My betta fish

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K412

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This is Julietta. I have had her for 3 years now so she's a granny fish.
animalpicsjune18029.jpg

This is Julio, I've only had him for a year or so now.
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He's kind of clear so he doesn't photograph very well.
 
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greembrain

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Hi,

Both are looking too good.. I think Julio was not in mood to give its photo to you ...LOL...
Good photos ... Thanks a lot for sharing these lovely photos..
 

sammi

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Very pretty =] I had a beta fish as my very first pet when I was a kid =]
 

terryo

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I always see them in the pet store in little tiny jars. Why is that? I never saw them in big tanks....just wondering, because I know nothing about them. I must say that they are the most beautiful fish, and yours are no exception.
 

dmmj

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My local 99 cent store has a ton of them for sale all the time, in tiny little jars. Aren't they also called fighting fish or something like that?
 

Yvonne G

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Siamese fighting fish. You can't keep two males in the same tank. They CAN be kept in an aquarium, however:

"One of the most unique features about betas is that they are "labyrinth fishes". Labyrinth fishes have a unique ability to obtain oxygen from either the water or from the atmosphere. To do this they periodically swim to the surface and gulp air using a special organ called the labyrinth organ similar in many ways to our lungs. This unique feature allows us to keep bettas in very small bowls without any additional air supply."

Your two Betta displays are very pretty. Such a graceful and beautiful fish!

Yvonne
 

Gus

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Hi this is my Black copper betta and I breed them as hobbies

And this is also from my spawn Super Mask Turqouise and is my fav colour

If you like to see more of the betta which I spawn do let me know
 

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RandomWiktor

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Beautiful bettas you have there! I love this species :)

I always see them in the pet store in little tiny jars. Why is that? I never saw them in big tanks....just wondering, because I know nothing about them.
They are kept in individual cups/jars in stores because it would be pricey to house them more appropriately since they do not cohabitate well. Since they can breathe oxygen from the surface, they do not suffocate as other species would in such low oxygen, tiny containers. Unfortunately, they DO still often become ill from the rapid build-up of ammonia and other waste products when kept in small containers.

Ideally, bettas ought to be kept in similar conditions as other similarly sized labrynth fish. Most educated fishkeepers wouldn't dream of putting say, a dwarf gourami in a bowl. Bettas live the longest, healthiest, happiest lives when kept in a proper sized, heated, well enriched aquarium. The betta forum I moderate has a general consensus that 2.5g is a good bare minimum, as this is the minimum size that can be safely heated and also fit a hide and a few plants. I personally think a 5g tank is better, especially if it is a wide/shallow one (I like using 1/2 10g tanks for this).

Contrary to popular belief bettas DO NOT live in little mud puddles. Labrynth breathing evolved for the dry season when many will become trapped in small pools as waterways dry up, but this doesn't represent ideal living conditions at all! Bettas breed and have the best survival rates in the wet season, where they have plenty of clean water and space - many wild bettas have territories between 1sq ft and 1sq meter depending on population density and prey availability! Thus it is best to mimic these favorable conditions by giving your betta a wide, shallow, spacious, heated, well-planted environment.

I currently have 16 pet bettas and 2 foster bettas. I love this species and have been rescuing them for years. My guys tend to live 4-6 years and really enjoy their spacious, enriched digs and quality diets :)
 

terryo

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Thank you for that wonderful post. They are such beautiful fish, and I always feel so sorry for them in those tiny bowl's.
 

kimber_lee_314

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I have Betas too - one male in a 5 gallon heated tank and some females in my 30 gallon community tank. They are beautiful fish. In my opinion, it is cruel to keep them in those little cups with no filtration or warmth. It shouldn't be allowed.
 
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Maggie Cummings

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I am not a fish person but I love Bettas and keep one in a heated 5 gallon tank with a small hide and floating plants. I use a filter that doesn't make any current because I read they didn't like current. The first one I had was small and yellow and I fed him Betta pellets and bloodworms and I just loved watching him as I washed dishes. The tank is behind the faucet. He always watched me too and knew when it was time to eat and he would follow me back and forth and I could put a glop of bloodworms on the tip of my finger and he would come up out of the water and snatch them off my finger. It was pretty cool to have him do that. Anyhow I did my research and I thought I was caring for him good but he only lived a year and a half. I did expect him to live longer so I was greatly disappointed. So I washed all his tank stuff and I have a common purple one now and we are just getting used to each other. He doesn't know I am the food goddess yet, he eats the bloodworms but isn't too interested in the pellets. I miss my yellow one and we had a pretty good relationship and I did expect him to live longer. I'll take a couple of pictures and post them and maybe you can suggest what I am doing wrong. Temp is 86 degrees and the filter is changed weekly...
 

RandomWiktor

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86 might be slightly high; if nothing else, it may be speeding the fish's metabolism and thus shortening its lifespan. 82 is a better temperature for them. I'm also wondering if the tank is cycled? You mention changing the filter pad, which ideally shouldn't be too problematic if there is a healthy population of waste nitrifying bacteria in the substrate. However, if the tank isn't cycled, the fish could be chronically exposed to harmful fluctuations in water parameters such as ammonia spikes. Do you regularly test your water params, and perform weekly waterchanges accordingly?
 
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Maggie Cummings

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RandomWiktor said:
86 might be slightly high; if nothing else, it may be speeding the fish's metabolism and thus shortening its lifespan. 82 is a better temperature for them. I'm also wondering if the tank is cycled? You mention changing the filter pad, which ideally shouldn't be too problematic if there is a healthy population of waste nitrifying bacteria in the substrate. However, if the tank isn't cycled, the fish could be chronically exposed to harmful fluctuations in water parameters such as ammonia spikes. Do you regularly test your water params, and perform weekly waterchanges accordingly?

The water was tested 2 weeks ago when the yellow fish died and he said there was a 'slight' amount of ammonia and told me how dangerous that was to the fish and suggested more plants and better water changes. I didn't change the water often enough according to the guy in Petco. He did say that I have a good filter for my tank and my Betta. I have marbles and rocks as my substrate and I stir them up regularly and net out the pieces of stuff. So I'll turn down the temp right now and he also told me to have my water tested more then just "every once in a while". Remember, I'm a tortoise person not a fish person, so I thought according to my research that I was doing alright for my fish. It's a learning experience and I'm feeling kinda crappy at the thought that my inexperience might have killed the yellow fish. I'll try harder...
 

RandomWiktor

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Fishkeeping is very complicated, and there is a lot of misinformation out there to sort through - don't feel too badly! It happens to the most well-intentioned keepers.

Personally, I'd suggest reading up on cycling, obtaining a test kit (preferably not the strips; they aren't overly accurate), and getting on a good weekly water change schedule. Considering that you're providing space, filtration, a good diet, and good temperatures, I think fixing this last matter will really make a world of difference :) Happy fishkeeping!
 

Tom

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This is good advice Maggie. I know fish way better than I know torts. I still like to use good old fashioned undergravel filters with 2 or 3 inches of aquarium gravel on top. They seem to have fallen out of favor, but none of the new stuff i've tried works nearly as well. Then you only do partial water changes every week or two and use a little bitty gravel vacuum to remove the old water. Makes it real easy.
 
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Maggie Cummings

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Tom said:
This is good advice Maggie. I know fish way better than I know torts. I still like to use good old fashioned undergravel filters with 2 or 3 inches of aquarium gravel on top. They seem to have fallen out of favor, but none of the new stuff i've tried works nearly as well. Then you only do partial water changes every week or two and use a little bitty gravel vacuum to remove the old water. Makes it real easy.

10/4
 
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