in size and appeared much ligter in mass. I saw absolutely no sign of finrot when I examined him at the store, and I spent about 5-10 minutes looking very closely in front of a light. I love the lcear/white stripe in the anal fin between the 2 sections of red.

Colin