BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish Fish Journal - BETTAS ONLY

Oh no doubt about that. I will not enter the breeding arena lightly, if at all. I'm thinking of picking up a more "breedy" pair - from a breeder, rather than an LFS. I'll see how I feel about that then.

First: a community tank. I really want to set up a 20 gal. one of those.

Oh! Also, kinda funny when I got home yesterday from work. I noticed that the bubble nest competition has begun! Fang has been building nests for awhile, but nothing like this one yesterday - it was HUGE! Chairman Mao even built a small one - I think they're competing against each other! Hillarious!

Pinky developed a case of fin rot, and I put him into a hospital tank. I don't understand it, but there were all these black dots floating in the water with him, even after I siphoned and replaced the water. He didn't seem like he was getting much better, and was really bummed out not to be in his tank with his oto and baby froggie. So, I put him back in along with a bit more salt and he seems to be ok. I don't see any new fin growth, but they aren't getting any shorter either. Hmph!
Nan

So, I’ve been a bit concerned about keeping the temperatures stable in Fang and Chairman Mao’s bowls, especially with winter coming. (By the way, I pointed to a bowl my size at a pet shop and asked the proprietor how many gallons it was - it’s a 2 gallon “drum” bowl - I have two of those. What do I know from gallons? I’m Canadian lol!). Anyway, the temp’s have been dropping about 5 degrees at night in their bowls, so I figured to avoid illnesses, I should rig up a lamp of some kind.

So what I did was I bought one of those brass “piano lamps” - the kind with an adjustable arm and weighted base, with the lamp part being quite wide. It seems to work pretty well so far! The width of the lamp spreads out over both bowls, when the arm is fully extended up. It sort of rests a bit on the edge of the bowl, so I’m not worried about it toppling in and electrocuting my lil’ fish buddies. It has a 25 watt bulb in there right now. The bowls were 72 degrees when I went to bed, and 70 when I woke up (to give you an idea of how much warmer that is, relatively, the rest of the house was 60 degrees! (Brrrr.....cheap landlord who hasn’t turned the furnace on yet). I’m thinking I will pick up a higher wattage bulb (60 watts is the max for the lamp), and that should keep the temps at a stable, higher temp.

Jk...good for you !

It's always a good idea to keep water temps as stable as possible. Not only will warmer more stable temps keep your betta healthier and happier, but their colors are much more vibrant as well.

I have been keeping my new copper guy in a bowl with bettafix since I brought him home. He was acting a bit sluggish at first though his finnage and color looked good and healthy. I thought it best to treat him as he was most likely just weakened a bit from the shipping and hanging around in a small cup for a few days. I wanted to head off any major or even minor set backs in his health.

I have discovered that he is indeed a super delta tail (SDT) copper colored betta...and very pretty! He has a slight tear in his caudel fin which I want to heal up before I let him go in the tank. I sure want to avoid the finrot issue with this fella. There is a plastic plant in his section of the divided tank that I will take out before I let him go in there.

Also, I finally found one of the LFSs which sells live black worms. I picked up 2 heaping teaspoons full of them for about 2 bucks and they are now residing in my fridge..lol..havn't told my husband yet that they are in there...I put them way in the back on the bottom...I'll wait till he's in a cheerful mood first...lol. I use a kneehigh nylon which I cut the toe off of as a net to rinse them off with. They have to be rinsed and the water changed every day or they start to stink..so I have learned. I just have the nylon over a cup and pour the worms in it, then pour some clean water over them to rinse them off and then put them back in the dish with clean fresh water. I must be doing something right because they didn't look too lively when I first bought them, but they are squiggling around to beat the band now..lol...oO(eeww) <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> .

way to go on the black worms EMG! i find that sometimes in my purchases of them there will be a few flat worms or Flukes in with the batch. be carefule to check and take them out. i figure bad for humans, bad for betta. sometimes it's hard to spot them right away as they can stretch themselves out pretty thin and mimic a black worm. sometimes theyre obvious, squat, fat, pale things.

on another note. we lost 'Tude an hour ago. i was waiting for my husband to come home before i euthanized him, he just didn't make it. he gave me a few last bubbles and i turned my back to find something. when i turned around to talk to him some more he was at the bottom of the hospital tank. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

my husband didn't even get to say goodbye. it's his first "favourite fishie" and he's all broke up about it.

this morning he looked a little better, he was trying to swim instead of float in one corner. he looked more alert than last night but, as the day went on he just got worse.

it was so sad, cuz he would try to perk up whenever my husband was around and would give bubble kisses to him but, if my husband would walk away 'Tude would get upset.

last night i had noticed another smaller tumor bump begining to ulcer, and i knew it wouldn't be long before it would get to him. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

at least i know he was happy the day before last, when he made a huge bubble nest. i told my husband that 'Tude was a happy fishie with us. i think wer gonna bury him in one of my plants tonight.

Aww..poor Tude..and poor hubby! <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

You did all you could do for him Mel. What a super fish he must have been.

Thanks for the info on the black worms. I have noticed a definite improvement in the vitality and look of my fish since I started feeding these things to them. I had a couple that had lost the fat on thier backs...you know, that beligerant looking hump the males have on their backs when they're in great shape...they are starting to buff up again...lol.

this "fat on the back" you speak of... is it like the hump on 'Tude's back? there's a pick of him on Rate My Fish see if that's what you're talking about. if not can you give an example?

and you're more than welcome for the info, specially if it shows much benefit!

Yep Mel, that's exactly what I'm talking about. A good healthy male betta should have a nice arch to his back. (which is his fat reserve) Right now my Teal, who had the fin surgery...has a straight flat back...used up all his extra energy dealing with the finrot And the surgery thing. He is starting to get it back though with lots of live black worms, Hakari Betta Bites and fresh clean water all the time.

His fins look good and healthy, if a bit short and no where near thier beautiful condition before the finrot issue. I do hope he comes back all the way..he was such a pretty fish, but..as long as he's healthy and finished with finrot, I'll be happy!

wow! i didn't know that, now i have to get Twinky all pumped up. his back is pretty flat but, then again, he also thinks he's a girl most of the time. is that bad? <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Lol Mel, nah, as long as he doesn't start dressing in tutu's and wearing mascara...then I would start to worry...

They don't HAVE to have the hump..as long as they are healthy and happy I wouldn't worry about it. Feeding live foods has its own downside, such as the risk of parasites and the like...

All the bettas I buy from the fish stores have that hump when they come fresh from the hatchery. They get fed lots of live stuff at those places and it is good for them. My fry are all pumped up and looking good..in fact..I just went ahead and did another spawn..lol. I didn't get as many eggs as the last spawn..oO(thank GOODNESS!!) looks like only about 20 or so, but I can't really count.

Sure took this pair long enough to accomplish anything though. Had them in the 10 gallon together for a day and a half, almost gave up figuring it wasn't a good pairing. I think they were just young an inexperienced..lol. Came home from work and found eggs today!! <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> I knew it was risky to leave her in with him and I wasn't there to watch..but, I had kept an eye on them all the previous day and she seemed to have no trouble keeping away from him and finding places to hide...so...I left her. They did fine, but I had a hard time telling if they were done or not when I came home. She kept swimming over under the nest, then he would chase her away, but then he would try to entice her back...she would come over, then swim away again. Then I caught her eating a few eggs that fell to the bottom and I wisked her out. So much for that.

Well, here I go again..time to get the lettuce soaking so the infusoria is ready when they are..lol. Need to get that heater in the 5 gallon for the water changes too...etc..etc..

Here's a pic of the male..nice finnage..can't wait to see what the fry will look like in 6 months..lol
http://www.bellaonline.com/misc/rateme/photos/photo2229.jpg